Mind Games - Playing the 'What-If' Game

Mind Games
By David Dirig

Well, by the time y'all read this, Dori and I will be in Utah, so just pretend I am rambling on during a chapter meeting. Dori and I are looking forward to taking ERC's in Idaho, and this got me to thinking about the different skills and techniques that a riding course teaches you. How do we apply them day to day as we ride to work or to play?

We all practice the physical skills, and I have preached them many times. Habit strength, developing good habits and trying to reduce/unlearn bad habits; these are the actual riding skills we learn and develop in PLP's and ERC's.... but what about the Mind Games? As I was riding home from work through a residential area the other day, I was thinking about this as I scanned the roadway ahead and watched out for kids playing along the sidewalk. MSF teaches a SIPDE concept (Scan Identify Predict Decide Execute) and GWRRA teaches a slimmed down SPA (Scan Predict Act), but it all comes down to playing 'What if' Mind Games.
As a child's ball went up in the air behind parked cars to my right, I started thinking, what if........ A ball up in the air could easily become a ball out into the street with a child chasing it from between parked cars. But don't focus so much on the right that you ignore hazards from the left, there are driveways and children to the left as well. What if, What if..... these two groups of children could be one group in the process of crossing the road from one play area to another. Watching for hazards left and right, I found myself also scanning for on-coming traffic and road hazards both near (~3-4 seconds ahead) and far (~12 seconds ahead). Right-left, near-far; constant eye movement, playing the What If game, while I change my lane position relative to the predicted and/or imagined hazards.

Where will I go if any of my What Ifs actually come true? Will I counter steer to avoid or apply maximum braking to prevent a collision? Stopped at a four-way, does the cross traffic see me and allow me my turn? If unsure, I motion the traffic through. Still stopped at that four way, does the traffic coming up behind me see that I am stopped in the roadway? Watching my mirrors, I'm prepared (in 1st gear) to pull up and out of the way, while I flash my brake lights to decrease the chances that I get creamed from behind.

You can play the What If game anywhere. Its good practice and develops good habits (can you say habit strength?). I also play the What If game on the freeway (I-15, 4+ lanes of traffic each direction). Commuting to and from work, you are constantly scanning for road hazards, debris, or traffic merging from either side. Body language is a key point to look for. Is that driver ahead of you looking over his shoulder looking for an opening in your lane? He may create an opening where you're at or he may not even recognize that you are there. In heavy traffic, I often change tracks just so the lane appears occupied where I am. If I'm running in Lane 1, I ride in the right track so the traffic ahead of me doesn't hide me from traffic in lane 2 looking for an opening.

What about someone in a hurry coming up behind you? Does he see you? Will he see your signal as you change lanes to let him by or will he accelerate and go around you on the right? Are you prepared either way? I'm sure I'm not the only one who has danced between the lanes as someone comes up behind you and tries to pass on the right while you weave along the Bots trying to stay out if their way. If you're not assuming the worst and watching your mirrors / doing your head checks, you could easily become a hood ornament.

Beyond the physical riding skills, motorcycling is primarily mental, and these mental skills need practice. The next time you're out and about, examine your routine. Do you focus/fixate on a hazard to the right, leaving yourself blind to other risks? Scanning is the key. If you are worried about one specific threat/hazard, revisit that orientation more often, but do not neglect the other potential risks, near and far, right, left, and straight ahead. We joke about having eyes in the back of our heads, but we should really have eyes facing all directions of the compass as soon as the bike comes up off the side stand. Scanning all directions for potential risk and playing the What If game is a great way to reduce your risks while increasing your preparedness should any of these What Ifs actually come true and come AT you!!

Ride Safe and play those Mind Games, it could save your life.