Awareness - Keep your head in the game

Born to be mild: Rob Bernshaw

Rob Bernshaw, Columnist

In sports as in life there is a term ‘I’m in the Zone’.  In other words your head is in the game or in the moment. This can be incorporated into every aspect of our lives moving forward. Every waking moment, if our heads are not screwed on tight enough then distractions of any kind will take us out of the zone, out of the moment and in a flash our head could be out of the game as well and we could lose it all for a moment of inattention.


This is especially true when operating any kind of equipment from roller blades to the high-tech jets of the modern world.

Usually a day, a week, or a month is assigned for awareness of events that otherwise may not be noticed in our hectic lives. These short time periods are vitally important but in reality we need to extend those times and personally incorporate everyday of our life rather than a few moments in history of awareness if we want to drive or ride to arrive.

May has been designated Motorcycle Awareness Safety Month across Alberta and Canada. As the Month of May appears in our rear view mirror and as we move forward let us all remember to get through the day, awareness is the key in everything we do.

Without awareness and being in the moment in all areas of our life, rather than having our head in this game on the field called life than we might be in a body bag being carried off the field and eventually laid to rest under that same field of life that we all are on.

How does one keep their head in the game one may ask?

Here are some tips to help one in their journey to better awareness of themselves and others around them.

Protection is a vital key in motorcycle safety. The more advanced the personal protection equipment(PPE) worn does not mean that awareness is thrown out the window as awareness of our surroundings will save lives(ours and others).

Here is the bare minimum of PPE that a motorcycle rider needs to have in order to ride safely.

• An approved motorcycle *helmet (DOT, Snell)
• Full fingered leather gloves
• Sturdy jacket made of leather or a material of  *higher safety rating 
• Sturdy pants made of  denim(minimum requirement) or *higher safety rating pants (denim  or specialized riding gear)
• Eye protection (eyeglasses, sunglasses, visor or face shield on helmet)
• Leather boots that cover the ankle bone

*Specialized rider PPE is also available as the technology has advanced over the years. Kevlar armored jacket, trousers and helmets have greatly improved the safety of riders  involved in any kind of incident. Also full body Armour that motorcycle racers use is also available to purchase.

There are many brands on the market to choose from and the following video obtained off of the internet is a small example of  what the proper PPE will do to help in the saving of ones life if an unfortunate incident were to occur. Is the equipment an end all be all solution? No it is not but proper PPE will help in the awareness that we all need to have in order to survive and it is far superior to our own fragile skin hitting the pavement first rather than the layered protection proper PPE does afford.



The cost does very according to brand and the quality of PPE being purchased. Riders or potential riders need to do their homework. Higher quality material and the more technologically advanced the PPE is the more cost involved.

Cost is a factor that is true but what is one’s life worth in the whole scheme of life around us.

As time passed from the time I took my first motorcycle ride on a little Honda 50 many years ago to the present day I have also advanced in my riding skills and the knowledge that helps to improve the way I ride. Knowledge in the way to ride a motorcycle by taking advanced riding courses that helps one to better appreciate that automobile drivers are but one part of the equation and that us as riders need to take responsibility as well, in order to be prepared for the unexpected that may happen along the road. Granted better safety better safety apparel is a great boon to the rider of today and helps protect the body in an appropriate manner if one is sliding down the road without their motorcycle but keeping one’s head in the game is the key to a safer more enjoyable ride.

Because riding two wheels without a cage needs more balance coordination and skills than rolling down the road on four wheels with a cage surrounding us.

Safety in riding requires skill balance and wits about oneself at all times, there is no room for error or a distraction of any kind.

Becoming complacent on a motorcycle is not an option.

Since the vehicular traffic on the roads of today have increased in volume from days past the role of the motorcycle rider has increased to the point where they are driving not only for themselves but for others around them as well. That does not mean literally driving the other persons vehicle as that would be hard to do but it does mean getting into the ‘Bike Zone’ and being totally aware of everything going on around you(front, back, sides below and above). The road surface(gravel, pavement, objects on the road) has an effect on ones ride. The weather above will also affect the rider of the two wheeled machine.

Weather conditions affect the road surface where the friction coefficient of tires to road surface can change drastically depending on the type of weather occurring. Cold and heat will also affect the mental ability of the rider as too cold, hypothermia could occur and too hot heat exhaustion could occur. Being aware of what is all around the motorcycle rider will also help prepare the rider for a controlled stop in case of a possible change in the driving habits of the vehicular traffic or pedestrian traffic around them. Now let us not forget there is also another two wheeled mode of transportation that can shoot out of seemingly nowhere and that is the bicycle and rider.

Motorcycle riders need to remember that if the sun is behind us then the vehicles in front of us will not  see us as clearly as they may otherwise would. We need to constantly scan ahead for vehicles possibly turning in front of us from side streets. Motorcycle riders need to slow down and be prepared to come to a full stop(especially if there is no other way out like another lane) if the vehicle all of a sudden turns in front of the motorcycle rider as the mass taken up by a motorcycle and rider is not there for the operator of the motor vehicle to see and they will literally not be aware until they have completed the turn(if they are even aware at all).

In order to keep ones balance intact ‘No alcohol’ allowed or any other medication and drugs that could cause impairment while riding.

Also proper sleep is needed in order for proper attention to be paid to the skillful operation and to maintain balance without lack of sleep induced impairment occurring.

People on or in other modes of transportation may be talking on their cell phones, eating their three course meal, putting their make up on, cutting their hair, brushing their teeth, reading the newspaper or other print material or they might even be reading a map at night with the interior light on and the map on the steering wheel blocking the view of the road ahead all the while screaming down the road at highway speeds(cab driver noticed by myself one summer night in 2012), the list is endless the amount of distractions that could occur.

In Alberta there is also a distracted driving law in effect and people will be fined if caught driving distracted. Does the law have enough teeth to give suitable consequences to the offender? Possibly not but time will tell the tale on that file.

People whether on a motorcycle or not could also be having personal family issues of various sorts and therefore not fully attentive to others around them.

Motorcycle riders do not have control over the weather, road conditions or others around them but they do have control over their two wheeled machine and their level of awareness.

Is awareness and keeping one’s head in the game and out of the clouds important for the motorcycle rider? You bet it is as distractions occur to not only the rider of the motorcycle but also to all the other people on various modes of transportation available to us today(whether on foot or wheeled).

Here is a cautionary note:

To literally Keep your Head in the game and in order to arrive alive drive not only for yourself but for others around you as well. Always be aware and if there is any chance that the awareness level for any reason is not up to par, walk or ride four wheels as there is more chance for your survival on the road to the future.

Here is a you tube video from High School for your entertainment. Even though this is about basketball the message of being in the moment pertains to everyday life and every day events. The aspect of Getting One’s Head in the Game and keeping it in the moment is vitally important moving forward.

There are also many motorcycle training courses across Alberta from beginners to advanced riders and it is highly recommended that one avails themselves of these valuable resources in order to become more knowledgeable and proficient in all aspects of motorcycle riding.

The following are but a few of the places where motorcycle courses are being taught in order to learn to survive and arrive alive.

Related links:
www.lethbridgecollege.ca/conted-courses/2104-0
www.calgarysafetycouncil.com/cscmotorcycleprogram.htm
www.safetycouncil.ab.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=25