What is the safety trajectory?

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March 11, 2020

Faced with the number of fatal motorcycle accidents, Road Safety plans to include in motorcycle license training the learning of the safety trajectory: a new approach which aims to teach pilots how to approach a curve safely.

This technique, presented in September 2019 by Emmanuel Barbe, interministerial delegate for road safety in La Ciotat, will not however be made compulsory on the road, but the authorities advise bikers to adopt it..

What is the safety trajectory?

What is the safety trajectory ?

Bikers account for 19% of road deaths, according to Road Safety figures, for only 1.6% of traffic. Nearly one in two fatal falls on motorcycles outside town (42%) occur in a curve.

In order to reduce the risk of motorcycle accidents, a new approach to driving is put forward: the safety path.

Approaching a bend on a motorcycle is indeed a delicate maneuver for a motorized two-wheeler driver, especially when it is a young driver with little experience. Practiced by professional bikers from the police and the national gendarmerie, the safety trajectory is a better positioning on the roadway which allows to see as far as possible and to anticipate an event.

From the beginning of 2020, his teaching will be integrated into the motorcycle driving school license training.

The safety trajectory will not become mandatory, but the authorities hope to quickly sensitize motorcyclists, who are numerous each year, to die in traffic accidents.

In 2018, 627 bikers and 133 scooter and moped drivers died on the road in France. And a biker is 22 times more likely to be in a fatal accident than the driver of a car.

The "See earlier and be seen sooner" objective

In a straight line

The motorcyclist rides naturally in the rightmost third of the lane, never in the middle of or close to the center line.

In a right turn

The pilot should approach the center line so that he can see the exit of the turn and look far into the distance in order to be able to react at all times.

Understanding a curve takes place in four stages: adapting your speed in the event of emergency braking, looking as far as possible to see the exit of the turn, tilting your motorcycle and then repositioning yourself in the right third of the road.

In a left turn

The rider approaches the right of the turn while looking far away and adjusting his speed.

To summarize the safety trajectory

To adapt the safety trajectory, the first rule on the road is observation. The pilot will have to be attentive at all times to the reading of the road.

He must be able to anticipate any event: a pedestrian crossing, a car entering in front of you or about to overtake, etc..

Any driver of two-wheelers or scooters should look for information as far as possible to be able to adapt to the situations encountered.

Before entering a curve, you will have to decrease the pace: the rider must control his motorcycle in all circumstances and be able to brake in time to avoid an obstacle or another vehicle.

At all times, concentration is essential. During driving license training, but of course on a daily basis, the rider must master his maneuver by actions on the controls (brakes, accelerator and clutch).

In short, the safety trajectory can be summed up as follows: slow down as you approach the curve; position yourself on the outside of the turn; look as far as possible; then reposition yourself in your lane.

A trajectory reversed to that practiced on the circuit

On the track, during a competition, the fear of a turn has nothing to do with it. A circuit trajectory goes hand in hand with the notion of competition, speed and optimization of curves.

Only experienced pilots are able to perform these maneuvers, on a road closed to traffic and with enhanced safety..

During the Grands Prix, professional pilots practice the tightrope path from which they emerge in the middle under acceleration. Two-wheeler enthusiasts who would like to experience thrills can opt for further training during a motorcycle riding course.

Remember thata road is not a circuit ! For your safety and that of other road users, adopt the safety path on public roads and keep the path tight on the track.

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