Riding in the correct lane not only helps in safety, but also visibility.
Check the picture below to see which of those 3 bikes is more visible to the vehicle in the oncoming lane.
Is it A, B, or C?
The correct position for a one lane (two way road) is riding in the left tire track next to the middle line (See biker A above for example.). This is called the blocking position, because it blocks cars from coming into your lane. If you were riding in the right tire track (See biker C above for example.) a vehicle behind you might get the idea to try and pass you even with on coming traffic. It would then push you towards the ditch for fear of being side swiped.
Now don't get confused when I tell you about the next lane position for 2 lanes.
If you were riding along in the left lane of a 2 lane road, you should be in the right tire track now.
See biker A in picture below for example.
This again is called the blocking position.
Never ride along like biker B in the above picture. You have no place to block, and you are in the worst spot for being visible for cars coming up behind you. Especially if you're traveling in front of another vehicle. Always travel in the far right or far left lanes. Never travel along in any of the middle lanes.
If you're not in your correct tire track when you're traveling along, cars will try to pass you in your own lane. See picture below for example.
See how that blue car in the middle is using half of the bikers lane? Yeah, not good.
I've seen this happen in the city where there were 2 lanes. There was a biker in the left lane, riding in the left tire track. (WRONG!) A car was driving along in the right lane, following a car also in the right lane. The car decided to pass the car in front, so he ducked into the bikers lane and got past both the biker and the car.
In order for that car to pass the other vehicle, he had to push that biker into oncoming traffic, which put that biker in even more danger.
If that biker had been in the right position, this wouldn't have happened, because he would have been blocking his lane.
I was riding down the highway once. It was a two lane highway, and I was riding in the left tire track in the right lane (correct). There were no other cars around except for a big truck that was coming up behind me.
He got nearer to me, and then pulled out to pass. Everything so far is normal.
As he was passing me, right when his passenger door was right beside my bike he started to pull over into my lane already. Of course being a big truck he still had the whole back of his truck to pass me still, but there was no time for that since he was only going about 5km's faster then me.
I noticed right away and pressed my breaks as I swerved to the far right side of the road to give myself more space between myself and the truck.
The truck continued to move into my lane without even noticing what was happening. By now I was already out of his way, and he was past me.
Stupid me, at the time I had panicked and should have used my horn. I'll know better for next time.
The point is. I was riding in the correct lane position, which gave me that extra room to get out of harms way.
If I had been riding in the right tire track I would have been pushed into the ditch instead.
So always remember. Right lane, left tire track. Left lane, right tire track.
An easy way to remember this is whatever lane you're in, you should be in the opposite tire track.
One last tip. Ride in the tire tracks of your lane, and position. Don't ride on the line. It's really dangerous, and you could easily get side swiped from oncoming traffic. Remember that some of those big trucks have side mirrors that stick out a lot more then we judge sometimes. You wouldn't want one of those hitting you in the face.
Ride in the correct lane positions, and be safe!
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