It’s no secret Bakersfield and the surrounding area is growing by leaps and bounds. There seems to be no way to avoid passing through areas where there is some level of residential or commercial construction. While building activity may be a good thing for many, it creates hazardous conditions for motorcyclists, especially as the wave of development sweeps across the Northeast – home of some of our best local riding roads.
When traveling through areas of construction you have to keep an eye out for construction vehicles pulling out of entrances that only a few weeks before may not have existed. Construction workers are pushed hard to maintain schedules, are prone to using cell-phones and walkie-talkies to communicate. Combine that, with their focus on finding, or getting to the next jobsite and they can easily miss an approaching motorcycle. More than ever, assume the driver of that pickup truck doesn’t see you. At night, it’s best to assume there is a piece of equipment parked around every corner with no reflectors.
Trucks laden with construction materials present multiple hazards. The materials may obscure the driver’s view; badly secured loads may drop materials on the roadway; and lumber, piping and steel may extend beyond the back of the vehicle increasing the risk of a rear-end accident.
Trucks leaving construction sites may have picked up mud, dirt, rocks or other debris, which will fall off on the roadway. I was reminded of this recently when I suddenly came up on a significant pile of dirt covering almost the entire southbound half of Alfred Harrell Highway near the Tuscany development. An inattentive rider hitting the 6″ mound of dirt at highway speed would not have done well.
The dirt and sand that accumulate alongside the roadways are particularly dangerous, especially after dark, when it becomes almost impossible to see. Sand acts like tiny ball-bearings, and if you hit a bad patch while in mid turn, you can expect your bike to slide right out from underneath you.
Heavy equipment can damage the road surface leaving potholes and broken asphalt in an area which a few days before appeared fine. If covered with sand and other debris, the damaged pavement can be especially hard to spot, and if you?re not expecting it, can ruin your day in a heartbeat.
As construction crews make entrances and do roadwork, they lay out safety cones, which frequently get clipped by cars and wind up on their sides in the traffic lanes.
Since there is no way to avoid these hazards altogether, motorcyclists have to exercise extra caution when traveling through areas of construction. Don’t be lulled into believing the neighborhood hasn’t changed since the last time you went through. Keep an eye out for new driveways, side streets and construction entrances. Keep your speed down a little more than usual, increase following distance to ensure you can see roadway debris in plenty of time to take evasive action, and approach turns a little less aggressively to ensure you can maintain control if the unexpected happens.