8.3 Trains, Horses, Construction Zones, and Other Motorcycles

The last group of shared-road hazards mixes the mechanical (trains and construction), the animal (horses and wildlife), and the social (other motorcycles). Learn to Ride Smart Chapter 7 treats all three under the same See-Think-Do umbrella: scan early, decide on space and speed, and act before the hazard reaches you.

Railway crossings

A train cannot stop quickly — most trains need roughly two kilometres to stop, so by the time the engineer sees you the train is long past the point where it could halt. The rider is the only one who can prevent the collision.

Three ICBC facts explain why crossings kill people who thought they were being careful:

• A second train may be hidden behind the first. ICBC names this as one of the main causes of vehicle-train crashes: the driver crosses as soon as the last car passes and meets a train on the second track.
• Trains look slower than they are. Passenger trains travel at up to 160 km/h in Canada.
• Trains are not required to sound a whistle at every crossing, and half of all night-time vehicle-train collisions involve a vehicle running into the side of a train the driver never saw.

Signs and signals

Crossing technique

1. Slow down well before the tracks — never brake hard on the rails, which are slippery when wet.
2. Look both ways, even at crossings with gates — a second train can come from the other direction.
3. Cross at 90 degrees to the rails where the road allows, so your tires meet the rail at the least slippery angle.
4. Never race a train. If the lights start flashing as you approach, stop. If you are already on the tracks when the gates start down, keep moving to clear the tracks, then stop.

Stopping on the tracks

If you have to stop at a crossing, leave at least 5 metres between your front wheel and the nearest rail, so a descending gate or an overhanging train cannot reach you. Never queue across the tracks in traffic — wait on the near side until there is room to clear the far side completely. Parking is banned within 15 metres of the nearest rail.

Horses and wildlife

Horses

Horses are large, unpredictable animals. A horse that startles can swerve into your lane or throw its rider. When you see a horse or horse-drawn vehicle:

• Slow down well before you reach it.
• Pass wide — give as much room as you safely can.
• Never rev the engine, honk, or accelerate hard — sudden noise can spook the animal.
• Watch the rider's signals — a raised hand often means slow or stop.
• If the horse is clearly nervous, stop and wait until the rider has it under control.

Wildlife

BC highways run through deer, elk, bear, and moose habitat. Wildlife is most active at dawn and dusk. Scan the ditches and the tree line, not just the pavement. A deer standing at the shoulder is a warning — more are likely nearby. If an animal appears in your lane, brake firmly in a straight line; do not swerve, because leaving the road or hitting a car is usually worse than hitting the animal.

Construction zones

Construction zones change everything: lanes shift, surfaces get rough, workers stand feet from live traffic, and the speed limit drops. B.C. sets higher speeding fines in construction zones under Motor Vehicle Act s.140: $196 for up to 20 km/h over the posted construction-zone limit and $253 for 21-40 km/h over, against $138 and $196 for the same speeds on an ordinary road.

Anticipate the work zone exit as well as the entry — workers may be cleaning up, equipment may be moving, and traffic may still be slow.

Other motorcycles

Group riding formation

When riding in a group, the lead rider sets the pace and the line; the trailing rider sweeps. The standard formation:

• Staggered on straights — the lead in the left tire track, the second rider in the right tire track at least two seconds behind, the third back in the left tire track, and so on. This gives each rider the full lane width for evasive moves and keeps the group compact.
• Single file in curves, at tunnel entrances, on poor surfaces, and when being passed by a large vehicle. Move back to staggered only when the road opens up.
• One rider at a time passes a slower vehicle; the next rider waits until the first is safely back in formation.

Hand signals

Group riders use hand signals to communicate when turn signals are hard to see. Common signals a rider should recognise:

The three signals that matter legally in B.C. — and that the motorcycle skills test checks — all use the left arm. A motorcyclist must use the left arm to signal a right turn; only cyclists may use either arm.

Groups often add informal signals on top — a tap on the helmet for a hazard ahead, a point down at the tank for a fuel stop, a point at the stomach for a food stop — but these are conventions between riders, not traffic signals. Never assume the rider ahead has seen the hazard you saw; pass the message back or forward.

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The common thread across trains, horses, construction, and group riding: the rider who scans early and leaves space has time to choose a safe action. The rider who waits until the last second is the one who gets hit.