Why I speed in traffic

Law enforcement and the DMV fail to recognize/acknowledge (and they should) that a motorcylist is ALWAYS safer if she is traveling slightly faster than the traffic around her.  Reason being that in doing so the motorcyclist's "radius of attention" is reduced to 180* from 360* and she no longer has to pay as much attention to what is going on behind or beside her because  . . . . it is behind her.  

Compare that to the motorcyclist going slower than (or the same speed as) the traffic around him - now he has to pay attention to the overtaking (or adjacent) drivers who now present the risks of their running over the motorcyclist or making unsafe and unpredictable lane changes to pass the motorcyclist.

IMO, most motorcyclists, without even realizing why, speed in traffic because intuitively they are reducing the complication and risk of driving.  They can focus more on the greater risks/impact energy of what is front of them and less on the difficult to see and apprehend risks behind them.

What is Motorcycle Safety Foundation doctrine on this fact?  

I don't know about the MSF doctrine on this, but I do know that law enforcement motor cops (motorcycle cops) are basically taught to use this exact same principle in traffic.  

Interesting, I wonder if LEOs generally, motor AND auto, are informed of this safety fact and told to incorporate it into their exercise of judgment.  For example, in deciding whether to cite a motorcyclist for speeding when the traffic generally is exceeding the limit by 10 mph and the motorcyclist, therefore, is exceeding the limit by 15 mph?  

I also ride at least a few mph faster than surrounding traffic.  It gives you the control more so than just puttering along with cars passing you about to do who knows what.  Not to say be reckless or race cars that may be hauling *** but in my opinion this should be SOP for any rider.  

xbacksideslider:
Interesting, I wonder if LEOs generally, motor AND auto, are informed of this safety fact and told to incorporate it into their exercise of judgment.  For example, in deciding whether to cite a motorcyclist for speeding when the traffic generally is exceeding the limit by 10 mph and the motorcyclist, therefore, is exceeding the limit by 15 mph?

They may be told to "incorporate it into their exercise of judgment", but that's obviously not to going to guarantee that it's going to stick with them. I've heard of people using the "flow of traffic" argument to fight a speeding ticket, but the problem is that you have to prove the flow of traffic was traveling at that particular speed at that particular time on that particular day (although in this day and age of instant info access, that might not be as difficult as it was in the past).  

I agree completely with this principle, and think that riding safely should supersede everything else, even if that means an occasional ticket now and then. Thanks for pointing this out. The more we learn and can share about motorcycle safety, the better for everyone.

I would be surprised though if the MSF would prescribe this approach in their classes or literature, as nowadays we live in such a litigious society that if someone were injured on a motorcycle, and they claimed it was because of their speed, I'm sure some ambulance chasing scoundrel would sue the MSF.

As with LEO's, I think honesty is the best policy. If you get pulled over for doing this, I think it's best to admit to the violation, and explain that you were consciously moving a little faster than traffic as a safety measure.  

Changing the subject to another point, since we drive on the right hand side of the road, the "mountain right" turns are always more risky than lefts. Of course, the word "mountain" includes bushes, trucks, signs, buildings, trees, etc., that block our view around right turning corners.

Lefts, by comparison, always give you a bit more margin since you can see across the opposing lane and farther around the corner. That fact of course unconsciously allows us to take lefts with a bit more speed. Similarly, the greater degree (literally) of blindness of rights, unconsciously causes us to take rights with a bit less speed.

When a turn is blind, a late apex in both rights and lefts, dynamically, gives us a little bit better point of view to see around the turn before we enter the parts that were blind just a split second ago.  

Kento I've used the flow of traffic argument and the police officer let me go but I believe it was moreso because he was simpathetic to motorcyclists and saw I wasn't zig-zagging through traffic. However, I wouldn't count on it continuing to work with other officers.

Riding in an aggressive/defensive manner as long as not in a reckless manner is key along with maintaining awarness of the traffic around you will help keep you safe. Overly excessive speed will attract officer friendly however.  

Excessive speed on a motorcycle while riding on public roads will get you into trouble. However, I agree that there are times when "speeding up" makes sense, such as passing a transport or bus, I always try to get through their blind spots as quickly as a can when passing. Also when passing an inattentive driver, if he/she is messing with cellphone or is driving erratically due to a distraction, when it is relatively safe to do so, I will pass as quick as I can.

I live in Nova Scotia Canada and the police now have the right to charge drivers with a term called "stunting". If the officer feels that you were riding to "show off" such as popping wheelies, dragging a knee, driving excessively fast or trying to intimidate other drivers, you can be charged with stunting.

The fines are quite severe - thousands of dollars in fines, your bike confiscated, license suspension, and once your license is returned, a year or two of driving probation.

I stick to the track when I have a "need for speed".  
Ride Proud, Ride Safe, Have Fun.

Can the police up there be charged with intimidating you with threats, theft of property, extortion and loss of liberty?

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold, is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
- Thomas Jefferson  

There have been some charges already under the "stunting" law. Most have been people street racing or driving extremely fast like 120 mph in a 50 mph zone. If people are dumb enough to street race or travel at 80 mph above the speed limit then some of their driving liberty needs to be curtailed.  
Ride Proud, Ride Safe, Have Fun.

I know I'm a bit late here but I have to point out that you are not "always" safer going faster than traffic, and this is most likely why there is no official law or recognition. If there are potential hazards ahead that you need to slow down for, but blindly keep going faster than traffic because you are supposedly supposed to, that will lead to trouble.

In many cases, yes, you are better off going a bit faster than traffic. But I can think of many instances where it's better to go the same speed or even slower.  

I got stopped the other morning going to work here in Ct. on I-95. VERY NICE state trooper asked if there was any particular reason I was doing 81 in a 65 zone. I had just passed 3 cars that were in the slow lane (and had just gotten back into the slow lane while coasting off throttle so I'm glad he didn't clock me while I was in the fast lane !) to get away from a tailgating pick-up that had been riding my ass for several miles. I explained this to the trooper, and that I had tried several times to get the tailgater to pass me. He sort of nodded an acknowledgement and took my license back to his cruiser. I haven't had a ticket in 35 years (awfully damn lucky!) so he told me that that fact and the fact that I wasn't weaving in and out or driving aggressively was enough for him to just give me a verbal warning instead of a $299 ticket. I thanked him profusely and asked him about "going with the flow". He told me most troopers here in Ct.won't stop a bike for going as fast or slightly faster than traffic flow, it's the guys that are going way faster than the flow and/or weaving in and out and using the shoulder. He then gave me piece of "free advice" - "get yourself a Harley like the other guys your age (I'm 58), quit riding that crotch rocket that those kids use to turn themselves into hamburger!" I was riding my modified CBR600RR. You can always run into a hard ass or a bike hater but I've gotten the feeling over the years that unless you are being a total *** most Johnny Laws will give you the benefit of the doubt.  

Your point is well taken Andrew.  Naturally my point is "generally" as opposed to "always;" to reiterate, my main point is that the demands on a rider's situational consciousness are reduced by reducing the field of view that one must concentrate upon.  Going slower than traffic requires attention paid to the rear and flanks, motorcycle mirrors are generally inadequate, incessant head turning is problematic too - both redirect a rider's attention from the forward field of danger.  Cut that field of attention down to 225* or less.

Another thing, the mortal impact energy of dangers in front is generally greater than that from dangers to the rear or side.