Night Ride, High Beam and Cattle
You are riding a 100 cc motorcycle alone at 10 pm on a rural two-lane road with no street lighting. The speed limit is 70 km/h and you are doing 55 km/h. An oncoming lorry has its main beam on and does not dip. Your helmet visor is clean but lightly scratched. About 40 m ahead, on your side, you see a dark shape: cattle standing on the tarmac. The left shoulder is soft gravel and slopes down toward a ditch. A pothole is visible at the edge of the tar. There is no traffic behind you. The road is dry. Your headlamp is on dipped beam and is working. You have about three seconds before you reach the cattle at your present speed.
1. What immediate action should you take, and where should you look?
Read the worked answer
Ease off the throttle, apply both brakes progressively, and keep the motorcycle straight. Do not stare at the oncoming main beam; look toward the left edge of your lane to preserve night vision and hold a straight line. At 55 km/h you cover about 15 m per second, so 40 m is only about three seconds. Reduce speed enough to stop or pass behind the cattle if they move. Use the horn briefly to warn, but be ready for them to bolt. If you must stop, stop before the cattle, not beside them.
2. Why is swerving right into the oncoming lane more dangerous than braking in your own lane?
Read the worked answer
Do not swerve right into the oncoming lane. The lorry is approaching with main beam on, and its driver may be dazzled or unable to see you; a swerve would put you in its path. The left shoulder is soft gravel sloping to a ditch, so a sudden swerve left risks a loss of grip and a fall. Hard braking on dry tarmac is preferable to an uncontrolled swerve. If you must use the shoulder, do it at low speed and only after checking it is firm. The safest option is usually a controlled stop in your lane.
3. What should you have done earlier to reduce the risk, and what should you do after passing the cattle?
Read the worked answer
Before this point, you should have reduced speed below 55 km/h on an unlit rural road at night, especially with a scratched visor and the possibility of livestock. Use the dipped beam’s spread to scan the edges, watch for eye reflection, and keep a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear. A scratched visor scatters light; clean or replace it. After passing, check your mirrors and do not accelerate hard until you are clear of the cattle and the lorry.