I was about 22 years old and driving my motorcycle to work one foggy morning. The fog was rather dense and I was driving about 60mph. I know I should have been using a little more sense than that but you know how we are when we're young, thinking we're invincible. Anyway, as I was driving along somewhat daydreaming, I realized I had just gone past a sign indicating a left curve in the road.
I've never been one to panic in emergency situations but it always amazes me how fast my mind can process information in an emergency. I remembered that the curve sign was located rather close to the curve and since I was already driven past it, I had little time for reaction so I immediately throttled down and began to apply my brakes. There was also a gravel road that that approached that curve from the right and knowing that it would mean loose gravel on the pavement, I realized attempting that turn at high speed and applying brakes was a recipe for disaster, so I chose the next available option - to take the ditch. I'm guessing I was still moving around 50mph or so.
To my amazement I rode that bike through the ditch and back up onto the pavement before coming to a stop. After sitting on the ground in disbelief to calm my nerves for what seemed like about 20 minutes, although in reality was probable just a couple minutes, I walked back and found two skid marks in the ditch about one wheelbase apart. I had ridden the bike sideways through that ditch! I didn't even know I had that much talent.
It was fortunate that because of that gravel road, the trees were cut back far enough to give me the room I needed but had I hit a rock, a clump of grass, or soft ground I most certainly would have been catapulted off my bike into the trees and things could have been much worse. I learned to be a little more cautious after that.
