A Good Write-Up of a Bad Accident
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Completely agree, and kudos to the AMA for their campaign to increase the penalties for this BS.
Crash Cash
Well-known member
Yeah, I'm still happy I put the Subaru driver's husband in a wheelchair, when she hit me on my GS1100L. If the old people can't see, they shouldn't be driving.
There for the grace of God...etc. I feel for this rider; it could have been any one of us. However...
There's one thing in his account that bothers me:
"One minute, I’m placidly riding down a familiar neighbourhood street, the next, a vehicle appears in front of me, and after that, nothing."
Wait, the vehicle APPEARED in front of him? We all have some responsibility to anticipate trouble: the youthful cell yakker (or blue-hair) who may not see you, who may turn in front of you. Did this vehicle just "appear" or did he fail to see it approaching, fail to make eye contact with the driver, fail to see the hand on the wheel move and the front tires start changing direction, fail to cover his brakes in expectation that the driver could/would behave stupidly?
I am not blaming him, but what could he have done defensively to prevent being taken out by this careless driver? Maybe nothing, but maybe something.
There's one thing in his account that bothers me:
"One minute, I’m placidly riding down a familiar neighbourhood street, the next, a vehicle appears in front of me, and after that, nothing."
Wait, the vehicle APPEARED in front of him? We all have some responsibility to anticipate trouble: the youthful cell yakker (or blue-hair) who may not see you, who may turn in front of you. Did this vehicle just "appear" or did he fail to see it approaching, fail to make eye contact with the driver, fail to see the hand on the wheel move and the front tires start changing direction, fail to cover his brakes in expectation that the driver could/would behave stupidly?
I am not blaming him, but what could he have done defensively to prevent being taken out by this careless driver? Maybe nothing, but maybe something.
SacramentoMike
Not Safe For Work
Agreeing with you, Big Sky. ALL my sympathy is with the rider, pretty much naturally, but I do believe WAY OVER 99% of all accidents are preventable, excluding only the car-sailing-off-the-overpass-on-top-of-you-as-you-ride-below, or the sudden-swerve-across-the-median-from-an-oncoming-lane situations. And who LOSES if you DON'T avoid that accident? Well, the one without the steel crash cage surrounding him, usually. So if he'd done just one "something" differently, he might have missed out on the permanent limp, etc. Good lesson for all of us; hard one for him. Wishing you a good recovery, Mr. Laturnus.
Crash Cash
Well-known member
Well, in my accident, I was looking over my right shoulder to make sure I wasn't cutting off a Jeep for the lane change I was about to make. I looked back just in time to see the Subaru body-roll as it made the hard-left across the median in front of me.
I also have had a Corvette just pull-the-****-out (AND THEN STOP IN FRONT OF ME) from a hidden side street, and she basically appeared in front of me from behind a building. Fortunately I was able to stop in time and not do more than dent the hell out of her driver's door. That wasn't a left-turner though. (And I do have to admit I let the brakes off so I'd hit her door)
I also have had a Corvette just pull-the-****-out (AND THEN STOP IN FRONT OF ME) from a hidden side street, and she basically appeared in front of me from behind a building. Fortunately I was able to stop in time and not do more than dent the hell out of her driver's door. That wasn't a left-turner though. (And I do have to admit I let the brakes off so I'd hit her door)
Neil San Diego
One of "...those guys..."
The ****** that turned left in front of me pulled into the on-coming left turn lane and slowed down to stop, and then hit the gas, turning in front of me. There's only so much a person can do defensively. Sometimes there's just not enough time or room if the ****** is that intent on creating mayhem...
wfooshee
O, Woe is me!!
I've had cars "appear" in front of me like he described, as well, although with enough room to avoid.
When you enter an intersection on the green light, you scan, everybody's where they need to be, nobody's moving towards you, then BAM!!!! then driver in the opposing left turn lane goes for it, like they're aiming at you. I've seen it lots of times.
And even trying to say "I didn't see him" should earn a lifetime suspension of driving privileges. It simply means "I didn't look" and as such, defines that person as someone who shouldn't be out there operating motor vehicles.
"I didn't see him" is perhaps my biggest pet peeve with drivers. When you're surrounded by all that transparent stuff they put on the cars at eye level, there's no reason not to see EVERYTHING going on around you!
When you enter an intersection on the green light, you scan, everybody's where they need to be, nobody's moving towards you, then BAM!!!! then driver in the opposing left turn lane goes for it, like they're aiming at you. I've seen it lots of times.
And even trying to say "I didn't see him" should earn a lifetime suspension of driving privileges. It simply means "I didn't look" and as such, defines that person as someone who shouldn't be out there operating motor vehicles.
"I didn't see him" is perhaps my biggest pet peeve with drivers. When you're surrounded by all that transparent stuff they put on the cars at eye level, there's no reason not to see EVERYTHING going on around you!
BwanaDik
Well-known member
A common, happily not this time, fatal mistake. I think he may have been lulled into a false sense of security because he was in a familiar location.
Agreed. I've had discussions ad nauseum with wifey about this WRT our daughter's too frequent car crashes. "Never her fault" is correct, it was a bonehead move by the other guy that always nailed her. However, if I had the same incidence rate as her, I'd be dead now. I agree that 99% of accidents can be avoided if you're paying close enough attention to the environment around you (situational awareness), except for the loonie that jumps the median or flys off the overpass. If you're alert and ride ready, you can, at a minimum, either take evasive manuevers or brake like hell to minimize the impact energy. General approach as taught by the Stayin' Safe course.
I'm sure most of you have seen this or a similar clip:
There have been a number of studies that pretty much confirm this. While I don't agree that it is a valid excuse for hitting somebody, I do believe that not recognising or even seeing something ahead of you is definitely a human fault. Paying closer attention while driving (by the cager) is a sure remedy but how much luck have we had with getting cagers to improve on ANYTHING? As I mentioned above, I think it's our job to be ready for the idiot. And possibly all wear OM electric yellow helmets
(Probably would have seen the bear if he had been wearing one)
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I guess where the victim said the car "appeared" is what stuck in my craw, because that is usually exactly what the cager says after they take out the motorcycle - "It just 'appeared' out of nowhere..." Vehicles may seem to just miraculously appear, but they certainly came from somewhere along some path.
rickysnickers
Well-known member
Old people??? How about any people that can't see or are so self absorbed that they use that excuse. The me first generation needs to go!
Rick
Crash Cash
Well-known member
I hope this doesn't go against the "no politics" rule... but WFOOSHEE FOR PRESIDENT!!!
Seriously though, I haven't ever seen how this couldn't be "driving w/o due care and attention" right off the bat. This is my pet peeve too.
Well, I said that mainly because they WERE old people that could barely see over the steering wheel, and I'm in Florida, where all the bad drivers come to die.
