Silent
Who said FJR's don't do dirt?
I found this over on BARF (Bay Area Rider Forum) and found it interesting. there are some interesting replies in there. Thought since JB and I commute and lane share in the big CA city's, this might shed some light on the cage side of the equation.
Source
Question of the week: Do you feel safe while driving near motorcyclists?
Friday, May 11, 2007
Use this story to comment on the question of the week.
Sandra wrote on May 11, 2007 3:13 PM:
" If you equate safe with secure, than I would say no. I do not feel secure when in the vicinity of motorcycles. Some riders are just recklass, and others are at the mercy of bad car drivers. And when you get hurt on a motorcycle, it is usually much worse than a car. "
Dude wrote on May 11, 2007 1:34 PM:
" I think motorcyclists have alot more to worry about than I do, and when they are around me, it isn't for long. So yes, for the brief moment they are around me, I feel safer than I do around any other type of vehicle because I know they pay attention. I don't care if they share lanes, split lanes, speed or whatever. They have different operating parameters for their machines than I do. The exception would be cruisers, I think cruisers type motorcyclists get in more accidents because they ride in your blind spots and ride slow between cars. "
Daniela wrote on May 11, 2007 12:57 PM:
" I think that this question is all wrong; it should have read, "Do you feel yourself to be ready in your driving to co-exist on the road with motorcycle." Now I have to admit that I’m partial to motorcyclists because I have a family full of them and I guess this makes me more aware of "sharing" the road. I can't count the times that I’ve been driving down the road somewhere and a car zips into a lane where a motorcyclists is in and the car barely misses the bike. I’ve also witnessed an accident where a car enters an intersection to try to beat a car and instead hits a motorcyclist that he wasn’t aware of. Of course as in cases where certain drivers in cars abuse the power of the car that they have there are cyclists that do the same; but I think that as there are more and more motorcycles on the road with everyday that passes that we car drivers have to make certain adjustments such as trying to control distractions, or perhaps double check to see if there is really nobody in the spot that we are thinking about getting into, or even something as simple as actually using our turn signals to let every driver (whether motorcyclists or not) of what we plan on doing so that they have time to either warn us that they are there or that they make allow space for you to make that move… "
LeftyLimblog wrote on May 11, 2007 11:48 AM:
" I try to watch out for motorcyclists, but I am not afraid of what would happen to me if their body tries to occupy the same space as my car. I admit riding a motorcycle is a thrill. I used to ride with my brother on his Harley. But then while riding solo, he hit the rear of an SUV, flew over it and had emergency surgery and recovery for a year. His wife sold the bike before he came out of the emergency surgery anethesia and bought him a remote-controlled airplane kit. Can't say I am sorry. --Lefty!!! "
Rider wrote on May 11, 2007 9:53 AM:
" 1.5 tons of metal vs 600lbs of metal ... you've got the fear backwards. Any Rider has a healthy awareness of every object that can possibly cross his/her path. If they dont, they get to be in the Paper... Lane splitting: Have you ever sat over an idling air cooled engine in heavy traffic?... Air cooled motorcyles require motion to stay at tolerable temperatures, not to mention the Rider on top who doesnt have the benefit of Air Conditoned, Shaded Auto interiors. We ride, hyper-aware of those cell-phoning, child scolding, hamburger eating, radio tuning, and just plain un-aware drivers, lurking in driveways, parking spots, and cross streets, with due vigilance. If we don't, we end up on the news, another sad statistic of vehicular bump and grind. "
Opiniagirl wrote on May 11, 2007 9:05 AM:
" Just the opposite. I try to make sure the motorcyclist feels safe around me. I am surrounded by steel and airbags. So I drive carefully when around a motorcyclist. I stay back, slow down and make every effort to make sure they see me. I can't tell you how many times defensive driving has saved me from an accident with motorcycles or otherwise. Still no matter how defensively you drive, occasionally someone makes a choice that compromises your ability prevent tragedy. You don't know what is going on in the mind of the person who is speeding down the street. Unless they are psychopaths there is a reason. They are late, they are rushing to a sick or injured love one...you never know. Give people the benefit of the doubt. I once was pulled over for speeding on my way to administer medication to my child who was having an allergic reaction. The officer was awesome and even led the way for me. In that moment I wasn't thinking about anyone other than my toddler. People can misjudge. People make mistakes; we just pray they don't pay for them with their lives. We continue to pray for Greg and his family. I was at the accident scene when this tragedy struck. My kids watched him receive CPR, I had to move my van so the firetruck could get through....the whole time I was thinking...God please, please hear my prayers and save that man! My kids were profoundly impacted. Greg has been in their prayers since that day. Talking about this will hopefully save lives in the future. "
XMAN wrote on May 11, 2007 8:18 AM:
" Any safety issues posed by persons who ride motorcycles is to them, not to those of us in cars. We have four steel walls around us - they have nothing. It would seem that because of vulnerability to injury, motorcyclists should drive five times as defensively as those of us in cars. When they don't, I worry. "
Other Drivers wrote on May 11, 2007 7:21 AM:
" I have more concrns what about that mini van / SUV with 6 kids the driver on the cell phone with the the cheese buger and fries atleast the motrcycle is watching out for themselves most people in cars dont even do that "
Jarvis wrote on May 10, 2007 7:57 PM:
" Strange question. I wonder if motorcycle operators feel safe while driving near automobiles. Remember when motorcycles were driven by folks on the edge, or tough guys? Now it seems as though riding a motor bike is another of the macho rites of passage for men AND women. Look at Harley sales since the era of women's rights. Tattoos, earrings, foul language, bad manners, mootcycles, used to be the vehicles of choice for derelicts, some, now it seems as though alot of folks have a point to prove vis a vis their masculinity, or street creds, male and female. Driving a convertible allows me to have a greater peripheral range then other folk, so motorcycles are just another blip on my radar. California being a lane splitting state leaves alot of people disappointed, but motorcycle riders are usually the safest folk out there. Judging by the recent motorcycle accident victim's age, the location of the crash, and other indicators, it looks like he was an accident looking for a place to happen. Was ther any cellphone usage at the time by either party? "
Steph wrote on May 10, 2007 7:32 PM:
" Because they're harder to see, and have a tendency to drive between lanes. "
Source
Question of the week: Do you feel safe while driving near motorcyclists?
Friday, May 11, 2007
Use this story to comment on the question of the week.
Sandra wrote on May 11, 2007 3:13 PM:
" If you equate safe with secure, than I would say no. I do not feel secure when in the vicinity of motorcycles. Some riders are just recklass, and others are at the mercy of bad car drivers. And when you get hurt on a motorcycle, it is usually much worse than a car. "
Dude wrote on May 11, 2007 1:34 PM:
" I think motorcyclists have alot more to worry about than I do, and when they are around me, it isn't for long. So yes, for the brief moment they are around me, I feel safer than I do around any other type of vehicle because I know they pay attention. I don't care if they share lanes, split lanes, speed or whatever. They have different operating parameters for their machines than I do. The exception would be cruisers, I think cruisers type motorcyclists get in more accidents because they ride in your blind spots and ride slow between cars. "
Daniela wrote on May 11, 2007 12:57 PM:
" I think that this question is all wrong; it should have read, "Do you feel yourself to be ready in your driving to co-exist on the road with motorcycle." Now I have to admit that I’m partial to motorcyclists because I have a family full of them and I guess this makes me more aware of "sharing" the road. I can't count the times that I’ve been driving down the road somewhere and a car zips into a lane where a motorcyclists is in and the car barely misses the bike. I’ve also witnessed an accident where a car enters an intersection to try to beat a car and instead hits a motorcyclist that he wasn’t aware of. Of course as in cases where certain drivers in cars abuse the power of the car that they have there are cyclists that do the same; but I think that as there are more and more motorcycles on the road with everyday that passes that we car drivers have to make certain adjustments such as trying to control distractions, or perhaps double check to see if there is really nobody in the spot that we are thinking about getting into, or even something as simple as actually using our turn signals to let every driver (whether motorcyclists or not) of what we plan on doing so that they have time to either warn us that they are there or that they make allow space for you to make that move… "
LeftyLimblog wrote on May 11, 2007 11:48 AM:
" I try to watch out for motorcyclists, but I am not afraid of what would happen to me if their body tries to occupy the same space as my car. I admit riding a motorcycle is a thrill. I used to ride with my brother on his Harley. But then while riding solo, he hit the rear of an SUV, flew over it and had emergency surgery and recovery for a year. His wife sold the bike before he came out of the emergency surgery anethesia and bought him a remote-controlled airplane kit. Can't say I am sorry. --Lefty!!! "
Rider wrote on May 11, 2007 9:53 AM:
" 1.5 tons of metal vs 600lbs of metal ... you've got the fear backwards. Any Rider has a healthy awareness of every object that can possibly cross his/her path. If they dont, they get to be in the Paper... Lane splitting: Have you ever sat over an idling air cooled engine in heavy traffic?... Air cooled motorcyles require motion to stay at tolerable temperatures, not to mention the Rider on top who doesnt have the benefit of Air Conditoned, Shaded Auto interiors. We ride, hyper-aware of those cell-phoning, child scolding, hamburger eating, radio tuning, and just plain un-aware drivers, lurking in driveways, parking spots, and cross streets, with due vigilance. If we don't, we end up on the news, another sad statistic of vehicular bump and grind. "
Opiniagirl wrote on May 11, 2007 9:05 AM:
" Just the opposite. I try to make sure the motorcyclist feels safe around me. I am surrounded by steel and airbags. So I drive carefully when around a motorcyclist. I stay back, slow down and make every effort to make sure they see me. I can't tell you how many times defensive driving has saved me from an accident with motorcycles or otherwise. Still no matter how defensively you drive, occasionally someone makes a choice that compromises your ability prevent tragedy. You don't know what is going on in the mind of the person who is speeding down the street. Unless they are psychopaths there is a reason. They are late, they are rushing to a sick or injured love one...you never know. Give people the benefit of the doubt. I once was pulled over for speeding on my way to administer medication to my child who was having an allergic reaction. The officer was awesome and even led the way for me. In that moment I wasn't thinking about anyone other than my toddler. People can misjudge. People make mistakes; we just pray they don't pay for them with their lives. We continue to pray for Greg and his family. I was at the accident scene when this tragedy struck. My kids watched him receive CPR, I had to move my van so the firetruck could get through....the whole time I was thinking...God please, please hear my prayers and save that man! My kids were profoundly impacted. Greg has been in their prayers since that day. Talking about this will hopefully save lives in the future. "
XMAN wrote on May 11, 2007 8:18 AM:
" Any safety issues posed by persons who ride motorcycles is to them, not to those of us in cars. We have four steel walls around us - they have nothing. It would seem that because of vulnerability to injury, motorcyclists should drive five times as defensively as those of us in cars. When they don't, I worry. "
Other Drivers wrote on May 11, 2007 7:21 AM:
" I have more concrns what about that mini van / SUV with 6 kids the driver on the cell phone with the the cheese buger and fries atleast the motrcycle is watching out for themselves most people in cars dont even do that "
Jarvis wrote on May 10, 2007 7:57 PM:
" Strange question. I wonder if motorcycle operators feel safe while driving near automobiles. Remember when motorcycles were driven by folks on the edge, or tough guys? Now it seems as though riding a motor bike is another of the macho rites of passage for men AND women. Look at Harley sales since the era of women's rights. Tattoos, earrings, foul language, bad manners, mootcycles, used to be the vehicles of choice for derelicts, some, now it seems as though alot of folks have a point to prove vis a vis their masculinity, or street creds, male and female. Driving a convertible allows me to have a greater peripheral range then other folk, so motorcycles are just another blip on my radar. California being a lane splitting state leaves alot of people disappointed, but motorcycle riders are usually the safest folk out there. Judging by the recent motorcycle accident victim's age, the location of the crash, and other indicators, it looks like he was an accident looking for a place to happen. Was ther any cellphone usage at the time by either party? "
Steph wrote on May 10, 2007 7:32 PM:
" Because they're harder to see, and have a tendency to drive between lanes. "
