FJR Hit in Scottsdale

[marcusorelius]

Saw on the noon phx news a smashed up silver/grey FJR that had hit a car in Scottsdale. Only info was a 55 year old man who died.

 

[marcusorelius]

Just saw it again on the 4:30 news, it looks more like a blue one with a large aftermarket drivers seat.

 

[gregory]

That sucks. Condolences to his family and friends

 

[PapaUtah]

Blue, Russell DayLong equipped...looks like a Galaxy Blue Gen I...I hope it's nobody we know...too much death lately...

https://www.cbs5az.com/story/34245149/motorcycle-rider-killed-in-scottsdale-collision

The riders name is Clarence M. Brown, 55.

 

[steveoreno]

Hate to hear it.

 

[SmashVol]

Prayers to his family and friends

 

[SkooterG]

Damn left turners not yielding. Man, that FJR's front wheel is in pieces.

 

[JamesW]

Sure looks like a dam left turner from the right frt fender. Never trust a box driver at all but you still have to try or we all stay home. Depressing.

 

[101stpathfinder]

What pisses me off is the first comment on twitter following the ScottsdalePD tweet says "Please tell us if he was wearing a helmet, as

this legislation is proposed."

So …forget about the CAUSE (Most likely "I didn't see him") … As long as he was wearing a helmet, things are OK?

Cagers feel they should take the right of way because the cyclist will yield to save themselves. How about an awareness program that is ingrained

into drivers education and testing AND harsh punishments for breaking such rules. It may be their bumpers, but it is our lives.

So sick of this "Make them wear a helmet and everything is OK" attitude

…End of rant

 

[mech 1 twa]

Sorry to hear this. Could be anyone of us.

Helmet can only do so much to protect someone.

Other drivers just don't see us. They do see us but their brain can chooses what it wants to see.

 

[Ignacio]

Other drivers just don't see us. They do see us but their brain can chooses what it wants to see.

That's defeatist, simplistic, and presumes too much. The brain is plastic, trainable, and all drivers and riders can ALWAYS do better including this.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I read somewhere (probably on the internet, so it is true) that in Japan if a driver is in an accident and claims he didn't see the other vehicle, then that statement is considered an admission of guilt and financial responsibility. The law is that it is a driver's responsibility to see other vehicles. Here, most drivers use it to mean, "Not my fault". I wish we had the Japanese version... not that it would save lives.

 

[RJAMT]

I lived in Japan for 9 years and they had some interesting traffic laws when I was there.

My favorite is that new drivers have to put green/yellow decals called "Shoshina" on the front and rear of their cars for the first year after getting a license. By law, if you wreck with one of them it's automatically your fault as you were warned that they are rookies and should have given them more room. The same is true for the orange/yellow "Koreisha" decals which denote elderly drivers.

Just be glad you don't have to pass their motorcycle certification test. For bikes over 500cc you have to demonstrate considerable proficiency by doing things like riding down a beam not much larger than a tire width as well as laying the bike down (on pads) and proving you can pick it back up. The license was roughly $1000 dollars at that time for a large bike.

Basically, they don't want you on big bikes. On the flip side, they have some truly amazing under 500cc crotch-rockets! The large road near my house was a popular hangout for wheelies and late night drag races.

 

[Abercrombie FJR]

Maybe I ride overly defensive, but I don't know how I could be hit or cut off by a left turning driver. I am prepared for and expect drivers to turn in front of me at every intersection and it is never a surprise when it happens. Maybe living and riding in a urban environment would make me complacent but I can't see that happening.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Maybe I ride overly defensive, but I don't know how I could be hit or cut off by a left turning driver. I am prepared for and expect drivers to turn in front of me at every intersection and it is never a surprise when it happens. Maybe living and riding in a urban environment would make me complacent but I can't see that happening.

You get that from operating emergency vehicles for the last 20 years. I do the same thing. Quick, count in your head how many times some clown has pulled right in front of you while you're running full lights and sirens. I bet it's more than the number of fingers and toes you have. I know I'm not the world's best driver, but it's become second nature to watch for the stupid things other drivers do in front of me. I've been glad for those skills many times while on my bikes!

 

[airboss]

Get enough windshield time and you start to think everyone on the road with you is brain dead.

Reference back to Japan. Another thing when I was there was failure to signal, a turn, lane change, whatever. That would get you a ticket faster than speeding. The Japanese Police seem to think that while speeding contributes to how serious a crash is, failure to signal is the greater cause.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Germany has (had) similar strict enforcement of traffic laws. The only citation I ever got was in the mail. It said that two months earlier a Polizei officer had observed me driving and my tire touched a solid yellow line. That will be 80 DM bitte.

Has the rider's name been released?

 

[Geezer]

I read somewhere (probably on the internet, so it is true) that in Japan if a driver is in an accident and claims he didn't see the other vehicle, then that statement is considered an admission of guilt and financial responsibility. The law is that it is a driver's responsibility to see other vehicles. Here, most drivers use it to mean, "Not my fault". I wish we had the Japanese version... not that it would save lives.

It may vary by state, but in the states where I have lived, stating that you did not see the other vehicle does not clear you of blame or responsibility. It is simply a way for the guilty driver to ease his conscience. What it does for us is teach us that we need to do what we can to be seen, and to expect the other drivers to be complacent and careless when it comes to vehicles smaller than what they are driving.

As I taught my kids when they started driving, there are a lot of stupid people out there and most of them drive.

 

[Gnirtsnod]

I try to always watch for those turning left, waiting for the indication that I have been recognized. I slow down, somewhat, make eye contact with the other driver, and ready myself for what might be. After watching several videos and actually seeing a MC wreck in one video that was caused by someone turning left in front of the riders, I've come to another conclusion about the risk of people who are turning left.

I look for what else might be diverting their attention, like another car at the side street (or as in the case of the video, another MC). When you think the "Lefty" is waiting on you to get by, maybe they are just waiting to determine if the side street vehicle is going to yield to them so they can make their turn. Myopic? Sure! Dangerous? As hell! It's no excuse but sadly, a reality - "I didn't see the MC...! Of course you didn't because you were more interested in making your turn."

From now on, I'll be doubly aware of the "Lefty" if I see another car at the intersection. Especially if the "Lefty" is just rolling to a stop.