Just when U thought it was safe on the interstate
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HotRodZilla
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Totally avoidable. Watch the slow-mo and how long it takes him to actually react and grab brakes. Wouldn't expect much better from a doofus in a pair of shorts and tennis shoes though. Defensive riding is an art.
Oh. And why on God's Earth would anyone believe the interstate is safe? Haha...
Oh. And why on God's Earth would anyone believe the interstate is safe? Haha...
El Toro Joe
FYYFF
That'll leave a mark...
Looks like he thought he could ride over it, maybe because it was a soft material. Or, he just chose the wrong way to swerve. This exemplifies why I don't make it a habit to ride behind people who are carrying/hauling stuff...could lead to a bad situation.
NTXFJR
Well-known member
Looks like he could've used some abs on that scoot. Did he cook his front brake going over that thing,or what?
BkerChuck
Second hand vegetarian
I avoid people hauling stuff like the plague! Seen far too many idiots that don't know how to properly secure a load in a truck or trailer. I give them a wide berth and pass as quickly as possible.
Madmudder
Tim
+1, Proper space cushion all the time & always expect the unexpected. Particularly at dusk & dawn along deserted roads.
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Intech
Mr. Camping Meet
Way too slow reaction time!
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
I was riding on I-40 once when a pick up truck in front of me actually vomitted a sofa into my lane.
I was glad that I hadn't been tailgating him, but it was still a challenge to avoid it in the heavy traffic.
As others have said, I make it a point to stay away from folks hauling stuff, especially if it appears to be less than well secured.
One thing I remember actually riding over was a big coil of heavy chain. I was following someone too closely, and the large coil of chain became visible right in my path as the vehicle in front of me cleared it. It was too late to veer, so I braced myself and prepared for excitement. I fully expected to have dented the front wheel in this activity, but those old ST1100s were pretty bullet proof, and both wheels were fine. After the adrenaline dissipated, I was fine too.
I think that may have been the final lesson in "not tailgating" for me. It's a lesson that's stuck with me.
The other lesson on the interstate is to watch the guy in back of you too. If you're being tailgated by a dually with a trailer, figure out how to get out of that situation as quickly as you can. As the traffic slowed down in front of me, I could see the big truck and trailer rig closing in my mirror, so I scooted to the left shoulder.
He could not stop, and took ALL the space between himself and the car in front of me, and even at that, he barely avoided crashing into the car. If I'd stayed in that lane and let him do his thing, I would have been toast.
Sometimes I wonder why we ride in the sea of idiots that defines the rest of the denizens of the road.
I was glad that I hadn't been tailgating him, but it was still a challenge to avoid it in the heavy traffic.
As others have said, I make it a point to stay away from folks hauling stuff, especially if it appears to be less than well secured.
One thing I remember actually riding over was a big coil of heavy chain. I was following someone too closely, and the large coil of chain became visible right in my path as the vehicle in front of me cleared it. It was too late to veer, so I braced myself and prepared for excitement. I fully expected to have dented the front wheel in this activity, but those old ST1100s were pretty bullet proof, and both wheels were fine. After the adrenaline dissipated, I was fine too.
I think that may have been the final lesson in "not tailgating" for me. It's a lesson that's stuck with me.
The other lesson on the interstate is to watch the guy in back of you too. If you're being tailgated by a dually with a trailer, figure out how to get out of that situation as quickly as you can. As the traffic slowed down in front of me, I could see the big truck and trailer rig closing in my mirror, so I scooted to the left shoulder.
He could not stop, and took ALL the space between himself and the car in front of me, and even at that, he barely avoided crashing into the car. If I'd stayed in that lane and let him do his thing, I would have been toast.
Sometimes I wonder why we ride in the sea of idiots that defines the rest of the denizens of the road.
BakerBoy
Well-known member
Reminds me of a scary situation I rode into in the middle of nowhere Wyoming, somewhere between Lovell and Greybull as I recall. I came upon a pickup towing a pickup-bed-trailer loaded over the top with chopped firewood moving about 10 mph slower than me, I had concern about the firewood (and therefore opened up space and had covered the brake levers). I waited for a couple miles for a safe place to pass, and a couple cars had lined up behind me by that point.
A hill with a dedicated passing lane finally came into view, and when the passing lane became available to me, I did a very quick over-the-shoulder check to ensure one of the cars behind me hadn't taken the passing lane and started to accelerate--when I returned my view forward, there were firewood pieces starting to fall off of the trailer. As they fell and started bouncing all over the road, everything went into slow motion as each one danced, threw bark and splinters, and randomly scattered themselves across the road. I braked and darted back and forth and somehow missed a direct strike to any large piece as I came to a near stop in the field of debris. Fortunately the driver behind me was paying attention and didn't plow into the back of me (but did strike some pieces of firewood). Fortunately there were 'only' about 8-10 pieces of firewood that fell out and became lots of smaller pieces, and I managed a path through. The pickup driver saw it and pulled over immediately.
Plenty of space is needed, but you still have to be on your toes.
A hill with a dedicated passing lane finally came into view, and when the passing lane became available to me, I did a very quick over-the-shoulder check to ensure one of the cars behind me hadn't taken the passing lane and started to accelerate--when I returned my view forward, there were firewood pieces starting to fall off of the trailer. As they fell and started bouncing all over the road, everything went into slow motion as each one danced, threw bark and splinters, and randomly scattered themselves across the road. I braked and darted back and forth and somehow missed a direct strike to any large piece as I came to a near stop in the field of debris. Fortunately the driver behind me was paying attention and didn't plow into the back of me (but did strike some pieces of firewood). Fortunately there were 'only' about 8-10 pieces of firewood that fell out and became lots of smaller pieces, and I managed a path through. The pickup driver saw it and pulled over immediately.
Plenty of space is needed, but you still have to be on your toes.
hppants
Well-known member
What about lane position?
For me on the slab, sometimes keeping a 2-second following distance is futile. The traffic is so thick that leaving the cushion only invites someone from the adjourning lane to cut in front of me. I know that I can just back off and resume 2 seconds behind the new vehicle, but don't forget about the idiot tailgating me from behind. The snowball just grows bigger and bigger.....
So at times, while I admit that it's wrong to do so, I tend to follow the vehicle in front of me a bit closer. Not 10 feet behind him, but .... say, about 1 second.
In that situation, I'm hugging the left side of the lane because I want some cushion to my right, but also because I want a glimpse of what's ahead of the vehicle in front of me. When the floaty falls off the boat I still stomp the brakes but I get to watch it roll to my right. In my experience, objects flying out of vehicles (I've seen my share) don't break left or right, brave the 70mph head wind and defy physics. Rather, they gravitate to the slip stream right behind the center of the vehicle.
Regardless - I HATE (LOATHE) riding on the slab and will avoid it most days like the plague.
For me on the slab, sometimes keeping a 2-second following distance is futile. The traffic is so thick that leaving the cushion only invites someone from the adjourning lane to cut in front of me. I know that I can just back off and resume 2 seconds behind the new vehicle, but don't forget about the idiot tailgating me from behind. The snowball just grows bigger and bigger.....
So at times, while I admit that it's wrong to do so, I tend to follow the vehicle in front of me a bit closer. Not 10 feet behind him, but .... say, about 1 second.
In that situation, I'm hugging the left side of the lane because I want some cushion to my right, but also because I want a glimpse of what's ahead of the vehicle in front of me. When the floaty falls off the boat I still stomp the brakes but I get to watch it roll to my right. In my experience, objects flying out of vehicles (I've seen my share) don't break left or right, brave the 70mph head wind and defy physics. Rather, they gravitate to the slip stream right behind the center of the vehicle.
Regardless - I HATE (LOATHE) riding on the slab and will avoid it most days like the plague.
04rider
Active member
I'm guessing this rider grew a lot wiser--if he ever gets back on a two wheeled pony. Probably will continue wearing a helmet after realizing it's value (coming from a rider where helmets are optional).
MCRIDER007
Well-known member
I don't think his reaction time was slow, I would have done the same thing, waited until I could determine which direction the object was going to go....he screwed up by going right....into the object when he could have gone left and never made contact. Might be a classic case of counter steering into the object you are trying to avoid.
ionbeam
2 FUN
Target fixation. Sucks to guess wrong on the escape route. From the time that thing first started moving I would have been seeking to relocate anyplace else on the road or if no place was available I would be slowing down to allow maneuvering room.
Did the driver pull over and accept responsibility? Edit: It does look like the SUV pulled over waayyyy down the road.
I try not to follow anything with open cargo or anything being towed. I also try to ride in a wheel track if following something large enough to obstruct my view down the road because you never know what may show up between the wheels of the vehicle in front of you. And if you are on a trike you are screwed, with the three wheels you will hit everything on the road.
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Panman
Well-known member
That one for me looks hard to judge, hard to tell which way the object was going to go. When I count the seconds the reaction time didn't look that bad.
The worst choice I see is gear selection and following distance. And following distance is subjective, here on the wet side if you leave to much room on a busy freeway your going to get chopped.
The worst choice I see is gear selection and following distance. And following distance is subjective, here on the wet side if you leave to much room on a busy freeway your going to get chopped.
Geezer
Parsimonious Curmudgeon
I agree that his reaction time was OK. He needed a second to assess the hazard. He did seem to be closing the gap between himself and the boat at exactly the wrong time.
Does anyone believe this was the motorcyclists fault or just that he may have been able to do a better job of avoidance? I believe it was 100 percent the fault of the boat owner who failed to properly tie his load.
Does anyone believe this was the motorcyclists fault or just that he may have been able to do a better job of avoidance? I believe it was 100 percent the fault of the boat owner who failed to properly tie his load.
SwollenRaccoon
Well-known member
Totally agree on staying in the wheel tracks of the vehicle you are following. If there's something in the road, he's probably going to straddle it. And while I totally agree it was the boat owner's fault, the rider's reaction time looked a little bit slow to me. It's easy with hindsight and video evidence, but I would have been braking a lot harder than he appeared to, plus he had a completely clear lane to his right. (Having fallen victim to target fixation in my youth, (Yamaha Seca Turbo!), I discovered what I had done wrong, and to this day, try to make sure it never happens again). I'm sure he wishes he had better (more) gear on.
Hopefully the d-bag boat hauler (well, his insurance carrier) paid for the guy's bike and medical expenses. Great lesson here for all of us knuckleheads.
Hopefully the d-bag boat hauler (well, his insurance carrier) paid for the guy's bike and medical expenses. Great lesson here for all of us knuckleheads.
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rogdeb
Scouser
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