Recent motorcycle crash report

[Klunkshift]

This summary got released recently.

Good input for riding defensively.

Link follows Clicky

 

[azitlies]

The following: (from the report)

In 2009, there were 2,006 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and

another type of vehicle. In 40 percent (806) of these crashes the other vehicle

was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking

another vehicle.

Is something I mention in every MSF course I teach. It's always kind of sad in a way, when it becomes apparent that some riders who've been riding a long time, end up with the attitude "that's never happened to me... so I don't worry about it"...

But I would challenge anyone to do this: the next time (and subsequent times) you're out riding, imagine for a second what would happen if that car in the median didn't see you, and you only found out about it when you had about 0.5 of a second to react...

It only take one time you know.

Good article, thanks for sharing.

 

[Bungie]

.. and intoxicated/helmetless riders loose. As expected.

Good post.

 

[Klunkshift]

It is mind boggling to me that usually there are no charges for the offending left turner. Texas traffic code is clear about yielding in these situations.

We had one of our own gone yesterday here in San Antonio ... no charges. I would guess, not even a ticket.

Driver education is not enough. Hit them where it hurts - their pockets. We also need law enforcement education on how to deal with these situations.

I survived one of these six years ago, also no charges. To add insult to injury, I still had to deal with the offending party insurance company with no decent police report to clarify the situation.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Since when do cops not write tickets for people that make left turns in front of other drivers/riders? Part of the problem is that riding a motorcycle is a dangerous activity...More dangerous than driving a car.

So what was maybe a simple T-bone crash where drivers may walk away, turns into a fatality when a motorcycle is involved. Due to the higher incidents of death and serious injury, motorcyclists continually scream for outrageous consequences for an unintentional, yet preventable crash.

We cannot jail people for crashes that are not a result of gross negligence, reckless driving or impaired driving. 99% of crashes are caused by driver inattention or negligence...Even motorcycle crashes.

So, just because a driver is not put on death row, or jailed for life, does not mean they are not cited...Just like you would be.

Everyone has a story about how they have a friend or cousin, or buddy, or some other BS half baked baloney about how the cops did them wrong after a crash. That absolutely does happen, but not nearly as frequently as people like to pretend it does.

Gimme a break.

 

[BobbyBlue]

Zilla, while i agree with you on most points, LEO's here routinely do NOT cite cagers for their transgressions against motorcycles but we live in an exceptionally moto-ignorant region...i suspect they pay sister mary-elena-maria-irmalinda to drive 50 in the fast lane in her '77 oldsmobuick 'round the loop, but she might be a freelancer...we gotta stay alert brothers...physics hurts ! Stay safe !

Bobby

 

[fljab]

Friggin' left turnin' cagers, cochsuc-aires (pardon my french) every frigging one of them. When will "I didn't see him!" gonna be NO EXCUSE?

Sorry, I'm usually calm, but some things just, well, you know...................................

 

[dcarver]

The following: (from the report)

In 2009, there were 2,006 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and

another type of vehicle. In 40 percent (806) of these crashes the other vehicle

was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking

another vehicle.

Is something I mention in every MSF course I teach. It's always kind of sad in a way, when it becomes apparent that some riders who've been riding a long time, end up with the attitude "that's never happened to me... so I don't worry about it"...

But I would challenge anyone to do this: the next time (and subsequent times) you're out riding, imagine for a second what would happen if that car in the median didn't see you, and you only found out about it when you had about 0.5 of a second to react...

It only take one time you know.

Good article, thanks for sharing.

Wonderful timing, two weeks ago I had CHP (Ca Hiway Patrolman) leave 'early' from a stop sign - I was w/o stop sign and heading left on a branch road - and with no choice other than heeling hard over left prevented the 'wreck'. Not *that* close, really, for me, if I can be so bold but I'm sure a less experienced rider would have been in the grill.

Your timing of 0.5 seconds is on mark - it's difficult to react in short time spans. In this case, knowing the corner, my bike, tire conditions, and mental attitude (focused), no problem.

As I continued left, I did get a very, very brief glimpse of the officer the car - he knew, I knew, he blew it.

Two days later, I see the same officer, only .5 miles from the 'scene'. We both recognized each other almost simultaneously. I waved, he grinned, and gave me a thumbs up.

I'm pretty sure I'll never get ticketed by him unless I *really* screw up.

LEO's are humans too - and make mistakes.

I don't know this man, and probably will never meet him personally (hopefully)

..but we're buds

 

[Bearly Flying]

No matter which way you play it,,,,, the cage is bigger than we are....... We are Going to lose.....

Keep your head up and your stick on the ice.....

Madmike taught me that years ago....

 

[Pepperell]

From the Hurt report of many years ago, it was found that most drivers in that situation simply didn't see the motorcyclist. Bikes are harder to distinguish from bicycles, pedestrians, and background clutter. Search for a page of optical illusions and you'll find several that if you fixate, other "obvious" objects simply disappear.

Unless I'm with a group, I always ride with my high beams on. Try this experiment. Unplug your headlights for a day. I'll guarantee you'll have more close calls per mile.

YOU are the invisible woman/man.

 

[JR'SFJR]

Defensive drive, because I figure you are pretty much on your own riding. Cagers will kill ya and not even get a ticket. Had to come to a complete stop yesterday at an intersection for a cage turner that didn't see me. Read in the paper this morn where a rider was killed by a 17 yr. old in a BMW making a illegal U turn on our 35 mph river road. No ticket, but under investigation!!!

 

[TILAM]

While left turning drivers are the great hazard we can help them to minimize the likelihood of having us as a hood ornament. High beams certainly help and I have used that method for years. I really believe most in the proper lane position when entering intersectons. I don't know if I can explain it fully here but think about where you should be to allow the cager the most time to see you. Place yourself in a spot with the best line of site for him. An prime example is if there is a car traveling in the same direction as you turning left then stay in the right hand side of your lane before you pass that car. If you are on the left side you literally "pop out from the front of that car at the last second.

If there is a car waiting to turn left across your path I move to the right of my lane then go diagonally across my lane as I near the intersection so I'm pointing directly at him. They should be able to see you headlight best when it's pointed directly at them. If I'm all alone on my side of the road I'll do a little weave in my lane as this is a manouver a car can't do and catches their attention. I know they don't want to hit us but we have to give them every opportunity to spot us.

 

[Happy Rider]

Some very good points. As a motorcyclist I realize that I have chosen a form of transportation that is much more dangerous than riding around in a steal cage. I accept the premise that if I get into a crash with a car that I will usually end up getting hurt a lot more then had I been in a car. It makes you wonder then if it is fair to charge a driver more severely for turning left in front of a car vs. a motorcycle, after all a motorcycle is more difficult to see. The crime is the same, right-a-way violation, but the outcome is usually much more severe. Unless some sort of gross negligence such as driving while intoxicated, reckless, or texting can be proven its hard to charge the driver for anything more than the infraction of violating another’s right-of-way. Most of the time not citation is issued. If I can’t accept this, then I think I should reevaluate my choice in transportation. Too many cagers and riders just don’t pay attention and are afraid to give up their right-of-way in order to keep themselves or another motorist safe. Just ride to arrive and be safe.

 

[TomInPA]

Forward visibility is a big help. Don't take it for granted, but adding widely spaced bright lights on the front really gives cages a better shot at not only seeing you, but also gauging your distance and closing rate.

 

[wfooshee]

Weaving a bit helps, I'm convinced. Just a little wiggle in your own lane.

The left-turner (or side-street stop-sign-runner) sees lights but has no information about the vehicle. The weave gives him something to get a range from, and the movement draws his attention.

 

[Bungie]

Forward visibility is a big help. Don't take it for granted, but adding widely spaced bright lights on the front really gives cages a better shot at not only seeing you, but also gauging your distance and closing rate.

Riding in your own lane helps too.

 

[RadioHowie]

Forward visibility is a big help. Don't take it for granted, but adding widely spaced bright lights on the front really gives cages a better shot at not only seeing you, but also gauging your distance and closing rate.

.....said the man who is illegally driving on the wrong side of the road.

 

[TomInPA]

Forward visibility is a big help. Don't take it for granted, but adding widely spaced bright lights on the front really gives cages a better shot at not only seeing you, but also gauging your distance and closing rate.

.....said the man who is illegally driving on the wrong side of the road.

Since more than one of you clowns have failed to notice this is a passing zone...here is the shot without the cropping.

I mean really! I was following a guy on a Harley taking a picture. It was time to pass. :lol:

 

[BwanaDik]

Weaving a bit helps, I'm convinced. Just a little wiggle in your own lane.

The left-turner (or side-street stop-sign-runner) sees lights but has no information about the vehicle. The weave gives him something to get a range from, and the movement draws his attention.

This is exactly what Eric teachs in the Stayin' Safe course. We practiced it several times over the course of a couple of days and it's obvious from the cager reactions that they didn't see us clearly until we did "the weave".

And no, I don't believe that they thought we were doing something unexpected or stupid (i.e., stunting), they perked up because they now saw more clearly where we were and how fast we were moving.