Risks/Watching Your Back

[FJRJeff]

Not that anyone needs a reminder, but I was sad to see this on our local news web site today. A vivid reminder to always keep a look out behind too, not just in front.

Motorcyclist killed in crash near St. Johns Bridge

12:24 PM PDT on Friday, May 5, 2006

By TERESA BELL, kgw.com Staff

A motorcyclist was killed in an early morning crash just north of the St. Johns Bridge Friday, police said.

The crash – involving two vehicles and the motorcycle -- happened just before 6:30 a.m., on Highway 30, police said.

Officers discovered the operator of the cycle, Thomas Neill, 53, dead at the scene, according to Portland police.

Investigators determined Neill had been traveling southbound on Hwy. 30 when he stopped behind another vehicle stopped at a traffic light, police said. While waiting for the signal to change, Neill was struck from the rear by a driver who failed to stop for the signal. The impact of the collision forced Neill into the vehicle in front of him and he was killed instantly, police said.

The drivers of the vehicles were not injured.

 

[sparky3008]

Not that anyone needs a reminder, but I was sad to see this on our local news web site today. A vivid reminder to always keep a look out behind too, not just in front.

Motorcyclist killed in crash near St. Johns Bridge

12:24 PM PDT on Friday, May 5, 2006

By TERESA BELL, kgw.com Staff

A motorcyclist was killed in an early morning crash just north of the St. Johns Bridge Friday, police said.

The crash – involving two vehicles and the motorcycle -- happened just before 6:30 a.m., on Highway 30, police said.

Officers discovered the operator of the cycle, Thomas Neill, 53, dead at the scene, according to Portland police.

Investigators determined Neill had been traveling southbound on Hwy. 30 when he stopped behind another vehicle stopped at a traffic light, police said. While waiting for the signal to change, Neill was struck from the rear by a driver who failed to stop for the signal. The impact of the collision forced Neill into the vehicle in front of him and he was killed instantly, police said.

The drivers of the vehicles were not injured.

Aware is fine but what do you do? As I sat at a light and watched the person in my mirror coming I was asking my self, "Is it going to stop?" She didn't and hit me in the rear and blamed it on the sun.

Now she wasn't going that fast and maybe if the person behind me was going faster I would know the answer to if they were going to stop or not. The question remains though what do you then do?

 

[Geezer]

You leave some room between yourself and the vehicle in front of you. Leave your bike in gear with the clutch pulled in, and make sure you have an escape route so you can get out of the way. Not always possible, but it's better than nothing.

 

[Woodstock]

I always try and stop toward the side of the lane, so I can zip up beside/between the lanes if needed.

 

[chickey191]

One of the reasons I actually like photo stop lights is that they seem to reduce the number of red light runners. I don't like the whole Idea of photo enforced lights - but I can't really argue with the results. EVERY DAY - I see 1, 2 and sometimes up to 4 or 5 cars behnd me run a light that I could have stopped for. This is the one thing on a bike that scares me to death.

A typical rookie rider mistake is to pull up directly and close behind a cage at a light. It is difficult to stop a good distance away and some will say that stopping too far away presents its own hazzards (like driver behind you not paying attention and driving right through you so that they can tailgate the guy in front of you at the light).

In CAL - you can split lanes to the front - which is a GREAT way to stay somewhat out of trouble (when there are cars in front of you) because you have several feet of steel running interferance for you acting as 20' long bumbers.

I try to leave myself some wiggle room in front of me -

I stop on the edge (but not totally on the edge as that invites folks to share the lane with you) of the lane -

stopped in Gear - with an escape route and my eye on the rear view.

I frequently activate the brake lights when a car is approaching (flashing the brake lights) and prepare for a hasty exit if they look too fast.

Biggest problem is leaving yourself somewhere to go - jumping out into traffic is probably not going to work out too well as the oncoming traffic may run you down.

Leave a cushion

sit near the edge of the lane

have an escape route

sit in gear

watch your rear views

flash your brake lights -

be prepared to use your escape route

 

[Rickster]

Keep your bike in first, and the clutch pulled in when you stop. Keep your eye's scanning, and plan where to go if someone doesn't stop.

If you gotta go - now you know where to go, and just have to let out the clutch to get there.

Statistically, rear end collisions on bikes are rare. Most fatalities occur from left hand turns infront of a bike.

Safety tip -- I flash my brights (night or day), going through an intersection -- if someone gets pissed and high-beams me -- great! they saw me!

be safe.

 

[chickey191]

Safety tip -- I flash my brights (night or day), going through an intersection -- if someone gets pissed and high-beams me -- great! they saw me!
be safe.

Frankly - I would not flash my lights going through an intersection. Too many people might take that as an indication as "I see you - go ahead" and then pull out in front of you.

just too much of a chance of them wrongly interpreting.

One time I was walking home on the side walk -

girl was pulling out of the alley. She looked right and looked right at me. I looked at her and knodded that I was going to walk in front of her. She looked at me and acknowledged by nodding also - even smiled at me. She looked left and pulled out and ran over me. I jumped and landed on her hood - putting a pretty good dent in her hood.

When asked afterward - she said,

"he nodded for me to go ahead"

I would just plan on the person approaching doing the worst thing possible -

keep you eye on their TIRES not their eyes. If they start turning toward your lane or start rolling - be prepared to brake, swerven and evade - look behind you for a tail gaiter and check for optional outs. Otherwise - get through the intersection as fast and as safely as possible. The less time you are there - the better off you would be.

 

[FlyingLow]

Yet another upside to splitting lanes, getting out of the way of a potential rear-ender.

The possible downside to this is you have to enter the intersection first when the light turns green, so always give a quick to the left, to the right lookie before taking off.

 

[fjr]

At LEAST a car length from the car in front. I approach slowly and whichever side has more room I angle towards. In first, clutch in, ready to go.....always. I am constantly checking the rear view in that situation even after someone has stopped behind me. There could always be another moron who rear ends them.

 

[Fallen Jim Rides again]

............Leave a cushion

sit near the edge of the lane

have an escape route

sit in gear

watch your rear views

flash your brake lights -

be prepared to use your escape route

Pretty much every time I stop in any kind of traffic, if possible. Part of the "ride like they are out to get ya" approach that I embrace even more this time around.

 

[garauld]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned hyperlight brake lights as a safety enhancement. :yes: I have the 2x8 array mounted just under my brake light and I gotta tell you, I'll never own another bike without them installed. They are BRIGHT!!! I have the ones that blink for 5 seconds and then go steady on.

 

[evilmedic13]

Learned all about this in the first 40 minutes i had my FJR.Gotta keep that emergency route open . Needless to say,that sucks to hear of another rider being killed because of someone's inability to properly operate their vehicle. Just remember,you are the only out there that cares about you,all anybody cares about afterward is excuses,and we all know it's NEVER anybody's fault.

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

In traffic mode I look in the mirror when ever I am about to apply the brakes. I leave a car lenth in front of me at stops and watch behind me. I would rather watch an accident than be involved. TJ

 

[Groo]

I've got a Back-off module on the taillights, which pulses the lights when the brakes are hit (after a 5-10 second continuous beam).

 

[donaldb]

Or, you can do like me. Hunt them down and go postal on their ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :***: :angry03: Lot's of stuff going on out there, cars behind, ahead, beside. When I was much younger my reflexes were much better and quicker. All I know to do is the best you can and try to remember these suggested tips posted on this thread line. I do try to leave at least one car length ahead while stopped and I also stop along the outer edge of travel lane and I watch my 6's while slowing and while stopped and keep my bike in gear. I guess that's about as much as you can do, and hope your old reflexes work in time when called upon!

 

[worldbound4now]

Chickey, are you a MSF instructor. Those words sound familiar and are also used in practice. +1

 

[Rickster]

Safety tip -- I flash my brights (night or day), going through an intersection -- if someone gets pissed and high-beams me -- great! they saw me!

be safe.

Frankly - I would not flash my lights going through an intersection. Too many people might take that as an indication as "I see you - go ahead" and then pull out in front of you.

<snip>

Clarification -- about 100 yards from the intersection, I manually flash brights emulating one of those headlight modulators.... I don't blink at 'em, just keep flashing till im through.

Agree -- I've also had people in the day look right at me, nod/smile at me (so I think), and pull out in front of me..... SO i always keep the clutch and brake covered (with my hand that is)