So many accidents already. | GTAMotorcycle.com

So many accidents already.

SentsunaKiryu

SentsunaKiryu

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I just wanted to talk about how the season has just begun and already we are hearing about so many deadly accidents. And in most of the cases so far I have read it’s the car which was at fault.

So my question is there are tons of morons on four wheels who just plain ignore the fact that we also share the same road. They totally and intentionally deny to see us. How can we make ourselves more visible?

I say those who don’t have loud pipes should honk until the driver acknowledges them to make themselves visible.

Cause I am sick of Idiots on the road.
 
As shocking as it sounds, actually, the numbers are probably on par with previous years. I remember thinking the same a few years ago, but when looked at numbers it was consistent year after year.

the reason why the numbers are what they are is open to debate..
 
The numbers are always saddening. I ride every day, there isn't an intersection I enter without having an exit plan, I simply can't rely on other motorists to keep me safe. Here are a few things I do all the time:

1) Head on a swivel -- I check ahead, back and side to side more often that a bobblehead doll.
2) Identify high risk situations like intersections and roadway entry points (driveways), oncoming vehicles, blind curves, have a plan to avoid contact.
3) Stay in clean air. If at all possible, I'll look for areas where the cars left and right are of no danger to me. This is where filter would really improve our safety.
4) Stay defensive, let the idiots have the small wins.
 
Mad Mike said:
The numbers are always saddening. I ride every day, there isn't an intersection I enter without having an exit plan, I simply can't rely on other motorists to keep me safe. Here are a few things I do all the time:

1) Head on a swivel -- I check ahead, back and side to side more often that a bobblehead doll.
2) Identify high risk situations like intersections and roadway entry points (driveways), oncoming vehicles, blind curves, have a plan to avoid contact.
3) Stay in clean air. If at all possible, I'll look for areas where the cars left and right are of no danger to me. This is where filter would really improve our safety.
4) Stay defensive, let the idiots have the small wins.
Click to expand...
I do all 4 most of the time. But still last Monday while riding on the slow lane on a city street a Milwaukee RAM guy suddenly changed the lane even though he literally saw me in the right lane, I kept honking at him until he stopped and we had a nice argument (with my accent) he agreed he made mistake.
 
Are there tons of morons on four wheels who just plain ignore the fact that we also share the same road. Yes

Do they totally and intentionally deny to see us. For some yes and it won't even matter if you are banging on the side window if they don't want to see you bad enough.

I take it you have yet to experience the ones that would intentionally love to crash you :| watch out for those ones they are totally psychotic.
 
Cell phones have screwed things up for us.
No one in charge seems to care about doing anything about it .

Be wary, assume you're invisible and drivers don't give a crap about you.
Know your bike's controls and limits for emergency avoidance and practice them.
 
When I ride on Hwy. 7, I always make sure I have enough space on the opposite lane for a quick getaway.

Oddly, I think having a powerful bike helps a lot to get away from these morons.

I also think police should catch those on cellphones rather than handing out those speeding tickets.
 
kruzuki said:
Cell phones have screwed things up for us.
No one in charge seems to care about doing anything about it .

Be wary, assume you're invisible and drivers don't give a crap about you.
Know your bike's controls and limits for emergency avoidance and practice them.
Click to expand...
Yup and be careful with new tires. I switched to avon distanzias and quickly realised they needed much more time to warm up than my previous tires. Unfortunately, my practiced and decently calibrated threshold braking does not react well to tires that take time to gain the expected grip.
 
Cellphones. Start looking into peoples windows, a shocking amount of people are looking down at any given time.
 
KWDRZ said:
Cellphones. Start looking into peoples windows, a shocking amount of people are looking down at any given time.
Click to expand...
This. I drive a readymix truck, I'm on the road 12-14 hours a day. Conservatively, I'd guess that 4 out of 10 vehicles I see the driver is looking down at their lap.
Four year ago I was operating a small sweeper on a secondary highway. I was in a closed lane with barrels down one side and a 60 km/h construction speed limit. A 26 foot box truck blew through the barriers and rear ended me. I was doing approximately 10 km/h, he was doing roughly 90 km/h when he drove into me. The machine I was in was cut in half and thrown into a swamp with me in it.
The drivers excuse? I didn't see you, I was texting my wife. What chance does a motorcycle have?

Sent from my SM-A530W using Tapatalk
 
An incident that happens as a result of someone's negligence is not an "accident." This could be because a motorcyclist overestimated his ability rounding a corner or because a cager turned left in front of a motorcyclist.

If these incidents were treated by police and insurance companies as negligent and/or careless behavior and if licenses were treated more like the privilege they are and less like the right people assume them to be, we might see a reduction in ****** behavior.

It irks me that insurance companies seem to punish those at risk more than they do those creating the hazardous situations.
 
Blackfin said:
...
It irks me that insurance companies seem to punish those at risk more than they do those creating the hazardous situations.
Click to expand...
Braun in that Sun article wants the same thing, says cars are the cause of most motorcycle accidents so leave your motorcycle in the garage.
Courts say, dude makes a u-turn where it is forbidden and kills a motorcycle rider, u-turn driver is not guilty because they didn't see the motorcycle.
 
FLSTC said:
Strategic lane positioning
White helmet
OEM lighting
Click to expand...
All true but every rider has to keep in mind that they are the only ones trying to keep themselves alive. Hell, people routinely crash into cop cars with their lights activated. Sadly, at the end of the day, it is up to the rider to avoid all of the idiots and get home safely (which is so wrong, but also reality).
 
Still say 'you have to out ride them all.'
FLSTC said:
I don't observe any percentage difference in idiots depending upon the type of vehicle, i.e. cars vs motorbikes vs bicycles vs pedestrians.
Click to expand...
Minivan drivers <- they tailgate like crazy, speed and drive like they hate their vehicles.
 
FLSTC said:
Strategic lane positioning
White helmet
OEM lighting
Click to expand...
Personally i feel that most bikes have inadequate lighting especially up front. The addition of Amber position lights makes a huge difference. I'm not a fan of headlight modulators. I think they can confuse oncoming traffic. Same goes for the smidsy move.Cagers could mistake the maneuver as an invitation to turn.
 
Re: Cellphone use in cars - I think this is an issue, but blown out of proportion. I see people using their cellphones who have otherwise been able to drive safely (ffs it's just holding the wheel and keeping between two lines with a foot of extra space on either side). People have been distracted driving since long before cell phones; they talk with their passenger, they daydream about the young intern they think likes them, they sing along with the radio, etc.

For a few ways we could save some lives, it doesn't take a whole lot of critical thinking. First, get cars off the road (public transit): less people to crash, less people crashing. Second, reduce the amount of transport trucks on the road by creating an incentive to use rail, same logic as the previous option. Third, change the driving vision standard so blind people can't drive (this is a far larger issue than people realize). Fourth, introduce mandatory driving standard tests for old folks and/or cognitive/physical tests to check people's ability to drive. Fifth, realign police services to do some real work other than just revenue generation and stat padding.
 
FLSTC said:
If you got rid of airbags and seatbelts, people would drive better. Safety third!
Click to expand...
True story, but you could also extend that argument to helmets. I wouldn't be surprised if cages treated bikers better if they stared into their eyes before trying to kill them rather than just punting a power ranger.
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