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[papasmurf]

It was the implication that people who always wear protective clothing are not skilled riders that angered me.
Any unskilled motorcyclists are soon dead or crippled.
The rest are having to ride with a high percentage of car drivers who should not have a licence trying to kill them.

[Scalyback]

Well, I had a right clueless guy in front of me last year. I still can't work out IF he had a thing against motorcycles or if he was oblivious to me being there? (this is Sevenoaks...) Watch the short vid!

[papasmurf]

Scalyback you are assuming the driver even knew you were there.

[Scalyback]

Papasmurf, you missed the bit in my post that said, "or if he was oblivious to me being there? "

But basically, yes! This seems to be a growing problem. Cars with 'auto-everything' can look after themselves, while the drivers look after their nails or mobiles.

Seriously, in the worse case scenario, a driver only has to be distracted for one or two seconds, and WHAM, they have just killed someone. They will have to live with that for the rest of their lives, whilst the victim won't actually have any further life at all.

I guess I save cussing for times that I mean it, but as far as I am concerned, Road users - put the f***ing phone down!

[Caboose]

Hi All,
It goes to show that he may have thought that "Positioning is all" when "Observation is all" especially to the rear, would have been more appropriate!
IPSGA

Regards Dick.

[Rattlebattle]

There are some pretty bad riders as well as drivers. It all boils down to how intetested one is in developing one's roadcraft. Sadly many just see personal transport as something to be done in between doing more interesting things. Once they've passed the driving/riding test that's it. I find it useful once in a while to go online and take the practice theory tests (car and bike). It's free and gives a good indication of how good your knowledge of theory actually is, especially if you take it without referring to the latest edition of the Highway Code (and how many drivers/riders bother to get and read the latest version once the test is passed, I wonder?

[PeteF]

Yes, there are some awful drivers (especially those with the phone in their hand) but there are some bonkers riders as well.
I live close to perhaps the most popular biking route in East Yorkshire and some of the riding I see makes my blood run cold.
Can the idiots not realise that there might be someone as mad as them coming the other way - and just as fast? And do they have no idea of braking distances?
We had a bike T-bone a car a couple of years ago at a notorious junction and TURNED THE CAR OVER! God only knows what he was doing. Everyone died of course.

[vince]

Hi, recently while driving down the A5 a car overtook going like the clappers, I said 'he's not going to make it' a half mile up ahead was a group of cars as he overtook one pulled out and they collided. My passenger asked how did I know. I sensed it! Question is why didn't the speeder? Vince

[Adam]

There are many, many ways that a motorcyclist can come a cropper but two of the most common I have witnessed are, “in no particular order” (drum roll) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,



Dual carriageway, motorcyclist in lane three gaining on vehicle in lane two. Vehicle in lane two is gaining on another vehicle also in lane two, driver decides to overtake and moves into lane three WITHOUT MAKING PROPER OBSERVATIONS. Consequence, at best biker needs clean underwear, at worst an ambulance. Drivers fault, no doubt about it regardless of speed of vehicles, but the rider can mitigate the consequences by assessing the situation as it develops and taking evasive action like errr slowing down for a few seconds, also by being as HI-VIS as possible.



Urban roads, motorcyclist makes a left turn, forgets to cancel indicators and the impatient car driver waiting to turn out of the next junction believes the signal and pulls out. Consequences as above. This situation has far less to do with HI-VIS but the rider can take steps to reduce the risk.


I have fitted a device that gives an audible warning in addition to the warning light in the speedo head, readily available on an auction site for about £10 delivered. It came with a buzzer that when mounted on the handlebar gave about 85 Db at my head position which I replaced with a shriller siren that measures 100 Db when mounted inside the headlight housing. I can hear it while accelerating with visor down, balaclava on and hearing aids in pocket. It is also wired in such a way that when the brake light is on the siren is off. This means that when you release your brake to make your turn the siren kicks in and gives you a reminder to cancel the signal. Makes a lot of pedestrians’ heads turn as well.


I will employ anything that helps keeps me safe.


At all times treat every other road user as your potential assassin. Stay visible, stay alert, keep all eyes open, especially the ones in your ar5e.


Adam


(Hope the paragraphs work)

[papasmurf]