Drivers not noticing motorcyclists

[hodgepig66]

I've had numerous motorbikes in the past but not got one at the moment.....

Today i saw the result of a driver not looking in the mirrors,turning the head enough,etc,to see if their was the possibility of a bike passing......I only missed the accident by a couple of minutes but was first on the scene to try and help......Both bike and car drivers were very shook up and in shock,the car driver was doing a uturn and just didn't see the bike......The guy was so lucky somebody was really looking over him today,his bike is a complete right off..........I could not believe the actions of the drivers for the first few minutes after the accident,they kept driving at speed making no effort to slow down at all......what is wrong with people,we were trying to attend to the injured people first before taking the debris off the road...I supose it would be a different story if it was them or someone they knew,people just have no respect,it really opened my eyes.......I always drive with motorcyclists in mind for this very reason..........please just take a little time to look out for motorcyclists and cyclists for that matter...

I really hope that those involved are ok and wish them a speedy recovery.

[sares67]

my brother saw it (after the actual hit) and said about the bike being in a complete mess. IS amazing though how little some people look. we have quite a few bikes round here, I think due to the rides they take out in to the country and on to the motorway, but still not enough people are keeping motorcyclists in mind when driving. luckily, as you say, the motorcyclist didnt get killed and least he got some good people to help him out. hope he will be ok. the driver, shook up he may be, but will learn valuable lesson I hope.

[MadnBad]

I was about to pull out of a side road once it was night and there were no street lights there was a car coming towards me and i had time to pull out but something about the headlights looked wrong so i paused, it's a good thing i did because one of those headlights broke away and became a motorbike that blasted past well over the speed limit.

I dread to think what would have happened had i not noticed the lights looked a little odd.

[Fareast]

Here in China, most motorists don 't notice anything at all ! Traffic lights ? Zebra crossings ? Pedestrians ?.....Not a chance ! To be fair, most pedestrians don 't seem to notice vehicles either----in fact, it 's one glorious ' free for all ' on busy Chinese streets. I helped a very old man across a busy road last Saturday. He could barely walk, unaided. I thought we 'd both be safe.[ I thought even Chinese motorists would show consideration to an obvious invalid ]. I was mistaken. We both nearly got mowed down, before we got to the other side.

But.......by some strange alchemy, one doesn 't see too many serious accidents. I think both motorists and pedestriams, here, have developed a sort of 6th.sense----a bit like bats whizzing around in a cave, perhaps. For Westerners though, it 's a bit nerve-racking. A taxi journey 's a bit like a foray in a German tank on the Eastern front !

[EmilyM]

I was setting off from the traffic lights at Claywheels Lane to follow the road to the right when a motorcyclist came past me at quite some speed on the left hand side. This made me jump slightly, I wasn't expecting it. Shouldn't he have passed me on the right hand side instead, or just stayed behind? That road turns into three lanes coming up to the roundabout, the motorcyclist had no way of knowing which lane I would end up in (I was going into the left-hand lane).

[KenH]

I don't know the circumstances of this particular accident, but I do know that most bike riders don't help things either. It is fairly common to see riders dressed entirely in black leathers, sometimes on dark bikes, with dark helmets (and even dark visors).

 

There would be fewer accidents if they had to wear yellow jackets and white helmets, and if their main concern was safety, not fashion.

[katy1981]

im a new driver and motorcycists and cyclists scare me to death i am always aware they might be there and when i see one i am VERY aware of them untill i see them turn off in a differant direction to me.

[sares67]

I don't know the circumstances of this particular accident, but I do know that most bike riders don't help things either. It is fairly common to see riders dressed entirely in black leathers, sometimes on dark bikes, with dark helmets (and even dark visors).

 

There would be fewer accidents if they had to wear yellow jackets and white helmets, and if their main concern was safety, not fashion.

 

ummm, there would also be fewer accidents if driver's were more vigilant, mirrors are on and in cars to be used! And is it not safer to be wearing leather on bikes, just in case there is an accident. I am a car driver, never rode a motorbike myself, but I do keep vigilant for motorcyclists. When taking driving lessons, my instructor made me very aware that it was crucial to be aware of motorbikes AT ALL TIMES when driving.

[KenH]

ummm, there would also be fewer accidents if driver's were more vigilant, mirrors are on and in cars to be used! And is it not safer to be wearing leather on bikes, just in case there is an accident. I am a car driver, never rode a motorbike myself, but I do keep vigilant for motorcyclists. When taking driving lessons, my instructor made me very aware that it was crucial to be aware of motorbikes AT ALL TIMES when driving.

 

I mostly ride a motorbike, but also have a car.

 

You can wear a yellow jecket over leathers (as the police do) and can buy white helmets more cheaply than the equivalent coloured ones. Next time you see a biker with a white helmet, watch how much further away you notice them in your mirror.

 

In an ideal world everyone would be very careful all the time. In the real world we have to do everything we can to minimize the risk from careless drivers. A biker in black leathers (or even leathers that match the bike) is much harder to see and so increases the likely hood that they will have a crash.

[decaff]

Why are people so quick to blame drivers all the time?

 

A motorcyclist is much harder to see than a car that much is obvious but there are motorcyclists who do not do themselves any favours because of the manner of their riding.

 

Some examples (from experience):

 

A motorcyclist undertaking me at traffic lights despite me indicating left a good 30 or 40 yards before turning (is that my fault if i hit him/ am i being careless there?)

 

A motorcyclist weaving in front of me in a motorway queue just as i was about to pull forward. He came from the thrid lane across the 2nd lane and straight into the inside lane. No indicator, no looking just pulled out.

 

A cyclist passing me on the right hand side as i was stationary, indicating to turn right at a set of lights. should not have been there. Again was it me being careless?

 

Was undertaken (yes undertaken) going round a bend in the peak district and then the biker had the audacity to wave the v sign at me as though it was my fault for "not seeing" him

 

Thankfully i have never hit a biker of any sort but if drivers need to think on then so do bikers.