onewheeldave Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Best will in the world, all it takes is a seconds lapse of concentration. I expect cars to pull out when i'm riding and look properly when i'm driving. You should start expecting bikes to pull out then. A 'seconds lapse of contentration' is no excuse if a biker is mown down by a driver who wasn't looking. I wouldn't suugest the death sentence for drivers who kill bikers through 'not seeing them' (purely because of the difficulty in establishing the facts of such incidents), but, I bet if that was the penalty, we'd see a huge reduction in bikers being hit by cars, along with a lot more drivers really taking the time necessary to establish they're clear before pulling out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 You should start expecting bikes to pull out then. A 'seconds lapse of contentration' is no excuse if a biker is mown down by a driver who wasn't looking./QUOTE] I'm in agreement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanes teeth Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I think that the answer is to make oneself as visible as possible and ride defensively,always expecting the unexpected. To deny that bikes can be difficult to see is nonsense and a recipe for disaster.Much larger vehicles than bikes can be hard to see sometimes in varying light,weather and road conditions. Just yesterday,in very good conditions,a youth on a small trailie (on L plates) pulled alongside me on Prince of Wales Road.I got the feeling he wanted to race(as exuberant youths are wont to do) and when I didn't respond he set off weaving recklessly in and out of traffic on both sides and cutting from right turn lanes to straight ahead lanes amongst traffic traveling up to about 30mph.He was young and foolish with little experience and I couldn't have blamed any of the vehicles he passed if they hadn't seen him.Car drivers with no biking experience can easily be fooled by how quickly bikes can appear and manouvre. I hope he lives long enough without accidents to gain the experience and skills he needs to enjoy biking for many years.If he is lucky he will! One thing I do think that would help is to ban car window stickers and piles of cuddly toys from dashboards.A bike can easily be obscured by a Churchill!.You'd think insurance companies would know better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickiethecat Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 I think that the answer is to make oneself as visible as possible and ride defensively,always expecting the unexpected. To deny that bikes can be difficult to see is nonsense and a recipe for disaster.Much larger vehicles than bikes can be hard to see sometimes in varying light,weather and road conditions. Just yesterday,in very good conditions,a youth on a small trailie (on L plates) pulled alongside me on Prince of Wales Road.I got the feeling he wanted to race(as exuberant youths are wont to do) and when I didn't respond he set off weaving recklessly in and out of traffic on both sides and cutting from right turn lanes to straight ahead lanes amongst traffic traveling up to about 30mph.He was young and foolish with little experience and I couldn't have blamed any of the vehicles he passed if they hadn't seen him.Car drivers with no biking experience can easily be fooled by how quickly bikes can appear and manouvre. I hope he lives long enough without accidents to gain the experience and skills he needs to enjoy biking for many years.If he is lucky he will! One thing I do think that would help is to ban car window stickers and piles of cuddly toys from dashboards.A bike can easily be obscured by a Churchill!.You'd think insurance companies would know better. The problem with motorbikes is not just that they're difficult to see (why do so many dress all in black leather for example) but the speed at which they travel. It's a common site when you're out in the country in particular to see motorbikes going at stupid speeds, ovetaking everything in their path and putting other motorists at risk with their irresponsible actions. I think these proposals could go further, I'd suggest a 60mph speed limit for all motorbikes and perhaps banning them from motorways as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John X Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Best will in the world, all it takes is a seconds lapse of concentration. I expect cars to pull out when i'm riding and look properly when i'm driving. Me too. At a road junction I cover the brake until I have made eye contact with the driver and even then expect to have to brake. I have even had eye contact with a driver who still decided to pull out on me! Just because a driver is looking, doesn't necessarily mean that they are seeing! John X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanes teeth Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Me too. At a road junction I cover the brake until I have made eye contact with the driver and even then expect to have to brake. I have even had eye contact with a driver who still decided to pull out on me! Just because a driver is looking, doesn't necessarily mean that they are seeing! John X Once again,good sound advice.Lines of parked cars also un-nerve me.I'd rather pass them on the"wrong" side of the road if you can see the road to be clear.Or look out for an interior light coming on or a whiff of exhaust smoke.I see it as my own resposbilityto be vigilant to stay safe.It's me that will hurt! Unfortunatley too many bikers don't get the chance to gain this experience before they get hurt.I'm not sure how many of these proposals will help with any of these situations but I think the visibility one may be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh jarse Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 The problem with motorbikes is not just that they're difficult to see (why do so many dress all in black leather for example) but the speed at which they travel. It's a common site when you're out in the country in particular to see motorbikes going at stupid speeds, ovetaking everything in their path and putting other motorists at risk with their irresponsible actions. I think these proposals could go further, I'd suggest a 60mph speed limit for all motorbikes and perhaps banning them from motorways as well. Below 30mph and urban areas and cars kill bikers by pulling out on them....out on the road and rural bikers do it to themselves and mostly by leaving the road...Many car drivers do not understand the highway code with regards to motorcycles and why they seem to make progress. On a national speed limit road its 60mph..and yet from a standstill most bikes get to 60mph in just over 3 seconds so travelling at 40mph it takes 1-2 seconds to be riding at 60mph..it can appear to the car driver that the bike is speeding but its just that its instant....many cars travel at 60mph on a dual carriageway when its really a 70mph road and moan at bikes overtaking at the speed limit. Bikes overtake on chevrons with a broken line because its ok to do so and they are thin enough to fit where cars don't and also many roads are easily wide enough to overtake but some cars do pull out to the centre trying to stop any overtakes. On multi-lane roads dual carriageways and motorways bikes are allowed to filter or as car drivers see it (undertake) any or all of these legal things are seen by car drivers as wrong..because they don't read the highway code Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John X Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Unfortunatley too many bikers don't get the chance to gain this experience before they get hurt. You can't beat experience no matter how good a technical rider you are. I have a 'sixth sense' when it comes to car drivers pulling out on me and 9 times out of 10, I am right. This is no mystical power, it's just when you have been riding a long time you subconsciously spot the signs that a driver isn't paying attention and your brain converts them into a feeling of unease. This has saved my life on many occasions. John X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 How many that do check their mirrors move over to PREVENT a bike passing? I used to find this annoying but now I laugh because I know that at some point I'll get through. There seems to be an attitude of 'if I have to queue so will you'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Jnr Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Having both licences doesn't necessarily make you a better person on the road but it does give you an insight into the mentality of it's occupants. Yes I wind the throttle back but biking has always been about the thrill and the freedom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.