Crash Chronicles (Crashes and Near Misses)

GlobalRider said:

Its hard to text and keep an eye on motorcycles at the same time.

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I could be wrong, but think it unlikely the driver in the passing car was texting at the time. (Texting while passing seems a stretch - though I suppose a few idiots have done it.) So why did he make an unsafe pass? Well, he didn't see the rider, or misjudged the rider's speed. Be interesting to know both the passing driver's speed and the rider's speed as well as the legal speed. My guess is that both were exceeding the speed limit by a fair bit. No mention if the rider did anything to make himself more visible (bright helmet, jacket, extra lights, SMIDSY swerve.) Of course, even those of us who believe in that stuff acknowledge that it REDUCES the chance of this sort of situation happening BUT there are no guarantees. Glad it was just a "close call."

Many years ago I had something similar happen, only I was driving a car. Guy pulled out to pass a whole string of cars and no way was he going to make it. Luckily for all of us, the drivers being passed glanced in their left mirrors and moved as far right as possible. I moved as far right as I could without leaving the pavement and going off a cliff. The passing idiot made it up the middle of the two-lane road. I pulled over as soon as I could for about 5 minutes of shaking.

One thing that video makes clear - when this sort of threat appears, there is NO time for thinking. You just react and hope for the best.

...may have also noticed there was no paved shoulder so the option for the rider to go further to his right carried a lot of risk.

Defensive driving skills trump riding skills:

http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/im...d_Evasive_Action_in_Thailand_and_LA-Paper.pdf

Harry

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Haha: happened in real life: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/young-drivers-car-crushed-british-tank-augustdorf-germany-n368211

(No one injured).


Harry

This is the R1200R of a friend from Anchorage. She is an accomplished rider. She did this riding to Dawson City, Yukon Territory. She evidently just got a little wide in a corner and hit gravel and then a large rock. She is basically okay. Took most of the force to her face with a C3 helmet on. Has a bruised face, cuts inside her mouth and bit her tongue. I spoke to her today and she wants to buy my R12R.




---KLH

Glad to hear she faired better than that Roadster...wow!

Riding my wife's old Yamaha FZ6 home last night l saw a truck parked on the shoulder near a business. It was a relatively straight section of road. To the right of the truck I see a Subaru BRZ nosing it's way out of the parking lot. I roll off the throttle slightly, cover the brakes and the horn and go a little wide around the truck. The Subaru went for it so l adjust my line to go behind him.........then he stops! I have to readjust to go in front of him and the puck on my right knee makes minute contact with his front bumper. He takes off. I didn't bother chasing him. Had l been on either one of the R1200's, l doubt the bags would have cleared the bumper.

Horrific crash captured on video

incredible this rider survived this!

http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/13151654-172/dramatic-video-shows-18-wheeler-running

30 mph lowside

We just got a new Yamaha R3 for my wife to ride at the track and for some twisty back road stuff. I swapped out the stock bias bly Michelins for some stickier radial Bridgestone S20's. I know new tires are slippery but l was a little suprised at just how slippery these were. Totally my fault. I have the mindset that anything that happens to me on the bike is my fault. I leaned into a nice right hand hairpin at a lower speed than l usually do on my RT. l gently rolled on the throttle and about 3/4 throught the turn l lost the rear end. By this time l was doing approximately 30 mph. I heard my wife say "Oh sh#!" I was assuring her "I'm ok, I'm ok" through our Q3's. Alexandra was following me on her Yamaha FZ6 (she also has a 1200GSW) I was in full leathers and don't have a scratch on me. My gear got a little scuffed and my helmet is due for replacement this coming spring anyway. The bike got some cosmetic scratches, a bent front brake handle and a snapped off right peg. I rode the bike home. Pegs and levers have been swapped out to better grade parts and l painted the muffler with Rustoleum high heat paint. This is mainly a track bike and this isn't likely to be it's only mishap. We rode the bike the following day and now the tires are fully scrubbed in.

REDC650GT said:

incredible this rider survived this!

http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/13151654-172/dramatic-video-shows-18-wheeler-running

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I always wonder about the term "survived" when used in this context. There degrees of survival after all.

REDC650GT said:

incredible this rider survived this!

http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/news/13151654-172/dramatic-video-shows-18-wheeler-running

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The truck driver, 56-year-old Timothy Duimstra, is suspected of being under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Sgt. Daniel Seuzeneau said in a news release Tuesday. He was arrested and booked with first degree negligent injury, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated. The truck driver, who is from Hudsonville, Mich., was slurring his speech and unable to maintain a steady balance.

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What else is new? And when are they going to take BS like this more seriously and implement tougher actions against people like that?

Watch out for grumpy old men

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Also remember "space cushion" - always create as much space as possible. Passing on double yellow with no gear also not recommended, but the car driver needs to go to jail to think things over for six months or so...

Harry

I've watched that several times and it still makes me mad. The folks on the motorcycle shouldn't have tried the pass but driver of the car had no right to cut them off. I suspect the car driver or his insurance company is going to pay a lot because I read that the passenger had some pretty bad road rash.

I believe the cage driver has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon. Serious charges and he could go to prison for a long time if the charges are not dealt down; which sadly seems quite possible.

Rural Texas at it's low point

Lot of the roads like this are 75MPH away from metro areas now and at least 65 across the state. On any day someone is still tootling under the limit ,often at the old 55 posted. It backs traffic quickly and even with double yellows that can go for miles, if one has a site line, they go.

Even if a shoulder was available , you have to guess this fellow would not have moved over to let folks by anyway...cause as he repeats " I don't care".

Yeah, more gear maybe, even a fully geared out crew could have died in that get off , glad they did not . Pretty intentional and admitted so.

akbeemer said:

I believe the cage driver has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a weapon. Serious charges and he could go to prison for a long time if the charges are not dealt down; which sadly seems quite possible.

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I got dismissed by the defense in a jury selection because I said yes, a vehicle can be a dangerous weapon. When asked why, I told him I ride a 500 lb motorcycle...dismissed...
I was # 9 and looked like I was getting picked. The defendant had tried to run over the EMS, Sheriff and other responders at a accident scene attempting to leave.
History here says he will get pleaded down before a criminal trial and drive on unless someone died.

Another article...http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-driver-swerved-motorcyclist-blames-insect-bite/story?id=34591022

Hate to read she is still in critical condition, never a good read.

Read on a local forum a post from a fellow rider in the area the motorcycle pilot did not get a citation for illegal pass as he came up on slower vehicle and attempted a safe pass. The prior link says he did so who knows. The insect bite story is lame. He also crossed the double yellow to NASCAR block, so his justification argument on the apology is a bit hypocritical.

Some states have wording it is allowed if safe , most say never cross double unless making a left turn. TX is the latter, but unless you do something really dumb ( no clear site line) typically "tolerated" if something is blocking the posted limit.

Have done the same thing in TX for years passing farm equipment, cruiser parades and lane police going ten or more under. Have been in eyesight of Law Enforcement and was not pulled over.

A lot of previously striped for passing zones have been double yellowed lately.Some run for miles where there are long straight clear passing zones. It seems since no driver training is taught anymore, the easiest way to dumb it down is to double yellow

Fatalies in Central Texas

News reports and videos of a horrendous head on last night near Bastrop Texas , east of Austin. Seems a DWI pickup in the wrong lane.
Appears to be an older K bike, thoughts and prayers to the families with lives lost.

http://kxan.com/2015/10/23/fatal-two-car-crash-in-bastrop-county/

http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/37565717-story