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Helmet and protective gear

Thank you all for the good wishes

A big thank you to everyone for their kind comments and concerns and advice.

My background puts me in a very good position to deal with accidents. 12 years as a police officer and the last few as the Accident Reconstructionist for my department. I was on 24 hour call for all fatalities that happened in my jurisdiction to include accidents and homicides involving automobiles as a weapon. When I left law enforcement I ran my own business investigating accidents and reconstructing them for more than a decade.

I have seen the games insurance companies play to avoid paying a claim first hand. I have also seen the games people play trying to commit fraud on the insurance companies. It is one of those things that most folks do not have enough knowledge and experience to solve, and I include police and insurance adjusters in this group as they are able to go as far as their training allows but may not know they are wrong. In many cases they are just incorrect in their conclusions and are doing so with no ill will. When dealing with adjusters and police in something like this I initially let them know of my background and standing as an expert and volunteer assistance with their efforts to get to the bottom of things. Since I offer to assist and generally have a very well prepared statement prior to talking with them my offer is met with positive actions on their part and am considered an asset to their case rather than an impediment.

It appears I have made some friends at the local police department by saving evidence that was on my person, having a nicely typed statement that could be used to write the narrative portion of the accident report and asking if I could also examine the pickup that hit me and volunteering my insight into the matter for their consideration. This was met in a very positive way and I will travel to see the vehicles with the deputy on Monday morning.

In order to preserve the evidence I will not touch any thing on the other vehicle but by looking I might be able to point out things that they are unaware of.:thumb:bikes

Again thanks to all the folks that responded to offer well wishes and advice it is greatly appreciated!
 
gallows humor in the er

My sense of humor manifests itself in strange ways. I was hauled into the ER and I am laying on the bed right after I was shifted from the ambulance cart. The two nurses are beginning to ask questions. Nurse 1 "How do you feel?" Reply "Like I have been hit by a truck." Nurse 2 "What happened?" Reply "I was hit by a truck." Laughter and then I told them the narrative of the hit and run. Later on I found out I was mobile and the truck like my bike was immobilized on the side of the road. The driver said he hit a deer, as I understand it he is in jail at this time, unless he made bail.

:laugh

Over all not a bad visit to the er and I was released in a few hours with pain killers called into my pharmacy. It always pays to keep your sense of humor at the ready when bad things happen a positive attitude can make your recovery easier and faster.
 
Another bit of maybe useful advice

When you are in an accident begin recording your recollection of events as soon as possible after the event. Keep in mind you may or may not be completely accurate due to your participation in the accident. Do not assume things that you do not know through at least one of your five senses.

I have given my narrative to both my insurance company and the deputy investigating the case. It follows for you guys to read. By doing so it is a matter of public record an open to discovery so keeping it a secret is of no value.

February 6, 2020

At approximately 0300 hours I left the Greenville Water Treatment Plant, where I am employed,and began traveling to my home. The weather had recently snowed and the temperature was 32.9 degrees F, and had gusting winds to 32 mph out of the north. I know this because I recently recorded the weather data at the water plant.

I got on my motorcycle and began the journey paying particular attention for ice formations on bridges. I found two bridges to have been somewhat iced on the way home, and was traveling between 50mph and 70 mph as road conditions and speed limits permitted.

Between Klondike and Cooper the temperature dropped to 32 degrees, at which point I began slowing to 40 MPH as I was approaching the bridges over the small creeks. Between the top of the hill and the first bridge I was struck from behind by a pickup truck. The vehicle was traveling considerably faster than I was as I only saw the headlights for a brief instant before the impact. The motorcycle was knocked out from under me and I felt a severe impact to my left triceps. I felt myself being knocked into the air and lost consciousness prior to hitting the ground. I landed in the lane I was traveling in, the right most lane, and regained consciousness while rolling along the asphalt. I came to rest in the right hand lane and was able to see a pickup truck driving away from me between 400-800 yards toward the city of Cooper.

The motorcycle had come to rest in the ditch on the right side of the road laying on its right side with the front wheel a slight amount up hill from the very bottom of the ditch. My cell phone and wallet were in the right hand saddle bag which was pinned under the motorcycle. I was unable to right the motorcycle on my own so I could not immediately call 911. I spent a few moments trying to flag down passing motorists and two cars passed one in each direction as well as a semi-truck. The next vehicle to come by was operated by XXXX XXXXXXXXX. He stopped and helped me turn the motorcycle onto its left side and I retrieved my cell phone and wallet and called 911.

The collision occurred slightly after 0330 hrs. I had just looked at the dash checking the temperature and noticed the time. My initial plan was to call the sheriff's office and report the the accident and get a ride home and have my wife take me to the hospital to be examined. As I waited I thought that the responding deputy could be quite a long distance off and asked the state road people that stopped after XXXX was there if they could wait and let the deputy know that I was leaving to seek medical attention. The swelling in my left arm was growing rapidly and the pain level was increasing so I decided to leave at that point. Previously I was up walking around and in pain but it was not very severe initially. XXXX drove me home and while getting ready to go to the hospital I became very dizzy and had to wait before I could stand and walk again. At this point my wife called 911 and asked for an ambulance. The EMS ambulance arrived and took me to the ER at the hospital in Sulphur Springs. I was released after numerous examinations showed no broken bones or damaged internal organs. The extent of damage appears to be soft tissue injuries.

I was wearing a helmet, a face shield, an armored riding jacket that was reflective in nature, protective motorcycle gloves, rain pants, blue jeans, long underwear, and Red Wing work shoes.

The above narrative was written while all events were fresh in my mind and it is not polished in any way. Had I spent more time going over it I could have written a better document and included more information. As it is it is in chronological order and was taken down very soon after the accident. That kind of information is very helpful to investigators and is very helpful to the individuals that are involved in an accident that they did not cause.:thumb
 
Can your really call it ATGATT when you don't have include an air vest?

The kind of trauma that typically does you in is quite often blunt-force deceleration injury and unfortunately while our armored pants and jackets certainly help some, and help a lot more for road rash which itself can turn into deep tissue shearing, these don't do all that much to save you in the type of blunt force injury that is more life threatening. I use Olympia Motosport armored high vis jacket, armored black pants, tall TCX armored boots, Alpinestars armored gloves and an RF-1200 helmet in white.

I've been on the fence to add an air-vest, which it seems to me addresses blunt force injury to spine, chest, pelvis much more than the other gear can save a good helmet. So far I've obviously not been willing to deal with another layer of hassle quite yet in going w/ an air vest, but to me I don't think I can honestly say I'm doing ATGATT w/o one!
 
Glad you're OK, and I'll pile on the ATGATT bandwagon. I'm always geared up, and more importantly my 28 year old son always is too, without exception. When I was 28 I was immortal and not as safety focused as I should have been. He's in full gear every ride, and I'm very glad about that. I think that's one of the reasons he likes BMW - he likes the brand itself (he drives a 325i) but he also likes the fact that ATGATT is the rule rather than the exception with BMW riders.
 
got a helite vest two years ago. i don't go anywhere on my bikes without it.

Here I'm wearing an armored mesh jacket with the Helite turtle 2 at meteor crater, Az. It's late June, temps about 100 degrees F.
 

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Glad you're well, as in 'sick' enough to continue riding. Having been in 2 wrecks, one head on, I love the sideways looks I get when I talk about riding still. A coworker told me that motorcycling is out of the measured amount of risk for everyone. Meaning no one should ride, regardless of gear, training, etc. My response, glad we're not related. Hopefully you won't have anyone trying to stop you from riding.
 
... A coworker told me that motorcycling is out of the measured amount of risk for everyone. Meaning no one should ride, regardless of gear, training, etc. ...

It sounds like this guy would advocate us all wrapping ourselves in layers of bubble wrap and sitting on the couch watching TV all day... not much is going to happen to you doing that, but its no way to live.
 
Glad you're well, as in 'sick' enough to continue riding. Having been in 2 wrecks, one head on, I love the sideways looks I get when I talk about riding still. A coworker told me that motorcycling is out of the measured amount of risk for everyone. Meaning no one should ride, regardless of gear, training, etc. My response, glad we're not related. Hopefully you won't have anyone trying to stop you from riding.

Well, riding is a lot riskier than driving a car and no matter how much training or equipment you have, it'll always be riskier. The training and equipment will reduce the risk level, but it will never equal that of a driver in a 3~4,000 enclosure.

But, life is more than just worrying about risk. There's a lot to said for experiencing the moment and the world about you.
 
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Glad you're well, as in 'sick' enough to continue riding. Having been in 2 wrecks, one head on, I love the sideways looks I get when I talk about riding still. A coworker told me that motorcycling is out of the measured amount of risk for everyone. Meaning no one should ride, regardless of gear, training, etc. My response, glad we're not related. Hopefully you won't have anyone trying to stop you from riding.

There are trades between one vehicle and another. I have seen lots of fatal accidents involving people in cars some under 20 mph. Had I been in a small car the same guy would have hit me and my injuries would very likely be different but similar in severity. I fully expect the impact would have rolled a car due to the angle of contact. In a car I would not have had the benefit of all the protective clothing. Another very real issue in a car that rolls is a limb or head being spun out a window and rolled over by the vehicle, massive trauma and blood loss ensue and the individual is dead at the scene. No guarantees for safety in any vehicle. None is protection against every possibility, which is why blanket statements are generally not true. My seeing the accidents means I was called to the scene as the investigating officer or I was given the file and the job to reconstruct the accident as an expert on the subject. The fact I still ride with my background is an indication that I find the risks between motorcycles and alternative means acceptable, everyone will make their own choices. I can say that because of being on a motorcycle I have been able to avoid many accidents that I would not have been able to avoid in a car. So far I believe I am ahead of the game.

I also forgot to include thanks to everyone for their responses and good wishes.

One other thing to keep in mind regarding accidents. In our country The United States, we average between 30,000 and 50,000 deaths on our highways every year and have since records were kept. The majority of those fatalities involve people in cars and other light vehicles. The biggest contributing factor in those accidents is driving under the influence by one or more operators.
 
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First let me say I’m glad you survived and that your injuries weren’t any worse.

Second yes ATGATT is definitely a very smart approach.

Third, I have zero tolerance for drunk driving. Along the lines of your comments immediately above, most people don’t realize that in the US alone, roughly 30 people are killed every day on roadways in alcohol-related accidents. Think about it. That is like having a mass-shooting every single day of the week, 365 days a year, year after year after year. And that is just in the US.

So you did not deserve this accident in any way shape or form, and the blame belongs squarely on the drunk driver.

But that said, I feel there are some additional lessons here, and I hope you won’t take any of this the wrong way.

The first lesson concerns the location of your telephone. I see many people ride with theirs mounted up under the windscreen/dash area with something like a RAM mount. Others like you tuck it away in a saddle bag. I feel both of these approaches are unwise because they result in the high probability of being separated from your communication device in the event of an accident.

I carry my phone in a padded chest pocket, within reach and accessible with either arm/hand. The pocket is secured by a zipper that has a long fob on it and the zipper pulls down to open. There are no guarantees, but in the event of an accident, I want to have ready access to the phone.

The second area of critique with respect to your accident concerns the time of day and weather conditions you were riding in.

Obviously there are no laws against driving or riding at 3 am, but common sense tells us that there is seriously increased risk in doing so. This is a time of day (late night) when not only are more drivers impaired by alcohol, but all drivers are impaired by fatigue and poor night-time visibility as well. Regardless of the vehicle being driven, it’s wise to avoid driving during these hours if at all possible.

Add to that the weather conditions and the fact you were on a motorcycle, and your odds of arising safely at your destination were definitely compromised. You knew ahead of time that conditions were marginal and there was a high risk of encountering icing conditions. But you set out anyway, and at speeds that really don’t allow for dealing with those conditions.

Again, these comments are meant to be constructive criticism, not a vilifying or indictment of you. I once more emphasize that the drunk driver was at fault here and caused this accident. But looking forward, please give this all some serious thought. Evaluating risk factors and mitigating them is all part of the safe riding strategy, and is every bit as important as ATGATT.
 
risk

As far as I know 50% of motorcycle fatalities of riders involve the rider using alcohol and another 25% of fatalities have no motorcycle endorsement. There are several things that have good statistical data re: accident/fatality reduction ride with light on (the law), a white or bright helmet and a bright but not white jacket. A bike with ABS reduces the risk of fatality by another 33%. You can't eliminate risk but you sure can do a lot to reduce it to a very respectable level. I personally use a carbon fiber helmet as I like the way it deforms to protect your brain verses the fiberglass which does not spread out the impact nearly as well. I have no data on that. Also don't like the snell criteria as the helmet must be stiffer to survive 2 hits in the same spot which means more energy to brain (not good). Obviously ATGATT goes with the above. YMMV
 
FOG820
When you pick up your 20 model, install a BILLIE tail light along with some Skene lights, makes a tremendous difference in being screen, even by drunk drivers
Soft tissue takes time to heal, glad your still upright

Jim
 
First let me say I’m glad you survived and that your injuries weren’t any worse.

Second yes ATGATT is definitely a very smart approach.

Third, I have zero tolerance for drunk driving. Along the lines of your comments immediately above, most people don’t realize that in the US alone, roughly 30 people are killed every day on roadways in alcohol-related accidents. Think about it. That is like having a mass-shooting every single day of the week, 365 days a year, year after year after year. And that is just in the US.

So you did not deserve this accident in any way shape or form, and the blame belongs squarely on the drunk driver.

But that said, I feel there are some additional lessons here, and I hope you won’t take any of this the wrong way.

The first lesson concerns the location of your telephone. I see many people ride with theirs mounted up under the windscreen/dash area with something like a RAM mount. Others like you tuck it away in a saddle bag. I feel both of these approaches are unwise because they result in the high probability of being separated from your communication device in the event of an accident.

I carry my phone in a padded chest pocket, within reach and accessible with either arm/hand. The pocket is secured by a zipper that has a long fob on it and the zipper pulls down to open. There are no guarantees, but in the event of an accident, I want to have ready access to the phone.

The second area of critique with respect to your accident concerns the time of day and weather conditions you were riding in.

Obviously there are no laws against driving or riding at 3 am, but common sense tells us that there is seriously increased risk in doing so. This is a time of day (late night) when not only are more drivers impaired by alcohol, but all drivers are impaired by fatigue and poor night-time visibility as well. Regardless of the vehicle being driven, it’s wise to avoid driving during these hours if at all possible.

Add to that the weather conditions and the fact you were on a motorcycle, and your odds of arising safely at your destination were definitely compromised. You knew ahead of time that conditions were marginal and there was a high risk of encountering icing conditions. But you set out anyway, and at speeds that really don’t allow for dealing with those conditions.

Again, these comments are meant to be constructive criticism, not a vilifying or indictment of you. I once more emphasize that the drunk driver was at fault here and caused this accident. But looking forward, please give this all some serious thought. Evaluating risk factors and mitigating them is all part of the safe riding strategy, and is every bit as important as ATGATT.

All good points to consider. I use a motorcycle as most people use a car, in all weather conditions. My driving at 0300 to 0400 hours was the time my shift ended. I really believe this individual would have struck me regardless of what I was driving. The alternative to the motorcycle would have been not buying one and buying an economy car which would likely have been destroyed in the accident. In a collision like this I would have expected the car to have been knocked from the roadway and rolled. I have been injured in accidents while in a car under similar conditions, injuries different and in some cases more severe.

I have also covered this same section of road for the past couple of decades in this time period with very seldom seeing another vehicle on this night there were only a few vehicles on the highway besides me. One of them was the guy that hit me and tried to flee the scene.

I like your idea of an alternative location for the phone. I was actually thinking along those lines but I am not sure the phone would have survived in a jacket pocket however that is something I am considering in the future. I would love to see more info on your padded pocket device and I suspect others would as well.

The road conditions provided no difficulty for the motorcycle. I knew where conditions would likely be bad due to the weather and icing on bridges also due to being extremely familiar with the roads and adjusted speeds for the traction likely to be available.

Your comments were taken in the spirit they were given, and I would like to learn about your phone pouch for sure.:thumb
 
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