Tragic and Unusual Motorcycle Accident

[83014]

Although this doesn’t resolve the issue of clearing A pillar view obstructions, I am a big fan of the sensors and camera views on new cars. My favorite is the rear view camera with180 degrees of view that has saved me several times backing out of a parking space while Mario Andretti races behind me to get to wherever. The mirror indicators insure that I look twice before lane changing which has probably saved me a couple of times as well.

Doug

 

[paul_f]

I realize bringing up cars is hijacking the original thread, but I’ll throw in another of my grippes regarding newer four wheel vehicles.

All of our dash controls are buttons, neatly aligned in a row, flush with each other. After nine years of driving our Toyota, when making make adjustments to heat, air conditioning or the fan, unable to differentiate between them, we need to take our eyes off the road. In my older vehicles there were knobs and levers that could easily adjust with eyes never leaving the road, which in my mind made driving safer.

On a positive note, a new feature that does increase safety are the radio controls on the steering wheel.

End of my thread hijack.

 

[Scott9999]

Heck, whether I'm riding or driving, I've gotten to the point where my head is on a swivel like a freaking fighter pilot in air-to-air combat. Look left/right, lean forward, lean back, look at the blind spot, do it all again like an obsessive-compulsive idiot, and ... sometimes it still feels like it's not enough.

Just yesterday, I was at a store parked in a diagonally stripped parking lot, backing out, when my Ford F150 with all the safety bells and whistles locked up the brakes and stopped me. I glance back as a pickup truck passed behind me. He was definitely barreling into the lot. I HAD looked all around (in addition to 360 degree cameras) to ensure I was clear, but maybe the angle at which my truck was parked obscured his approach. (I also think he was driving opposite to the direction marked for traffic, I dunno). Maybe it's old age (nearly 69), my vision degrading, or an old man's paranoia, but I just don't seem to be on top of the ball while driving. I curse at drivers driving at speeds I used to drive (though I didn't do their unsafe lane changes and high speed weaves thru traffic). Hmm, maybe I'll hide an extra set of keys, in case my kids try to take their "senile" dad's away. I live in a rural area, and despite living and driving in city/suburban areas my entire life, at this point, I can't STAND going into the local cities due to their crazy traffic.

A couple of years ago, I almost pulled out in front of an approaching motorcycle, but the circumstances were pretty unusual. I was dropping my wife off at work about 5:00 am. Leaving her complex's local roads to enter a frontage road, which itself is alongside an interstate freeway, as I looked to my left, a very bright, even blinding light was approaching in the distance. Because of the curve of this frontage road, the curve of the freeway parallel to it, and the descending on-ramp between the two, it can be difficult to immediately differentiate approaching traffic from the freeway or on-ramp, versus the frontage road. The curve of the freeway also means that approaching lights, which are more than occasionally on "bright" are dead on anyone exiting that complex's street. Bottom line was, I mistook the motorcycle for an approaching vehicle on the freeway. Again, I was partially blinded by the cyclist's off-road light, my depth perception was off, and I thought he was a half mile away. I pulled out, and just as I crossed the highway and cleared his lane, he zipped by behind me. Even the sound of the bike's motor made the it seem distant, until the last half second. I had no idea he was anywhere near that close. Scared the crap out of me.

Seems like these little safety "blips" come about frequently now. After every one, I review "root cause", determined not to make the same mistake again. I guess age really does degrade perception, reflexes, and decision response time. Gotta drive/ride like how a scared, freaked out fighter pilot flies to survive, I guess.

 

[Scott9999]

I realize bringing up cars is hijacking the original thread, but I’ll throw in another of my grippes regarding newer four wheel vehicles.

End of my thread hijack.

Uhhh ... I suppose that you wouldn't be the first to do that
... just seemed to fit