If I didn't see it I wouldn'y have believed it....

[fergie]

well done for stopping and lending a hand, that gets you brownie points in the karma stakes

[Monsterbishi]

/rant on

I drive, I ride and my work vehicle is a 12 ton truck - which part of me should I hate the most?

Kiwi's - we're a special bunch, we hate all Asian drivers because we see some who can't drive and tarnish the whole lot, but that's ok, because we can't afford petrol since all the Maori are on benefits so our taxes are too high - when we do get out we wonder why all the women drivers don't just put their makeup on before they leave.

But that's ok, us riders, we're a good bunch, we understand that drivers don't mind when a couple of cruisers with loud exhausts cut up on the left hand side, get in front and then take off slowly at 150db, they're thankful when scooters pootle along under the limit because it saves them petrol, and if it wasn't for the sportsbike munting their wing mirror when split up the middle of traffic, they wouldn't have been able to perve at the tits on the counter attendant at the dealership whilst forking out $400 for the new mirror.

/rant off

on topic point is, I've had times in the past when I've had my car pack a sad, and had a biker give me a ride, I've had times when my bikes died, and been given a tow by a car, and just plain old times where I've had to leg it because no-one stopped - but it would be foolish to form a blanket opinion because of that! Be glad when help is offered, don't fret when it isn't.

[mowgli]

Irrespective of whether the rider might have broken the law on following distance, it sounds like several cages broke the law in failing to stop and lend assistance at the scene of an accident. I doubt many of them slowed to below 20kph either, sign or no sign.

High vis gear won't prevent you from being hit but it will increase the chances of your being seen and therefore reduce the probability of your being hit.

Bling to you Mr Rhino for stopping.

[alanzs]

Riding motorcycles aint for the faint of heart. I wear hi viz gear all the time, but all it means is I am visible, if someones looking. On some level, every accident I am in is my fault, as I chose to be there or not. Fault doesn't matter, really now does it? Good on you for stopping. Stop for all accidents. Thats the courteous thing to do... What goes around, comes around.
Ride safe, ride safe, ride, safe...

[mowgli]

[SIZE="5"]On some level, every accident I am in is my fault, as I chose to be there or not. Fault doesn't matter, really now does it?

Couldn't agree more +1

[Drew]

Oh fuck, Katman is gonna be all over this one.

[Katman]

Oh fuck, Katman is gonna be all over this one.

Thankfully Drew, each day it seems there's a few more helping me out than the day before.

A man would go crazy otherwise.

[Spyke]

It's not them just ignoring bikes they ignore their fellow car drivers too, i'm scooting along to school and at a particularly busy intersection a big people mover had broke down with smoke coming out the electrics,

I did a U-turn down the road and asked if the driver wanted a push meanwhile cars are pulling out around the vehicle/road hazard/blindspot for people exiting the intersection.

not one of the big burly men waiting at the intersection helped me push it off the road and they could see i was having trouble. luckily a nice lady pulled over and helped me push it too.

bloody slack next time i'm parking the scooter in the way so they can't avoid helping get a hazard off the road.

[Drew]

Thankfully Drew, each day it seems there's a few more helping me out than the day before.

A man would go crazy otherwise.

As I've said to you, you're point is valid in many ways. The only thing we dont see eye to eye on, is the after the fact digs you kick home.

We are all responsible for our actions, shouldn't make excuses, but also dont carry crystal balls.

[XP@]

Does wearing Hi-vis actually help, in this case it seems not?

This only helps improve visibility from behind so would not have helped the cage see him.
Using his headlight may have helped in this case.
My experience leads me to believe Hiviz jackets tend to aggravate drivers. They seem to do silly things when they realise you are not a cop.


Bikers will stop to help bikers - always
Bikers in Cages will stop to help bikers - always
Cagers will stop to help bikers - sometimes (unless it is raining or they are on their way home from or to work)

[Strang0r]

It's like this test... You can't see what you not looking for... and people just don't seem to look for us on bikes....

[Griffin]

Oh fuck, Katman is gonna be all over this one.

I have to agree with Monsterbishi - I hate the thought that all bike riders are lumped into one category just because of the idiot few amongst us so therefore I dont think its fair to lump ALL car drivers into the same category because of the actions... or inactions of the (admittedly substantial) minority. I dare say that the majority of the time at most intersections we are seen and treated as equal motorists.

I am a car driver as well as a biker and have been guilty of lack of observation - not only where bikes are concerned either. However - I would definitely stop to help if I witnessed or caused an accident...

[Pedrostt500]

Ok Kool for stopping to help.
Pedros #1 Rule of thumb, Treat every other motorist as an Idiot that is out to kill you, its no good being Dead Right.
the law states you have to be able to stop in Half the distance visable to you.

[sinfull]

Hell rant !!!!

See more and more new riders posting that they binned, or someone pulled out, or hit them or cut them off ect ! Its all a learning curve that 90% of car drivers wont see you or they will underestimate your speed and i aint saying the experienced guys dont bin (touch wood) it can happen to everybody and usually does at least once in ya riding life .
My only road bins thus far, have been as a teen being a hoon in a full car park, sideways into an old fella going accross my line (SIDEWAYS !!!!) one crushed ankle (had to kick it over with the left leg) and a thou in fix it bills for his car (cheap back then)!
Next day i still hadn't learnt and came round a sweeper too quick to find an old lady doing a u turn at the bowling green, who proceeded to stop when she saw me, too late ! Line had been altered ! Missed her but copped the gravell hell. That was me crushed right ankle, left knee full of gravell ! Lucky the bike was ticking over on its side cause i wouldnt been able to start it, stood the b/axe up and road away in third (wasn't hanging round for reasons i wont go into, no one else involved but my own stupid self so out of there)

Your a 30 odd yr old bloke who's been driving a while, have ya ever missjudged a bikes speed b4 ? they look like they are standing still and miles away ! Car drivers are looking out for other cars, you know 5' wide with a grill ! Its all subconcious stuff, ya glance right (dont see a grill and pull out) next thing some dude on a bikes giving ya the stink in ya drivers window ! Same deal in the cars mirror, yr looking for a CAR ! No car so ya pull out to pass, WHACK some poor prick who was in yr blind spot goes through a cheesecutter !
Here's the bit where i get the bash from a few !! Being in the lucky position of having a few horses, i pick my time to do manouvers (bloody obvious when a cars closing in on another and there's a passing lane THEY are gonna pull right at some stage so ya only got yaself to blame if ya get caught there!
So either before they get to close or after they pass ya rock up to there r/h back bumper and usually 3 seconds later they twitch left a little, whoa (where'd that bike come from) forget FROM sweetheart i'm gone, passed ya in a second ! Same thing with the horses when a car comes to an intersection, not that i speed up, but the whole time ya got to think (where to go if it goes wrong and the prick pulls out) A bit of grunt has got me past the front bumper many times !
Forget absolute lunacy out there now (ok its an adrenilyn rush but) take it to the track if ya want to be a nutter !
You being stuck (wrong word perhaps) on a 2 fity cant rely on power and yr brakes are prolly half that of mine (at 100k it makes a big diff, wont get talking about high speed here)
Think alot of new riders problems start when they go for back brake first, avoid the obstacle second ! If yr sliding sideways its hard to manuva, so a changed line sometimes saves yr ass more than hittin the picks !
Ok rethinking that statement, my first reaction is usually a fist full of front brake, then think about getting down a couple of cogs while changing lines, unless its a remarkably narrow road there is 9 times out of ten room for you outside them, or inside, if yr reaction was so slow, they got all the way out in front of ya before you think (hey you were suppose to give way)

See too many ppl on here bashing SO CALLED cage drivers, when 90% of us are cage drivers, you can ask the best of them and they will say they have pulled out on a bike they aint seen at one stage or another !
All said and done, sometimes its unavoidable ! So ya safest bet is to think, they aint seen me, they will pull out on me, slow down if you must !
Ride safe, wear the gear, use more perifial than you ever have in ya life (practice that), think like no one has seen ya and enjoy the rush !!!
If ya wanna be a nutter, see ya on the track !

[MSTRS:Me]

....next time i'm parking the scooter in the way so they can't avoid helping get a hazard off the road.

What a wonderful idea. They can't see you on it, so they will when you are not. Hmmmm.