Another bike hit by a car

[Azi Dahaka]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10614619

poor sod hope his family are ok

[steve_t]

I don't know the circumstances of the accident but again notice that the media wrote "motorbike collided with a car". Surely there are plenty of times where "car collided with their motorbike"!! Not that this is necessarily one of these times but it's gotta be the case a lot of the time!! :spanking:

[meowmix]

They try to make him out to be in the wrong for going into the cyclist lane. WTF. They are insinuating its be ok for car drivers to ignore their surroundings. If it was a cyclist they still would have been hit. Car driver is at fault.
Damn media/cops/public.

[Katman]

Car driver is at fault.


Really? Shit, you seem to require even less information to make a judgment call than I do.

:crazy:

[Genie]

read that...what i don't understand is...if he did travel over to the cycle lane wtf was a car doing there???? strange

[White trash]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10614619

poor sod hope his family are ok
Ummmm, it'd be a pretty safe bet that they're not.

[Ixion]

I use the cycle lanes a fair bit. But, as with all such "not quite by the book" stuff, you need to be very aware and realise that it is down to you to keep out of harms way. Cars don't expect motorbikes in the cycle lane (of course, they don't expect bicycles there either). And they will shoot through gaps in the traffic.

It's a dangerous practice. Do it at your peril.

[ukusa]

read that...what i don't understand is...if he did travel over to the cycle lane wtf was a car doing there???? strange

The car could have been turning left, into a driveway or around a corner maybe?

[Ixion]

The most common danger (I'm not saying that it was necessarily so in this case), is that traffic is heavy, a car wants to turn right into a driveway, across the oncoming traffic flow. A courteous driver stops to let the turning vehicle cross, who plants foot and turns across straight into a bike barrelling down the cycle lane .

The price of filtering is eternal; vigilance

[Azi Dahaka]

Ummmm, it'd be a pretty safe bet that they're not.

you know what i mean

[riffer]

Really? Shit, you seem to require even less information to make a judgment call than I do.

:crazy:

DomPost reports car was at fault:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3148057/Motorcyclist-dies-after-collision

[dipshit]

Cars don't expect motorbikes in the cycle lane (of course, they don't expect bicycles there either).

The difference being you may know there is a cyclist in the cycle lane because you just passed them down the road not that long ago.

A motorcyclist closing down from behind is a different story.

[oldrider]

If they are so concerned about motorcyclist behaviour being exact, according to law, how about accuracy in journalism and reporting! :spanking:

[Azi Dahaka]

The difference being you may know there is a cyclist in the cycle lane because you just passed them down the road not that long ago.

A motorcyclist closing down from behind is a different story.

in heavy traffic when cars are moving 10 - 20 kmph cyclists can quite easly do 30 - 40 kmph depending on how fit they are. based on that they can close in from behind

[dipshit]

in heavy traffic when cars are moving 10 - 20 kmph cyclists can quite easly do 30 - 40 kmph depending on how fit they are. based on that they can close in from behind

True. But then most people take great satisfaction in running those ones over anyhow.

[Katman]

DomPost reports car was at fault:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3148057/Motorcyclist-dies-after-collision

Really?

I don't see any apportioning of blame in that article.

Was the motorcyclist in the cycle lane legally? Was he overtaking (undertaking) the vehicle at the time?

[riffer]

Really?

I don't see any apportioning of blame in that article.

Was the motorcyclist in the cycle lane legally? Was he overtaking (undertaking) the vehicle at the time?

Yeah possibly Steve, but most people read "hit by car" as assigning blame to the car.

[meowmix]

Really?

I don't see any apportioning of blame in that article.

Was the motorcyclist in the cycle lane legally? Was he overtaking (undertaking) the vehicle at the time?

I may have exaggerated for dramatic effect. The motorcyclist may have been in an illegal position, but as others have pointed out, it could have been a cyclist just as easily. The car driver's lack of attention in this respect caused the incident; had they payed attention (and they should have to avoid hitting cyclists), the incident would not have happened.
It is easy to lawyer the motorcyclist as the one to blame, but the fact remains.

[YellowDog]

None of us know what happened and thew Police are appealing for witnesses.

All I would say is that the guy was 59 years old and not a stupid kid.

Whilst that doesn't mean he wasn't a manic 'Born Again' his age indicates that he may have had an idea as to how to ride responsibly.

The other factor is that whilst you can easlily you hurt, you generally don't loose your life whilst riding through traffic.

[wbks]

If a dude gets hit by a car it always seems to be that he was travelling 3km/h faster than legal, or not wearing visible enough gear, or not riding outside of the drivers blind spots... God forbid any fuckwit that happens to be driving should check their mirrors and blindspots before turning, rather than assuming nothing is there because it didn't tap them on the head and say hello

[Kiwi B]

I really feel for this guys family - I have been there and done that but very very luckily walked away (well was carried away in a stretcher) with a broken leg, concussion and some nasty cuts. The car driver turned into a road through a gap in the traffic in the next lane and the rest is head on and history - I was young and not a very defensive rider. The driver didn't even look (according to witnesses) and was charged with careless driving causing injury - I got off with 4 months in plaster.

Too often car drivers are not paying attention to their surroundings - there is no excuse for hitting someone even if they are in the wrong. I tell you what, surviving a crash like that has made me a very defensive rider :niceone:

Lesson learned: never trust that some moron won't try to run the gap even if you are in flowing traffic.

[Katman]

If a dude gets hit by a car it always seems to be that he was travelling 3km/h faster than legal, or not wearing visible enough gear, or not riding outside of the drivers blind spots... God forbid any fuckwit that happens to be driving should check their mirrors and blindspots before turning, rather than assuming nothing is there because it didn't tap them on the head and say hello

Doesn't change the fact that it appears to be an accident that could very easily have been avoided with better management on the motorcyclists part.

[YellowDog]

I really feel for this guys family - I have been there and done that but very very luckily walked away (well was carried away in a stretcher) with a broken leg, concussion and some nasty cuts. The car driver turned into a road through a gap in the traffic in the next lane and the rest is head on and history - I was young and not a very defensive rider. The driver didn't even look (according to witnesses) and was charged with careless driving causing injury - I got off with 4 months in plaster.

Too often car drivers are not paying attention to their surroundings - there is no excuse for hitting someone even if they are in the wrong. I tell you what, surviving a crash like that has made me a very defensive rider :niceone:

Lesson learned: never trust that some moron won't try to run the gap even if you are in flowing traffic.
Good post.

It's the reality of riding that the inexperienced need to learn from before it happen to them.

[wbks]

Doesn't change the fact that it appears to be an accident that could very easily have been avoided with better management on the motorcyclists part.Yes of course, it would be stupid to deny that, but I was just saying that I hate how no mater the circumstances the motorcyclist is always at fault. If not stated directly, then through word selection i.e his motorcycle hit a car. The stuff.co.nz link was the only article I can remember reading, even if the car was clearly at fault, where it didn't state "motorcycle crashed into car" etc. Surely the car driver was somewhat involved by turning into his path...

[Ronin]

Doesn't change the fact that it appears to be an accident that could very easily have been avoided with better management on the motorcyclists part.

Or the drivers, or if his family had talked to him for 5 minutes longer.....

you can be such a troll.

[Katman]

Or the drivers, or if his family had talked to him for 5 minutes longer.....

you can be such a troll.

I'm curious to know why you'd think my post was trolling.

The reality is that being in the right or wrong means nothing once you're dead.

[Ronin]

I'm curious to know why you'd think my post was trolling.

The reality is that being in the right or wrong means nothing once you're dead.

Because you made this statement knowing that it is inflamatory. Knowing you would get a bite.

The reality is that it matters greatly to his family and if I am correct, site rules are quite firm about bike down threads and apportioning blame.

[The Everlasting]

Not good.

I sometimes use the cycle lanes,but upon reading this I'll stay away!!

[Guzza]

The victim may have been riding a scooter. Neither article suggested he shouldn't have been in the cycle lane.

In regard to what can and cant be said in the forums about accidents; In the climbing community websites, accidents are dissected and debated to the nth degree. There are lessons to be learned with every accident, regardless who is to blame. The reading may get repetitive but that may be what it takes for the message to sink in for some people.

[Guzza]

Not good.

I sometimes use the cycle lanes,but upon reading this I'll stay away!!

There you go! Lessons.

[meowmix]

...
The reality is that being in the right or wrong means nothing once you're dead.

It may matter to the bereaved family, closure etc. And it does matter for every other motorist, as it goes down in some government statistician's files. Then there is the dangerous image motorcycling has etc.
Not trying to shift the focus, I can't imagine how terrible the family is feeling.

[SDU]

Condolences to the family & RIP John.

[paturoa]

Same or similar risks apply to bus lanes. I avoid them like the plauge.