View Full Version : Can I turn my bin into something positive?
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 18:29
Five months ago I lowsided through inatention fracturing 5 ribs and requiring my collarbone being pinned. Im still not riding for about another 4 weeks.
Yesturday I revisited the scene and was surprised to find the road surface still littered with loose gravel that washes across the highway from a gravel pit on the high side of the corner.
Should I send photos and advise the council of the problem(to save another biker) or am I just wasting my time, and put it down to experience or lack of?Photos attatched
The corner is a righthand 45km bend on the highway exiting mangawhai towards the turnoff to Tomarata heading for State highway one.
Nagash
31st August 2008, 18:44
Jesus.. that corner does look like a proper bitch.
I reckon you should submit it to the council, it's not that bloody hard just to sweep the rubbish off the road.
I did it on scenic drive, they'd done some road works over night and I road through in the morning completely unexpecting it and almost had a low slide, luckily saved it.
Luckily my old man has a few friends in the council and they got it sorted by the next day.
But yeah, submit it, but don't expect anything to happen too soon..
Gubb
31st August 2008, 18:52
It couldn't possibly do any harm.
Do it.
Scorpygirl
31st August 2008, 19:23
Hi Pete
Yes send these Pics to the Council because in Ulysses we are trying to make them more aware that this rubble on the road is a real hazard to bikers. However on the other hand you should have been able to see it and say I am going to avoid it like the plague. Pea Metal like this is dangerous. It is like riding on marbles or ball bearings. Yes, you could have taken a different line and still have been safe.
Live and learn Pete. :2thumbsup
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 20:08
Hi Pete
Yes send these Pics to the Council because in Ulysses we are trying to make them more aware that this rubble on the road is a real hazard to bikers. However on the other hand you should have been able to see it and say I am going to avoid it like the plague. Pea Metal like this is dangerous. It is like riding on marbles or ball bearings. Yes, you could have taken a different line and still have been safe.
Live and learn Pete. :2thumbsup
As I said "my inattention"...........I have been luckey to get a 2nd chance. Alot havent! .......I know that and so also does someone else.
Grub
31st August 2008, 20:15
However on the other hand you should have been able to see it and say I am going to avoid it like the plague. .......... Yes, you could have taken a different line and still have been safe.
Huh? What advice would you give someone hitting it in the dark then? Or someone encountering a car on the other side of the road bllocking any change of line?
This is a serious unmarked road hazard, send them to the Council. If they dont act on it, then send them to a wider audience like the Police and the AA.
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 20:18
Huh? What advice would you give someone hitting it in the dark then? Or someone encountering a car on the other side of the road bllocking any change of line?
This is a serious unmarked road hazard, send them to the Council. If they dont act on it, then send them to a wider audience like the Police and the AA.
That's an extremley good point.
Rhino
31st August 2008, 20:24
As I said "my inattention"...........I have been luckey to get a 2nd chance. Alot havent! .......I know that and so also does someone else.
Sorry mate, but that was in bad taste.
Rhino
31st August 2008, 20:26
Huh? What advice would you give someone hitting it in the dark then? Or someone encountering a car on the other side of the road bllocking any change of line?
This is a serious unmarked road hazard, send them to the Council. If they dont act on it, then send them to a wider audience like the Police and the AA.
I would agree with you regarding riding in the dark, but Pete was riding in the mid-morning. Looking ahead can save lots of grief.
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 20:34
Sorry mate, but that was in bad taste.
I certainley don't know what's offensive about this at all.
Grub
31st August 2008, 20:35
I would agree with you regarding riding in the dark, but Pete was riding in the mid-morning. Looking ahead can save lots of grief.
The discussion was about whether he should send in the photos.
It wasn't an opportunity for someone to say that if he'd been careful the hazard wouldn't exist. The hazard is dangeous and permanent and the Council are required to do something about it = send the photos so they can fix it before a night time rider hits it.
Scorpygirl
31st August 2008, 20:46
I gave a positive and said that he should send the pics to the Council.
Scorpygirl
31st August 2008, 20:53
That's an extremley good point.
So Pete. It's all about the Council now. You asked how you can learn from this bin. The answer is NOTHING!
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 20:54
The discussion was about whether he should send in the photos.
It wasn't an opportunity for someone to say that if he'd been careful the hazard wouldn't exist. The hazard is dangeous and permanent and the Council are required to do something about it = send the photos so they can fix it before a night time rider hits it.
I'm the first to say this was caused by innattention and totally own the result of my actions.
Yes this is about forwarding the pics to the appropriate authorities and following the comments and some extras I didnt think of.
Ixion
31st August 2008, 20:56
By all means report it and ask for it to be rectified. But be aware that if it is gravel washout from the roadside, it will certainly return.
Removing hazards is always good. But a wise rider does not rely on "them" providing him with a perfect hazrd free environment, but rides so as to be aware of and deal with whatever the road may throw at him. By day or night. If necessary (eg at night, slow down. Not that hard.
Maha
31st August 2008, 21:05
Five months ago I lowsided through inatention fracturing 5 ribs and requiring my collarbone being pinned. Im still not riding for about another 4 weeks.
Yesturday I revisited the scene and was surprised to find the road surface still littered with loose gravel that washes across the highway from a gravel pit on the high side of the corner.
Should I send photos and advise the council of the problem(to save another biker) or am I just wasting my time, and put it down to experience or lack of?Photos attatched
The corner is a righthand 45km bend on the highway exiting mangawhai towards the turnoff to Tomarata heading for State highway one.
Ti Arai corner....yeah know it well. I have a short vid Zed (ex member) on that very corner heading towards SH1...I will post it tomorrow, damn puter wont let me tonight. Personally I have never had a problem with that corner but It seems to have gravel spill on from time to time. Not so much on the line heading out of Mangawhai (being a R/Hander) but if you get a tad wide without noticing the crap, then I can see how a slide could happen.
PS: Not saying thats how it happened in your case, just an observation.
Scorpygirl
31st August 2008, 21:10
This is very good advice!!!! Thank you Maha and Les.
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 21:23
Ti Arai corner....yeah know it well. I have a short vid Zed (ex member) on that very corner heading towards SH1...I will post it tomorrow, damn puter wont let me tonight. Personally I have never had a problem with that corner but It seems to have gravel spill on from time to time. Not so much on the line heading out of Mangawhai (being a R/Hander) but if you get a tad wide without noticing the crap, then I can see how a slide could happen.
PS: Not saying thats how it happened in your case, just an observation.
I'll watch for the vid.....It's a hard way to learn......but will remember this lesson always and learn from it..cheers
Maha
31st August 2008, 21:48
I'll watch for the vid.....It's a hard way to learn......but will remember this lesson always and learn from it..cheers
Here is that vid........heading out of Mangawhai, you have real good view through the corner for about 500 mts
<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cFu69rhSJyA"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cFu69rhSJyA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>
fLaThEaD FreD
31st August 2008, 21:58
Here is that vid........heading out of Mangawhai, you have real good view through the corner for about 500 mts
(removed embedded video)
My mistake was to look in my lefthand mirror as I entered the corner at the rider behind and I shifted left when I should have been watching where the hell I was going....and I paid for it.........cheers for the pic.
Maha
31st August 2008, 22:02
My mistake was to look in my lefthand mirror as I entered the corner at the rider behind and I shifted left when I should have been watching where the hell I was going....and I paid for it.........cheers for the pic.
No prob, wasn't pointing out where you went wrong, I just recognised the corner and remembered I had a vid of it.
PS....edit your post and delete the embedded vid, dont want ya getting a wrist slap from a Mod...:whistle:
Motu
31st August 2008, 22:47
Been through that corner many times too.I can't really see how you could miss not seeing the gravel - there is a shit load of it,but very little on your line....it shouldn't have been a problem at all.At night or in the wet the road speed would be lower of course.
fLaThEaD FreD
1st September 2008, 06:46
Been through that corner many times too.I can't really see how you could miss not seeing the gravel - there is a shit load of it,but very little on your line....it shouldn't have been a problem at all.At night or in the wet the road speed would be lower of course.
If you read the thread I explained why I missed seeing it.....Innatention.....was looking in my left hand mirror at the rider following.
CookMySock
1st September 2008, 07:25
Sorry to hear about your off, Pete. Did you come off at near-open-road speed ? :Oops: Gawd I live in fear of that. :sweatdrop
There are a couple of things of this category that we need a fix for. When there is a motorcycle-specific hazard on the road that is easily fixable, you will find the councils readily approachable on it, but mostly people don't know this so they don't do it. What people also don't know, is that if the council has made a mistake they will cover your costs regarding it. So we need to establish a set procedure and publish it for all to use.
The other thing that springs to mind, is commercial vehicles spilling diesel from over-full fuel tanks with leaky caps. Why a sealing fuel cap is not part of their COF tests I do not know, but with a little bit of pressure in the right place, and it could become so.
Time to get organised and actually get somewhere with this type of thing instead of discussing it over and over - it wont be long before the problem is actually solved then. Maybe it would be fun putting together a political/action/results group just to achieve this type of result? I'm sure we have some skilled persuaders and legal-eagles who would enjoy this, and we might make things better for all motorcyclists.
DB
James Deuce
1st September 2008, 08:11
I had an off a couple of years ago in very similar circumstances. My own sill fault. I got surprised by a car as I entered the intersection, just as I transitioned from tarseal to gravel drift. Locked front, bam!
Sent the pictures to the Insurance company and they extracted the money to repair the bike from the local Council. Which in turn got the corner cleaned up.
I think it would be a very good idea, but be prepared for anyone you send it to to deny any link given the period of time betwixt accident and photographic evidence. Good Luck.
CookMySock
1st September 2008, 08:41
Sent the pictures to the Insurance company and they extracted the money to repair the bike from the local Council. Which in turn got the corner cleaned up.Insurance companies know the law very well. They know that the council is responsible for this type of thing, and so do we. Now the trick is to put together a procedure to do it.
be prepared for anyone you send it to to deny any link given the period of time betwixt accident and photographic evidence.Yup, that is the idea - "be prepared" for it, don't just give up when they moan. But we are not prepared. We have no idea. So lets get prepared - any starters ?
Steve
MSTRS
1st September 2008, 10:32
Here is that vid........heading out of Mangawhai, you have real good view through the corner for about 500 mts
[/CENTER]
Was gravel present then, and did Zed know about it? Otherwise why was he over the line?
fLaThEaD FreD
1st September 2008, 20:17
I both spoke to Rodney council and e-mailed the pics as soon as I got into work. They we're most receptive and we're treating it as a health and saftey incident which means that they have to respond in person to the issue within 2 hours.
I havent heard back today as yet but I do have an incident number to refer to if I have to get back to them....cheers
CookMySock
1st September 2008, 20:31
Good on ya Pete. I'm looking forward to their response.
Steve
Scorpygirl
2nd September 2008, 08:09
Good one Pete. I hope the Council does something mighty quick then. Fingers crossed for a good result.
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