Two bikes down near Akaroa 27/12 (fatality)

[FJRider]

You may have a very karma and cool personality. I wish I did, but I don't. When I come up behind a driver doing 70 in a 100 zone, chatting to the missus, and with rear-view mirrors that give him a view of the sky, its not long before i want to pass.

But if I am traveling on SH1 between Levin and Paraparaumu, I can't pass him anymore. This is because virtually the entire road has become a set of no passing lines. There are a couple of passing lanes thank goodness. Sadly, Grandad will spot them too, and accelerate briskly to the speed limit.

So, yes I'm bad. I'll pass Grandad, based entirely on my judgement.

I'm very keen to stay alive.

I try very hard to be sure that I havent made a mistake.

I sincerely believe that the road toll would go down if motorists had ample safe opportunity to pass safely.

To my mind, drivers in the LHS of a passing lane should be restricted to a maximum of 70 km/hr, and those in the RHS lane a minimum of 110.

A strong sense of self-preservation helps. Any passing manouver, by any motorist, is based entirely on their good judgment. There are some that lack this most basic requirement.
No more laws should be necessary as the law regarding "impeding the flow of traffic" should cover it. Sadly not a well known or well policed one. Impatience could be the death of some people...

[Katman]

And lets not forget that passing on sections with limited visibility carries the risk of meeting oncoming motorcyclists treating the road like a racetrack thereby dramatically reducing the perceived available distance.

[jrandom]

oncoming motorcyclists treating the road like a racetrack

Why does someone cocking up and running wide constitute 'treating the road like a racetrack'?

:blink:

Sometimes cockups are just cockups.

[Hitcher]

Sometimes cockups are just cockups.

Careful, or the piously self-righteous may have to dismount their high horses.

[Katman]

Why does someone cocking up and running wide constitute 'treating the road like a racetrack'?



My comment was directed at the conversation regarding overtaking on double yellow lines - not at the subject of the original post.

[FJRider]

Sometimes cockups are just cockups.

Some of those cockups can be murder...

[Hitcher]

Some of those cockups can be murder...

Manslaughter, and only then if the perpetrator survives. I doubt that there was any deliberate attempt to kill.

[Forest]

Just because an accident occurred in a particular place does not make that an inherintly dangerous place to pass. Accidents have occurred due to poor motorway lane changing. Are you going to ban lane changes on the Motorway?

I've travelled a bit and have notice that the authorities generally ban (or at least discourage) lane changing in motorway road tunnels.

[piston broke]

Some of those cockups can be murder...
what b.s
sometimes shite happens.
over exuberance or what ever.
def not murder unless the instigator has suicidal tendancies

[FJRider]

what b.s
sometimes shite happens.
over exuberance or what ever.
def not murder unless the instigator has suicidal tendancies

Shite does happen... too frequentlly. Hardly a defence for anything. Imagine in a court of law... I'm sorry your Honour, I cocked it up.... people died, but it wasn't my fault...won't do it again.(insert Tui's add here)

There are actions of some motorcyclists, that I have seen, that could suggest "suicidal tendancies". Has there been any of your actions on a bike in the past, that might suggest same ???

Murder literally, was not my original meaning in that post, but if you choose to take it so, please do so. If I got you (or anybody else) thinking about it, talking about it. My post worked.

[Patrick]

ww to snells,
ww to matakana,this being the one i use more,as you know it is mostly straights.

Yep, know it well. Worked at Omaha for a few summers. Still.... dumb arses always fell off the road into the ditches.... on these straights. Still shits me with what we have to share the roads with at times.....


......However if the other vehicle is only doing 70 kmh then 400 m would be ample room to pass. The entire manouver would only take 182 m.

This is true... but it is one hell of a gamble at times to assume that theoncoming vehicle might be doing the same....

Good math by the way... and a shame about the loss of licence thingy.... Time, place and circumstances ARE considered by many.... I guess you got the wrong one.....


......I sincerely believe that the road toll would go down if motorists had ample safe opportunity to pass safely.

To my mind, drivers in the LHS of a passing lane should be restricted to a maximum of 70 km/hr, and those in the RHS lane a minimum of 110.

A good call. Am seeing more passing lanes being placed onto the highways, but still doesn't stop the straight line speedster (or left hand laner in a passing lane speedster) from doing just as you describe.:angry2:

Interesting point - in the left lane, max speed 70... but no one will drive in the left lane! Just look at the motorways in Auckland. The left lane is always the clearest and fastest.....

[swbarnett]

Interesting point - in the left lane, max speed 70... but no one will drive in the left lane! Just look at the motorways in Auckland. The left lane is always the clearest and fastest.....
That's why passing on the left should be made illegal, even on the motorway. Marry this with making it illegal to stay in the right lane when the lane to your left is clear. This is the way it works in Switzerland and the right lane on the motorways is almost always empty.

[Jantar]

....

This is true... but it is one hell of a gamble at times to assume that theoncoming vehicle might be doing the same....

Good math by the way... and a shame about the loss of licence thingy.... Time, place and circumstances ARE considered by many.... I guess you got the wrong one.....

........
Sorry, I was hypothesising. I have never lost my licence, but carrying out such a passing manouver is likely to end in that result. :clap:

[Patrick]

... making it illegal to stay in the right lane when the lane to your left is clear. This is the way it works in Switzerland and the right lane on the motorways is almost always empty.

They call that, "Failing to keep left..." $150, thanks...

In Auckland, you would get RSI trying to ticket all those who don't....

Luckily, in Auckland, you can pass on the left lane on the Mway... makes those commutor rush hours seem like a breeze.


Sorry, I was hypothesising. I have never lost my licence, but carrying out such a passing manouver is likely to end in that result. :clap:

Time, place, circumstances... hypothesising as well, perhaps???

[FJRider]

They call that, "Failing to keep left..." $150, thanks...

In Auckland, you would get RSI trying to ticket all those who don't....



Form letters ...???? try writing left handed...

[Patrick]

Form letters ...???? try writing left handed...

I do........

Form letters???????????????

[Mon ami mate]

Nigel & Jacqui Suzuki Boulevard, Dave Honda GB400 & Linda Suzuki GN250, all not travelling at a great rate of knots enjoying a beaut ride to diamond harbour on a beautiful afternoon.........Hartley Idiot on a Triumph risking his wifes' life and for that matter any life unlucky enough to be in his path.
Thank you to all those who have given their condolences.
The fallout from this tragic situation is huge,loss of life in the statistics is the tip of the iceburg, broken bones can mend but the mental scars may never heal.
A question to ask yourself is this ; Your motorbike is up to you, but are you up to your motorbike ? If you are ,do it on the racetrack and keep the roads safe for those who just want to enjoy a safe ride to their destination,be it a meeting with their mates at diamond harbour on their bikes or a journey in the family car to spend a family holiday.Most bikers ride safely,as to the idiots , you know who you are, we know what you are.
I came home on the 27th December I had one message on my phone from my Brother , we are heading to Diamond harbour at about 4, if you can come give me a call cheers. I got a call not long after, my older brother called from the hospital telling me My little brother was killed & his wife seriously ill.
My Brother loved life & loved cruising with his wife, brothers & friends.
The police always get a bad rap,but from what I have been told those that were on the scene were Angels,they are there to clip our wings when we get a bit stupid,unfortunately some wings are not clipped soon enough.
Funny how one insect can damage so much grain.

Turn off the ego before you turn on the ignition.
No excuses risking innocent peoples lives.
Ride on Ride safe.

[Naki Rat]

Excellent post-very sobering. My condolences.

Welcome onboard :)

[Mon ami mate]

Cheers. I hope to be able to ride and enjoy it again.Since this incident happened all I can do is look at my bike & think of all the great times me & my brother had together riding.
The last ride we did together was xmas morning around the port hills,things couldn't be better on 27th December lives would never be the same. I will be looking in my mirrors & ahead at an empty space that should be filled with my Bruv.
Ride safe

[Oakie]

Coming back from Ruapuna today up Johns Road it was pretty much me in my lane with a stream of cars coming the other way when lo and behold, a Harley rider with pillion pulls out from the stream and starts to pass multiple vehicles heading towards me. My very first thought was the Akaroa 'accident'.He was a good three hundred metres away I guess when he started but at a closing speed of I guess about 160/180 kph that distance closed really quick. I did a lazy swerve to the left and it was never really 'close' but I couldn't help thinking that I was riding my usual one metre and a bit to the left of the centre lane so he was sort of relying on me to see him and give him room...

[Kickaha]

but I couldn't help thinking that I was riding my usual one metre and a bit to the left of the centre lane so he was sort of relying on me to see him and give him room...

In other words he was riding like a wanker

[Oakie]

In other words he was riding like a wanker

Don't know what was going through his head but if I didn't see him or give him space it probably would have been me (going through his head).

[yod]

Turn off the ego before you turn on the ignition.


never a truer word spoken

it's a shame there seem to be some who just don't get it, no matter how often, or in what manner they're reminded

[Mon ami mate]

Ride to live

[vifferman]

Coming back from Ruapuna today up Johns Road it was pretty much me in my lane with a stream of cars coming the other way when lo and behold, a Harley rider with pillion pulls out from the stream and starts to pass multiple vehicles heading towards me.
Coming back from Roundabouta (the suburb of D'Auckland formerly known as Tauranga) yesterday, we saw LOTS of guys on bikes. The one that stood out was in a group of cruiser riders (all underdressed, on account of the heat, with no jackets, gloves, etc.). This guy was riding just to the left of the centreline (almost on it) on a right-hand corner, so his bike and body were over the line.
The other guy that stood out was a guy on a touring bike (he never got close enough for me to see what it was, but I think it was a Goldwing). He was riding very conservatively, accelerating slowly, leaving a very large following distance. :niceone:
I thought he was just being very cautious, but I dunno; when we drove through Matamata, he was right behind us. stalled it, and nearly fell off (had to dab a foot down, then couldn't get the bike going again and had to paddle to the curb).