Thursday's Dominion Rd crash killing a biker

[MarkH]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10693281

It seems that the driver of the car is very distraught over killing the biker and believes that he was careful and DID check that the way was clear. I have some sympathy for that driver, this incident will have a rather devastating effect on his life.

To me this seems like a case of a driver looking, but not seeing. The bike must have been their to be seen, they don't really appear out of nowhere. I truly believe that there is a problem with HOW drivers look - not really looking for bicycles or motorbikes, just a glance and if nothing registers in their brain then they think the way is clear. We need a vigorous marketing campaign encouraging all road users to look carefully at intersections and to verify that there is a completely clear road before proceeding.

[Bald Eagle]

encouraging all road users to look carefully at intersections and to verify that there is a completely clear road before proceeding.

Isn't that what they should learn and have been tested on for their 'scratch and win' licence?

[Crisis management]

Isn't that what they should learn and have been tested on for their 'scratch and win' licence?

Easy to say, but I've almost cleaned out a scooter at a roundabout when driving the Isuzu simply because I didn't see him, despite our best efforts sometimes we stuff up.
I have every sympathy for the driver, he seems very remorsefull for his involvement with the accident, what more can we ask of each other?

[swbarnett]

he was careful and DID check that the way was clear.

The trouble is that people "don't see anything" rather than "see nothing". A subtle but very important distinction.

[MSTRS:Me]

Any driver can be remorseful after the fact. One would hope so, anyway.
But to say 'the road was clear' is much the same as saying 'it wasn't my fault'. The simple fact is that the road was NOT clear, and the driver didn't look properly...

Mind you, no details about where the bike was, how fast, etc.

[Maha]

Was it half way down Dominion Rd?...

[george formby]

Easy to say, but I've almost cleaned out a scooter at a roundabout when driving the Isuzu simply because I didn't see him, despite our best efforts sometimes we stuff up.
I have every sympathy for the driver, he seems very remorsefull for his involvement with the accident, what more can we ask of each other?

I have suffered a similar fate once or twice. As you say even if you look it doe's not mean that your brain will give you all the information. It takes a conscious effort to think bike or cycle when looking otherwise your brain can filter out anything that is not a car or truck. It's not a fault just human fallibility & the only way around it is with training & always using that training. It still won't make us perfect though.

[shrub]

I fail to understand how something approx. 1.5m high and 1 m wide with a bright shiny light is invisible. When i'm driving not only can I see the bike coming the other way, but I can see what make and model it is and my eyesight isn't that flash these days.

I see bikes because I look for them.

I wonder if the car driver who killed the biker would have "seen" a child on a bicycle, or a pretty girl? I wonder whether he'll ever do that again?

I think the biggest cause of SMIDSYs is simply that people see but don't notice many motorcyclists. It is my belief that car drivers do see all bikes, just like they see the pretty girl with a short skirt, the sign advertising milk, the postbox, the car 100 m away etc. Their subconscious then processes this data and selects the stuff that's important: Pretty girl - yes; postbox, no; car, no (too far away); milk, yes (I need to buy some); motorcyclist, no. Their subconscious decides that the bike is not something to worry about and therefore to be ignored because motorcyclists are not important and not a threat.

When I'm on my Triumph I get very, very few SMIDSYs a year because I'm a big guy on a loud black bike with a black helmet. I did an experiment a couple of years ago, and decided to ride around town for a week on a 250 Keeway wearing a red helmet and a grey and white cordura jacket. Over that week I was cut off, had cars pull into my lane, had cars pull out in front of me and more - I didn't actually last a week. I get a shitload more problems with car drivers when i'm in my shitty old Bluebird! The reason car drivers see AND notice me is because their subconscious decides that I'm a potential threat, therefore to be avoided.

[steve_t]

He didn't look for a bike

Exactly! I wonder if the government would consider bringing back the "Look for bikes" advertising campaigns, at least each summer.

[DMNTD:Me]

I used to commute via Dominion Rd twice a day, 6 days per week and fortunately I was only bowled the one time...she didn't see me either
I witnessed some of themost appauling driving and RIDING ever during the year that I used that route.
As motorcyclists/scooters are allowed to utilise the bus lanes, cars/other motorists do find it more difficult to 'see us'. I too have nearly hit someone that I hadn't seen too.
Awareness on BOTH SIDES is required

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Motion Induced Blindness... it is more comon than you think

http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_mib/

[MarkH]

I fail to understand how something approx. 1.5m high and 1 m wide with a bright shiny light is invisible.

It is not invisible and looking with care and trying to see a bike will allow a driver to see it. The eyes would have picked up the bike, but that is not where sight happens - within the brain is where sight happens and within the brain of this car driver the motorcyclist was not seen. How many of us on this site have never had a car driver sorry because he didn't see us? Let's face it - drivers get hit by trains, trucks & buses that they didn't see, there are a lot of careless people in the world and while driving over a tonne of steel & glass they are still careless.

Too often a car driver fails to take due care and a cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian or another car driver is killed. This is sad & tragic and without an improvement in how much care people take in a mundane task like operating a motor vehicle - it will continue to happen.

Not that it is fair that they should subsidise us on the ACC levy though, heaven forbid that should happen.

[MarkH]

I think that the next war should be fought on motorcycles. The enemy is defeated and says "they took us by surprise, we didn't see them". Riding a motorcycle - the best camouflage known to man!

[NONONO]

Fkin sickend by this, since seeing the Herald headline and the picture I have been sick and angry all day. Still shaking.
For the first time in 34 years riding, without a break, I seriously thought of jacking.
Simply walking away from something that has defined who I am for most of my life.
How can you not see a motorcycle...from the horrible image it looked like a twin headlight.
I'm 6ft, my bikes bright red, my lights are on...what is difficult to see?
To those of you with some fellow feeling for the driver of the car,, good on yer, you are better people than me at the moment.
I'm left sad, angry and sick......
The families of the rider will have to carry on best they can, god bless em.
The pillion, well, we can all hope.
Fucked if I can think of any more to say.

[shrub]

Motion Induced Blindness... it is more comon than you think

http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/mot_mib/

And I hate to sound like Katman, but there are techniques to avoid this. When I ride in traffic i move from side to side in my lane, accelerate, brake etc because I believe when I do that the car driver's subconscious says "hmm, not sure what the fuck that guys up to, best I pay attention". When I was in the armed services we were trained to travel in a straight line and not move side to side against our background for that very reason.