We are the prey of the "I did not see you" and this will never change

[Conquiztador]

If I ever want to kill someone I will just grab a SUV and wait somewhere I know they go past on regular basis. Then I simply just drive out in front of them and claim I did not see them. I mean, $4,500 is probably approx $95,500 less than a hitman would charge me.

"Auckland local body politician Warren Flaunty did not see an oncoming motorcycle when the vehicle he was driving made a right turn and collided with it, throwing the rider into the path of a four-wheel drive, court documents show.Blair Lindsay Titmus, 34, died at the scene of the crash on Hobsonville Rd, west Auckland in April this year.
Flaunty has pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving causing death, the maximum penalty for which is three months in prison or a $4500 fine.
The police summary of facts, released to APNZ today, says the weather was fine and dry on the afternoon of Saturday, April 2, and there was heavy traffic on the road in both directions.
Mr Titmus was travelling east on his recently rebuilt Moto Guzzi motorcycle towards Clarks Lane, where Flaunty had stopped at the T intersection, waiting to turn right onto Hobsonville Rd.
Flaunty told police he had waited for three or four cars to pass and was careful that it was clear before he made the turn.

"I looked to my left as I pulled out from the compulsory stop to ensure that I could merge with the oncoming traffic. I was three quarters of the way across I think and I just heard this crash and it was the motor bike," he is quoted in the summary of facts as saying.
Mr Titmus was thrown from his motorcycle and came into contact with a west-bound Nissan Patrol vehicle.
Flaunty said he did not see the motorcycle when he looked to his right before proceeding.
"It can be fairly concluded that neither driver saw the other as they converged, and that the view of both was obscured, probably by the presence of another vehicle."
A police crash investigator and an independent investigator agreed that there was insufficient reliable evidence to establish how fast the motorcycle was travelling.
Flaunty has been a businessman and pharmacist for 40 years.
He is an elected member of Auckland Council's local boards for Rodney, Upper Harbour and Henderson. He also sits on the Waitemata District Health Board and the Waitakere Licensing Trust.
Outside court last week, he said it was not his intention to step down from these positions.
"I will remain in these positions for the next two years, and it will be up to the people to decide whether they want me there after that."
Flaunty has been directed to attend a restorative justice conference before he is sentenced in March next year.
- APNZ

[Edbear]

It's not just motorcycles, people are constantly pulling out in front of all manner of vehicles, especially trucks! (I drove trucks for many years). However it is the vulnerability of bike riders that makes it so deadly. Bikes can be hidden by mirrors, door pillars, the driver's hand if he's shielding his eyes from the sun, or pretty much anything bigger than a matchbox.

Having a sizeable cruiser with three headlights plus running lights certainly minimized the chance of being missed, but I still had close calls as many drivers also lack the ability to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles.

[Tigadee]

Assuming the rider is cautious and safety-aware, is there a higher safety factor for upright riders as opposed to lower-seated (cruisers) or bent-over (sports) riders? i.e. those sitting more upright and higher can view the traffic ahead better and pinpoint potential dangers.

Would a high-vis vest in this case have helped? Or was the Moto Guzzi a low bike, or too small to be easily visible or too fast?

[c4.]

RIP Blair, miss ya buddy

[TIBLE_90]

This exact thing happened to me when I was 18. Car pulled out as I was riding by and T-boned me. I wasn't wearing protective pants at the time and had to spend 6 days in the hospital as a result. This was in a 50 zone and i was on a 250. My bike was totaled and I had a broken thumb and a fucked up leg. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic at the time because i was thrown into the oncoming lane. If there would have been an SUV as was in the above case I am sure I would have suffered the same fate. 3 months in prison or a $4,500 fine seems to me to be an unjust punishment for manslaughter. How is the value of another persons life only $4,500....There needs to be some serious reform to laws regarding murder and manslaughter in New Zealand.

[oneofsix]

Roads are dangerous places. Shit happens. Without all the facts a circumstances perhaps labelling a crash manslaughter is too harsh. Some times with the best of intentions/actions shit is unavoidable, though others have well documented contrary opinions on this which would land part of the blame on the rider and are are in some aspects correct, just too inflexible for my taste.

[avgas]

What pisses me off is the council sod won't step down.
How am I going to train my boy about responsible leadership with a local council of fucking vikings.

[PeteMun]

I was out for a run maybe 5-6 months ago staring at a bike go past when I had a feeling a car at the intersection was going to pull out. He locked up (had no choice i think) and slamed into the drivers side of the car. The girl driving said she thought his headlight was a bloody street light !

[SMOKEU]

Remember that dude in the news a while ago who accidentally shot that school teacher and killed her with a rifle after he mistook her for a deer? Why is being careless causing death with a firearm more serious than causing death by motor vehicle?

I'm sure that neither the hunter, nor the driver intended to kill anyone, but they were both negligent, and people had to die as a consequence.

[oneofsix]

Remember that dude in the news a while ago who accidentally shot that school teacher and killed her with a rifle after he mistook her for a deer? Why is being careless causing death with a firearm more serious than causing death by motor vehicle?

I'm sure that neither the hunter, nor the driver intended to kill anyone, but they were both negligent, and people had to die as a consequence.

Because his actions were careless and stupid where as the driver, according to the report, tried to be careful and fucked up. Now if you were to compare a shooter, in the bush that shot at a deer only to discover later that said deer was being carried by another hunter then you have a closer fit. Comparing a hunter shooting at movement is closer to what usually happens on the roads.

[FROSTY:Me]

THIS accident is still on my mind constantly because the person involved was a freind of many years.
But I have to go back to what Ive been saying all along.
car/truck/bus drivers aren't out to get us.We are not their prey. They just mostly don't care.

On that basis we unfortunately have to accept TOTAL responsibility for our own lives.
To clarify I'm not talking about the after the fact fallout. I'm talking about the riding attitude that "they NEVER look" they WILL pull out in front of me" "they WON'T stop at that stop sighn"
By riding with that attitude WE are doing all we can to save our own lives.

Would that have saved Blair's life that day? Knowing his attitude to riding and how he rode I can honestly say NO it diddn't.
I DO know though that there are countless times before hand that it DID save his life. Including an eerily similar incident on the same road a few years earlier.

[Muppet]

FYI yesterday in the Garden City two people cut me off, where I had to brake to avoid a collision. Those two people are now $150 poorer.

[SMOKEU]

FYI yesterday in the Garden City two people cut me off, where I had to brake to avoid a collision. Those two people are now $150 poorer.

What are you, a cop?

[oneofsix]

THIS accident is still on my mind constantly because the person involved was a freind of many years.
But I have to go back to what Ive been saying all along.
car/truck/bus drivers aren't out to get us.We are not their prey. They just mostly don't care.

On that basis we unfortunately have to accept TOTAL responsibility for our own lives.
To clarify I'm not talking about the after the fact fallout. I'm talking about the riding attitude that "they NEVER look" they WILL pull out in front of me" "they WON'T stop at that stop sighn"
By riding with that attitude WE are doing all we can to save our own lives.

Would that have saved Blair's life that day? Knowing his attitude to riding and how he rode I can honestly say NO it diddn't.
I DO know though that there are countless times before hand that it DID save his life. Including an eerily similar incident on the same road a few years earlier.

Now that I can relate to. Yes we have to ride with that attitude but, sadly, it will not always save us. Hence why I think it wrong to "blame the biker". We need to work to change the attitude or whatever it is of other road users (good job Muppet) but also remember there will always be those that will not see us.

[steve_t]

Again, I refer to the video where you count basketball passes and demonstrate "inattentional blindness" with regards to the dude in the gorilla suit.
People 'look' to see the way is clear but if they're only looking for cars and trucks etc, they won't see a biker or cyclist.
That campaign "Look for bikes" was a good start. A shame they got rid of it. Was it not getting any results?