Deliberately threatening/wreckless driving towards motorcyclists

[Normandy]

How much wrecks could a wrecker wreck if a wrecker could wreck wrecklessness?

Umad?

[zippy]

Hi there, thanks for viewing this thread.

Just the other day I was riding my 250cc motorbike in West Auckland. I had my partner on the back as she prefers to ride on the back instead of public transport.
We came to the red lights and I was in the left lane on a fairly busy Road.
It was one of those situations where in front of me in the same lane there was a car parked, so I needed to merge into the middle lane.
The problem is, I checked behind me and saw enough opening to pull into the middle lane, except the driver of the car behind me decided not to slow down in the slightest as he saw me moving into the middle lane, and almost hit me and my partner on the motorbike. He then followed SO CLOSE behind my motorbike for about 30 seconds that my partner said she could see him coming up close to her.

Is this common? I cant comprehend whats going through the minds of people like this. Even if I was in the wrong to pull into the lane too abruptly, surely you dont make a statement/take law into your own hand by threatening the life of 2 people on a motorbike right? Shouldnt this be considered something close to attempted murder? Anyone with half a brain knows if you hit two people on a motorbike going about 40-50kms could EASILY result in death, especially when the collision is caused from a car hitting you from behind and scooping up the people in front of the car. So how is this not some kind of classification for attempted murder? I tell you, I was so angry afterwards knowing my sweet little partner could have been gravely injured because this low life piece of shit antagonizing us.

Also, has anyone else experienced something like this? It seems like west Auckland has a pattern when it comes to degenerate scumbags who dont care about the wellbeing of others. I have friends from west Auckland, so am not saying it about everyone obviously. But I do notice a pattern that people are hostile and will almost deliberately go out of their way to put you in harms way at times.

So the situation here when is you merged you claimed you had enough space but the person decided not to slow down and almost hit you..that tells me straight away there was not sufficient space for you to have moved into there lane as you expected the traffic behind you to brake to slow down, if there was enough room then any driver should not of had to brake at all for anyone moving into there lane....They would have continued at there set speed and there would have been enough room and time for you accelerated to a normal speed.

Still it does not excuse the actions of the driver following close afterward deliberately but you obviously pissed him off and i can understand why.

As for attempted murder, to get all legally technical it would have to be proven the driver intended to murder you both, the fact they did not knock you off the bike despite having opportunity to do so shows they did not intend to murder you because why didn't they knock you off if that was the intention?

If they had indeed hit you unless they admitted the intention of knocking you off was to kill you both then worse case it would have been a conviction of death by dangerous driving.

However given your actions leading to the situation you may find a lack of sympathy on KB.

[James Deuce]

However given your actions leading to the situation you may find a lack of sympathy on KB.

That would have more to do with the "spelling" of reckless.

[scumdog]

That would have more to do with the "spelling" of reckless.

And here's me thinking he was indicating no crash had actually taken place...

[The Baron]

Sadly this is more common than you think. Never force your right of way on a bike. Ride to survive not to be right or to win.
It is good that you are both OK and now that you know about this sort of driver treat them all as if they are out to get you.

[oneofsix]

So the situation here when is you merged you claimed you had enough space but the person decided not to slow down and almost hit you..

What a load of twaddle! even your reply shows you understand he made the change in front of the cage and all he needs is the room to do that, the reason why, if I can, I accelerate into the space in front of the car even if it means temporarily breaking the holy of holies speed limit. The driver, if he wasn't a self centered twat would have been aware of the parked car as and if he had been a good driver would have already been making allowances for that but instead he had a false sense of entitlement.

However given your actions leading to the situation you may find a lack of sympathy on KB.

you just had it.

One in about 100 drivers are like what was described but they affect you and other road users so much it seems like it is every second driver. Had one myself this morning, determined to force the traffic to his idea of the correct speed even though it was below the limit and then the prat runs a red! FFS

[FJRider]

Just the other day I was riding my 250cc motorbike in West Auckland.

Ahhhhh ... I see your problem ...

[pzkpfw]

Where two lanes become one, it's not expected that one lane stops. It's called merging and the vehicles in the lane being merged into ought to be making it easier and safer.

As long as the bike did it sensibly (e.g. indicated long enough, matched speed well enough, etc.) the car ought not to have caused any trouble.

(
It's always a balls-up here. Plenty of cars just don't want to let you change lane, whether you are in a car or on a bike. So instead of smoothly changing lane, you have to keep an eye out for the occasional gaps that come along. (I once got a ticket for not indicating 3 seconds for a lane change, because when a huge gap appeared (and after I did a head check for lane splitting bikes; which I keep an eye out for with my mirrors also) I went for it with only 2 seconds indicating.)

Motorway entrances are the worst. Plenty of them here are such (tight un-cambered curve in front, very short straight) that in my car it's hard to get to the motorway doing 100 km/h unless I thrash it hard. I hate the people that try to merge at 20 km/h less than the motorway traffic, but can't really blame them all.

If I'm the vehicle on the motorway and I see a vehicle merging on, and I judge its speed and position such that I think it'll get to the motorway ahead of me, I'll slow down a little to "let it in". That's my responsibility. (It used to even say so in the road code). Trouble is, those mergers are so used to not being let in, they sometimes see me and panic and slow down to give way to me (even if they are ahead of me and doing a good speed). Then we're both slowing down, and the merging point is approaching. Flippin' frustrating. And I don't think the answer is to always just ignore the merging people and think "though sh*t" for them. That's not how it's supposed to work.
)

[Oakie]

More information needed. When you say 'parked', was the guy in front actually parked or just stopped in the lane for the lights. Did you indicate and if so, for three seconds and was there really enough room infront of the car for a reasonable lane change. I'd really need to see your actions before judging his. So I'm not judging...

[Gianz]

So the situation here when is you merged you claimed you had enough space but the person decided not to slow down and almost hit you..that tells me straight away there was not sufficient space for you to have moved into there lane as you expected the traffic behind you to brake to slow down, if there was enough room then any driver should not of had to brake at all for anyone moving into there lane....They would have continued at there set speed and there would have been enough room and time for you accelerated to a normal speed.

Still it does not excuse the actions of the driver following close afterward deliberately but you obviously pissed him off and i can understand why.

As for attempted murder, to get all legally technical it would have to be proven the driver intended to murder you both, the fact they did not knock you off the bike despite having opportunity to do so shows they did not intend to murder you because why didn't they knock you off if that was the intention?

If they had indeed hit you unless they admitted the intention of knocking you off was to kill you both then worse case it would have been a conviction of death by dangerous driving.

However given your actions leading to the situation you may find a lack of sympathy on KB.

what a load of bullshit and misspelling.
brakes are made to be used. if you see a driver on the left line having the way cut off by a parked car, you should allow enough room for him to merge.
for the OP: get used, Auckland is one of the worst places I have ever ridden. I have seen more intrinsecally dangerous places expecially in southern europe and asia, where people are much more friendly and aware of what's going on around them.

[Katman]

I'm starting to think that hazards like this should be deliberately introduced into the motorcycle license process.

If you cry, you fail.

[Phantom Limb]

Chalk it up as a learning experience and get back on your bike. Things like this happen every second day to me in West Aucks, the only diffference is my steed has enough go to launch into gaps without being a rolling road block. A GN250 with two bums on board trying to get back into moving (unsympathetic) westie traffic doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of doing so without getting some kind of reaction.
Pretend that every other driver on the road is an absolute muffjuggling twat that is out to kill you, in fact don't pretend.

[oneofsix]

I'm starting to think that hazards like this should be deliberately introduced into the motorcycle license process.

If you cry, you fail.

yeah, but instead the system tells the newbie that if they indicate the following driver must give them room - yeah right. New concept - share the road.

[Tigadee]

Monday evening on the way home, I had a bitch in a Peugeot in front and to the right of me swing into my lane without indicating, even though I was a car length behind her and clearly visible in her side mirror. And this was a white Kiwi woman, not Asian! But I had my eye on her (and every other vehicle) already so I was prepared to slow down and evade.

I was also prepared a little later on when turning off the motorway, and this same cow cuts into my lane after realising that she was supposed to turn off the motorway too (again without indicating). I wasn't surprised by now, but just .

[gijoe1313]

I figure that putting your own safety first and being a bit more patient for that larger gap would be the better option. Depending on others to "do the right thing" is putting your own well being at risk. I know when I have a pillion on board, I make an even greater allowance for variables such as stopping distance, braking more earlier to not have the pillion shunt into you, etc.

Sure, doesn't excuse the behaviour of the motorist, but you do have to take in the big picture and remember you are always reliant on yourself, for your own safety!

Suck it up, learn from this and get out there and make sure you keep it safe!