cage drivers --sometimes they really cant see ya

[TonyB]

Just my opinion, but if you are lane splitting in moving trafic you are asking for trouble. I'm with BJ on this one- once it gets moving I merge back in. Cage drivers don't think, "hmm well my mirrors are clear, but I'd better be careful just incase a bike carrying a 50k speed advantage suddenly appears" The traffic around them can't squeeze through the gap between lanes, so why should they be thinking about it?

I firmly believe that a lot of bikers get taken out because they can do things that cage drivers either don't expect or can't comprehend. Plus cages have blind spots, and traffic hides you. Your best chance of survival is to behave like a car. Oh, and get out infront of the bastards!

[TwoSeven]

I was stuck in a cage last night. Travelling down the norwestern crawlway at about 40km/h I decided to change lanes -Indicator on --a look in the mirror -all clear and I started to move over. A bike suddenly apeared in the gap between the cars 3 back from me.
Lucky for him I was watching my rear vision mirror the whole time.
My point is from a cagers point of view there was a clear gap in evenly moving lines of traffic.
Ya might wanna concider what the cage drivers actually can see when you're passing them

This is what I was saying in an ealier post a few weeks back, but I believe from memory, someone claimed they could always see bikes in their cars and I was therefore not correct

Car drivers actually see very little, not only that, but they dont hear much either (one sense is completely removed and the other covered by bits of steel). It would be unreasonable for any biker to make an assumption that they are seen, even when the driver is looking straight at them. Its also important to remember that wearing a full-face lid also restricts vision and sound, so it can add up both ways.

[FROSTY:Me]

folks --the idea of these posts is not to antagonise you lot --its to get ya thinking -what if??

[Sniper]

I agree with Finn on this one totally. Cage driders say whatever they need to in hopes of staying out of trouble.

[Lou Girardin]

Car drivers will say they didnt see you after taking you out simply because it convenient for them to say so to avoid a ticketing - most of them don't care

They're called "smidsy's" in the UK. Sorry Mate I Didn't See You.
There's an awareness campaign on about it now.

[James Deuce]

They're called "smidsy's" in the UK. Sorry Mate I Didn't See You.
There's an awareness campaign on about it now.

I was reading in Bike magazine last night how the Motorcycle Accident rate is at an all time low in comparison to head of capita, and the awareness campaign (which is a lot more vigourous than the ACC one here) is largely responsible, plus the increased availability of rider training.

[Motu]

They are not just picking on bikes,don't take it personaly.I had someone drive into the side of my Pajero from point blank range last week - ''Sorry,I didn't see you''.If they can't see a 2 ton brick they can't even see through then a bike doesn't stand a chance.

[TonyB]

I agree with Finn on this one totally. Cage driders say whatever they need to in hopes of staying out of trouble.

There is a denial thing that happens though. I've seen it happen.

I was driving my car along Colombo Street, right behind a bus. We got to one of those 'pedestrian island' things and the bus had to squeeze over to the left (I reckon those things are dangerous, but thats another rant for another day). As the Bus was doing this (before getting to the island) it passed a cyclist. Woman in parked car flings open her door without looking, cyclist tries to brake and avoid at the same time, resulting in the front end tucking under and catapaulting him into the side of the bus. He narrowly escaped going under the back wheels. It was fucken close and bloody scary to watch.

The woman in the car started off knowing it was her fault. Then as it dawned on her that this poor kid nearly died because she didn't look before opening her door, she talked herself out of it. In the end she was saying "it didn't happen because I opened my door". By the time the cops arrived she knew she had nothing to do with it. I made sure the cops knew the real story.

Her reapportioning blame wasn't a deliberate act on her part. I watched it happen. She found it so hard to accept that she had nearly killed someone that she reinvented the events of the crash. I'm sure if you asked her 10 minutes after the crash she would have genuinely and honestly believed that she didn't cause the accident.

It was interesting to watch the process happen.

[TwoSeven]

I dont agree with this 'sorry I didnt see you thing' from a different perspective. I mean, as a defensive driver, my view is 'what the fook was I doing putting my vehicle in a position where it can be in an incident'.

My view has always been, if you drive any vehicle to a point where you are relying on other road users actions (ie. them seeing you, them stopping, them not changing lanes without indicating), then you shouldnt be on the road because at the end of the day your actions are based only on chance which means you'll at some stage draw the losing hand.

[Gremlin]

All right, adding Frosty's and BJ posts together, there is something else people need to know.

I don't split in fast moving traffic, but in slow traffic on the motorway I do, but the lanes are also quite wide, so it is reasonably safe. I also filter quickly from one lane to another a bit on other roads like the Pakuranga highway.

But, I have noticed one factor that has slowed me down a bit. Travelling with the flow, there is not too much danger, just the usual stuff, make sure you aren't in blind spots, announce your prescence with cars beside you by being next to their windows for a sec or two (even if you have to be a bit close to the car in front) etc. Not a lot happens.

Then, up your speed 10-20k and change lanes a bit, find gaps in lanes, and suddenly you end up running into a lot more strife. Most cars will look at a lane change, then execute. In that time, you have popped into the lane and are right next to (or in) their "intended gap". Not saying its their fault. They looked, and when they saw, the gap was there. Then in a very short space of time, I filled it.

Riding with the traffic I have found is a lot safer, but not as much fun. Sure, there will still be cars causing problems, but there will be less of them.

[madboy]

People don't want to take responsiblity for their own actions when those very actions are the causative factor. How many people actually have an accident and say it was completely their fault?

Most drivers should see a bike if they are driving responsibly. FACT.
Bikes positioned in stupid places will often not be seen, even by responsible drivers. FACT.
Lane-splitting by its very definition puts you in a stupid place. FACT.

I choose to accept those risks. Others don't. It is statistically likely they will attend my funeral.

[madboy]

They looked, and when they saw, the gap was there. Then in a very short space of time, I filled it.

That's why I aim for gaps cars don't want to fill.

[FROSTY:Me]

Just relivening this
I think my origonal point is still valid.
sometimes a cager genuinely can't see you
And you can be the most right biker in the cemetry

[Test Pilot]

I hate to admit it but if been driving the car before and all of a sudden a bike has come from nowhere and i didnt see him, and being a biker that only uses a bike for transport im always looking for bikes, so it is possible! for people driving cars to just simply not see you even if they are aware of bikes