NOT GOOD, Worst deaths in 19 years

[Big Dog]

They have overtaken me in my car many times between ChCh and Akaroa when I have been in a line of traffic.

If you dont believe me you will see plenty of guys riding under pressure to keep up any weekend on the Christchurch to Akaroa road. I have seen them myself.

Until you ask them you are making an assumption.

Just because they pass you doesn't mean they are competing with anyone other than their own ego.

In my experience that is more dangerous than trying to keep up.

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[skippa1]

Can't be arsed reading the whole thread but I am in the midst of a holiday in the South Is....one week left fuck it.....done 3400kms so far. Seen lots of stupid shit on the roads, particularly in central otago and up the west coast yesterday. my $0.02 worth

• No amount of ACC payments will reduce motorcycle fatalities. Ranting about cyclists paying ACC wont make a scrap of difference if some Doris doea a u turn in front of you
• There are so many hazards out there that you cannot control, you cannot guarantee you will return from a ride in one piece. Accept it and ride accordingly
• Motorcyclists are vulnerable (trust me, I know)you should prepare yourself as well as you can for every ride.
• while riding, never assume others intentions, treat other road users like they are stupid because by my observations over the last two weeks, they are in their separate bubble and only focused on themselves
• Riding a bike is a lifestyle choice...a good one....but does come with some risk. Accept it.
• Accidents do happen. They just do. They may have lots of different causes but at the end of the day, they still happen. There is no utopia, no time or place ever where you will be riding with no risk
• There is too much sense of entitlement or arrogance on the road. People ride and drive like they believe everyone is going to obey the rules. Just because you may be right, doesnt decrease the seriousness of the outcome should there be an impact.
• Cassina is completly fucked in the head

[pritch]

Can't be arsed reading the whole thread but I am in the midst of a holiday in the South Is....one week left fuck it.....done 3400kms so far. Seen lots of stupid shit on the roads, particularly in central otago and up the west coast yesterday. my $0.02 worth

• No amount of ACC payments will reduce motorcycle fatalities. Ranting about cyclists paying ACC wont make a scrap of difference if some Doris doea a u turn in front of you
• There are so many hazards out there that you cannot control, you cannot guarantee you will return from a ride in one piece. Accept it and ride accordingly
• Motorcyclists are vulnerable (trust me, I know)you should prepare yourself as well as you can for every ride.
• while riding, never assume others intentions, treat other road users like they are stupid because by my observations over the last two weeks, they are in their separate bubble and only focused on themselves
• Riding a bike is a lifestyle choice...a good one....but does come with some risk. Accept it.
• Accidents do happen. They just do. They may have lots of different causes but at the end of the day, they still happen. There is no utopia, no time or place ever where you will be riding with no risk
• There is too much sense of entitlement or arrogance on the road. People ride and drive like they believe everyone is going to obey the rules. Just because you may be right, doesnt decrease the seriousness of the outcome should there be an impact.
• Cassina is completly fucked in the head

Keenly observed.

[Big Dog]

For all those who said trucks can stop as quick as a car here is a message I found on FB from an actual truck driver.

"While people are enjoying the Xmas and New year's break, us truckies are still hard at it keeping the wheels turning. Without us your stores would be empty and supermarkets shelves would be bare. Please spare a thought for us before dangerously over taking or pulling out on us. Remember it takes us a hell of a lot of road to stop. Let's all get home safe and trouble free.

Granted I haven't driven a rig built this century, but just my observation...
Trucks take a lot of slowing.
But then they also have more wheels doing the braking.
If they are near capacity or carrying liquids stopping distances increase because physics.
If they are near empty they have less traction and ability to stop is reduced.
If they have a load somewhere in the middle, they take a little while to start stopping but once deceleration has begun they stop every bit as fast as a car.
Driven by a professional or with ABS possibly faster compared to Doris in her Yaris with little practice at stopping quickly.

This can be very deceptive when following a truck. The brake lights come on but speed doesn't appear to change much, lulling you into a false sense they are just tapping the brakes a little. What you can't see if you are to close is that they are desperately trying to avoid a collision. Then boom. The truck is suddenly slowing very fast, and unless you are already braking too it is likely they will stop shorter than you will.

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[Big Dog]

No one will admit to riding under pressure to keep up as they will be admitting a weakness. Irrespective of the reason multivehicle overtakes are a dangerous practise and in a video of a public group ride one of the multi vehicle overtakers was almost taken out themselves by one of the cars they were overtaking deciding to overtake. With so many people on here stating statistics does anyone have the statistics for deaths on group rides?

I've been on hundreds.
3 or 4 crashes by other riders.
A number of licenses lost.
No fatalities.
No ambulances.
I've never felt pressured to keep up.

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[onearmedbandit]

With so many people on here stating statistics does anyone have the statistics for deaths on group rides?

With that being your main issue to push I would've thought that you'd have that info.

[caspernz]

With that being your main issue to push I would've thought that you'd have that info.

The degree of hope and patience displayed is admirable.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the camembert in my fridge will be able to give a more cultured response though...

[Katman]

I don't give a shit how many people I piss off by saying it but.......

.....Cassina is absolutely right that pressure to keep up is a major contributor to crashes during group rides.

Anyone who tries to deny it is kidding themselves.

[Katman]

And before anyone starts telling me how many group rides they've been on where no-one has crashed, the answer to that is they were probably group rides conducted in a responsible manner.

It's the group rides where crashes do occur that are quite often the result of people trying to match the 'race pace'.

[onearmedbandit]

We are not lone voices on this site on this subject as I have read coments from other guys on here who have found group rides dangerous and have given up riding in groups. Pressure would also come from not wanting to be seen on a high powered sports bike and only riding at the speed limit. I have posted before that even if riders ride at the limit there was an accident where they target fixated on one another and when the lead rider came off so did some following riders.

No one is denying that it happens. The issue is your assumption that every crash on a group ride is the result of people being pressured to keep up.

[caspernz]

No one is denying that it happens. The issue is your assumption that every crash on a group ride is the result of people being pressured to keep up.

Have been on enough group rides to somewhat agree that an element of peer pressure creeps in, in some cases at least. Most of the incidents I've seen fall in the category of poor rider skill.

So now I mostly choose to ride with groups whose riding has been measured to the same standard as my own.

[george formby]

The problem is no one will ever admit to it even those who go on group rides on this site. Maybe they do it out of fear of getting lost but on the Akaroa road where I see it mostly that would be a bullshit reason.

I admit to not being pressured into keeping up on a group ride. If their are unfamiliar riders in the group I start last so I don't have to worry about muppetry in my rear. Regardless of what company may think or say my focus is getting home in one piece after a fun ride. Choose your companions wisely is my motto.

Same deal if I'm caught up by faster traffic, first chance I get I wave them on. Have a nice day.

[SVboy]

When any vehicle hits the brakes in front of me I take it as a signal to hit them too.

So, if the vehicle in front of you applies the brakes you run into them? This may explain the high number of crashes you have had!
Top tip- if the vehicle in front applies it's brakes , apply yours too, rather than using said vehicle to slow your momentum. If you are unsure where the brakes are on your bike please return to the shop you purchased it from and ask them to show you where they are and how they work.
KB, making riding safer since ages ago.

[pritch]

I don't give a shit how many people I piss off by saying it but.......

.....Cassina is absolutely right that pressure to keep up is a major contributor to crashes during group rides.

Anyone who tries to deny it is kidding themselves.

It can be a factor undoubtedly but a major contributor? I was once present at the scene of an accident that I would attribute to exactly that.
That's once in nearly sixty years. Which while it was a major prang could hardly be referred to as major in a statistical sense.
I still do group rides but tend to avoid the big ones where the idiots come out to play. And at no stage will I ride harder than I'm comfortable.

So nah, IMNSHO you're both wrong.

[Katman]

It can be a factor undoubtedly but a major contributor?

A significant percentage of group rides are still conducted in a manner that makes them indistinguishable from a road race.

So yes, trying to match the pace of others is a major contributor to crashes that occur on that type of group ride.