Almost killed by a Bus this morning

[pritch]

Could you kindly site those overseas studies, I'm curious to read because my personal experience as a driver is completely different.

He is absolutely right. I read an account of one such experiment but it was years ago. You can do your own research.

Basically part of the experiment I read about involved drivers navigating an urban/suburban route then answering questions about the various potential "hazards" they had encountered. There were standardised hazards that could have been identified, eg a kid playing with a ball near the road. The responses to most of the hazards were decidedly patchy. The two hazards that almost every participant identified were the Hells Angel look alike and the bike cop.

The conclusion was that you are more likely to be noticed by other road users if they perceive you to be a threat. The different treatment I got from drivers when I was on my moped as opposed to when I'm on the bike would tend to confirm that. Apparently though there is no shortage of lemmings willing to drive in front of trucks, or even trains, so even looking like a cop may not help.

[Moi]

This is totally unscientific...

The other day getting the latest tag for the Auckland tag game I parked the bike at an angle to the kerb and walked away from it. It was interesting to hear several cars coming from behind me slow down - change in engine note was quite noticeable. It could have been that the transmission had just shifted up, but it also had that sound of someone easing their foot off the accelerator...

I wonder what caused that?

Was it the white fully-fared bike?

Was it me with my back to the approaching traffic and holding a camera up?

Was it that I was wearing black leather pants and dark blue textile jacket with hiviz and silver helmet?

I have no idea. But it was interesting...

[Jeeper]

Great, so an assertion is made by someone and I'm asked to reasearch its validity on my own. This is such a wonderful and helpful forum. What if I just ride my bike like I stole it, that would get everyone's attention and I'll be super safe.....

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[FJRider]

Could you kindly site those overseas studies, I'm curious to read because my personal experience as a driver is completely different.

Unless you have experience cutting off a police car (or a Hell's Angel) when they have right of way (and it ended well) ... I suggest you try doing it. Let us know how you got on ...

But I think your "Personal Experience" in this regard ... is somewhat lacking ...

[RDJ]

The conclusion was that you are more likely to be noticed by other road users if they perceive you to be a threat.

Yes indeed. This has been proven (as far as it can be within the statistical limitations of studies) quite a number of times. Hi-Viz clothing and a shiny bike alters potential colliders' behavior much less than Evil Black Gear and an Evil Black Bike. So-called conspicuity is only useful in court after the fact, when the SMIDSY-BYWWF (Becos Ya Weren't Wearing Fluoro) defense is raised against us.

[Ifsn8u]

Great, so an assertion is made by someone and I'm asked to reasearch its validity on my own. This is such a wonderful and helpful forum. What if I just ride my bike like I stole it, that would get everyone's attention and I'll be super safe.....

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Pretty much!!

[FJRider]

This is totally unscientific...

Just a coincidence ... maybe ..

[Zedder]

This is totally unscientific...

The other day getting the latest tag for the Auckland tag game I parked the bike at an angle to the kerb and walked away from it. It was interesting to hear several cars coming from behind me slow down - change in engine note was quite noticeable. It could have been that the transmission had just shifted up, but it also had that sound of someone easing their foot off the accelerator...

I wonder what caused that?

Was it the white fully-fared bike?

Was it me with my back to the approaching traffic and holding a camera up?

Was it that I was wearing black leather pants and dark blue textile jacket with hiviz and silver helmet?

I have no idea. But it was interesting...

Someone else on here, old steve I think it was, had incidents like this happening often when he used to ride a "police type " motorcycle and wear similar clothing.

[Jeeper]

Pretty much!!

Thanks. Time to unlearn everything and see what difference that makes.

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[bigdog]

Murder would suggest he saw you and pulled out with the intent of running you over which I doubt. What you have here is a bus driver who failed to see you, or failed to look very hard. Nothing that unusual there.

Well obviously I didn't mean murder in the literal sense.

So you didn't brake ... ???

A more experienced rider would not always expect to be given right of way ... even if he/she was entitled to it. (Known as the Cassina Syndrome) Roundabouts work on the principal of continuous flow ... so that makes it a more dangerous piece of roadway than other parts of a city road system.

Adding to that ... even many (so called) experienced riders/drivers do not know all the rules of roundabouts. Do you .. ???

Perhaps I wasn't so clear in my Friday evening rant. The bus was stopped at the intersection as I was making the turn, I was keeping an eye on it before going around a roundabout. When the bus pulled out I was already in its path. So no, I didn't brake... is that what you would of done? They would have ran me and my bike over for sure. Obviously if it was the case that the driver was just pulling out before I was in its path I would have braked for sure!

And yes, I am quite confident I know all the rules when it comes to roundabouts and I would certainly expect someone who drives other people for a living to know the rules as well. Is that too much to ask?

[Swoop]

I must add that wearing everything black on a black bike does not help with visibility...

Wrong.

10chars

[jasonu]

ARA bus drivers were always cunts. Especially the fat boonger ones.

[Moi]

Perhaps I wasn't so clear in my Friday evening rant.

The bus was stopped at the intersection as I was making the turn, I was keeping an eye on it before going around a roundabout. When the bus pulled out I was already in its path.

So no, I didn't brake... is that what you would of done? They would have ran me and my bike over for sure. Obviously if it was the case that the driver was just pulling out before I was in its path I would have braked for sure!

And yes, I am quite confident I know all the rules when it comes to roundabouts and I would certainly expect someone who drives other people for a living to know the rules as well. Is that too much to ask?

That seems to be the norm for many drivers in Auckland...

I'd agree that it can be a little unnerving at times and I'm sure there are a few who misjudge their "pulling away from the stop" and give themselves and others a real sphincter clinching moment.

But quite truthfully, I doubt it will get any better... just too many who think they are "entitled" [both on two-wheels and in four-wheels], too many in too much of a hurry, not enough enforcement of basic driving, let alone actually teaching proper driving...

On two-wheels we need to be far more aware of our surrounds, be a more defensive rider and just chill out at times... I'm sure karma will get some of those drivers.

[Moi]

ARA bus drivers were always cunts. Especially the fat boonger ones.

Haven't seen an ARA bus in quite a few years...

[YellowDog]

Well obviously I didn't mean murder in the literal sense.



Perhaps I wasn't so clear in my Friday evening rant. The bus was stopped at the intersection as I was making the turn, I was keeping an eye on it before going around a roundabout. When the bus pulled out I was already in its path. So no, I didn't brake... is that what you would of done? They would have ran me and my bike over for sure. Obviously if it was the case that the driver was just pulling out before I was in its path I would have braked for sure!

And yes, I am quite confident I know all the rules when it comes to roundabouts and I would certainly expect someone who drives other people for a living to know the rules as well. Is that too much to ask?

So you were indicating correctly then

Perhaps the bus driver felt he timed it just right and the fact he missed you by around 150mm, he felt that there are 149 more reasons as to why he didn't do anything wrong and you may just be a but jumpy with your over reaction