Hazards - A recent happening

[Squeak the Rat]

Just a [soft] little wake up reminder that I got the other weekend….. Take from it what you will, flame if you must.....

I was in the car with some passengers and I was doing just over 110 on the Hauraki plains. Just cruising, plenty of time to slow down if a car on the horizon looks like a copper, nice long road with no side roads, just a couple of fences, hedges, and long farmer driveways etc. A speed which I’m sure 95% of people on this site would deem perfectly acceptable.

Then a very young girl ran out onto the road from behind a hedge.

I had just enough time and space to swerve around her whilst being bloody careful not to cause a head on with the oncoming traffic. The car behind me only just had enough time to stop and the passenger got out and grabbed the girl off the road.

Don't get me wrong, I’m certainly not trying to preach about speed or anything (because I'd be the last to talk), but another 10km per hour and I reckon she would have been toast. Even if i was only doing 80kph that would haunt me forever.

Should I have identified the hazard? Well I sort of did - I saw the hedge and thought something could be there, but there didn't look like anything was behind it. I certainly didn't expect a 2 year old girl to jump out in front of me.


I guess sometimes shit happens, but do your best to avoid stepping in it. Keep them eyes open and that brane thinking…


PS - Of course on a bike there would have been much more room to manouver. But then again i *cough* might be going a wee bit quicker on the bike.....

[bugjuice]

whats the posted speed limit?
this a residential area?

[Paul in NZ]

whats the posted speed limit?
this a residential area?

Unfortunately, in the era of 'The Lifestyle Block' the whole country is becoming an urban area!

[Maha]

When an accident like thats happens ( which it didnt ) it could screw you up for a long while, it aint like running over a dog or hedgehog but where were the parents?. Surely living so close to the highway it would be paramount for the parents to have a closed gate on the driveway if there are kids around. I know of a family that sold their house just north of here recently for those very reasons. Take a deep breath Rat and pat on the back for your reaction at the time, you saved a life it would seem.... could have worse but wasnt...

[SwanTiger]

whats the posted speed limit?
this a residential area?

With long straights and farmer driveways I'm going to assume this isn't exactly your typical suburban 'road' with a posted 50kmp/h speed limit.

Open road presumably.

Its interesting how many people there are who can't identify these sorts of hazards while riding (or driving for that matter). When coming across potential hazards such as concealed side roads it is common for most to do nothing.

I can illustrate this with a short blat I did last night out to some of my favourite round abouts. Coming up I noticed three vehicles coming from the left, I presumed they hadn't seen me. I was correct. Two cars drove straight out in front of me, If I had of assumed that they'd seen me and carried on ... my poor bike!

The female driver in the rear car got a fright when I pulled up beside her, you could see it on her face.

[Motu]

This sort of stuff gives me nightmares,it doesn't matter how alert you are - scanning continuously,as you scan across to the right...there she is from the left and bang! One in a million possibility,but it's always there....

[Squeak the Rat]

whats the posted speed limit?
this a residential area?

Sorry guys, it was open road. Nice looong open road, so 110 = no problem in my book (unless you squash some one small i guess....)

The farm house was about 400 metres from the road. It was just that damn hedge......

[WRT]

Ok, doesnt help in this case, but a tip for newbies - if you are driving round town, you can use any mirror like surface such as shop windows to see behind obstacles. Also, if you are passing stationary trucks and buses, dont try to look around them, look under them instead. If someone has just hopped off a bus at a stop and is walking around the front of it (as an example), you will see their feet and be able to react long before they have chance to pop out from in front of it.

Well done though Rat, that could have gone a lot worse if you werent paying attention. Scary if you think what might have happened if you had been changing the radio station at the time, or if you were one of the many muppets around that txt while driving.

[Paul in NZ]

When I was about 16 and on my first bike (1954 AJS 500cc Single) I collected a young girl (only a couple of years younger than me) who raced out of her folks drive on her push bike and straight into my bike. (ie she ran into the side of the bike). I wasn't speeding or anything like speeding and just had time to try and avoid her (more felt her coming than actually saw it) but sadly I only nearly missed her.

The house had a big hedge out the front and there was no way I could see her until the last minute and she (by her own admission) was just plain not looking.

No real harm done. Her bike was a bit mangled and the AJS lost some paint, she lost a bit of skin and I damn near shit myself. In fact the worst injury to her was her pride! I took her back inside the house and her mum went apeshit at me and then, when she found out what happened, her but it was just that Mum was worried etc (you know how it goes) Apparently she had already had a go at her about not looking before she tore out the driveway!

I tell you what though! Those driveways still give me the willies even now!

Good skills to avoid the kid!

Cheers

[Mental Trousers]

That would've scared the fuck out of me.

[kickingzebra]

Practising the "spider sense" definately makes you expect more of the unexpected and plan accordingly. Thank the good lord you missed on that occasion, and I as a muppet who occasionally texts while driving, am growing more and more against the practice.

[sunhuntin]

good luck on missin the kid....but im also wondering where the hell where her parents? :slap:

[sAsLEX]

just going to mention one thing "Darwin" now he had some sharp ideas that man

[Timetogo]

Was really lucky that you missed her,you did well
But from another pint of view the media etc is always bloody quick to blame "speeding" but how about parental control and responsibility...

[FROSTY:Me]

Im sorry guys I gotta defend ma and Pa here.Unless you are around young kids (1-5) all the time you have NO idea how far and how fast the lil critters can move- Or for that matter just how big an obstical theycan get over/through to make their break for freedom.

Its one of my worst nightmates keeping baby baby bikie safe.