Target Fixation

[terbang]

This is one of those things that only comes with experience. It can't really be taught, though instructors/mentors can help by pointing it out.

Thats why more experienced (whatevers) are generally better at what they do.
I am also a firm believer that knowledge is also power and that comes from good and appropriate training..

[Pixie]

Sorry, but I don't have any sympathy. No condolences either, it could have been someone I cared about that he took out. Stuff him.
He had a way out and didn't take it. Not to mention overtaking like Allah was going to protect him.
The best bit was that he hit something big and didn't take anyone other than his passengers with him.

He was probably feeling for the reset button as he stared at the oncoming vehicle.

16 years of staring at a CRT leaves a person with an almost insurmountable deficit in ocular scanning skills.

[Lou Girardin]

I make no apologies, I'm sick to death of the morons we allow on our roads.
Just this morning a guy in a truck reversed over one of our rental bikes that we were taking for a COF. It was right outside the shop and the bastard was too busy yakking on his fucking cellphone.
It was sheer luck that he didn't injure or kill the rider.

[pritch]

So is death a suitable punishment for ignorance on whose behalf, the driver or the regulator..?

I don't know how a regulator got involved in this... Let's keep it simple.

As was already implied; rather him (the driver) than me, or one of mine...

These idiots kill motorcyclists every day, if you want to feel sorry for them your choice.

[Scorpygirl]

Hi all

Thanks to everyone who has made comments on this thread so far. I haven't often started a thread but I thought the coroner's point on target fixation was an interesting one and worthy of getting some opinion on.

Cheers

[Lord Derosso]

It might explain how this old fart managed to hit a 4" post surrounding the old Parua Bay , Whangarei, boat club in 1978 after having a blowout on his old TS Yamie 185 trail bike at 90kpm, nearly being thrown off, crossing the road , hitting the dirt upright for 50 metres before jumping the ditch, staying on still at this stage and yet hitting that darn post and thrashing the bloody forks and been off work for weeks afterwards. I was still hanging onto the bars though my knee ended wrapped around the fence chain and caused a blood clot injury. I did see it coming but man... couldn't do much about it at the time. Funny about how the cagers stopped and looked as I was slowly 'dying 'on the ground but not one came and checked me out......
My riding mate on his Honda250XL? finally came back and got me sorted and trailer arrived etc but I was transfixed on that pole at the time. Of course I was was just a 18 year old bunny of course....

[Hawkeye]

This sounds like a very sad situation and one wonders what the fully licenced front passenger was saying or doing to try to save themselves.

The kid (16) was on a restricted. The passenger was on a full. The passenger should have been ensuring that they did not get into a situation that required him to try saving themselves. Overtaking 2 cages and then trying to get passed a 3rd (cage + horse float) in one manouver, on a short piece of straight is asking for problems.
Yes! sympathy for the bus driver who was doing no wrong. But a 16 year old 'boy racer'? I'm sorry, but overtaking 3 cages + a horse float is not bad judgement! It's moronic.

[Edbear]

The kid (16) was on a restricted. The passenger was on a full. The passenger should have been ensuring that they did not get into a situation that required him to try saving themselves. Overtaking 2 cages and then trying to get passed a 3rd (cage + horse float) in one manouver, on a short piece of straight is asking for problems.
Yes! sympathy for the bus driver who was doing no wrong. But a 16 year old 'boy racer'? I'm sorry, but overtaking 3 cages + a horse float is not bad judgement! It's moronic.

That's basically what I mean. What was the front passenger saying/doing? If it was me, and it has been me a few times, I firmly tell the youngun not to do it. We don't know what this young man was like, his attitude. I guess we may never know.

[terbang]

Fixation being only one of many errors..!

[Headbanger]

Nothing quite as exciting as focusing on a visor smudge at death speeds, while some deep normally quiet part of the brain screams "FFS, LOOK AT THE FUCKIN ROAD, LOOK AWAY FROM THE SMUDGE"

[Indoo]

That sounds like the actions of a man with a grudge...

As much as it pains me I have to agree with Lou. I think anyone who has attended fatal crashes, like Lou no doubt has, would share the same sentiment.

If it hadn't been a bus he would have killed a completely innocent party whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[scumdog]

Maybe the change from ox-cart to car was too much for him to handle??

But seriously:

Driving on a Learner licence and breaching the conditions of it?

You're screwed and it's going to cost you $400 and 25 demerits.

No mercy.

[Edbear]

If it hadn't been a bus he would have killed a completely innocent party whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He did - his three passengers.

[Lou Girardin]

He did - his three passengers.

Not entirely innocent. I'd bet this wasn't the first marginal thing he'd done that day and they were still letting him do it.

[Edbear]

Not entirely innocent. I'd bet this wasn't the first marginal thing he'd done that day and they were still letting him do it.

Fair comment, but I guess that's the problem with the news media, we get the story piecemeal and it's hard to judge a situation without all the facts.