Motorcycle accident afterthoughts

**Mongoose** · 1st July 2004, 16:44

I got advice very simular to that given to some one else on the site.
My Dads advice was
Treat EVERYONE on the road as a total Nutter!
Ah hem, that includes YOU boy!

**Eddieb** · 1st July 2004, 17:12

Originally Posted by XJ/FROSTY

the one bit of advise about bikes my dad gave me was
"son when you're riding your bike just think everyone and everything is a homocidal maniac out to kill YOU"

Lucky for some, my dads was "You can have a motorcycle or live under your parents roof, but you can't have both" or words to that effect. Even though he rode a bike to work for 14 years.

I moved out about 2 months later..........

The rest as they say is history.

**Coldkiwi** · 1st July 2004, 17:42

good on ya eddie! I was offered 'we'll help you buy your first car, but if you want a bike, you're going to pay for everything yourself'... so I kinda got good at washing dishes and picked up an extra shift each week

**bgd** · 1st July 2004, 19:48

Originally Posted by kerryg

Probably still doesn't QUITE explain why someone doesn't see a lone bike with headlights on high beam with a rider in fluoro pink.....

That's the bit I don't understand. In my case country lane, no lights except my full beam and he still didn't stop. It's not about the bike vs car thing, all that was visible was a very bright light. How you miss that in the dead of night I'll never know. That's why I thought perhaps he misjudged my speed.

Just goes to illustrate that you can take all precautions possible to make yourself more visible but at the end of the day you still need to be prepared for the idiot who doesn't see you.

**dangerous** · 1st July 2004, 20:05

Originally Posted by bgd

That's the bit I don't understand. In my case country lane, no lights except my full beam and he still didn't stop. It's not about the bike vs car thing, all that was visible was a very bright light. How you miss that in the dead of night I'll never know. That's why I thought perhaps he misjudged my speed.

IMHO, high beam is worse than low beam as on high its just a bloody bright light that dosent seem to move and could be 10 bloody k's away.

My point is your light 'is' seen be it on high or low but as a bike normaly you are moving faster than a car perticulary from a stand still however as 'we' are smaller than a car our speed is a shit load harder to comparhend or judge..... so it is a misjudgement of speed that is a reason why cars pull out on us for eg: Cheeter were you not doing 100k in a 50k zone hence a or the car did not predict your correct speed even with all your lights on.

ps: I have spoken to a witness, that must of been some impressive aerobatics beetween departing teraferma and landing again 'slow down'

**James Deuce** · 1st July 2004, 20:18

Right!

Two things about cars drivers and bikes.

1. Human beings judge approach speed by triangulation and relative size. A single headlight, no matter how bright, does not provide enough reference material to accurately judge it's distance from you, and it's speed of approach. That's why cars have two headlights placed on the corners at the highest point on the front of a car. A single big mother of a light mounted on the roof would illuminate the road just as well as two headlights, but experience and study have taught vehicle safety researchers that two reference points make it easier to judge the approach speed of a vehicle.

2. Human beings sort and analyse threats by size. It's helped us get to the point where we dominate the use of planetary resource. It isn't perfect, but it makes sense to dodge a charging Rhino by jumping into the path of two vicious bunny rabbits. So they just don't rate motorbikes, pedestrians and cyclists as a threat. After all the special suit designed to extend their mobility, improve their comfort, and protect them from other people's special suits will protect them from the insignificant and mostly squishy object approaching.

A third problem and this is a major one, is that there is no positive biker culture in New Zealand. Part of what helps promote the negative is the uniform aspect of a bike gang on the prowl. The all look the same, they ride bikes that look the same, and they all project a menacing attitude. A group of sport bike riders, or tourers, ride bikes from different manufacturers, that are different, and often vibrant colours, and their personal choice of safety equipment often varies widely even amongst a group of people who have ridden together for years. Just watch how a bike gang proceeds unmolested down 3 lanes of motorway, and then watch how a group of sports tourers riding in a staggered formation in one lane, one to two seconds behind each other gets cut up by other road users. There is no apparent threat in doing that, whereas a bike gang projects the image of a large cohesive organism. Threat and response.

If it was Italy whose deaths per head of capita is same as ours, but they have massively more congested urban roads and motorways than we do, bikes would be promoted positively. And people see them, and treat them with respect as road users because nearly everyone has at least owned a scooter.

**El Dopa** · 1st July 2004, 20:30

Originally Posted by Jim2

If it was Italy .... people see them, and treat them with respect as road users because nearly everyone has at least owned a scooter.

Hard for me to believe someone is saying something positive about Italian roadusers, given their, uh, 'hotheaded' reputation. You're probably right about the scooters thing though. Being on the receiving end can help make people a bit more empathic when they're in a position to dish it out.

Good post but.

**Posh Tourer :P** · 2nd July 2004, 07:24

Originally Posted by Jim2

It isn't perfect, but it makes sense to dodge a charging Rhino by jumping into the path of two vicious bunny rabbits.

Unless of course the bunnies are friends of the monster in the cave (Holy Grail).... You'd have a better chance with the rhino then....

**vifferman** · 2nd July 2004, 08:28

Originally Posted by Eddieb

Lucky for some, my dads was "You can have a motorcycle or live under your parents roof, but you can't have both" or words to that effect. Even though he rode a bike to work for 14 years.

That's a bit harsh.
When I wanted to buy my first bike, my Mum was dead against it, but my Dad (who hadn't ridden a bike for 20 years or so) stood up for me, and they financed me into buying one. It's a bit hypocritical the stance your father took (unless of course he was such a hoon that he was worried you'd turn out the same!

)