Dom Post, 18 June 08. A brief comment on the letters page

[sunhuntin]

from a "lynne king" of broadmeadows.

"one of the main causes of accidents to motorcyclists and cyclists is lack of visibility. why not make it compulsory for them to wear a flourescent top, either a jacket or vest, and ban black helmets? these actions would be a very simple way to help reduce motorcycle and cycle accident"

im so so tempted to write this silly bint a reply. why not make it compulsory for all vehicles to stop for 3 seconds at giveways, stop signs and roundabouts and ACTUALLY LOOK FIRST! why not make it compulsory for all drivers to keep their eyes on the road, as opposed to their cell phones, coffees, nail polish and radios? i mean, come on, what difference is helmet color going to make? same goes for fluro vests. sure, makes you easier to see, but thats only if they are looking!

[Headbanger]

If they can't see my headlight then they won't see what attire I happen to be wearing.

To see us, They merely have to look.

[nodrog:Me]

i think thats a good idea, they should also lower the speed limit for motorcycles as well.

[Griffin]

Maybe we should ALL write her a personal reply and fill her mailbox full of bikers views...

[Griffin]

i think thats a good idea, they should also lower the speed limit for motorcycles as well.

Yeah and only let us out on the road between 11am and 4pm on sunny days

[scracha]

Ban Women drivers

[sunhuntin]

a reply to lynne king [to the point, june 18 2008] suggesting motorcyclists and cyclists wear fluro vests and the banning of black helmets.

i have travelled over 30,000k in my years on my motorbike, and loved almost every second of it. i have ridden between paeroa and bluff, at all times alone with no company except for the wind noise.

i have been hit once. it was during the afternoon [about 2.45] i had my headlight on fullbeam, as that also helps make us more visible. traffic was fairly heavy, but still not as bad as it could get. i made a perfectly legal move overtaking left turning cars [i was heading straight through] i saw a movement on my left, and next thing, i was hit by a car running a stop sign. i highly doubt the wearing of a fluro vest would have made any difference. i was riding in a singlet, and my lily white arms were brighter than any fluro, and i also had an open face helmet [albiet, black, but only from a back view]

luckily, i managed to limp away, and spent 2 weeks in a cast. my bike was totalled. today, i cannot kneel without getting stuck, and shaving my left leg almost leaves me in tears due to scar tissue. the woman that hit me got let off by the cops after promising to pay damages. im yet to see a cent out of her almost 3 years later.

so, what would have prevented this from happening? fluro vest? maybe, if she had come from the right. white/blue/yellow/rainbow helmet? no. an open face helmet only has a major color from the sides and back. the car driver waiting another 10 seconds, and actually looking both ways before going? definately. actually, i dont even think that car would have seen me if i was dressed up in christmas lights, because she wasnt actually seeing what she was looking at.

i worked last winter at night, and going home in winters rain is neither fun nor safe. i did actually buy and wear a fluro vest [yellow if i recall correctly.] let me tell you, it made absolutly no difference to my safety. i was still tailgated, cut off every night and nearly killed at least once a week. this was all because the road i used was being road-worked and was a mess of foot-deep potholes that changed spots every single day, and i was somewhat reluctant to go over 50k.

today, my heart is in my mouth at least once every day, and its always due to a car driver not looking both ways.

in conclusion, the true answer to preventing motorcyclist and bicyclist accidents is better driver training. looking both ways. actually seeing and identifying two-wheelers as people with families who love them and co-workers who depend on them. most car drivers only see other vehicles if they see a threat. im betting many that have nearly hit me wouldnt try the same trick on an 18-wheeler.

therefore, i propose the following compulsory measure: all people who are applying for the their licenses must spend at least 6 months on a motorcycle or scooter. its only when youve seen life from the helmet that you truly understand things.

charley davidson.

[Filterer]

... and ban black helmets? ....

Perhaps we need to ban black cars while we are at it

[Nordy]

+1 thats an awesome reply.

[sunhuntin]

and sky blue ones as well. barely saw a car the other day, cos it was the exact same color as the sky was at the time. was only me wondering where the other half of the following van was that i waited.

[Waxxa]

'Tis true, cagers need to actively look at intersections and to remember to do a simple shoulder-check when changing lanes on the motorways especially.

[megageoff76]

Shit, I live in Broadmeadows and have a black helmet.

Sorry everyone, this must be all my fault.

[Biggles2000]

Its got very little to do with colour and a hell of a lot to do with attitude. Very few old school hard @ss bikers have any problems in traffic because they are a very real and present threat, so they get noticed. If some old granny on a nifty fifty pulls up at the lights no body sees her because she is not in any way a threat.

[Nasty]

Great response ... go and do it Sun I think its well worth while.

[slofox]

Saw the ultimate horror this morning, coming out of a street on my left.....SUV, female driver, cell phone in one hand, looking in rear view mirror and waving to following car with other hand, (what WAS she steering with...?) as it approached the intersection.....hell's effin bells, is it gonna stop or what?????? Gave wide berth but fortunately it was so engrossed in waving that it failed to progress into the intersection until after I had passed......doubt that any colour helmet or any vest woulda helped there had her majesty intruded into the intersection....be vigilant, be very vigilant and be prepared to evade....