If I didn't see it I wouldn'y have believed it....

[<Rhino>]

I have been reading through the threads since I joined here bout a month ago and I remember reading a thread about somone who had had trouble with his bike or somthing and no one stopped to help except another biker...

I was on my way home on Friday night (the end of my first week on a bike) ride'n from Porirua back to Upper Hutt This guy on another bike overtakes me on the motorway out of Porirua on his bike, wearing all yellow which got me to thinking about me wearing all black, should be in colour etc etc!! I come up over the rise round the corner to the Whitby turn off and this guys in the middle of the road, bike flat on the ground!.

I stoped just beyond him, went back and checked he was ok (he was) and helped him get his bike off the road, another biker stopped to help also and a lady from a house over the road (I Think), not one CAGE'E stopped, they all kept driving hardly even giving us the space to get him and his bike off the road!! Whats with that!!!

I asked the guy what happened, A ute with a trailer pulled out in front of him!! and he had to ditch, the bastard didn't even stop!! The rider had to have somone come and pick him up in the end as his hand was to sore to opperate the clutch, I headed for home with a new found hatred for cars, the other biker headed off too (thanks to you mate, who ever you are)

Is there any point in wearing Hi-vis gear, does that really make any difference, or will being vigilent about cars keep you alive longer. ???

[James Deuce]

If he came over a rise and around a corner and couldn't stop in time, how is that the car's fault? It's a serious question too. There's many ways to skin a cat and assuming that the "hated" car is always at fault isn't necessarily always the case.

[Swoop]

The clutch hand is the waving hand...
That's why he didn't want to ride.

[CookMySock]

It looks a bit like no one cares dunnit ? Yeah he does have to be able to stop in the clear distance in front of him on a laned road. This law is broken ALL the time pretty much because we usually get AWAY with it.

Learn to countersteer-swerve, and train your mind to have the strength to do it when you have to. It's just part of being an arse on a motorcycle and having countermeasures up your sleeve.

DB

[Rockbuddy]

similar thing happened to me, i was in the passing lane and a cage cut in front of me to overtake a truck, realizing she wasn't going to make it hit the picks leaving me nowhere to go, it happens so fast you dont get time to create the required gap so i bin break a collarbone, no other witnessess so my word against hers. and i get a ticket for $150 basically for following to close
oh and the only one to stop and help was a mate passing on his way to work and the lady driving the car

[<Rhino>]

If he came over a rise and around a corner and couldn't stop in time, how is that the car's fault? It's a serious question too. There's many ways to skin a cat and assuming that the "hated" car is always at fault isn't necessarily always the case.

The Ute pulled out in front of him from a controlled intersection where it would have had to give way! He didn't check to see if the way was clear enough, thats how its his fault. My description was more about the run up to the accident from my point of view (sorry, not very clear) and I see where your comming from, but to clarify there is enough road to see if its clear.

My points are:
Seems as though people in cars don't care about bikes, from the apparrent lack of people who stoped to offer assistence even before I got there a half dozen cars must have driven past. I mean this guys not just standing on the side of the road with a broken down bike, people saw him come off, he and his bike were lying on the road!

Does wearing Hi-vis actually help, in this case it seems not?

[musicman]

If he came over a rise and around a corner and couldn't stop in time, how is that the car's fault? It's a serious question too. There's many ways to skin a cat and assuming that the "hated" car is always at fault isn't necessarily always the case.

I don't think his hatred was directed solely towards the car that pulled out, it's probably more to cars in general from the combined facts that one pulled out partly causing the off and then not one single car that passed the accident stopped or even gave them space.

I stoped just beyond him, went back and checked he was ok (he was) and helped him get his bike off the road, another biker stopped to help also and a lady from a house over the road (I Think), not one CAGE'E stopped, they all kept driving hardly even giving us the space to get him and his bike off the road!! Whats with that!!!

I asked the guy what happened, A ute with a trailer pulled out in front of him!! and he had to ditch, the bastard didn't even stop!! The rider had to have somone come and pick him up in the end as his hand was to sore to opperate the clutch, I headed for home with a new found hatred for cars, the other biker headed off too (thanks to you mate, who ever you are)

[<Rhino>]

Correct, Thanks.

I've been driving cars since I was 15, only just got on a bike two weeks ago, I guess I'm just a little green and didn't realise just how hard it can be for bikers, both from peoples attitude and perhaps pre-misconceptions.

[MSTRS:Me]

Correct, Thanks.

I've been driving cars since I was 15, only just got on a bike two weeks ago, I guess I'm just a little green and didn't realise just how hard it can be for bikers, both from peoples attitude and perhaps pre-misconceptions.

Yep, it's a whole different perspective from the 'other side of the windscreen'. Without getting into possible reasons for it, we just don't rate on the roads.

[Mikkel]

Just don't expect anyone besides yourself to behave like a competent and aware road-user. And even just hoping for consideration is naive.

Last week I had an either blind or stupid woman pull out across two lanes right in front of me - I probably missed her by about 5 cm and there was perhaps about the same amount of room on my right.
I had pulled plenty of naughty s on my way home before this incident took place - however at this point I was sitting at ~65 km/h in the right hand lane on a dual carriageway in a 60 km/h zone.
It was during late dusk and my headlight was very much on - there's no way she could have missed me if she had bothered to look... so either she didn't look or she didn't care.

I got slightly agitated and enquired 'politely', as she pulled up next to me at the lights, if she would most kindly pay more attention next time. I couldn't hear her reply due to helmet and earplugs - which is probably for the better since she couldn't really, in that situation, have said anything to make things better, but only a whole lot to make it worse!

[martybabe]

Correct, Thanks.

I've been driving cars since I was 15, only just got on a bike two weeks ago, I guess I'm just a little green and didn't realise just how hard it can be for bikers, both from peoples attitude and perhaps pre-misconceptions.

That's where it's at rhino, normal rules don't apply here, if you ride a bike like you drive your car, trouble will not be far away.

Don't expect any one to look for you, don't expect anyone to give way to you just because they should. The sad fact is mate none of em give a toss about you, treat them all like idiots, consider your self invisible (hi vis or not) and most importantly, remember the only one looking out for you is you.

Ride safe Rhino and big ups for stopping to help.

[Ixion]

Hi-vis will help other road users to see you . Then, having seen you, they'll pull out in front of you anyway. All just part of life's rich tapestry

[Maha]

Dont hate all car drivers Rhino, where is the maturity in that? I drive a car and also a van for work, lay the blame (if required) at the 'actual' pilot of the actual car/bus/truck/hippy van/ and yes even bike, that is at fault. Why lump everyone into a select group of wankers because of a single person actions?

[ManDownUnder]

For what it's worth - all you can do is change the world by starting in your own back yard. Make sure that if you see someone in help - you stop... and help.

Lead by example (and I note you did ), and this is a brilliant one.

[Swoop]

Hi-vis will help other road users to see you.

Quite debateable. A recent incident proved otherwise.