Had a crash yesterday

**centaurus** · 31st October 2008, 13:16

Binned my bike yesterday.

I was riding through an intersection and saw a car on the left side of the road trying to cross the road and make a right turn, planning to go across my path and over the yellow lines. Slowed down, tooted my horn a few times. Couldn't see through the windows whether the driver was looking my way or not so slowed down even more, tooted my horn again, and when I was just about to go past it, the driver decided to suddenly pull out in front of me. I leaned on the horn button to no avail. The guy never noticed me and didn't stop or slowed down until he heard my bike hitting his car. Tried swerving to avoid the nose of his car but he ended up eating all my lane and going over the yellow lines on the other side of the road. I had nowhere to go.

Hit the car, flew over the bonnet, did a somersault and ended up on my back. Fortunately I was in full gear so except one knee and ankle that got caught between the bike and the car I escaped unscathed. Even though the accident happened at very low speed, at am certain that I would have had a broken leg and multiple injuries on the arms and neck or head if I hadn't been wearing full gear.

Fortunately for me kiwis are a very friendly bunch. Immediately a few cars pulled over and helped me get the bike off the road, called the ambulance and made sure I was ok.

The police officer that took my statement was a very nice guy too. We are always complaining about police when they do bad things so I thought it would only be right to give credit where credit is due. He was friendly and polite. Even got me in the police car to take my statement, seeing the wind was picking up and I was getting cold.

Turned out he is a rider himself. He even helped me check the bike to see if it's ridable and start it. If he happens to be a kiwibiker member and reads this post: a BIG THANKS to you mate!

As far as I'm concerned after this I will never ride without full gear. This has proven to me that no matter how expert a rider you are, you can still get into trouble - all it takes is one stupid/blind/deaf driver to sort you out.

**madbikeboy** · 31st October 2008, 13:23

Good on you for giving some bling to the cops. Also, good that you're in one piece. Make a note to get in touch with a mentor near you, there's some skills that may help you avoid this situation in future.

ATGATT +1

**Hanne** · 31st October 2008, 13:24

Glad you are Ok. Yeah, you don't need to be goin very fast all to get munted up! (My ankle needed physio for 4 months and wasn't even broken when I came off)

Big ups to the cop too for being so nice, he deserves a chocolate fish

**WasPhantom** · 31st October 2008, 14:32

Ah I saw the police notices come out last night and was hoping that people were okay.

**TerminalAddict** · 31st October 2008, 14:52

all that attention you gave to using the horn could have been used in avoiding the crash dontcha think?

**<Rhino>** · 31st October 2008, 15:05

Originally Posted by TerminalAddict

all that attention you gave to using the horn could have been used in avoiding the crash dontcha think?

How is the action of one thumb going to avoid the crash, I think he did the right thing, after all the horn is a warning device is it not? Not his fault it wasn't loud enough for the driver to hear.

Glad to hear your ok mate, I got rubbed up by a car the other day lukily enough just as it touched my leg I sat on the horn and he did hear it and pulled away. either that or he herd my arse puckering!! Was doing the speed limit on on the open road! comming off there would have been messy

**Patar** · 31st October 2008, 15:11

Here's something to mull over, had you not slowed down he might have pulled out after you got there.
This actually seems very common in these threads, where the biker slows down and the car pulls out.

**H00dz** · 31st October 2008, 15:20

Dam the Filth

just when I feel comforted in my antagonism, they go and something nice.... Curses!!! LOL

seriously though good to hear you ok

**centaurus** · 31st October 2008, 15:26

Originally Posted by TerminalAddict

all that attention you gave to using the horn could have been used in avoiding the crash dontcha think?

In principle I agree with you TerminalAddict. However, I was already breaking and was prepared to swerve. There was nothing I could do. He stopped at some point midway in the lane and pulled from a standstill a second or less before the impact (when I was 2-3 meters away) so I was just riding slowly watching the car, thinking he stopped because he had seen/heard me. The horn was just an additional measure of prevention (that proved futile in this case

)

**SPman** · 31st October 2008, 16:02

Originally Posted by Hanne

(My ankle needed physio for 4 months and wasn't even broken when I came off)

A badly sprained ankle is probably worse than a broken one (so the Doc said) - mines still a bit gammy, 3 yrs on....

**Nasty** · 31st October 2008, 16:27

Glad to hear that you are ok ... we heard about the accident and have been waiting all day to hear this news!!

**Duke girl** · 31st October 2008, 16:38

Good on you for giving praise where its due when it comes to the police force as so many people out there are always ready to bad mouth them but if you stop and think about some of the people they must come accross in their job then like you they would be given them praise where its due. I couldn't believe when reading your post how many times you tooted your horn at the cage driver without getting any response back and then having the idiot pull out in front of you onto your side of the road. Was this person not only blind but bloody deaf as well. Glad you came out of it like you did and good on you for having enough sense to wear the appropiate gear, full marks to you for that.