Thursday's Dominion Rd crash killing a biker

[Voltaire]

I ride Dom Road every day and you have to be in " the zone' all the time in those bus lanes...less so if you just sit in the traffic....which is the whole point of riding the bike to work.
When I take the car its less so as your in a queue...radio on....in a nice safe box that wont fall over when you stop, or stop paying attention. I do however look more than at the car in front...women doing their make up at the lights, people on the phone or texting, looking for another cd, chatting to passenger....no wonder panel beaters are always so busy.

[bluebird]

I know this section of Dominion Rd well, I live close to it. I call it Asian Alley and man do you have to be careful passing those shops! The last stretch is very close to a 70k zone and people are tempted to gas it there, combine this with the motoring idiocy I see in this spot and I'm not surprised a biker was taken out. If you ever use this bit of road stay in the outside lane and stay under 40k's and watch out for the U-turners outside the asian supermarket, they often use the median strip to turn. Walters road is a place people are in a hurry to turn right across the traffic from and they don't see anything they don't want to.

[fuknKIWI]

Was it half way down Dominion Rd?...

Or half way up

[Maha]

Or half way up

That aint the lyric at all....

[fuknKIWI]

That aint the lyric at all....

Tell someone who gives a fuck.....
MUTTONHEAD

Don't tell me it was a white Valiant

[Maha]

Tell someone who gives a fuck.....
MUTTONHEAD

Don't tell me it was a white Valiant

Oh the irony was so close with that comment.

[terbang]

I'm still recovering from a bunch of broken bones from a "motorbike he come from nowhere, must have be speeding" where in reality I was doing 70ks (open road) and had followed the vehicle for two kays.

There is some sort of unfortunate human factor here. Drivers take a lookout for something that they perceive as a threat to themselves (something bigger than them, another car, truck, bus ETC..) but generally fail to look for something that they are a threat to (bike, motorcycle, pedestrian).

Education is the answer for both parties. Riders, make yourselves visible and drivers need to LOOKOUT-Think motorcycle-LOOKOUT AGAIN.

[shrub]

I'm still recovering from a bunch of broken bones from a "motorbike he come from nowhere, must have be speeding" where in reality I was doing 70ks (open road) and had followed the vehicle for two kays.

There is some sort of unfortunate human factor here. Drivers take a lookout for something that they perceive as a threat to themselves (something bigger than them, another car, truck, bus ETC..) but generally fail to look for something that they are a threat to (bike, motorcycle, pedestrian).

Education is the answer for both parties. Riders, make yourselves visible and drivers need to LOOKOUT-Think motorcycle-LOOKOUT AGAIN.

I think you're right. I don't believe that a car driver can NOT see a motorcycle, and that they see the bike but their subconscious doesn't identify the bike as being worth worrying about - "it's only a bike, they don't count" or "they won't hurt me" etc. I would like to see a campaign promoting the fact that the person on that bike is a living human and that if you kill or injure them, even if you come off unscathed you will go for a major skate as well as having to live with the consequences.

[Katman]

I would like to see a campaign promoting the fact that the person on that bike is a living human and that if you kill or injure them, even if you come off unscathed you will go for a major skate as well as having to live with the consequences.

I would also love to see a campaign promoting that idea.

The trouble is that we are unlikely to gain support for the idea from anyone (other than other motorcyclists) until motorcyclists are seen as a whole to be more pro-active about ensuring our own safety.

We have seen time and time again the powers that be ignoring our requests simply because they (along with the general public) don't take us seriously. While countless motorcyclists continue to outride their capabilities and cost the country a small fortune we are pushing the proverbial shit uphill.

[MSTRS:Me]

We have seen time and time again the powers that be ignoring our requests simply because they (along with the general public) don't take us seriously. While countless motorcyclists continue to outride their capabilities and cost the country a small fortune we are pushing the proverbial shit uphill.

Not to mention the continual brainwashing in the form of media reporting of any m/c involved crash. Whereby, the subtle message is that every one is the rider's fault.

[Spearfish]

I think you're right. I don't believe that a car driver can NOT see a motorcycle, and that they see the bike but their subconscious doesn't identify the bike as being worth worrying about - "it's only a bike, they don't count" or "they won't hurt me" etc. I would like to see a campaign promoting the fact that the person on that bike is a living human and that if you kill or injure them, even if you come off unscathed you will go for a major skate as well as having to live with the consequences.

One of the major requirements for the protest at parliament to work over the ACC increases was NO CRASHES!! and you know why that was so very important.

The same thing still applies, probably even more so, with ANY lobbying to Govt or ACC or Land Transport over every other road user especially as we are largely seen as purely recreational hoons who pick and choose when to obey any law.
Then you run into the "do as I say but not as I do" ineffectual re-education.

So what happened to that ability to actually ride a bike without falling off?
AS we have seen its been done before.

[rastuscat]

Okay, lets try this. Convince an MP to start riding a bike. Inevitably, they will care more if their own skin is on the line.

[Smiff-ta]

Perhaps to make the general public more aware of motorcyclist we should change our license laws.

15 your can sit your 6L
You need to be 18 to begin your car license or have completed your full class 6.

Radical I know.

I just think back to when I first started driving, I saw bikes but was not totally aware of them. Now I ride daily, when I do drive I spot bikes miles away.

[shrub]

Okay, lets try this. Convince an MP to start riding a bike. Inevitably, they will care more if their own skin is on the line.

There are a few - Phil Goff rides a Bonnie and Dave Clendon from the Greens has (from memory) a VTR1000, plus a Labour MP has a Rocket 3 (not sure which one).

[superman]

Perhaps to make the general public more aware of motorcyclist we should change our license laws.

15 your can sit your 6L
You need to be 18 to begin your car license or have completed your full class 6.

Radical I know.

I just think back to when I first started driving, I saw bikes but was not totally aware of them. Now I ride daily, when I do drive I spot bikes miles away.

That's almost clever in a way... but you can't force a lifestyle upon the public. The problem seems to be more the perception of bikes, mainly that they're dangerous. If that was changed then I'm sure a lot more people would ride. And of course the old if there's more, then it gets into your head that you will come across them and therefore learn how to act around a motorbike.

Now we just need some clever media campaign to drive that home, either the benefits of riding a motorcycle or disproving the dangerous factor (at least the exaggerations). Could always mix both in for good measure.

At the end of the 70s there seemed to be the most riders on the roads, and through that time there was a fuel crisis. Albeit they were more running out than our still getting plenty and just upping the price. But bikes get you sweet mileage, they don't carry excessive weight that you don't need and I'm sure greenies approve.