Who has been involved in an accident?

**Katman** · 26th January 2011, 17:32

Originally Posted by Jantar

We are admitting to it, seeing that it doesn't happen again, and assisting others by helping them learn from our mistakes so they may avoid making the same ones.

Trouble is Malcolm, sitting back and casually admitting among ourselves that over 3/4 of our accidents are our fault but bemoaning the fact that the powers that be are coming down hard on us is making us look pretty fucking stupid.

But hey, at least it should put paid to the age old "it's always the fucking cagers fault" tripe.

**PrincessBandit** · 26th January 2011, 17:34

I learnt heaps from my accident - primarily that situational awareness is a split second moment by moment thing, not allowing oneself to let down your guard, and maintaining full mental capacity for the unexpected at all times.

Oh and never take too long to change your visual orientation.

**Vgygrwr** · 26th January 2011, 18:06

I accept fault in my accident of 40 years ago, car pulled out through a compulsory stop and stopped in front of me, no injury I cleared the car and landed well, bike written off. I think both the driver and I were unsighted by a bus pulling into a bus stop. I learned to recognise this as a common risk situation later at a defensive riding course at Western Springs. The difficult question is how to learn prior to the accident experience. May be possible with a simulator I guess but don't think books and lectures do much.

**Crisis management** · 26th January 2011, 18:09

I subscribe to the theory that all accidents are avoidable therefore there must be some fault attributed to each party involved in an accident.

(Looks south to see if there is an explosion of happiness from somewhere near taupo)

However, being serious now, I've had gazillions of accidents and offs, the first thousand I attribute to Mr Kawaski's zero handling ability of the H1 and H2, the next thousand to Lucas the Prince of darkness and Italian wiring, the next thousand to increased gravitational pools lurking near corners, the next thousand to the bloody cockies leaving sheep, turkeys, cows and quad bikes lying around on the road, the next thousand to Rogson for saying "go on, this is easy" and the remainder to the "hold my beer and watch this" moments.

Put me down for "all of the above".

**Mad-V2** · 26th January 2011, 18:55

I've never had a roadbike accident or ACC claim in my life (Knock on wood

)
Been road riding now for 14 years and sped excessively on every trip

**Katman** · 26th January 2011, 19:08

Originally Posted by Mad-V2

Been road riding now for 14 years and sped excessively on every trip

Perhaps you should just go hard out and provide a link to the photos on your profile showing your rego plate for the benefit of the KB cops.

What a fucking retard.

**Mad-V2** · 26th January 2011, 19:23

And what exactly do you think they will do?? are they on their way here to arrest me? Without evidence, all they can do is eat the peanuts out of my shit

**Katman** · 26th January 2011, 19:25

Originally Posted by Mad-V2

And what exactly do you think they will do?? are they on their way here to arrest me? Without evidence, all they can do is eat the peanuts out of my shit

Any cop with an ounce of intelligence (yes, it's a long shot) would be setting themselves up around the corner and waiting. You sound like you're incapable of restraint.

**Voltaire** · 26th January 2011, 19:28

Over 20 years ago.....

Hit a diesel spill on road at low speed with pillion .....went down minimal damage,
According to KB experts it must have been lack of planning.

Second time, same Z1000, old woman came out of a side street without stopping, it was wet I tried to go around but she was doing a zig zag accross to the next road.
MOT ( they were sort of failed cops) said " it was my fault as I was on a Z1000 and you must have been speeding"
I had just bought a ticket to Aussie that week...
" Must be guilty said MOT....doing a runner"
Not sure what happened...suspect my Dad paid the fine....he said he didn't.
The MOT...

I pass those places from time to time....

I hate it when cars approach a give way ready to plant it....

**pritch** · 26th January 2011, 19:29

Originally Posted by Katman

But hey, at least it should put paid to the age old "it's always the fucking cagers fault" tripe.

It is not total tripe. Last time I looked it was still valid. In most accidents involving a car and a bike, the car is at fault.

Some people extrapolate that to mean bikes are not at fault in most accidents. Wrong!

It was also true last time I looked that in most single vehicle accidents involving a motorcycle the rider was at fault. There being a distinct shortage of other candidates?

Some of the statistics come from countries where the traffic police may be higher trained than ours. In those countries the lesser trained non-traffic police very often
ascribe accidents they attend to "excessive speed" where specialist officers may have been more aware of other factors.

Sound familiar?

**Mad-V2** · 26th January 2011, 19:30

Originally Posted by Katman

Any cop with an ounce of intelligence (yes, it's a long shot) would be setting themselves up around the corner and waiting. You sound like you're incapable of restraint.

They can wait, Hell I'll even put the jug on for them. But they wouldn't sit around all week to pull me up, and if they did I would tell them how fucking stupid they are wasting taxpayers dollars to catch one person, when they could be on the road doing their job.
And you sound like such a nice person yourself.

**Hitcher** · 26th January 2011, 19:44

Originally Posted by p.dath

Ask people to only vote on their most serious accident then.

What if they have no knowledge/memory of their most serious accident?

Polls are reasonably easy to construct if you know what information you need to collect. When I was instructed in this craft many years ago, the rule was to draw up a series of blank tables before crafting questions. Here it appears that the poll's creator believes that accidents are either the fault of the rider or somebody else has contributed, forgetting that both happening is also an option.

Arguably by choosing to ride motorcycles we are all the authors of our own misfortunes. Certainly many motorcycle mishaps aren't accidents, they're inevitabilities realised. Don't take my word for it, talk with an insurance underwriter.

**Smifffy** · 26th January 2011, 20:22

Originally Posted by Katman

So far 80% of the people who have had accidents are admitting to it being their fault.

So what the fuck are we doing about it?

Me?

I'm working on having less accidents, my last was in 1988, but it was still my fault, I think I thought I had insane skills, but it wasn't a dick size thing, just a bit of fun.

Actually it was roadworks coming off the southern motorway onto the Gt South rd.

I'm also amazed at how many less accidents I've had since moving out of the "high-risk" age group.

**Katman** · 26th January 2011, 20:26

It's quite clear that we could half our accident stats without even raising a sweat.

It's been said that the ACC levy could well come down if we prove a reversal of our stats.

Think Nick Smith's full of shit? Why not try calling his bluff.

**bogan** · 26th January 2011, 20:31

Originally Posted by Katman

It's quite clear that we could half our accident stats without even raising a sweat.

It's been said that the ACC levy could well come down if we proof a reversal of our stats.

Think Nick Smith's full of shit? Why not try calling his bluff.

We could more than halve our 'stats' by using the real ones. Why do they still spout the 18x more likely to be injured or killed than cagers, when the actual is down around 4x? Cos our 'risk' is just an excuse, the bigger they can make the 'risk' out to be, the more palatable the increases should be.