Can't see a train, on a train track, how's a motorcyclist going to have a chance?

[J.A.W.]

:


10mf char

Yeah, & even with lights/bells/barrier arms - dopey bastards collide with 'em..

[MD]

I suppose the super bright headlights of the oncoming train filling the car with dazzling whiteness wasn't a hint that there might be something large outside?

Easy for us to judge but look at the mitigating circumstances. It's a rural area so he may has mistaken the train for livestock. A sheep looks quite similar to 300 metres of brightly painted steel carriages. The road and track were both completely straight with no visual obstructions. The train driver used the ole, hide in clear sight trick. Most of us are alert to a large train jumping out from behind a tree or tight bend and hitting us but never expect them to rumble along a dead straight predefined path.

They claim to both have been wearing seat belts but were both flung from their seats? Yeah right.

And these people drive amongst us everyday. Yep, what hope do motorcyclists have.

[R650R]

Te Horo, near levin yesterday a train hit a car, or that's what the papers say.
Drivers statement "It was a bad night, my windows were fogged up, an uncontrolled crossing, no lights, and also the train was coming from my blind spot as well."
fuck that , we stand no chance...

You sound surprised by this... I and I suppose you never make an errors or bad calls either.
Driving/riding is a routine activity, its quite easy to form bad habits that don't make themselves apparent till the worst moment, human nature.
I regularly cross a busy rail route that is uncontrolled, despite it being obvious how busy it is various drivers routinely block the line and occasionally get dragged by train. Slow speed stuff so doesn't make news....

But in the original scenario if at night in a remote area like that a good rider could expect the other driver not to see them for all the reasons stated if the rail line was a side road instead.
Perfect illustration of why we have speed limits too, to account for others mistakes and have time to avoid them.

[J.A.W.]

Yeah, well, at least on bike - if you stack it due to your own stupidity, likely you'll only hurt yourself..

Wasn't a chick named Cairns killed when the train she was on - was collected, down that way?

[jellywrestler]

You sound surprised by this... I and I suppose you never make an errors or bad calls either.

no not surpised, just pointing out the culture of blaming everybody/everything else.
i've made mistakes, but rare, as an electrician and a motorcyclist mistakes cost dearly physically, so my instinct keeps me alive.
trains are big, the same size at the front pretty well, they have a big light on them, they don't deviate of their tracks whatsoever, if someone can't get their head around that then how the hell are they managing in real life traffic. They're also in a unit that when the majority of incidents occur the biggest inconvenience is no wheels for a while and having to fork out an excess for repairs, we have to worry about our arms and legs and more first, then our wheels.

[FJRider]

& so.. its even easier to collect them.. since they are only protected by flashing lights, ringing bells & barrier arms..

The crossing mentioned in the original post ... was uncontrolled.

[nodrog:Me]

...I hit a coal train, smack in the coupling between the wagons...fucked my bike and nearly fucken killed me...I was very lucky to have hit my head into the big bit's of metal, otherwise I could have got badly hurt...this was pre helmet law days...I was going like fuck too, pedalling my arse off...

Was it's name Robbie?

[FJRider]

That bloody train driver gets around.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7198...sh-victim.html

mmmmmmmm ... who would have thunk it ... ???

"If you're going in the same direction [as the train] you basically have to look over your shoulder to be able to see it," she said.

[J.A.W.]

The crossing mentioned in the original post ... was uncontrolled.

In general, ( & if you actually read the thread, this has been addressed previously) you'd take even more care, when the X-ing is'nt..

[FJRider]

... Wasn't a chick named Cairns killed when the train she was on - was collected, down that way?

That was in Rolleston just south of Christchurch.


Not that far away ...

[J.A.W.]

Thanks, that was a nasty one..

I commute by bike & when co-workers criticise my transport choice, I bring up the train thing..

[FJRider]

In general, ( & if you actually read the thread, this has been addressed previously) you'd take even more care, when the X-ing is'nt..

Many don't take care even when it is ...

[george formby]

I could have hit a train recently. Seriously, true story.
I have to cross the lines for Gabriel, our local steam train everyday. She's big, green, lots of shiny brass and lots of smoke and steam. And very slow. Even has a man waving a flag....
I always start looking for the smoke when I'm getting close to the crossing, it's not hard to guess where the old girl is puffing along so never had a drama until...
I'm driving home on a sunny afternoon, the crossing is at the end of a long straight, I automatically do my smoke check left and right, all clear and continue barreling up to the crossing. When I started to brake for the corner, which comes immediately after, a little error message pops into my head. Something amiss. The train is on the crossing and the poor bloke is waving his flag frantically! Crikey. Hit the brakes a bit harder than normal..
I put it down to habitual driving, not concentrating on what I'm looking at etc. Bit of a wake up call to my fallibility. And exceedingly embarrassing.

[Kornholio]

Sort of like this....

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times...after-accident

[Oakie]

Trains obviously need to wear hi viz jackets so they can be seen!