Those ads where they constantly tell drivers to watch out for motorbikes. Fair enough, I always do. But what annoys me is the way many bikers take so many liberties ducking in and out all over the place, and generally ride too fast. In my opinion, bikers are asking for trouble and probably cause a lot of accidents by their over zealous riding. Why should the car drivers be the ones told to look out for bikers when bikers need to calm down and think of drivers too. What do you think?
Think bike
- Thread starter Merlin5
- Start date
I never have issues with bikers as I can understand that most accidents occur due to other people not noticing them.
I usually move into my lane to let them pass more easily in flowing and in stationary traffic.
However, one had main beam on the other day whilst filtering through stationary traffic, which hurt my eyes. I wasn't happy
I usually move into my lane to let them pass more easily in flowing and in stationary traffic.
However, one had main beam on the other day whilst filtering through stationary traffic, which hurt my eyes. I wasn't happy
Because if you don't pay attention to bikers, then it will probably end in a death, not just a dent in your car.
The weaving in and out of traffic looks very dangerous to car drivers, but its quite safe. I agree that a lot of bike crashes are the fault of the biker, but those kind of crashes don't usually involve other motorists. Its the car drivers pulling out on bikers that will cause most of the accidents. It happened to me on friday. I watched the guy approaching the junction and he must have glanced for a fraction of a second before pulling out, and then he was coming towards me in my lane. Totally oblivious.
Bikes are much smaller and faster than cars. Don't try to imagine a car doing the same maneuvers.
Soldato
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One problem is that a car driver in the above situation is entitled to expect the approaching biker, or anyone else on the road, to be doing a reasonable speed ie whatever is posted as the speed limit for that road.
I'm sure that is all you were doing, too. But speeding around other road users is demonstrating a lack of consideration in not allowing others to make speed-based judgements.
Like, if I want to pull onto a motorway and look right and see a vehicle half a mile down the road, am I safe to join the motorway without getting in his way? Sure, unless he's doing 120mph.
In that scenario the biker wouldn't be in lane one while doing 120mph unless they were completely dense
@ the op, I can't think of one reason why any motorist should not pay attention to motorbikes when making a manouver
Whilst there are idiots everywhere and their behaviour cannot be excused, just because something looks dangerous or 'over-zealous', it doesn't mean it actually is.
I commute on a bike through London every day, and whilst I daily encounter idiots on both two wheels and four, on average motorbikers are far more considerate and observant than the average car/van driver. I also drive through london in a car fairly frequently, and always take care to look out for bikers.
Car drivers need to be looking out for bikers to complement the actions of the bikers looking out for the car drivers. If everyone watches out for everyone else, we'll all be safer.
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Oh sister! I have to disagree that any road user is entitled to expect anything from any other road user in any situation. It's why we have eyes and brains that allow us to calculate speed. There's some equation that relates speed, distance and time that someone taught me somewhere between 1 and 2 decades ago. It's also why I was taught (during learning to drive and ride) to always expect the unexpected, never trust another road user will do what you expect. Main reasons being living is a good thing.
By your logic I shouldn't need to look left when pulling left out of my driveway, as it's a 30mph road with lots of turnings surely nobody should be overtaking an old person right there? Oh sugar I'm dead.
Also, I can agree it's more difficult to judge the speed of a bike at night, with the single/close lights, but hey, look twice... don't eat mice.
There's an article in this month's Ride that gives the stats from some Europe analysis of bike accidents, makes interesting reading but I think the gist was it's about 60/40 driver/bike fault ratio.
Where I said "Why should the car drivers be the ones told to look out for bikers when bikers need to calm down and think of drivers too" I didn't mean car drivers shouldn't look out for them, of course they should. What I meant was that it shouldn't only be car drivers responsibilty to look out for wreckless bikers, the bikers should also be more considerate. They whizz around car drivers and ride above the speed limit just because they think they have a right to get to their destination before everyone else. I've had a motorbike try to get between me and a car in the lane next to me in slow moving motorway traffic, and the biker hit and damaged my wing mirror. Sorry, but they annoy me a bit.
This pretty much. Unbelievable the amount of idiots on the road - everyone seems to be in a massive rush all the time
Spend an hour or two on a bike and I guarantee at least one person will almost pull out/pull out on you without seeing you. Im not saying bikers are innocent, far from it, but the lack of observation displayed by some drivers is shocking.
Nice generalisation there. Again, just because you think something is dangerous, it doesn't make it so.
This was in a 30 zone and there were no other traffic. The guy just glanced, expecting to see a car and didn't see one.
When he had stopped messing with something on the passenger seat, he crapped his pants and made a sudden swerve into his own lane when he saw a bike approaching head on.
I'm going to have to highlight the bold bit. Have you interviewed EVERY MOTORCYCLE RIDER and had them say "hi there you dirty car driver, we DESERVE to get to our destination before you car drivers."? I am going to guess here and say you have not. Perhaps you interviewed a single drunk one though. I mean come on, it's like saying people only overtake to get to their destination quicker.
You had a bad experience with a biker, as Mr gorgeous-transparent-blue bike guy said above, bikers have bad experiences thanks to car drivers every single day. Though that's not what I'm getting at with my post, it's the guessing what other people think attitude. Now, I have duck soup to eat.
You saw him coming and tried to block him, didn't you.
GRRRRRRRR.......WHY DOES HE THINK HE HAS THE RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
Again, the reason why they are pushing that you should try and be more observant for bikers is because if you don't, there is a good chance we will be severely injured.
Its a bit different from a damaged wing mirror.
And filtering is legal. Though he should have stopped and swapped details if he hit you.
I agree, this tends to happen far to often. Well one day it actually came too close as a driver claimed the usual "I Didnt See You" once I was picked up from the ground with my bike in the side of his Mondeo.
Some riders give bikes a bad name but a lot of drivers just dont have the extra powers of observation to spot them even when they're just making progress.
In full:
Some riders are just asking for it
A lot of drivers just don't have the spatial awareness to consider bikers.
In full:
Some riders are just asking for it
A lot of drivers just don't have the spatial awareness to consider bikers.