Could all car drivers please LOOK and then look again!
- Thread starter Scort
- Start date
Seems to be a communication problem.
I'm saying that the accident taking place is often down to visiblity. The fact that more bikers die is because they are almost always the less protected party in the incident. Also on a unstable vehicle with low mass which is less lethal to protected persons in a higher mass vehicle.
If you had a low visibility vehicle the size of a motorbike but made of armour plate surrounding the biker and heavily padded you'd still have the accidents but mortality would drop because its so much harder for the biker to sustain injury.
I'm saying that the accident taking place is often down to visiblity. The fact that more bikers die is because they are almost always the less protected party in the incident. Also on a unstable vehicle with low mass which is less lethal to protected persons in a higher mass vehicle.
If you had a low visibility vehicle the size of a motorbike but made of armour plate surrounding the biker and heavily padded you'd still have the accidents but mortality would drop because its so much harder for the biker to sustain injury.
Soldato
Right so you're far less visible and more likely to die from the impact. Win win.
Soldato
It's true. I very nearly took someone off a few months ago pulling out of a little junction on a car park, looked, nothing, waited half a second too long, looked as I was pulling out and just saw a black thing moving, hit the brakes and he went by. I learned my lesson, I try and be a bit more observant now.
Have to say though, bikers are an opportunist lot, and around here mostly travel at warp speeds, and it's hard to spot something that can cover 150 yards in-between you first looking right and then looking again to pull out (just saying..).
Have to say though, bikers are an opportunist lot, and around here mostly travel at warp speeds, and it's hard to spot something that can cover 150 yards in-between you first looking right and then looking again to pull out (just saying..).
Soldato
seventeen year olds on scooters are my biggest problem. One thought it would be smart to overtake me as I was turining right a few weeks back. I had spotted him following me closely well before my turn and indicated early, slowed well down and he still insisted in going round me 
Darwin awards will get him soon I guess.
Darwin awards will get him soon I guess.
Associate
- Joined
- 10 Sep 2008
- Posts
- 1,622
I was about to get under took by a bike so I indicated left and moved to the line, didn't actually move lanes in case he was still feeling like going for it, then moved over when it was safe, he then passed me on the right and punched my wing mirror as an act of revenge. Hope he enjoyed hurting his hand.
nope, i can tell the difference between side, dipped and full. maybe it's because i notice them more, but i'd say most of the bikes i see on my commute have their full beam on
have to dip my rear view mirror to avoid being dazzled
Must be just in your area then as I never ride with main beam on only dipped. Also don't know anyone that does or even seen anyone when on my bike or in the car that does.
Soldato
I ride every day. I can count on one hand the number of times I've used full beam, as I rarely ride at night. Very few other bikers do too.
Most car drivers seem to resent the fact that a bike can make progress and filter. They also seem to resent the fact that they can get to 60 or whatever speed twice as fast as they can. Shaking the head - a biker is wearing a helmet and any movements are far more obvious than a car driver. Get over it. My exhaust is loud because otherwise most drivers don't notice me, and yes, I will rev my engine when filtering to make sure you know I'm there.
Oh, and to the person that indicated for 5 seconds and didn't move - think what you're doing - you look like just another idiot with their indicator left on. MSM, not M, S, and then drive on for another 1/2 mile then M.
Yes, I'm in a bad mood too.
Most car drivers seem to resent the fact that a bike can make progress and filter. They also seem to resent the fact that they can get to 60 or whatever speed twice as fast as they can. Shaking the head - a biker is wearing a helmet and any movements are far more obvious than a car driver. Get over it. My exhaust is loud because otherwise most drivers don't notice me, and yes, I will rev my engine when filtering to make sure you know I'm there.
Oh, and to the person that indicated for 5 seconds and didn't move - think what you're doing - you look like just another idiot with their indicator left on. MSM, not M, S, and then drive on for another 1/2 mile then M.
Yes, I'm in a bad mood too.
Exactly, I actually can't turn my lights off. It's either dipped or main beam.Most bikers ride with their dipped beam on at all times, not their main/high beam. I don't know anyone who rides with their main/high beam on, it would be dangerous to do so.
Also, most new ( in the last few years ) bikes don't even have an "on/off" switch for their main headlight as per Euro regulations, the lights come on as soon as you turn on the ignition.
The bike probably hasn't had it's headlight adjusted to the correct angle, I had to re-correct my own headlight after an accident (not on road, simply a friend being a idiot and almost trashed my bike in the process).
Soldato
- Joined
- 26 Aug 2003
- Posts
- 24,262
I live on a street off a quiet dual carriageway (boulevard type road), which is connected to another.
The other day I was riding along this second dual carriageway in the evening on the way back from work, behind a lady in a car. She pulls over to the left lane as we approach where this boulevard meets the other, indicating left. I carry on, and as we both approach the end of this boulevard, she moves over halfway into my lane before turning left.
WTF
it's bright red, it's reasonably loud even though it's the stock pipe (throaty litre V-twin) and I had my lights on, plus I'd been following her for two hundred yards!
It's not like she needed the room for the maneuver, she was going about 5 miles an hour at this point. She just a) was too much of a spastic to turn a corner without using both lanes, and b) had NO IDEA I was there.
I wasn't in her blind spot, I wasn't hanging on her bumper, I was just riding along. She moved into the left lane to turn left, I continued in the right lane to cross the second carriageway to turn right. I'm just glad I wasn't completely alongside her when she did it otherwise she'd likely have had me off.
Spazz. She never noticed me even after she nearly knocked me over
There's too many daft old ladies around here. On the aforementioned dual carriageway a couple of week ago, I was riding along and watch a little old dear pull out of a sideroad and cross this DUAL CARRIAGEWAY, looking LEFT the entire time. She actually was looking for traffic the WRONG WAY on a dual carriageway. When she appeared she was looking left and she crossed both lanes of the dual carriageway without turning her head even slightly. If she'd come along five seconds later I'd have gone straight over her bonnet. Just completely oblivious. That one's not bike-specific though, I doubt she'd have noticed a Sherman tank approaching.
The other day I was riding along this second dual carriageway in the evening on the way back from work, behind a lady in a car. She pulls over to the left lane as we approach where this boulevard meets the other, indicating left. I carry on, and as we both approach the end of this boulevard, she moves over halfway into my lane before turning left.
WTF
it's bright red, it's reasonably loud even though it's the stock pipe (throaty litre V-twin) and I had my lights on, plus I'd been following her for two hundred yards!
It's not like she needed the room for the maneuver, she was going about 5 miles an hour at this point. She just a) was too much of a spastic to turn a corner without using both lanes, and b) had NO IDEA I was there.
I wasn't in her blind spot, I wasn't hanging on her bumper, I was just riding along. She moved into the left lane to turn left, I continued in the right lane to cross the second carriageway to turn right. I'm just glad I wasn't completely alongside her when she did it otherwise she'd likely have had me off.
Spazz. She never noticed me even after she nearly knocked me over
There's too many daft old ladies around here. On the aforementioned dual carriageway a couple of week ago, I was riding along and watch a little old dear pull out of a sideroad and cross this DUAL CARRIAGEWAY, looking LEFT the entire time. She actually was looking for traffic the WRONG WAY on a dual carriageway. When she appeared she was looking left and she crossed both lanes of the dual carriageway without turning her head even slightly. If she'd come along five seconds later I'd have gone straight over her bonnet. Just completely oblivious. That one's not bike-specific though, I doubt she'd have noticed a Sherman tank approaching.
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Caporegime
You'd be surprised mate.
I love how a bike rider comes here asking, fairly pleasantly, for car drivers to try to be a bit more observant, giving 2 incidents where a car driver has been anything but observant.
And then he gets told 'well, you're a biker, live with it'.
Just out of curiosity, taking that second incident, apparantly the front wheel of Scort's bike was alongside the rear wheel of the car. Scort had been driving a car they would've collided, would then the reaction of this forum be to tell him to live with it? or would they be 'idiot car driver should look before he pulls out'?
And then he gets told 'well, you're a biker, live with it'.
Just out of curiosity, taking that second incident, apparantly the front wheel of Scort's bike was alongside the rear wheel of the car. Scort had been driving a car they would've collided, would then the reaction of this forum be to tell him to live with it? or would they be 'idiot car driver should look before he pulls out'?
Man of Honour
Indeed.
Furthermore, bikes are more vulnerable and the fleshy things ontop of them are also much more vulnerable. Let the idiots behave like idiots, swallow your pride leave your ego at home and let the plonker over take and be responsible for his own crash - don't contribute towards it. Is it worth causing the idiot grief just because you don't like what they're doing?
I'm a biker myself, and boy there are some ****s on the 2 wheels - but you know what, when in my car, I give them the room because frankly the sooner they are out of my way the more comfortable I am. Sod it, if he's riding badly he'll make a mistake, I don't want to contribute to it.
Just leave them be, and just get on with your life - stop being so defensive and defiant - whether it's their choice or whatever is irrelevant, the fact is they are on 2 wheels and more vulnerable, stop trying to justify vitriolic/vigilante attitudes towards them. Let them make their own mistakes, don't contribute towards them.
Wow, probably one of the best responded to threads I have ever posted 
Thanks you all for the replies, it’s very interesting hearing the views of other people – the thread itself wasn’t really directed at anyone here mind, so there’s no reason to feel aggrieved, but if it makes you think out on the road, then it’s a good thing – that’s what I thought when I ran through the event whilst laying in bed last night; the driver looked **** scared when I was ranting; if that makes him more wary on the road then you never know it may save a biker/other venerable road user the next time his sense takes a leave of absence.
I still think my DAS instructor was spot on though, if all car drivers were made to do a CBT before passing a car test, it would do them the world of good – I love being both a car driver and a motorcycle rider, I feel so much more alert and confident in the car, and on the bike I know how the drivers are thinking/feeling towards me. Sure there will be occasions where the unforeseeable will happen (like last night), but usually I am pretty good at reading drivers and second guessing what they’ll do, but on the bike or in the car; some people’s stupidity still baffles me (car or bike!).
Scort.
Thanks you all for the replies, it’s very interesting hearing the views of other people – the thread itself wasn’t really directed at anyone here mind, so there’s no reason to feel aggrieved, but if it makes you think out on the road, then it’s a good thing – that’s what I thought when I ran through the event whilst laying in bed last night; the driver looked **** scared when I was ranting; if that makes him more wary on the road then you never know it may save a biker/other venerable road user the next time his sense takes a leave of absence.
I still think my DAS instructor was spot on though, if all car drivers were made to do a CBT before passing a car test, it would do them the world of good – I love being both a car driver and a motorcycle rider, I feel so much more alert and confident in the car, and on the bike I know how the drivers are thinking/feeling towards me. Sure there will be occasions where the unforeseeable will happen (like last night), but usually I am pretty good at reading drivers and second guessing what they’ll do, but on the bike or in the car; some people’s stupidity still baffles me (car or bike!).
Scort.
I always make sure I look left, right, left, right, left, right - always do and believe that this is one reason that I have never had an accident / insurance claim.
It only takes a second longer but it amazes me that even on the 2nd time what objects come flying along that were not there before hand.
It only takes a second longer but it amazes me that even on the 2nd time what objects come flying along that were not there before hand.
Associate
I don't want to label them all poor, but a majority of the time I find it's either reps or women who end up cutting me up.
What really annoys me, is that out of the dozen or so times it's happened to me, the person has been on their mobile!!
If caught using one whilst driving, then as further punishment the mobile should be seized by plod.
Might be more of a deterrent than the current fines policy.
Anyway, I'm digressing here. you have to ride more defensively now than a few years ago due to the amount of numpties on the roads (both cars and bikes)
What really annoys me, is that out of the dozen or so times it's happened to me, the person has been on their mobile!!
If caught using one whilst driving, then as further punishment the mobile should be seized by plod.
Might be more of a deterrent than the current fines policy.
Anyway, I'm digressing here. you have to ride more defensively now than a few years ago due to the amount of numpties on the roads (both cars and bikes)
Heh my argument to the whole look left, look right, look again, keep looking, is when do you stop looking and go
Good advice. My riding days are over but you realise just how shocking the state of driving is when you're observing from a bike.
Ironically, in the London suburbs I felt safer on my bike because I had a bit more road to play with when facing moronic driving?