reason for an accident

[Rob L]

My son-in-law and I recently returned from a great ride through KY, TN, NC, VA, WV. My home is in NW Indiana near Chicago and he lives near Rockford, IL. We left on a Friday and rode for the next 8 days accumulating mileage on great twisty roads like the Cherohola, Foothills Pkwy, Blue Rdg, etc. We covered over 2200 miles and were having a great time. He is a newer rider, 1-1/2 years and has a 1988 K75c that I refurbished last year. The bikes ran perfectly.

 

We were returning home last Thursday. It would have been a long day. We left Elkins, WV. in the morning. We crossed the Ohio River and made a stop at Holt BMW. We approached Columbus and stopped for lunch and gas. The ride continued on the Interstate around Columbus and onto I-70 west. Approximately 10 miles west of Columbus construction closed the right lane. We moved to the left lane of the 3 lane hwy. Traffic ahead of us slowed rapidly, brake lights were coming on. I slowed, and a split second later I heard Glen,s bike lock up the front tire. I looked in the mirror and watched in horror as the the bike slid to the left and Glen hi-sided off the bike at 65 mph. Glen rolled sideways on the pavement for what seemed an eternity. The bike slid on it's right side to a stop nearby. I parked and ran to Glen. He was alive and conscious!! I talked to him and got him to remain still. A paramedic showed up and moved me away. You cannot imagine the way I felt! Glen was transferred to a local hospital and then to Grant Trauma Center in downtown Columbus. He broke the end of his radius bone in the left wrist and thay inserted a plate and screws in it on Friday. His right clavicle is fractured and a rib on the right side. He is very lucky to be alive! No internal injuries. No head injuries. He was released on Saturday afternoon and my wife drove him to our home(340 miles) while I rode my bike home. We then took him home together another 150 miles to his home in South Beloit, IL.

 

The doctors all agreed that the gear saved not only skin, but a lot of other damage. Glen and I were both wearing padded, synthetic riding jackets and pants. Glen had on an HJC 3/4 helmet, padded riding gloves, and touring boots. All the gear was destroyed! The helmet has heavy scrapes at the top and right side. The boots are scuffed. The pants, jacket, and gloves were shredded from the slide on the pavement. Glen has a few small abrasions, but lost almost no skin due to the gear.

 

My Thoughts: the cause of the accident was inattention. Typical behavior after a meal. We get tired and lose focus. I see this everyday when I teach. Glen didn't notice the brake lights ahead soon enough and lost valuable braking time. He paniced at the last moment and locked up the front tire causing an out of control skid. The bike left a 6' skid mark in a straight line and then about 1' to the left. This is when the rear slid around and the bike pitched forward on it's right side throwing Glen off in the process.

 

Glen is doing better. He has use of his right hand to some degree, but the shoulder injury prevents any lifting. This is his major hand (thank God!) He cannot use the left hand. The pain has subsided somewhat. My daughter is 8+ moths pregnant so this accident could not have occurred at a worse time!

 

I know that you have heard ATTGAT recommendations before. This is another incident reinforcing that behavior.

 

The second lesson I have learned from this? Stay focussed! Don't let your mind wander, even on the interstate. Stop after a meal and get some excercise to wake yourself up! Stay alive, keep riding, PAY ATTENTION!!

God Bless, Rob

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

A painful lesson, but glad to hear he'll recover.

 

On all-day rides, I make it a point to keep lunch modestly sized - and drink coffee with it - so as to avoid postprandial somnolence.

 

daughter is 8+ moths pregnant so this accident could not have occurred at a worse time!

 

I'm thinking one month from now would be a worse time. Hopefully he will have recovered a bit by then.

[johnlt]

I think your accident assessment is spot on. It could have been much worse. Hope he heals soon,

 

[beemerman2k]

Great write up and a strong reminder of the importance of even the "little things" when it comes to our safety. In motorcycling, nothing is ever really a "little thing"!

 

Just one note, however: since I am a die hard Michigan football fan, I would have insisted that ambulance NOT take me to Columbus, OH -- anywhere but Ohio State Buckeye territory If they took me there, I doubt I would have lived to see another day!

 

"But Doc, he was fine when the ambulance dropped him off!"

 

"Sorry, he mysteriously took a turn for the worse" :smirk:

[Rob L]

Michigan??? I am talking about the health of a human, not a dog!!

 

The reality is, Grant is a premier trauma center and Glen could not have been taken to a better hospital for hundreds of miles; maybe the entire midwest. He was checked by an entire team of doctors upon arrival, each a specialist in their field. He had multiple tests and scans done and an agenda was made to return him to health. The surgeon (we were told)is one of the best. The hospital treated Glen well and also they were very concerned about the health and well being of Barb and I. We spent 2 nights in the Holiday in 2 blocks from the hospital at a VERY reduced rate. This is a plush motel, 12 stories tall. Pool, bar, restaurant, valet parking, etc. Not the kind of place I would normally stay at

We parked 2 vehicles in the garage for 3 days and were not charged a cent! The nurses, doctors, and hospital personnel treated us like special guests.

 

I am very glad that we were able use this hospital

[BerndM]

Very glad to hear that your son-in-law will be all right soon. This could have been SOOO much worse.

EVERY TIME I read of this sort of accident I am ever so grateful that my bikes have ABS, which I'm thinking (hoping) would NOT have allowed this accident to happen.

Pass on my best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Regards

Bernd

 

[Quinn]

Your daughter may not ever let him go out with you again.

 

----

 

 

[Rob L]

Your daughter may not ever let him go out with you again.

 

----

 

 

That would not upset me.......I NEVER want to see another accident like this again!!!

 

Too late, she already accepts that we will be riding again together. Glen needs to heal first. We have to deal with the insurance comp. I would like to keep the bike if they will let me and repair it. I am thinking a Scout Fairing and some paint, plus a few parts from Ebay would get her back in shape. Sell the K75 and find a later model bike with ABS........just a plan

[Chris K]

Fixed it for you Mitch.

 

A painful lesson, but glad to hear he'll recover.

 

On all-day rides, I make it a point to keep lunch modestly sized - and drink a Red Bull at the next gas stop - so as to avoid postprandial somnolence.

 

daughter is 8+ moths pregnant so this accident could not have occurred at a worse time!

 

I'm thinking one month from now would be a worse time. Hopefully he will have recovered a bit by then.

[Haynes]

Wow, I'm glad is all okay.

Your assessment of the cause is "inattention". What does Glen think?

I know that when I travel long distances on the road I mainly eat small amounts of fruit and take a rest every hour or so.

After a heavier meal it's amazing how quickly one's judgement becomes fuzzy.

Thanks for the story and the reminder to stay alert.

[Rob L]

Wow, I'm glad is all okay.

Your assessment of the cause is "inattention". What does Glen think?

 

Glen agrees

[RPG]

Rob, so happy your son-in-law wasn't killed or injured further. I know it's tough right now but hopefully he recovers fully. I used to find myself doing a bit of daydreaming after heavy lunch meals so now on longer trips I eat light, and always have coffee. And ATGATT always! It's saved me from two deer with no broken bones. No place for daydreaming on a bike these days.

 

RPG

[Haynes]

So how is Glen's recovery coming along?

[Robus]

Glad to hear it wasn't worse. Speedy recovery to him.

 

I had an identical break to the lower end of the radius, also repaired with plate and screws. My advice to him is to get busy with the occupational therapy as soon as his surgeon gives the go-ahead. It was tremendously helpful in regaining the range of motion in the wrist.

[Peter Parts]

For various reasons, self-report on causes of an accident aren't as useful as other kinds of self-reports.

 

I'm sorry to hear about your son's injuries and hope he recovers well. My standard for when to suit-up in fuller protective gear is getting more conservative and your nicely written account helps me in that direction.

 

I routinely ask myself as I start down the house back laneway on a scoot, "What are the threats to my safety just now..." stuff like had an argument with a neighbor, sleepy, thinking of something, whatever.

 

Early Utopian novel, "Erewhon" (which is "nowhere" spelled backwards sort of) satirizes where people talk casually about mental states but are embarrassed to talk about physical ailments.

 

No one has mentioned the obvious: biker mortality asymptotes to car driver mortality at (or not until) 5 years. Of course, that's also very good news for experienced bikers. I feel safer on a bike than a car.

 

That's the riddle we all face when our kids want to ride - how to do make it through the first dangerous couple of years?

 

We learn a million things during that initial period and not the stuff that is readily identified by engineers (not even all by human factors psychologists, I have to admit) or put into motorcycle safety courses, however well developed.

 

Ben

Edited August 7, 2010 by Peter Parts

[Ozonewanderer]

I'm very glad to hear that Glen survived. ATGATT may have helped his survival but not riding might have prevented any harm.

 

What did I say? The truth be told, it is a dangerous game we play. Even motorcycle safety instructors get into accidents and die, perhaps because of deer or an inattentive cage driver. We are exposed; gear may save some skin but that's all.

 

When I had my first child I sold my motorcycle. I knew it was dangerous and my primary life obligation was to my family. Some may not like to hear what what I have to say, but IMHO Glen should carefully consider the upside of riding versus the downside. Glen now has an infant daughter. It is not only his life he needs to consider.

 

With my children now young adults with degrees and jobs, and my wife secure financially, I do ride again. But she doesn't so it is still a selfish thing I do. They can survive without me but my biggest fear is that I end up permanently disabled and a burden to them. So I do try very hard to ride safely.

 

Sorry to be a bummer, but as several have said Glen's story could have been so much worse. Is it worth it with a new baby?

[Rob L]

A lot of truth in these postings. Riding IS dangerous. We DO need to consider the people in our lives and what effect an accident or worse may cause. Glen is getting better and seriously considering postponing riding for some time......years perhaps. I support this decision.

 

I teach safety classes for construction workers. I always point out the effects of injuries and death on family workers. We show a video, Charlie Morecraft, to all workers to demonstrate what can happen in a split second when something goes wrong. I am sure that many of you have seen this video. Sobers people up in a hurry!

[MotorinLA]

If Glen decides to return to motorcycling, suggest some training classes, especially some that focus on braking and accident avoidance. If he had kept a level head and released the front brake when it locked, he probably would have done a lot better. Part of motor officer training includes training in these skills. I locked up my front brake a couple of times when I trained on the the Kawasaki KZ1000, but always managed to recover, because I regained traction on the front tire. Relying on ABS is not the best solution. ABS should be a supplement to braking skill, not a replacement.

 

Wish Glen the best in his recovery and welcome him to the "been down" club .

[racer7]

The ride was a long planned day and the effects of a lunch on afternoon skills are understood.

 

Here's a question that you haven't addressed.

 

It's been a very hot summer and accumulated heat stress also has an effect on situational awareness and response time. It can also easily go un-noticed by those not wary of heat effects. When teaching on track, we go to extra effort to make sure students are aware of hot afternoon hazards, stay hydrated, and watch for symptoms.

 

Do you think hot weather conditions contributed at all to the accident?

 

I've just returned from a long ride where I did an 800 mile day in 102 weather with no effect on the way out but felt the effects of a mid 90s 500 mile run on the way back after a couple weeks camping and riding in cooler northern weather. Of course, I'm older and perhaps more heat sensitive despite the extra miles I've logged..

 

 

Like everyone else has said- glad he'll recover. 65 mph is pretty darn fast for get off. Its a good thing he had the gear on and slid rather than some kind of vertical object impact...

 

Re teaching the kids- yeah, for sure we worry. I often wonder that I survived my first few thousand on a bike with no formal training and am very aware of the limits of a brief MSF course when applied in the real world on today's "beginner" bikes. I teach at tracks and sometimes see avoidable accidents; a lot of my instructor time is teaching about how to stay safe although the result is faster lap times. Luckily, my own son does cars on racetracks; that's a whole lot safer than motorcycles on the street IMO. But I wouldn't be surprised if he wants a bike someday.

 

Don't happen to subscribe to the idea of living for others. I only get 1 shot and intend to enjoy all of it BUT I do use my smarts to minimize risk so I can meet responsibilities. That has worked for the 50 yrs I've picked my hobby interests. (There is one I won't do again and that is repetitive jumps out of planes though I like it a lot and have done it a little. It is 100% gear dependent and there are severe limits on what preventive/reactive measures can do to protect your life. I also don't take risks that can't be mitigated- like smoking.). Understanding quantitative aspects of risk matters- they're not all created equal.

[glenp]

Hi All,

 

I am the "Glen" in the crash that is the topic of this post. Just some quick thoughts from my side.

 

I will be leaving motorcycling for the time being, as I have a family to take care of.. and even having a few broken bones is putting a damper on our household activities. I will miss riding my K75 very much, but motorcyles will always be around for later in life.

 

I feel that the major primary cause of the crash was a lax attitude towards the riding conditions. The thoughts going through my head were something like "I'm on the highway- i've done this lots of times.. what could go wrong". Having ridden some very twisty roads in the previous days probably gave me a sort of "invincible" mindset, which obviously was to my detriment.

 

As far as training goes, I only have done the MSF basic course, which as far as I'm concerned made me an "expert rider in a parking lot" (which was the MSF coaches words). I have a little over a year of experience (approximately 5k miles total) on the bike.

 

This reminds me of something I read in David Hough's "Proficient motorcycling" book, where he says that the accident rate goes up about a year into riding. I'm sure it's the invincible mindset that causes this.

 

I am recovering, and feel grateful every day that I was wearing full gear, otherwise I might never have left the hospital. On the other hand, my very pregnant wife is ready to kill me, so maybe the hospital would have been safer

[JayW]

"Sorry, he mysteriously took a turn for the worse"

 

Yep, that was the exact line they told us to use when I was at OSU and someone with a Michigan logo on their clothing "mysteriously took a turn for the worse." In some ways it was a relief for us overworked medical students to see the heavy patient load reduced in this way...

 

On a serious note, thanks for the write-up and timely warning to all of us Rob. May Glen's recovery be unusually rapid and complete.

 

Jay

[Rob L]

I do not think that hydration was a problem, although it was in the 90°s. We keep water on the bikes and drink often.

[racer7]

I had forgotten David Hough's comment on accident rate increasing after moderate experience but another example of it comes readily to mind.

 

I teach on tracks and it is the "advanced" students who are the ones to worry about. They've learned enough to go fast but not enough to readily perceive when the edge of the envelop is upon them, let alone what to do when they've pressed past a limit. They're the most likely to wad up a car- more so by far than beginners, most of whom show up with a good sense of self preservation. (There are a few rare exceptions that make interesting instructor challenges). Mastering vehicle dynamics so the correct response is an automatic reflex takes time.

[tallman]

Glen,

I hope you heal quickly and completely.

Best wishes for a wonderful addition to your family.

 

 

 

If Glen decides to return to motorcycling, suggest some training classes, especially some that focus on braking and accident avoidance. If he had kept a level head and released the front brake when it locked, he probably would have done a lot better. Part of motor officer training includes training in these skills. I locked up my front brake a couple of times when I trained on the the Kawasaki KZ1000, but always managed to recover, because I regained traction on the front tire. Relying on ABS is not the best solution. ABS should be a supplement to braking skill, not a replacement.

 

Wish Glen the best in his recovery and welcome him to the "been down" club .

 

While I agree with that sentiment, the reality is that many, many riders would benefit from ABS in a situation

like this.

W/out a doubt, training, practice, experience will all improve skills.

We'll never know if a good ABS repsonse would have prevented this, but my guess is that it probably would have.

Most riders do not religously practice braking skills so I'm happier seeing them/me on a bike that may provide an assist.

Many marques are adding ABS, and in some cases stopping distances increased.

But this was a lock up high side which I think would not have happened.

.02

[ragtoplvr]

Everyone's reaction times differ. While YOU may be able to detect a lock up at release the brake in time at your current age, not everyone else can. ABS for the rest of us. I remember years ago, granted on an old bike, a lockup meant you were down before I could react. it was almost instantaneous. I healed quicker then. ABS now. Having to heal bad, not having to heal, priceless

 

Rod

[Ozonewanderer]

Hi All,

 

I am the "Glen" in the crash that is the topic of this post. Just some quick thoughts from my side.

 

I will be leaving motorcycling for the time being, as I have a family to take care of.. and even having a few broken bones is putting a damper on our household activities. I will miss riding my K75 very much, but motorcycles will always be around for later in life.

 

I feel that the major primary cause of the crash was a lax attitude towards the riding conditions. The thoughts going through my head were something like "I'm on the highway- I've done this lots of times.. what could go wrong". Having ridden some very twisty roads in the previous days probably gave me a sort of "invincible" mindset, which obviously was to my detriment.

 

As far as training goes, I only have done the MSF basic course, which as far as I'm concerned made me an "expert rider in a parking lot" (which was the MSF coaches words). I have a little over a year of experience (approximately 5k miles total) on the bike.

 

This reminds me of something I read in David Hough's "Proficient motorcycling" book, where he says that the accident rate goes up about a year into riding. I'm sure it's the invincible mindset that causes this.

 

I am recovering, and feel grateful every day that I was wearing full gear, otherwise I might never have left the hospital. On the other hand, my very pregnant wife is ready to kill me, so maybe the hospital would have been safer

 

Glen,

I'm so glad that you survived a 65 mph fall - no mean feat. Appreciate your luck; you were blessed. Take your time getting to 100%. In a short while you will have a new job that will completely take your mind off motorcycling. I can guarantee it. In fact, all you will beg for is a little sleep...

 

I think you are demonstrating wisdom and maturity in making the choice to suspend your riding for now and to attend to your immediate and demanding, but much more rewarding priorities!

 

However it sounds like you also had a dream ride: 8 days through some beautiful riding country. You've already done more than most bikers. Many only get on a bike to be seen at the local pub and ride only on a few hundred miles per year. Glen, you now have enough memories to carry with you and to share with others for a long time. I and a lot of others will be jealous of your roads, stories and photos. You have you earned your street creds in the biking community.

 

You also probably did some good bonding with your father-in-law which is a damned good thing because I have a feeling you will be seeing a whole lot more of him around your house!

 

And it was awfully nice of your father-in-law to take you on such great trip. It sounds like you've got a good thing going. the baby is going to grow up in one big happy SAFE family! GET WELL!

 

ps. Please share some secrets of the best roads. What round trip can I do in 5 days or less leaving from upstate NY that will hit some of your best roads? Thanks for any tips!

[glenp]

Final follow up on this thread.

 

My wife's water broke two weeks early, two days after I had to have a second surgery (to remove the plate in my arm and put 2 new ones in). Fortunately I was able to be there for the delivery, cut the umbilical cord, and hold my new daughter!

 

I'm glad I was wearing a helmet, etc, so I can be there for my family.

[ka5ysy]

Congratulations on the daughter!

[Rob L]

I show up on this forum every so often when I have questions or the weather sucks and I get bored.  Today  ten years after this event, I decided to look back at what happened.  I'm 65 now, Glen is still not riding a motorcycle, and my granddaughter turned 10 a few weeks ago.  Last year I bought Ellie and Jon a small quad.  They love riding it, but Ellie shows the most interest.  She rode with me around Lake Michigan in July and did exceptionally well for 10 years old!  

 

The need for riding gear and Paying attention to traffic is more important now then ever.  Driver distraction is increasing at an alarming rate.  I have replaced the horn on ALL of my vehicles!  Be safe!  God Bless You!

[Lowndes]

Racer7: "Mastering vehicle dynamics so the correct response is an automatic reflex takes time."

 

Key point.