The one that got away - with it!

[Survived-til-now]

Over here we call it a SMIDSY crash - Sorry Mate I Didn't See You. As I approached a (here I'll translate for those who ride on the wrong side of the road) staggered crossroads intending to turn left, the road from the right came up first to a Give Way Line. I saw a car pull up and wait, indicating left and then another car pulled up on the far side indicating right. Between watching the further car pull up and traffic coming at me in the left lane, the first car suddenly pulled out....

 

I was already slowing for my left turn but despite applying full braking I couldn't quite stop before my front wheel hit the other car's font bumper.

 

The odd thing was that as just before I hit the other car a sort calm resignation came over me. There was no chance to swerve - and had I done so I would have had a full frontal with the car in the other lane, which presumably the other driver had aimed to nip out behind before another car coming up behind it....

 

Fortunately, I stayed on the bike and the plastic bumper took the low impact. My dealer tells me the bike is OK and I just have to thank my lucky stars that I was in a 30mph zone nad slowing for my turn- had I not been I would have gone over the other car's bonnet....

 

So what could I have done differently?

 

I saw the car stop, I moved on to the second car that had drawn up alongside and i was looking at the junction I was about to take, with traffic in the other lane.

 

I have rationalised that I dealt with each threat in turn but of course the truth is that I should have kept my eye on the first car and have seen that the driver was looking the other way and considered using my horn to warn her of my presence...

 

Well that's what it says in the Police Rider textbook... or was it just unlucky that all these things happened at once?

 

For sure I am looking much harder at every driver waiting on my right at a junction to see if they have seen me.

[Pilgrim]

Not so much different from what we see in the colonies.

 

Pilgrim's Tips

 

 

[*]Never, ever, ever assume someone sees you! The eye sees but the brain often does not perceive, so act as though you are absolutely invisible, 'cause some people just aren't looking and others just don't care. Assume that if they could see you, they'd try to kill you. Then, anyway, use whatever tricks you can to make yourself visible. Ride with headlight on and don't be shy about flicking the high beam at someone as you approach an intersection. Animals (including humans) see motion best, before they even see color, shape or size. A rider coming straight at a car shows no apparent motion to the driver, so shift from one track in your lane to the other, or even shift lanes to show him some lateral motion.

 

[*]Any time you approach an intersection you've got more potential trouble on your hands than Custer at the Little Big Horn. You are approaching one of the statistically most dangerous places in the United States. Someday, when you least expect it, the guy in the oncoming lane who wants to turn left in front of you will. And if he doesn't, while you are watching him, the OTHER guy waiting to pull out from the right will. WATCH EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME! [url=

[Jack Herbst]

 

Ride like everybody out there is trying to kill you, (and they are) and then be very, very careful.

 

Jack

[Survived-til-now]

Thanks Pilgrim -

 

Quote:

 

"A rider coming straight at a car shows no apparent motion to the driver, so shift from one track in your lane to the other, or even shift lanes to show him some lateral motion."

 

I really like the lateral movement idea. I have already done this to some extent - when I am behind a car that is approaching a junction with cars waiting to come out and turn in, I always move across and show myself to both cars....

 

I shall incorporate the lateral movement approaching junctions with cars waiting as of -right now!

 

Andy

[Bernie]

I do the lateral movement quite a bit, even with other riders following me. It lets the oncoming vehicle see the other riders better also.

 

[tallman]

I do this when following another vehicle.

In particular a vehicle that blocks other cars from seeing me (SUV, truck, etc) so I will move to the right side of the lane when approaching an intersection so I can see the cars on the right and then wobble a bit to attract their attention.

Often I've seen a vehicle on my right prepare to pull out thinking there is no one right behind the vehicle I'm following.

Sometimes I'm going from one side of the lane to the other trying to get noticed by all sides.

yes, I keep a resonable distance behind the vehicle ahead but that isn't always enough IMO.

[BerndM]

I do the lateral movement quite a bit, even with other riders following me. It lets the oncoming vehicle see the other riders better also.

 

A BIG +1

 

I do this for the above reasons as well as claiming my spot in the lane. I constantly slowly move from side to side to discourage anyone from thinking they may "share" my personal portion of the road.

My lane position preference though is in the left third part of the lane (in N America).

 

 

[tallman]

Bernd,

Lane position, for me, is all dependent upon traffic.

I commute against the flow in the morning and often have to go over to the rightish part of the lane if I don't have a vehicle in front of me.

Gives oncoming traffic more time to see me and hopefully keep someone from pulling out to pass because they "didn't see the motorcycle".

If I have a vehicle in front of me I use the leftish side of the lane with lateral movements PRN depending on traffic and intersections.

On a deserted road I use the left wheel track and ride the speed limit.

[Survived-til-now]

Well I practised my lateral movement tonight and it all very nearly went very very wrong.

 

I was in the outside lane of a dual carriageway when I saw a car waiting at a junction in the centre island. It stopped, waited and there I was doing my lateral movement bit. I think it must have caught just the bit when I was moving towards the inside because it suddenly pulled out - I guess he/she must have thought I was pulling over to the inside lane to let them out!

 

Fortunately, I had a plan B and had positioned myself alongside a gap between two cars in the inside lane just in case it didn't see me - bit tight but I made it into the gap just in time - phew!