Just a reminder that when you see a large SUV approaching an intersection at inappropriate speeds that something bad may happen. Guess it was just years of experience that said slow down even when you have the green because some fool who is staring straight at you and your high beam on an overcast day just may not see you. Fortunately 6 feet into the intersection he realizes something might be coming his way. Fortunately I was on the brakes a lot sooner. Ain't motorcycling fun.
Another Near Hit
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
I cringe at almost every intersection when I see any car approaching from my left or right at more than a crawl
Yeah I sort of run evasive maneuvers in my head whenever approaching an intersection where I see someone might be turning left (regardless of whether blinkers are on or not.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Sent from my Nexus 7
bonifier
Guest
Today I was riding and a driver from behind me pulled into the right sped pass me an cut me off to get back into the left and entried the turnning lane just to stop for a red light... I just dont understand why people take silly chances for no apparent reasons
Drivers do strange things all over the world.
I was travelling along a three lane highway on my way home Sunday (riding the CX500 Turbo) and the car in front of me started veering all over the place, almost staying within the lane the car was travelling in.
Turns out the lady driving the car, at 65MPH, decided she needed to do something or say something for/to her children in the back seat so she was looking in the rear of the car (and glancing forward occassionaly to correct her direction) while trying to travel straight ahead at 65MPH!
I was wise enough to know not to try and overtake her as if I did I may have easily become a victim of her veering all over the place. So I very cautiously stayed behind her until she focused her attention on driving once more. The scary part was this was somewhere between one and two minutes!
I was travelling along a three lane highway on my way home Sunday (riding the CX500 Turbo) and the car in front of me started veering all over the place, almost staying within the lane the car was travelling in.
Turns out the lady driving the car, at 65MPH, decided she needed to do something or say something for/to her children in the back seat so she was looking in the rear of the car (and glancing forward occassionaly to correct her direction) while trying to travel straight ahead at 65MPH!
I was wise enough to know not to try and overtake her as if I did I may have easily become a victim of her veering all over the place. So I very cautiously stayed behind her until she focused her attention on driving once more. The scary part was this was somewhere between one and two minutes!
Mellow
Admin
I usually just laugh and go on with my day. No harm, no foul basically. May not seem very fair but that's life.
Glad to see you had enough situational awareness to do things which contributed to a positive outcome.
Glad to see you had enough situational awareness to do things which contributed to a positive outcome.
rcase13
Guest
I've only been riding since January of this year and have put about 3000 miles on the bike. In that limited amount of experience I have to say approaching intersections with cars turning both left and right in front of me scare me the most. I feel that I can control the outcome of almost every other situation even the distracted person coming up behind me to a certain extent. But I feel there is very little I can control when approaching an intersection. I try to move over in my lane to give them the most room and slow down but really not much else I can do. I just hope for the best and motor on.
MaggieMan
Guest
Okay, the ones I hate are ubiquitous! Nearly *everyone* does it and it drives me wild! it's when you approach an intersection and you have the right-of-way with a stopped vehicle waiting to enter the road ... they *always* seem to wait until you are just into the "no way out zone" and they start to creep forward in anticipation of going ... AARRGG!
I'm a Libertarian so I don't believe in force. Even so, I think that if I had the power I would force everyone, except those physically unable, to ride a motorcycle for 1 year before being allowed to drive a car. You learn to drive defensively, cautiously, alertly and aware on a motorcycle. Natural Selection will take care of those unable to learn.
I'm a Libertarian so I don't believe in force. Even so, I think that if I had the power I would force everyone, except those physically unable, to ride a motorcycle for 1 year before being allowed to drive a car. You learn to drive defensively, cautiously, alertly and aware on a motorcycle. Natural Selection will take care of those unable to learn.
The real scarey thing about this encounter is that it defies analysis. I always do this to see if I missed something that could have helped avoid this entirely. I always cringe when I see large SUVs coming at me. They seem to be the new phallic symbol of the times so I always assume trouble. I had a clear view of the vehicle as it approached the intersection to my right. THis should mean the driver had a clear view of me especially since I had a clear view of the driver himself. I was driving very slowly as it is my habit when it see anything approaching an intersection especially if it is at inappropriate speed. This gives the other vehicle more time to see me. My headlight was on high beam and is adjusted 5 degrees above the usual just to be more noticable. I had the green light without question. Only error I suppose is I do not wear high visability clothing but one has to wonder if it would have helped. What really helped was my habit of also having both hands fully around the clutch and brake as I approach any anticipated problem. Really helps on the reaction time. Some days you're lucky and some days your good-a little of both I suppose.
Good grief! It's bad enough that they're thinking about sex while they drive, but thinking about having sex with Freud is just sick.
junglejim
Site Supporter
Yep! All of what Sam said above. Plus more.
One guy totaled my bike while I sat in the bakery having coffee and donuts. He just left the bakery, walked between his van and my bike, and then backed over it while we watched the whole thing from inside.
Another driver totaled another bike when she hit me from behind while I was turning into my driveway. She was trying to pass me on the RIGHT! (off the roadway).
And this weekend the sedan in front of me hit a deer that was dashing across the highway. She never hit the brakes before impact. Sometimes those suicidal deer are hard to miss.
One guy totaled my bike while I sat in the bakery having coffee and donuts. He just left the bakery, walked between his van and my bike, and then backed over it while we watched the whole thing from inside.
Another driver totaled another bike when she hit me from behind while I was turning into my driveway. She was trying to pass me on the RIGHT! (off the roadway).
And this weekend the sedan in front of me hit a deer that was dashing across the highway. She never hit the brakes before impact. Sometimes those suicidal deer are hard to miss.
I feel confident that I am more visible since I got my high visibility neon yellow jacket.
I've not had a single person pull out in front of me in 15 months that I've had it.
However, be ever watchful.
I've not had a single person pull out in front of me in 15 months that I've had it.
However, be ever watchful.
Years ago I put a Calafia fairing on my GL1000. No more people pulling in from of me. Why? It just so happens that model Califia made the front of my bike look like a cop's bike.
I recant not a single word. BIG SUV's are the last gasp of an American mentality that no longer has a place in a planet dying from a lack of ecological concern. Guys drive them as a power trip; women do the same in the name of protection. And yes both of my Prii have a fair blind spot; you learn to adjust for it.It's not the SUV. An SUV never pulled out in front of anybody or killed anybody. It's the driver. The SUV is nothing but the station wagon that your grandparents and parents had and it exists because it provides comfort and utility for a family. I guess all of the new breed of mini-cars and mini SUV's are the result of impotence and in need of VIAGRA, using that phallic symbol logic. Since so many WOMEN drive SUV's what sexual innuendo applies to them??
Sam
I've said this before and will repeat it. You're driving your vehicle through an unpredictable set of circumstances. Weather, deer, imperfect human beings driving imperfect vehicles (not just cars) through changing conditions - whatever. I blame no one for their imperfections. (Let he who is without fault ..., eh?)
When I drive down the highway from my house to the ferry, for example, I escape death or serious injury a hundred times by mere feet, with oncoming cars on this two-lane highway, minimal to nonexistent shoulders, etc. I embrace the responsibility for surviving this and every other trip. I look for all sorts of clues to impending surprises. To identify myself as a potential victim of an error on some else's part is not acceptable. My life is in my hands and mine alone. This goes for my biking, driving a car, flying my plane or any other activity I may choose to undertake. When I see reports of motorcycle fatalities here locally they are as likely to be single-vehicle loss of control accidents as "the guy turned left in front of the bike" types of whining.
There have always been driver distractions. Long before one could blame SUVs, cell phones, texting, or whatever, there were screaming kids, leaping dogs, arguing with your spouse, work concerns, fiddling with your pack of cigarettes, opening that next beer and so forth while driving. And blind spots were truly far more serious in many 60's and 70's-era cars, as well. And left turns at traffic stops.
When I drive down the highway from my house to the ferry, for example, I escape death or serious injury a hundred times by mere feet, with oncoming cars on this two-lane highway, minimal to nonexistent shoulders, etc. I embrace the responsibility for surviving this and every other trip. I look for all sorts of clues to impending surprises. To identify myself as a potential victim of an error on some else's part is not acceptable. My life is in my hands and mine alone. This goes for my biking, driving a car, flying my plane or any other activity I may choose to undertake. When I see reports of motorcycle fatalities here locally they are as likely to be single-vehicle loss of control accidents as "the guy turned left in front of the bike" types of whining.
There have always been driver distractions. Long before one could blame SUVs, cell phones, texting, or whatever, there were screaming kids, leaping dogs, arguing with your spouse, work concerns, fiddling with your pack of cigarettes, opening that next beer and so forth while driving. And blind spots were truly far more serious in many 60's and 70's-era cars, as well. And left turns at traffic stops.
sleepy
Guest
My neon high vis jacket did not make difference to the lady driving her Volvo SUV this past weekend by the South Portland Maine Mall. Luckily she gave her intentions away so I just let her pull out and gave her a tap of the horn. It was the first time anyone had pulled out in front of me with the high vis jacket.
I never hit the horn in these situations. Stuff happens. Yeah, I was born in New York, but I'm much better now.