head on a swivel please

[cookiedough]

coming home right after work today saw my worst motorcycle accident and seems to happen way too often.  I was 2 cars behind left lane vs. HD cycle rider no helmet right lane speeding up going thru yellow light intersection vs. stopping as he should have, going about 40 mph in a 25 when all of a sudden I see a big white SUV turn left right in front of cycle NO time to react.  HD guy saw hit brakes for split second but was no time really to react.  Front of cycle crashed abruptly stopping ASAP t-boned on passenger door SUV and flipped 250lb. guy well over 10 feet over top roof of SUV.  There were over 10 people calling 911 walking nearby and as I drove by saw HD guy lifeless not moving bleeding pretty badly from his head.   

makes you wanna SLOW down or ride not in heavy traffic with lots of intersections which I prefer 99% of the time rural country roads all around me worse things I have to worry about are deer collisions or hitting a racoon like I did with my car 2 nights ago 5 racoons scampering across the road over crest of hill avoided 4 of 5 of them, last one got lucky me doing 60 mph he hunkered down low under 6 inches clearance car and came out alive barely missing him right front tire by a foot or so. 

I probably should have stopped but since over 10 people all around as witnesses am sure more cars stopped would just be more dangerous for all.   

still gives me chills thru my spine seeing it LIVE about 60ft behind as I was slowing down for the stop sign while the HD rider was speeding up to get thru a yellow light (light turned red on him 3/4's way thru the intersection).  HD guy got flown over the SUV like a rag doll like he was 20lbs..   IMO both at fault going thru a very near red light but more so the SUV for not seeing the cycle somehow turning right in front of him.  The saying LOUD pipes saves lives did not apply in this situation since the HD exhaust was pretty loud speeding up.  Just wish he wore a helmet since pretty sure his head was banged up/bleeding severely.   

Only other fatal crash in my life I saw LIVE was a near head on collision old pickup vs a ford fusion 100 yards behind my house on the hwy. both doing about 60 mph, did not end well for the fusion lady while the pickup truck flipped over 50 yards in the air landing on his roof in the ditch had to be medflighted out.

[..]

 

[scooperhsd]

Head on swivel, protected by helmet, might have helped. Stopping when he should have would have prevented.

[Oss]

maybe I should actually hook the tether on the hit-air jacket up once in a while

That is exactly what it was designed for  but I am usually too lazy to do it

https://www.pinterest.com/BikeBoneSite/_created/


this one is the vest but I have the jacket with the good armor

https://www.hit-air.com/en/motorcycle/lineup/jacket_vest/jacket_vest_type04/vest-mv6.html

[cookiedough]

maybe I should actually hook the tether on the hit-air jacket up once in a while

That is exactly what it was designed for  but I am usually too lazy to do it

https://www.pinterest.com/BikeBoneSite/_created/


this one is the vest but I have the jacket with the good armor

https://www.hit-air.com/en/motorcycle/lineup/jacket_vest/jacket_vest_type04/vest-mv6.html

If you have it,  why not use it?   IF I spent that kind of money on vests/armor one would think would be a good time to use it for sure, especially for you Oss in NY where traffic is 10x's worse than my rural towns near me.   I get some slack for not wearing blue jeans/jacket, gloves, etc. just my helmet during HOT summer, but every little bit helps when flying head over heels 10 feet up over 10 yards away coming down on pavement.

[0leman]

I was sitting at one of our more dangerous intersections last week in the left hand turn lane last week waiting on the  lights.  The green lights turned and went to yellow.  One vehicle coming at me went thru more or less legally, but the two that followed were not even to the edge when the light went Red.   They blasted thru..  One of them was a Bike.  Thankfully the folks waiting their turn didn't  jump the light.   No harm done.   But this intersection has seen more than it's share of accidents.

[cookiedough]

I was sitting at one of our more dangerous intersections last week in the left hand turn lane last week waiting on the  lights.  The green lights turned and went to yellow.  One vehicle coming at me went thru more or less legally, but the two that followed were not even to the edge when the light went Red.   They blasted thru..  One of them was a Bike.  Thankfully the folks waiting their turn didn't  jump the light.   No harm done.   But this intersection has seen more than it's share of accidents.

Yep, see that daily as well and I am even guilty of it every now and then in my vehicles when you have to make a judgment call to slam on the brakes HARD to brake when light turns or speed up slightly to go thru an intersection on yellow but 99% of the time I make it thru still on yellow vs. seeing the red light almost all the way thru the intersection.  Unfortunately, every year I see vehicles just going right on thru total RED LIGHTS in front of me just lucky 99% of the time no one coming from the other intersection having a green light has showed up for that vehicle ahead of me going thru on total red light.   

Just glad 75% of my driving daily is stop signs only see lighted stop/go intersections when get to big towns.

[J.Mencalice]

No helmet. Personal choice. No pity.

[Willow]

No helmet. Personal choice. No pity.

And, of course, the non-rider may say, "Motorcycle riding.  Personal choice.  No pity."

[J.Mencalice]

No helmet. Personal choice. No pity.

And, of course, the non-rider may say, "Motorcycle riding.  Personal choice.  No pity."

Yup, skydiving too.

[Moonshot_1]

HD guy got flown over the SUV like a rag doll like he was 20lbs..   IMO both at fault going thru a very near red light but more so the SUV for not seeing the cycle somehow turning right in front of him.


This is how you don't get seen.

The Awareness Test. circa. 2008 from the BBC

Take it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

[cookiedough]

I really think the white SUV turning left right in front of the cycle was going pretty darn fast while making the left hand turn in the intersection but was hard to tell how fast he was coming in since the tall vehicle in front of me blocked all my view of the white SUV coming at me before making his left turn.  I think the white SUV was making a QUICK go thru yellow light and somehow missed the HD cyclists coming at him thru the intersection.  The sun was not an issue was later in the day behind the SUV and could see and mostly hear the HD cycle speeding up on thru the intersection unaware the white SUV was going to turn in front of him at the last second.  I think the HD guy must have seen the white SUV thinking he was NO way going to turn in front of him since he had to see the white SUV coming up onto the intersection thinking he was going to NOT turn left in front of him.  I caught the white SUV turning mid-way into the intersection about 10 feet is all before he smacked into the HD guy and really think the white SUV was going too fast judging by the speed I briefly saw him before he clobbered the HD guy broadside. 

At first I could not believe my eyes seeing a human being so easily flung up and over a decent sized SUV but judging by how ASAP abruptly that front fork/tire got smashed in instantly to passenger side door of SUV,  stopping from say 35 mph to ZERO mph in about 2 feet,  one could only imagine the JOLT on the body like hitting a brick wall almost but then being flung forward high and far.

[cookiedough]

found out from others from work that the HD guy is in critical condition but still alive,  but iffy.  One lady knew a lot about him said he was President of local HD chapter cannot remember the name of the club though never heard of it before. 

[h13man]

Bad choices made by both regardless. No amount of "safety" gear etc. isn't a replacement for bad judgement.

[cookiedough]

Bad choices made by both regardless. No amount of "safety" gear etc. isn't a replacement for bad judgement.

agree, both trying to run a yellow light thru an intersection is never a good idea especially for the cyclists going straight and the SUV turning in front of him.  Still do not understand how the SUV did not see the cyclists going on thru.  Am sure the cyclist thought for sure the SUV would NOT go on thru and turn right in front of him. 

[Ramie]

I just assume now a days that everyone will try and stretch a yellow light.  My wife always gets mad at me asking why I stopped, I could have made it on the yellow.  I refuse to be in a hurry anymore.

[cookiedough]

I just assume now a days that everyone will try and stretch a yellow light.  My wife always gets mad at me asking why I stopped, I could have made it on the yellow.  I refuse to be in a hurry anymore.

yah, those stop/go lights can be tricky for sure.   If  you speed up on thru a little you risk getting hit like the cyclist did by another car.  But, if you brake HARD to slow down to stop then you get rear ended by the car behind you not paying attention or thinking he can go thru the yellow light as well with him speeding up while you are slowing down in front and pretty sure most cycles stop quicker than most cars do.

By the way, the HD cyclists did pass on today not making it.  Am sure the driver/owner of the SUV turning in front of him better have VERY high car insurance for technically was his fault he died as far as I could tell.  Not preaching for I do not wear armor of any kind mostly unless colder out wear my armored jacket (but always a helmet), but a helmet probably would have saved his life on this one judging by the way he flew thru the air and landed down.  Maybe not though, his body was am sure jolted all over from sudden impact sorta like hitting a brick wall at 40 mph no cushion anywhere.

[Jess from VA]

The only time I run late yellows; 1) there's no one around and good visibility, or 2) I don't think the guy behind me will/can stop from ramming me.

[cookiedough]

The only time I run late yellows; 1) there's no one around and good visibility, or 2) I don't think the guy behind me will/can stop from ramming me.

good point on looking in side mirrors on how close the car behind you is following you, like said head on a swivel.   I prefer to run yellow lights vs. braking hard but if heavy traffic all directions best to slow it down I think in general.  Way way too many times though I see vehicles run RED lights all the way thru as well even before they get into the intersection the yellow light turns red yet they still go thru a total red light.  Yah,  there is a 1-2 second delay from cross traffic getting their green light, but one never  knows if they jump the gun as well.