"Correct me if I'm wrong Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key... "

 

Not to mention rubber tends to provide more traction than metal. I think the statement "I had to lay the bike down" is rarely accurate.

 

That's a lesson from drivers ed 101. By law, a green light means you may proceed when and if it is safe to do so.

 

I won't try to second guess your situation, as I was not there and don't have every detail, however, since you asked...

Whenever possible, I try to not be in the center lane where I have fewer options.

When I will be the last vehicle stopped, I stop farther back behind the vehicle in front of me. Depending on the general speed I expect vehicles to be traveling, I may stop *very* far back.

I watch my mirrors for anyone approaching behind me. When I see someone, I tap my brakes a few times to blink the brake lights.

If I see brake lights as vehicles are cresting a hill, I assume there are vehicles stopped over the hill. If I will end up over the hill as the last vehicle, I will stop at the crest of the hill until (if) I see the next vehicle coming behind me (at which time I'll tap my brakes a few times). When I see them slowing, I'll go ahead and move forward.


None of that means I won't ever get whacked from behind by someone.

None of that does anything if there are 4 cars behind me and some moron slams into the last car at 100 MPH and takes out 6 others (including me).

I have avoided this situation twice, by watching my mirror, seeing the vehicle approaching too fast, and moving out of the way (once, into the left turn lane, the other, by driving over the curb, onto the grass).

I have also, on two occasions, sat at a green light, with all the morons behind me laying on their horns, while I let the guy blowing the red light (well after it was red) pass through the intersection. In one of those two incidents, the guy behind me was impatient, pulled out, went around me, and got creamed by the guy blowing the red light.

 

On a temporary assignment in the Navy, I drove a very large truck for a while. I was also riding my bike to and from work every day. Oddly, I noticed more people doing stupid things (like pulling out right in front of me) when I was in the truck. Did you have the same experience?

I thought it was odd that it seemed like more people are willing to challenge a truck than a bike. The only thing I could think is they think of trucks as going slow, and they want to get in front of you so they aren't "stuck" driving behind you.

 

"TF" is that discussing accidents, how they are caused, what you can do about them, is a key factor in avoiding them. It's certainly more important than discussing where you should put your gas cap, whether or not your chaps have an ***, or anything else being discussed.

Beyond that... this is a *discussion forum*... why would anyone question why there are discussions being held here, no matter what the topic? One is free to read or contribute, or not, to anything that interests them. If it doesn't interest you... don't read it. Right?

 

I'm pretty sure the MSF Instructor was trying to get the point across that accidents are "generally" avoidable with a little forethought on our part.

In the situation mentioned, it's pretty easy for one to see that the rider could and should have been watching the driver to see if they were looking in their mirrors and/or over their shoulder (any activity that might indicate their intentions) or could have been in a different position realtive to the cage in the next lane, either staying behind or passing briskly, rather than riding beside the car. There are hundreds of other situations that we, hopefully, look for every time we're on the road. It's all part of riding with a defensive mind set.

The statement is not so much literal as designed to make us think about how to avoid being in a position to be in an accident.

Grout

 

Short answer is yes. I think it has to do with not being able to accurately judge a very large vehicles speed. And people always assume the semi is going slower than it is. I actually read an article in Owner Operator magazine that a drivers ed teacher was teaching his students that it was ok to pull out in front of trucks because they had more braking ability due to more wheels/brakes than an average car so could slow down faster. Said drivers ed teacher was no longer employed at his former job.

The closest I ever came to killing a woman (& even myself possibly) was in North Dakota, I was headed west on I94 I observed a power company utility truck getting on the interstate with a single car following him. I move over to the fast lane to let them on. Speed limit was 75 I was running between 75 -80 (I never drive more than 5 over) At the gore section of the highway (the area of concrete between the ramp and the actual highway just past the yield sign) she decided he was going too slow and she was going around him, she passed him and came clear out into my lane, right in front of me, she was giving the utility truck room to get on (nice gesture that nearly cost her her life), problem was she didn't look even once. As this is unfolding I am on the brakes first assuming she is going to take the right lane, no problem with that, easy do deal with. Nope she goes right in front of me (I estimate her speed to be 35-40), now she is accelerating to highway speed, I have them locked up (tires smoking like mad)I think I was on the air horn too, I got so close to her she disappeared from sight below the top of the hood for a second or so (actually seemed like minutes) had to be within inches or even mm's of hitting her. The acceleration of the car & the deceleration of the truck (fully loaded by the way) matched just perfect to save her life as she started to pull away. After the immediate danger was over & she was pulling away faster, I was off the brakes now traveling 15-25 I looked over and saw the guy driving the utility truck he was clear over on the right shoulder looking like he just saw a ghost, I swear he was more freaked out by what he just witnessed than I was than I was involved in it.

People need to slow down & not be in such a hurry the few seconds saved here & there by not looking or otherwise distracted may just cost you your life or someone else's. Life will still be there when you get there.

 

I've had 2 wrecks on a bike and 2 in cars in 45 yrs driving. all 4 were because of something I did wrong. One I had a lot of help from a very stupid woman in a car I hit, but my input was a big part. Excessive speed was the cause of 3 and one, I was not paying attention. The last wreck I had was in 1978 the first in 1967. If you are young you are in more danger. So watch out! Accident is not the right word, I agree. It is a wreck, period. Your broken neck will not care that it was the *** in the car that caused it.

 

there are always going to be unavoidable "accidents"

The MSF basically says there are no accidents, only a string of factors that lead to an event. You avoid one factor, you avoid the event. Ties into the SEE philosophy.