Learn From Our Mistakes: Lessons In Crash Prevention
#51
Here is a caution for newbie riders that I fortunately learned without a crash: Beware if you see a bicycle coming toward you in the opposite lane, especially on a winding road. Bicycles almost always travel in groups, especially on the weekends. So if you pass one, there is likely another one coming (they are often spread out for miles). The bicycles themselves are not the hazard. But cars coming up behind the bicycles WILL swerve into your lane to get around the bicycles without giving any thought to the fact that they are coming headon right at you. This is especially a problem on winding roads (I see it on Skyline Drive every time I'm up there). The cagers do not hesitate to swing into your lane to get around a bicycle, even on blind curves or blind hills.
#52
Here is another. A local rider and his passenger ended up in a hospital when they were T boned going through an intersection. The biker had a green light and did not check both ways as he entered the intersection. Sure enough, some asshat ran the light and nailed them.
I never go through an intersection even with green without looking both ways first after hearing that.
I never go through an intersection even with green without looking both ways first after hearing that.
#53
On a downhill curve heading west, an experienced rider if following a truck with a horse trailer. The truck slows way down to turn right (horses don't like sharp turns), the biker moves up on it in the left third of the lane and then passes the corner of the trailer as soon as there's room in the lane. The car waiting at that stop sign turns out to the left right in front of him and he is killed at a relatively slow speed (30-45?).
#54
I've learned if first in line at a red light to not just go on the green, I wait and look both ways to make sure nobody is running the red, before I start to move.
#56
Not sure if this is relevant but for those without ABS this likely as good or better. .tcbbrakesystems.com I will always go with whatever is factory but this looks like a potential cure for panic braking for less seasoned riders.
#57
Looking back on it a lot of my crashes were from being young and stupid. The easiest thing I've learned to avoid wrecks is don't get frustrated when idiots in cages cut you off or act as if youre expendable. This is inevitably going to happen and there is no sense in putting yourself in the position to be ran off the road. In the end we will be the ones getting hurt and they will probably drive away like nothing happened.
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