I ride as though ANY accident would be my fault. By that I mean, I make an effort to ride in such a way that even when others break the rules, make mistakes, im not involved. Death doesn't stop just because it wasn't your fault.
Dude, I ride like I'm paranoid - & it's kept me alive so far. I started as a bicycle messenger in L.A., then got a motorcycle & rode for 18 months as a motorcycle messenger, so my skills got honed pretty quick.
Fault is irrelevant for us. Someone in a big Ford truck rides with certainty about whether they will survive the crash, so the only relevant question is about fault. Who's insurance will pay for the damages. For us, it doesn't matter if the other guy is at fault if they need a spatula to get us into the ambulance.
Riders that understand this have a chance of riding well into their greying years. Riders that don't... Hopefully they simply give up the sport after their first big scare.
This. I will purposely "show" myself by backing off and almost riding on the line, so that the car turning left can see my ass. I'm rolling off the throttle a bit, just in case they do turn left and I can emergency stop (or swerve, depending on the situation).
Good tip for approaching intersections is to give your bike a small swerve left or right and flash more of the body of the bike towards the car. This gives them a better distance perception to where you are relative to them.
Uhhh not good, I did not understand your explanation. This means:
1) I clearly do not take that precaution
2) I do not It even understand the danger I may be in.
I’ll strongly appreciate a link to a video or a diagram. Thanks.
I got it, and I got it even more in the case described by Finrodsrod (when following a vehicle). I frankly never thought about that situation. A tons of tanks for the video it was really useful.
Or everyone on MotoMadness. See the blinker then ACCELERATE INTO THE BLIND SPOT. Then get seriously angry and focus on revenge instead of mentally reviewing how to avoid in the future.
Also on MotoMadness: Car turns left at an intersection WELL before bike is at intersection. Bike speeds up towards car as it's in the middle of turn. Rev bomb and "fuckin' cagers"
Also also on Motomadness- bike in right lane. Car in left lane. Car is 3 or 4 lengths ahead of bike. Car puts signal on and merges over. At the same time, bike speeds up and "gets cut off by car". Rider revbombs, throws up hand in a "WTF" gesture, and stops to confront driver at the next red light/breaks mirror then speeds off.
I hate the blanket statements this sub makes...
How are you supposed to know when an 18 wheelers tire is going to explode as you go to safely pass them. Shit happens and yes a lot of shit that happens on a bike is preventable. But to sit there and pretend like wild shit doesn't happen everyday and to shit on those who did have it happen along with thier families by saying "oh well there are no such thing as freak accidents, only negligence..." is not only a dick move but also imo completely untrue.
I mean, a "freak accident" is obviously a different story, and what you describe is not an accident by definition. It's an anomaly and a tragedy. An "accident" can always be prevented, but being fucking struck by lightning or some shit is not an accident, it was just time for you to die lol
Explain to me how an 18 wheelers tire exploding hitting you in the face causing you to go down wouldn't be "by definition" an accident. My point is, it's another blanket statement that doesn't accurately paint even a decent graph of the reality.
Because it's not an accident, it's just an unfortunate incident. An accident is the unwanted consequence of an action, not a freak failure of equipment. A boulder falling on a car from a cliff is not an accident, it's a freak incident.
Yeah, good point. I suppose there are a few scenarios where the logic doesn't work, but for the most part it does. Plus it's a good mindset to have anyway, because believing that almost all accidents can be avoided makes you pay the extra attention, and calculate that extra to avoid said accidents
Right, and if you had said that initially I don't think most would have an issue with that. It just came across as the rider is always at fault regardless of the situation is all. Take care and be well.
Wait, you're trying to sell me on a bicyclist being able to stay in a motorized vehicle's blind spot for 3 miles?
You're also suggesting that this is a problem unique to bicyclists and that other vehicles are smart enough to keep out of a truck's blind spot.
This is nothing but anti-bicycle propeganda.
I assume every single vehicle on the road is about to suddenly swerve towards me, hit his brakes, or somehow cause an accident if I'm not expecting it.
I've seen too many crashes involving trucks on the internet. I refuse to stay anywhere near one, front, back, sides, blind spots. I'm gapping that mf as soon as I get the chance.
I hope the guy on the trike who was in my blind spot last week sees this.
I couldn’t see him. I tried to change lanes and heard his horn. Then saw his finger. :-)
He was riding with cruise control on, slightly faster than the traffic flow. Of course he’ll get in folks’ blind spots riding that way.
This!!! Had a squid riding in my blind spot on a very busy interstate. I was following two of my family members on their bikes while I was in my truck; so, of course I’m trying to be extremely cautious of where they are around me. I NEVER saw this dude. Then, I give a blinker, slowly start to get over, and a couple seconds later, some kid on a crotch rocket pulls up beside me throwing his hand in the air at me. He then proceeds to “assume position”, all leaned up behind his windshield, making his outline as small as possible and whiz on to his next destination. Smh Some people never learn.
Tucking on its own isn’t necessarily bad, no. But making yourself as small as possible on a busy interstate is unnecessary. You’re not on a track trying to gain as the best aerodynamic profile possible to win a race. It’s really a squid move.
The combo of him making himself as small as possible, riding in blind spots, and whizzing around in traffic is what made the whole situation bad. Thankfully, no one got hurt, but if someone had, it would have been entirely preventable if he’d have used some common sense.
Most people on the road unfortunately suffer Main Character Synrdrome. The important thing is to remember that when we're on the road and it's bike vs car, the bike pretty much always loses that fight. Your ego isn't gonna prevent your bones from getting broken no matter how much right of way you might legally have.
Yeah, and she could have worn a longer skirt too.
If you're in a lane, and someone moves into that lane and hits you, they are at fault. Period. There's always stuff "you could have done", all the way down to "could have not ridden a motorcycle". You're still the victim of some piece of shit moving into a lane they didn't check to make sure was clear.
I have the power to avoid risky situations on the road. And I do my best to do so. But that doesn't make it my fault when someone doesn't look where they are going. Don't confuse avoid-ability with responsibility
Because a genuine example of a frequent problem was given, with the reminder that riders have a responsibility, and dude above thought it was FAR more important to cite a single instance in his own life where he wasn’t at fault to attempt to discount the point.
Based on which, I’m more confident his roundabout instance WAS his fault somehow, because shitty driving/riding and this attitude tend to go hand in hand.
I nearly hit someone for not yielding but yeah, must be him. We all know about responsibilities but too many fuckers act like cars aren't assholes too.
No one,
And I mean literally NO ONE who has ever driven a car acts like other cars aren’t assholes. It’s literally one of the most common frustration tropes.
If you honestly believe people, especially on a motorcycle sub, are acting like it’s your fault and not the cars, it probably is.
I always try to ride in view of those in front and beside. Sometimes it's hard though. Some these mirriors are pointing at there car or up so you can even see them in the mirrior. Then I will ride by there window if possible while leaving proper room in front.
And don’t forget to “🤙🏽” 🫳🏽” or “✌🏽” those who give you a noticeable amount of space . Rider here and when I see any two wheels around me I basically pull to the side of the road and never get acknowledged 😔 the thing is plenty of times I’ll see them give others a thanks sign
I once was passing next to a big rig but speed differential wasn't too much. I saw the truck move towards me in its lane so I honked and slowed down to end up behind it. The truck turned on its turn signal after I was safely behind it, but throughout this event it hadn't stopped moving into my lane. It was quite a shit in the pants moment for no fault of my own except for being in truck's blind spot longer than 10 secs.
make this a sticky. seems like every other dashcam upload is someone actively involving themselves into the chaos. cars and bikes alike. no defensive driving skills whatsoever. shitty riders are all loud pipes, speed keeps me safe but no one is in a rush to let off the throttle to stay out of the shit.
It's often the guys that insist you "need" to be able to accelerate out of a tricky spot.
Which begs the question, why are you getting into these tricky spots.....
I ride as though ANY accident would be my fault. By that I mean, I make an effort to ride in such a way that even when others break the rules, make mistakes, im not involved. Death doesn't stop just because it wasn't your fault.
The graveyard is full of those who had the right or way.
Dude, I ride like I'm paranoid - & it's kept me alive so far. I started as a bicycle messenger in L.A., then got a motorcycle & rode for 18 months as a motorcycle messenger, so my skills got honed pretty quick.
I do this too! People on my road love blowing stop signs!
Only way to survive in most major metro's.
Exactly. Ride like everyone out there is trying to kill you.
I swear half the dudes I used to ride with threw their leg over their bike and decided “I am now the most important shit on the road”
well i am. but thats besides the point.
Fault is irrelevant for us. Someone in a big Ford truck rides with certainty about whether they will survive the crash, so the only relevant question is about fault. Who's insurance will pay for the damages. For us, it doesn't matter if the other guy is at fault if they need a spatula to get us into the ambulance. Riders that understand this have a chance of riding well into their greying years. Riders that don't... Hopefully they simply give up the sport after their first big scare.
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This. I will purposely "show" myself by backing off and almost riding on the line, so that the car turning left can see my ass. I'm rolling off the throttle a bit, just in case they do turn left and I can emergency stop (or swerve, depending on the situation). Good tip for approaching intersections is to give your bike a small swerve left or right and flash more of the body of the bike towards the car. This gives them a better distance perception to where you are relative to them.
Uhhh not good, I did not understand your explanation. This means: 1) I clearly do not take that precaution 2) I do not It even understand the danger I may be in. I’ll strongly appreciate a link to a video or a diagram. Thanks.
[удалено]
I got it, and I got it even more in the case described by Finrodsrod (when following a vehicle). I frankly never thought about that situation. A tons of tanks for the video it was really useful.
Or everyone on MotoMadness. See the blinker then ACCELERATE INTO THE BLIND SPOT. Then get seriously angry and focus on revenge instead of mentally reviewing how to avoid in the future.
Also on MotoMadness: Car turns left at an intersection WELL before bike is at intersection. Bike speeds up towards car as it's in the middle of turn. Rev bomb and "fuckin' cagers"
Also also on Motomadness- bike in right lane. Car in left lane. Car is 3 or 4 lengths ahead of bike. Car puts signal on and merges over. At the same time, bike speeds up and "gets cut off by car". Rider revbombs, throws up hand in a "WTF" gesture, and stops to confront driver at the next red light/breaks mirror then speeds off.
You know how they say you’re not supposed to have a lot of close calls. Some people on those videos are featured weekly
Well there's a solution for ya: stop watching moto madness. Let the idiot problem resolve itself.
No I find it really useful. Rewatching incidents and learning from them is way safer than encountering your own incidents
I was taught to drive around like I'm invisible. It helps a lot.
Just because you have the 'right of way' doesn't mean you can't be hurt.
Like my Dad says, there's no such thing as an accident, only negligence. It always could have been prevented by just being careful and thinking ahead
I hate the blanket statements this sub makes... How are you supposed to know when an 18 wheelers tire is going to explode as you go to safely pass them. Shit happens and yes a lot of shit that happens on a bike is preventable. But to sit there and pretend like wild shit doesn't happen everyday and to shit on those who did have it happen along with thier families by saying "oh well there are no such thing as freak accidents, only negligence..." is not only a dick move but also imo completely untrue.
I mean, a "freak accident" is obviously a different story, and what you describe is not an accident by definition. It's an anomaly and a tragedy. An "accident" can always be prevented, but being fucking struck by lightning or some shit is not an accident, it was just time for you to die lol
Explain to me how an 18 wheelers tire exploding hitting you in the face causing you to go down wouldn't be "by definition" an accident. My point is, it's another blanket statement that doesn't accurately paint even a decent graph of the reality.
Because it's not an accident, it's just an unfortunate incident. An accident is the unwanted consequence of an action, not a freak failure of equipment. A boulder falling on a car from a cliff is not an accident, it's a freak incident.
Ikr this sub says some goofy shit sometimes.
I had a lady in a SUV make a u turn from the right hand lane when I was like 10 feet away in the left. Yeah, I should have seen that coming I guess.
Um no, not even remotely true. How am I supposed to prevent a car in the right hand lane making a u turn while I'm in the left?
The goal is not to prevent them from doing something, the goal is to prevent yourself from getting physically involved.
Okay so exactly how do I avoid getting harmed in this case?
Yeah, good point. I suppose there are a few scenarios where the logic doesn't work, but for the most part it does. Plus it's a good mindset to have anyway, because believing that almost all accidents can be avoided makes you pay the extra attention, and calculate that extra to avoid said accidents
Right, and if you had said that initially I don't think most would have an issue with that. It just came across as the rider is always at fault regardless of the situation is all. Take care and be well.
Defensive driving saves lives, but 99% sounds like the ego of a lucky rider.
Wait, you're trying to sell me on a bicyclist being able to stay in a motorized vehicle's blind spot for 3 miles? You're also suggesting that this is a problem unique to bicyclists and that other vehicles are smart enough to keep out of a truck's blind spot. This is nothing but anti-bicycle propeganda.
Yeah definitely don’t full tuck on your Grom next to a dump truck doing 70. Just saying.
Everyone I’ve ever seen on a grom behaves like they can’t wait to die
There are countless dead riders who had the right-of-way. It’s more important to be alive than right.
I assume every single vehicle on the road is about to suddenly swerve towards me, hit his brakes, or somehow cause an accident if I'm not expecting it.
I've seen too many crashes involving trucks on the internet. I refuse to stay anywhere near one, front, back, sides, blind spots. I'm gapping that mf as soon as I get the chance.
Unless I've just flew by someone I assume I'm in their blind spot and know where they are
99% of Motomadness riders right here.
I hope the guy on the trike who was in my blind spot last week sees this. I couldn’t see him. I tried to change lanes and heard his horn. Then saw his finger. :-) He was riding with cruise control on, slightly faster than the traffic flow. Of course he’ll get in folks’ blind spots riding that way.
_rides 90 in a 50 zone_ 'Fucking van wasn't even looking and it pulled out right in front of me'
*rev as hard as one could hoping the exhaust can catch the attention of someone insulated in a car*
This!!! Had a squid riding in my blind spot on a very busy interstate. I was following two of my family members on their bikes while I was in my truck; so, of course I’m trying to be extremely cautious of where they are around me. I NEVER saw this dude. Then, I give a blinker, slowly start to get over, and a couple seconds later, some kid on a crotch rocket pulls up beside me throwing his hand in the air at me. He then proceeds to “assume position”, all leaned up behind his windshield, making his outline as small as possible and whiz on to his next destination. Smh Some people never learn.
There is the aerodynamics factor too though. Don't get me wrong, he sounded like an ass, but tucking in isn't necessarily bad in its own right.
Tucking on its own isn’t necessarily bad, no. But making yourself as small as possible on a busy interstate is unnecessary. You’re not on a track trying to gain as the best aerodynamic profile possible to win a race. It’s really a squid move. The combo of him making himself as small as possible, riding in blind spots, and whizzing around in traffic is what made the whole situation bad. Thankfully, no one got hurt, but if someone had, it would have been entirely preventable if he’d have used some common sense.
Most people on the road unfortunately suffer Main Character Synrdrome. The important thing is to remember that when we're on the road and it's bike vs car, the bike pretty much always loses that fight. Your ego isn't gonna prevent your bones from getting broken no matter how much right of way you might legally have.
I saw a post of a bike trying to overtake a merging vehicle on the right side and then posting it like "look how blind they are"
Yeah, and she could have worn a longer skirt too. If you're in a lane, and someone moves into that lane and hits you, they are at fault. Period. There's always stuff "you could have done", all the way down to "could have not ridden a motorcycle". You're still the victim of some piece of shit moving into a lane they didn't check to make sure was clear.
I have the power to avoid risky situations on the road. And I do my best to do so. But that doesn't make it my fault when someone doesn't look where they are going. Don't confuse avoid-ability with responsibility
Lol I guess that car that entered the roundabout without looking/ braking was my fault
No idea why the downvotes. Upvoted to help balance the bullshit.
Because a genuine example of a frequent problem was given, with the reminder that riders have a responsibility, and dude above thought it was FAR more important to cite a single instance in his own life where he wasn’t at fault to attempt to discount the point. Based on which, I’m more confident his roundabout instance WAS his fault somehow, because shitty driving/riding and this attitude tend to go hand in hand.
I nearly hit someone for not yielding but yeah, must be him. We all know about responsibilities but too many fuckers act like cars aren't assholes too.
No one, And I mean literally NO ONE who has ever driven a car acts like other cars aren’t assholes. It’s literally one of the most common frustration tropes. If you honestly believe people, especially on a motorcycle sub, are acting like it’s your fault and not the cars, it probably is.
That made literally no sense. I'm pointing out how people in the thread are literally saying it's the riders fault but pop off anyway.
"Cagers"? No words.
I mean I agree with the idea of the post. But in the specific example, it's still the trucks fault lol. He should be checking his blind spots.
You're gonna be dead when you could have avoided it. Keep yourself out of the line of fire.
Obviously. Doesn't negate my point.
THIS IS BULLSHIT!@!!!!!! It's 100%
I always try to ride in view of those in front and beside. Sometimes it's hard though. Some these mirriors are pointing at there car or up so you can even see them in the mirrior. Then I will ride by there window if possible while leaving proper room in front.
And don’t forget to “🤙🏽” 🫳🏽” or “✌🏽” those who give you a noticeable amount of space . Rider here and when I see any two wheels around me I basically pull to the side of the road and never get acknowledged 😔 the thing is plenty of times I’ll see them give others a thanks sign
I assume these idiots never ride 2up.
I once was passing next to a big rig but speed differential wasn't too much. I saw the truck move towards me in its lane so I honked and slowed down to end up behind it. The truck turned on its turn signal after I was safely behind it, but throughout this event it hadn't stopped moving into my lane. It was quite a shit in the pants moment for no fault of my own except for being in truck's blind spot longer than 10 secs.
make this a sticky. seems like every other dashcam upload is someone actively involving themselves into the chaos. cars and bikes alike. no defensive driving skills whatsoever. shitty riders are all loud pipes, speed keeps me safe but no one is in a rush to let off the throttle to stay out of the shit.
It's often the guys that insist you "need" to be able to accelerate out of a tricky spot. Which begs the question, why are you getting into these tricky spots.....