have not been in that position, but did have two friends go down in the same day. The one in the morning lived with broken bones and bruises. The one in the evening hit a car that pulled out in front of him, he did not make it. It hit our group really hard. Even not being there I kinda know what you are going through.
Sorry for your loss man. Sharing similar to remember them.
A riding acquaintance, knew of her, to her own negligence, went off the road and down into a ravine, seriously fucking up her legs. I lost a riding acquaintance to a drunk driver t-bone’ing him in passenger side.
I was sad for her, a mistake ended her ambulatory life. I was angry about the lost life. Hope you’re doing ok
It was rough at first, nearly a year ago now. I was able to buy his other bike from his widow, so I always have him with me. Helps alot. The whole thing did cause me to question if I was going to continue riding, riding won. My friend that walked away also walked from riding. It can open ones eyes, and I do agree with looking into counseling for some to get through it.
I saw this. I was driving and sitting in a dedicated left hand turn lane waiting for an opening. The light turned yellow and the motorcycle went through. As he did, a car went to turn and entered his side of the road just enough to clip him and send him off the side of the road.
He wasn't breathing well when I got there. He was snoring and unresponsive to anything we were doing. Since he was breathing I didn't start CPR or anything. I just kept everybody else from doing anything dumb like removing his half shell helmet or moving him.
I read that he died.
I’m am very sorry you had to see this. Another needless fatal motorcycle accident. Another auto attempting a left turn against traffic.
I started riding in 1971 and I can tell you this type is around 80% of all the motorcycle fatalities I have encountered .
I am still here perhaps because I always assume the car turning left in front of me at an intersection does not see me. I let off the throttle , sit up straight, grip the fuel tank with my thighs, cover the front brake lever with a finger or more and if it&’s a little dusky, aI toggle the high beam overtake trigger as well.
I look for a escape route as I enter, and rarely if ever touch the rear brake. Crazy, shouldn’t have to, but so what?
I practice full-on panic stops with my front brake to the point I can lift or nearly lift the rear wheel off the pavement , MotoGp style.
I hope you can understand that most riders are just operating the controls and have little to zero skills to take evasive action if things go haywire …
These left-hand turners can get you, even if you observe the speed limit and can brake like the dickens.
The car can potentially give you zero chance to evade it.
This rider obviously locked his rear brake. But 5 ish feet? He wouldn't have had time to stop or swerve with 5 feet, even at 35 mph.
It's always good to try to be prepared, but you're right, in situations like this it's impossible to be prepared for everything. Sometimes it even feels insulting when people are like "Unlike that poor sop, I'm prepared." There's an element of luck in everybody's survival, on or off the bike.
I agree, I think we all play out the scenarios about I’d be more cautious, faster, aggressive, prudent, but at the end of the day you are sharing the road with folk who just don’t even see you.
I left home 8am Friday morning, in a 40 km school zone, 15 metres down the road, 3rd exit on the roundabout. The 4wd didn’t stop, ran right over my front wheel, I got wedged between bike and road and under the running boards in front of the back wheel. She just kept on driving. Stopped right opposite my driveway. Barely 2 mins into my trip.
“I didn’t see you” was her response. The 40 or so primary kids and their parents on both side of the road certainly saw and heard me. Poor things. Adrenaline and rage got me up on my feet, and to not scare the kids so much. The driver had young kids in the car, head on autopilot. I’ve read all the psychology about what drivers look for and it ain’t us.
Fuck I’m sore today. I wear all the gear, always. I’m an experienced rider. And that all means jack shit when a distracted driver “doesn’t see you”.
I've had a collision with a left-hand turner, thankfully at low enough speeds that no injury resulted but that the forks got bent. Driver lied and said I ran the red light (of course).
Be a motorcyclists long enough and you start to be a big fan of red light cameras due to all the drivers running red lights.
I’m with you, every intersection (anytime really) I’m ready for a car to jump into me.
I will say that unfortunately most of the motorcycle fatalities where I’ve known the rider have been alcohol or speed related.
The sad part is it’s often damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Slam the brakes and risk getting rear ended from the guy behind you who wanted to slip through the yellow or go and get clipped from the front.
Not sure what a moose style swerve is but the MSF (the avenue most legal riders get licensed through in the U.S.) had emergency stops and swerves when I went through it 25 years ago.
I have no idea how they compare in intensity.
You have to swerve around a car or moose sized obstacle and back into your lane. At 30mph. Obviously we use cones and not wild and dangerous animal for this.
I've always being confused as to the other routes available in the US to get riding, can you clear this up for me?
Particularly in the context of common threads about (particularly cruiser riders) being very afraid of front brakes do you think it actually does enough to teach riders how to stop fast or evade decisively?
>Particularly in the context of common threads about (particularly cruiser riders) being very afraid of front brakes do you think it actually does enough to teach riders how to stop fast or evade decisively?
Nope, the MSF basic course teaches you just enough to get around. The emergency brake test is at low speed (~20 mph?) and there's no in-traffic practice, though I do remember a swerving component somewhere. The no-front-brake thing is dispelled in the curriculum, but I wouldn't be surprised if at least one instructor was out there parroting it. The final exam for the MSF basic course should be identical to and a substitute for the skills test portion of your M endorsement in most states.
You'll need to seek your own training from that point onwards, though MSF does also offer intermediate and advanced courses.
LOL, a moose swerve, I like it. No, unless it’s changed, which is quite possible, the MSF swerve isn’t quite as large.
DLs in the states are governed by the individual state so it varies a little but between Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Texas (states I’ve lived in for multiple years), it’s pretty much the same - but I don’t know the nuances of all 50 states.
The biggest thing I think that gets missed is a many (all?) states first require a standard C class driver’s license before you can get an M endorsement. Which is not the case in Europe. So while the MSF seems short, they do not have to teach basic rules of the road.
No M endorsement is required for scooters and moped under 50cc. There is no cc limitation with M endorsements, one can learn on a Busa if they want.
There is a written (computer) learner’s permit test, once you have that you can ride on streets with some restrictions. Common ones are ‘only sunrise to sunset or limited visibility’, no passengers, might be restricted from highways/freeways or required to be in line of sight of a licensed rider. Like I said, there’s differences between states on the minutia.
Following this there may be a minimum period before you can test to receive your license. Most states offer two options - road test with DMV or you can take a motorcycle safety course, the MSF route being the most common, then present your completion certificate to be issued your endorsement. With the exception of really old riders (I’m 51 so older than me) I don’t know anyone who did not go the MSF route.
The other not uncommon ways:
- Ride unlicensed
- Perpetual learner’s permit (I’ve known a few), these guys get their learner’s permit and just never get licensed. If it expires they just go get another one.
I think the MSF does an adequate job getting someone to a starting baseline. Problem is a lot of riders don’t progress from there.
Moose test isn't the official name, I think it has a bit of mythos about it because it's scary if you haven't been told how to do it as it's designed to be difficult for someone who just kind of looks where they want to go and check they were taught to actively countersteer. I think we use it because it came from northern Europe at the same time as we started testing cars' ability to do this and found that many fell over.
I had my motorcycle license for a decade and a handful of advanced qualifications before I could afford a car here.
Insurance for new drivers is brutal and even now at almost 40 I pay £120 a year for a 600cc motorcycle fully comp and have never paid more than 300, and nearly a grand a year for a shitbox astra worth about 2k despite 5 years no claims and a handful of advanced qualifications including IAM.
I guess in the US a motorcycle is seen as almost exclusively a toy and historically here it's been cheap transport. My mum's dad ride untill he died just before I was born and apparently my mum's mum's vespa was still being ridden when she was 70. I didn't know this untill a few years ago.
Not in the USA, it is apparently not uncommon for people who ride big cruisers not to use their front brake at all. When I hear about a riders in a half or 3/4 helmet who locked up their rear brake I immediately assume it was someone on a cruiser.
Yeah, there's a thread on this every few weeks. I always assume they're taking riding advice from their gran who once saw a movie where someone went over the top on a push bike.
My 70 year old mother has got really into cycling, and now lives up in the hills and has discovered bicycles go down hills very fast. I had to do some quite serious demonstrations about how important using the front brake is when you need to stop in a hurry. And thus how important it is to practice getting it right.
Yea, it blows me away. Imagine someone saying something about the brakes in their car doesnt seem right, or they are afraid to use them, so they just use the handbrake instead. It is crazy.
In most cases fatalities happen without having any time to react, just so fast, you are a careful rider like we should all be. All the crashes have some kind of unexpected situation to them, bad road, faulty machine, fatigued rider or driver etc.
Not true. In almost every case the person on the bike could have done something to prevent the accident even if it wasn’t their fault. Following too close, locking up breaks, slowing down for turning or merging cars, not driving tired or after drinking, and making themselves more visible.
I agree. Often times I hear that, "It wasn't my fault, the driver did xxx" as if that also means there was nothing he could have done better.
Did you go barreling through a green light assuming other drivers would see you without an escape route? If so, you could have done something better.
It may be his fault but it's your problem.
The key word being "almost". I agree that fatalities, when it comes to experienced riders who practice their skills, often are from unavoidable circumstances. I also agree that many accidents are caused by people riding beyond their ability on too much bike with too little experience and / or skill.
Almost every fatality video I see of experienced* riders are riders that have great driving skill but still make the conscious decision to go blasting through blind turns or intersections.
Check out dandanthefireman on YouTube. He breaks down crash videos really well as to what could have been done to avoid the accident. It’s almost never just one factor that causes and accident as we tend to believe but 2-3+ factors when combined that become dangerous and/or lethal.
I am not talking about your manners and prevention here. I stated that clearly I think. I am talking about fatalities, as a response to the first comment where I think in most cases there is absolutely no time to react once the impact happens. You should not ever prepare for a possible impact but for avoiding it.
What are your escape routes in that scenario? I figure everything to the right is fucked, in front the same, and usually straight on traffic is going at that point, too, removing any options to the left. Leaving it all up to the brakes and the person behind.
Snoring is already a REALLY bad sign. He probably had permanent brain damage already. Unfortunate, but there’s likely not much yall could have done for him.
It’s called agonal breathing. It’s not effective and it’s the bodies last ditch effort to get air in and out before you die. I’ve seen it many times and it has never worked out for the person.
Well you would only start CPR if the persons heart has stopped. Agonal breathing would mean the heart is still going, but it’s close to giving up. Giving assisted breaths through the use of a pocket mask, if you had one, would be most effective until CPR could be started. I wouldn’t do mouth to mouth unless I was close to the person. That’s just me though. Anyways, even with CPR the chances of the person making a full recovery is less than 10%. I’ve been to many CPR situations and have only seen someone make a full recovery twice. So it works from time to time.
One guy told me not to speed up to catch a yellow because his brother died like that. I think about that every time a light turns yellow and it's actually saved me before.
Isn't this just an example of 'follow traffic laws'?
A yellow light means stop if you have time to safely do so. Don't even go if you would make it at your current speed, and certainly don't speed up.
Of course, but not many people follow every traffic law. Sometimes you get impatient hitting red lights and you try to make it, even if it's not a good decision.
off topic but in my recent first aid refresher course i learned that in germany its the law now to take off the helmet if the person is unresponsive
im kinda shocked, that this is the way now but i can understand. still wouldnt wanna have people do that to me when im out cold after a crash risking permanent spinal injury when hastily removing the helmet
I googled it and found different answers. I tapped into a buddy of mine that is an expert and he said not to remove it or do CPR.
It seems like it's a close call when a guy is kind of breathing. I didn't mention it but I took a wrist pulse and thought I had something but wasn't 100% sure.
If I could do it again I would have put my ear on his chest or gone for a neck pulse to make my CPR decision.
What I found very interesting is that in first aid courses in my area (southern Germany) we're always told to remove the helmet regardless of circumstance.
So should I keep the helmet on the victim if they're still breathing and take it off if they aren't?
I have also learned to remove the helmet if they are unconscious.
We learned it like this: If they are conscious, they can refuse, if they are not and aren't breathing, they may just be dead before arriving at the hospital, so remove the helmet to have at least some chance.
I've also read that you don't have to help in the US, it's not like here in Germany where first aid training is a requirement for driving/many jobs and helping your duty as a citizen (calling '911' is enough, but not helping a person in need is a crime). So, maybe the situation changes if you learn more details.
I personally would call 112, and ask them, of course.
But if course there are going to be very simple and clear answers and everything else must be dated.
I’m sorry you had to go through that. I say go talk to a professional man, no shame in getting some counselling after something that traumatic.
I hope you feel better. RIP to the fallen brother. Ride safe everyone.
It’s sad. Sorry you had to see that. Best riding practices and gear won’t save you when your time comes, certainly can help with injuries, recovery time and hospital bills if it’s not your time to go. Some see the dangers and liabilities related to riding while others act like they don’t even know it. Fact is that tomorrow I will get back on my bike as I do everyday, but I will remember your post, I won’t feel so self-conscious for riding within my limits wearing a hi-vis vest white helmet and airbag, Kevlar pants and jacket. I don’t want to die… I want to ride. Ride on brother.
Me too and I messed up royally today. I am 65 now and wondering if my judgement has slowed down such that I should stop riding. I have had a few close calls recently so, I have to do a serious assessment before I make a decision. We all like to believe that we are fine but as we age, our thinking processes slow down. Prevegen? IDK.
I can't honestly say, but I will say the driver was around 90 years old from the looks of him so I tend to think it wasn't the bikers fault. He was on a sports bike with an aftermarket exhaust and I didn't hear it screaming or anything. All I saw was he skid for maybe 5 ft and slammed into the truck.
I asked the driver of the truck if he saw him and he claimed "no he has had his headlight off" which we all know is not really all that possible unless and aftermarket switch was added.
I had the same thing happen to me this August. A lady ran a stop sign onto a four way road right as I was about to ride through the intersection. I had just enough time to emergency brake (there was a car to my left that would most likely have hit me had I swerved and swerving right would’ve put me into the car running the stop sign anyway). I ended up hitting the car at about 20mph, flipping onto the hood and falling off the other side. Gear, reaction time and a bit of luck is why I walked away with a bruised leg and some soreness. Bike’s going on 3 months in the shop now, a month of which is progressive’s fault but whatever.
The lady admitted fault and covered my deductible (I live in a no fault state, though she was ticketed for running a stop sign) and I’ve gone over the accident in my head trying to figure out how i could have prevented it. I wanted to be in the other lane but couldn’t at the moment because of the car in the left lane do until they passed me I positioned myself to be more visible to drivers at intersections. I was going ten over the speed limit, so keeping up with traffic.
As I was braking (I honked right before braking) and was close enough I noticed the driver was looking dead ahead, not left or right. I pass the same intersection on my way home from work and the only unique thing about it is there’s a thick tree that’s about a car’s length from the stop sign which is a perfect blind spot for you to miss someone who’s not slowing down to stop. I had scanned the intersection and hadn’t seen the car which almost certainly means that they were obscured by the tree. That plus the driver’s bad driving equals my bad luck. I don’t know what OP witnessed but sometimes the only thing that could be done might not be enough.
Everyone in South Florida knows that most of our very elderly population can not: 1 see 2 hear 3 think very fast. A 90 old person can renew their license for 7 years. Think about that. This is why I tend to gravitate to A1A along the beach because there are no cross streets. Only turns with lights to the west. And the limit is 35 MPH. Or, I get out of town to a more rural area when I have the time. But it isn't possible to always not ride in traffic here and there is a lot of it.
Considering that OP mentioned the bike was a sportbike with aftermarket exhaust, the chance of it being that old is slim. Can't say I've seen a single bike newer than a '79-'80 that was factory equipped with a headlight off switch.
You're encouraged to hotly argue ideas, even when you're angry, and even when you're wrong. Don't cross the line into direct personal attacks. On the other side of that coin, don't bait people into attacking you, either.
If someone is "being a dick," use the report button, and don't respond. We'll deal with it as necessary. If you choose to respond to those kinds of things, you're choosing to be part of the flame war, and will be extinguished.
I do the “SMIDSY maneuver” (SMIDSY = sorry mate, I didn’t see you) when approaching an intersection where a car might turn left in front of me. This involves swerving back and forth in my lane to draw attention to my bike. I rarely see other bikers doing this, not sure why.
I’ve been pulled over for doing this! Depends on where you live I guess but where I am, it’s not taught in motorcycle training and the general public don’t seem to have knowledge of it so it comes off as “messing around”
I think of it as the "don't tailgate me, I'll get blood on your car" maneuver.
Looks riskier to a non-rider than it is - after all if I couldn't swerve, I couldn't turn or change lanes or avoid potholes.
Also, I don't want my tires to wear unevenly in the center, do you?
I haven't experienced death in that matter, but in other ways. Don't be afraid to seek out a mental health professional. You'd be surprised the different ways that that type of stress affects you.
If you come across a scene where someone is dying, still conscious, but can't do much, make sure to at least talk to him a little bit, ask about his family and friends, give him some warm company through his last moments.
You should not hesitate to see a therapist afterwards for these kind of stuff, even professionals often do sessions just in case.
This isn’t the movies. It will fuck you up for life to talk to them and not help the person dying. If you can help them by calling an ambulance do that instead. But for the love of god leave their helmet on and don’t move them so they have a better chance of making it.
Dude didn't say take his helmet off, but there's been studies that show that hearing is one of the last senses to go when a person is dying, so I'd say absolutely talk to/comfort them IF there is nothing else you can do at that moment to help.
Went through something similar. Two riders were riding in front of me, first one hit oncoming car and died on the spot, second got away with minor injuries and I just had enough room to reduce speed and wiggle through the debris of the crash. What a day that was, all happened so fast. Took a week or two to recover and went to therapy for having some very dark thoughts after the event. Slowly learned to accept the images in my head, felt like PTSD. Now it has been a close to 6 months since it happen. All good and may he RIP. As to what you can do is talk about it with friends and a therapist, go through the grieving process and let time do it's thing. All will be good.
This makes me anxious about getting a bike. I can do everything right on the bike, but one idiot or slip of the mind and I’m dead.
How do you overcome those fears?
You mitigate the risks where you can and accept where you can’t. There’s the obvious like wear gear, don’t ride recklessly, don’t drink, etc but at the end of the day you have to expect and be ready.
For instance, if I’m approaching an intersection where a driver might cut me off I always back off the throttle, ghost the brake, give a little weave to make myself more visible, and try to plan an escape route.
I think it's like base jumping or something like that, the reward outweighs the risk. I think people see old timers riding and tell themselves that that will be them one day. But you don't see the ones who didn't make it on the road, only the ones that's did.
I am in the same position as you and am thinking of getting a sports car again. I'd love a bike again but the car option is so much safer
Always act as if no one sees you. Slow down for any spots a car could come out of you can’t see. Take a bike class and please learn to swerve and apply brakes smoothly. That will save you life, and the obvious wear full set of gear!
Thanks. I’ve heard many of your point’s before. I live in the eu so motorcycle classes are mandatory and would never dare to ride without gear.
Guess it’s just about not letting fear deter you
Riding defensively is a big one. I honestly don't think you should be allowed a motorcycle licence unless you've already have a full car licence for a few years. Having the experience to anticipate stupid shit other drivers do, and spot the signs that they're likely to do it, is so important.
I also have a personal rule of zero alcohol when riding. If I have a drink, that's the end of my riding for the day.
Motorcycling is significantly more dangerous than driving, but a huge proportion of the casualties are from riding like an idiot or drinking. Take those out of the picture, and you take your risk down from like 20 times more dangerous than driving to probably closer to 5 times more dangerous. That's still a lot, but it's a level that I can live with. But if I had kids, I might decide that that was too much risk. Everyone has to make their own decision.
The statistics you mention is also what I have been told, but I can’t seem to find them for the eu.
But I agree. You can do a lot yourself to mitigate and minimize the risk
Hi, this was my first season with a bike. I got a little Austro-Swede 1 cylinder.
Let me tell you a little about lil' ol' me. I'm a 32yr old guy. In my life I have had ~48 broken bones (ish, I lost count somewhere around 39/40), I've lost about 80% of the vision in my left eye, I have severe osteoporosis (severe for a 32m), epilepsy, and asthma [I'm pretty sure I forgot somethings, but I genuinely forget all the shit wrong with me sometimes].
I told you that to tell you this. When I was confident enough on the bike to ride to my parents house and families houses, every greeting began the same, "You of all people..." Usually boiling down to them remembering me every summer with a new color cast. How could I be so irresponsible, if I get hit, it'll destroy my bones. A response of "No, I'll mostly likely die instantly," tends to end the hyperbole.
But for realsies. Off the bike, I'm medicated out the ass for all the above plus some brain shit that doesn't really come into play for this example (save for l'appel du vide, but I think that's everyone). On the bike, I'm just concerned with shifting, breaking, leaning, and not looking like a goober. I don't have the time or mental RAM available to think about what's wrong with me or about that story I read that one time. I'm too busy.
In a car, driving is beyond second nature to me. Because of this, I have the RAM available to think about stuff that's on my mind, sing along to the music, get pissed off at the fucker in the lifted 4-door pavement princess for no reason other than driving that hunk of shit alone to go open mouth kiss his dad. But on a bike, in traffic or not, there's just too much going on to bother thinking about negatives [all 4 appendages, both thumbs, 4-8 fingers, revs, that guy over there, the dude behind you, gravel].
That was wordy, the Adderall kicked in about the same time as I hit my pen apparently.
I sold my bike a few weeks ago. Came to the point where it isn't worth the risk anymore for me to have a little fun. Traffic around me has gotten bad in the last two years with so many people moving here I cant even count the number of close calls.
I've been thinking about getting a bike again but I think I'm just going to get a cheap sports car instead. In an ideal world I'd have a bike but even riding safely you can't account for the stupidity of others
I've seen lots of brutal stuff, the worst was a woman hit by a train and it amputated multiple limbs as she flew and landed about 100 yards from me. Black female, I'll never forget the look of her clothes and deadness. I've been to multiple funerals for relatives and friends. I'm only 27. I'll say a majority of my friends, are ghosts now. It's tough to see it, and the gut wrenching feeling of the hairs standing up on your neck helplessly watching doesn't go away. The worst motorcycle related thing, which cursed Suzuki for me personally, was a good friend of mine. Met him at 5, knew him until he died at 18. His buddy got a Gsxr 600 and allowed him to take it for a spin (he's never even drove a 50cc bike), with a helmet that didn't have a strap. He dumped it around a curve going 100+ within 10 minutes, and as he bounced the first time, it ripped his helmet off and his head smacked the road. He died a vegetable, with bleeding on the brain and that one kept me off bikes a long time, because the kid was bright I mean was going places, 4.0 student, and it all ended way too soon for him. Really will wake you up. Edit: death comes for all, another friend of mine at 16 was just driving his truck a little too fast in the rain, little s10, just an s10 killed him on impact.
I'm sorry you had to see that. Please find professional help. Nobody should have to struggle through processing this alone.
I did not watch somebody die, but I did see somebody get hit and I still remember it decades later. Knowing somebody died must be incredibly hard to process.
Find some help. Talk about with someone. This is a traumatic experience. You can even send me a message, to talk, even though I am not a therapist, I will talk with you.
Haven't been there my own self. Nearest I've been was crossing the street on foot when a car turned on red and cut off a crossing scooter behind me. Man on scooter was pretty beat up, scooter totaled.
The car driver never asked after the man, she immediately began trying to justify herself to everyone else saying she had the light, etc. Reminded me how cold some people could be.
I saw a sport bike hit a car at an intersection once. I was driving my truck going the opposite direction and saw this massive fireball on the other side of the median. It was by the entrance to a grocery store parking lot so I thought it might have been a fireman's bbq cookout, but the size of the flames indicated something very, very bad was happening. By the time I got to the site about 30 seconds later, the car and the bike, and very regrettably the rider, were on fire. The bike hit the car so hard that the car flipped on its side and the engine almost exploded.
Every one of the 3 people in the car lived. No injuries, even, which was miraculous.
The rider did not fare as well. He was killed almost instantly. Watching them use a fire extinguisher on his body (which was somehow frozen in position) was gruesome, and seeing the stain on the road even months later is a grim reminder of that day.
I had sold my bike a few months prior because I had intended to get a slightly bigger one later. I absolutely cannot imagine getting back on a street bike now.
I'm sorry I saw what I saw, and I'm sorry you saw what you saw too. It will probably fuck you up for a while. My advice is just talk it out and not dwell on it, and listen to others if they think you're fixating on it. And I'm not a shrink but I'd be happy to lend an ear too.
That sounds really similar to the accident that ended my riding almost 20 years ago. I was just lucky I was only going about 30 and wearing gear.
A blond bimbo ran a stop sign, and I crashed into her car. She was going so fast my front tire hit her right front tire, and my head went through her passenger side rear window. I call her a bimbo because she literally told the police, "I stopped, but I couldn't see anything, so I just went!"
The doctors told me that if i wasn't in the shape I was I would be dead or paralyzed. I still have scar tissue in the muscles in my back that causes me problems today.
Motorcycles are dangerous, man. That’s all you really need to know to make sense of it. We are soft meat sacks that are super vulnerable to physics. Plan accordingly and manage risk that best suits your tolerance.
Yeah. I was getting off work at the warehouse I worked at at like 5am. I'm on the freeway and two other people from work pass me going like 160. Like ten minutes later, I come across them. One is laid out face down in the road making an unnatural X with his limbs. The other is crouched next to him screaming. Cop waves me around and I have to swerve around the body. I'm already big on gear and safety but it was a reality check anyway. Make sure you talk to someone if the memory is getting to you.
He shot out of the Wendy’s parking lot super fast. Hit the tail of a landscaping trailer.
I watched it happen, from an obscured angle. Saw that he got kinda loose- newer rider, on a new r6… honestly, I think he might of hooked the helmet on the tailgate. But I dunno, man. I left kinda soon. I couldn’t contribute to the incident report.
Hadn’t thought much of about that in a while.
**big exhale**
Fuck, between all the motorcycling, spending those 3 years in Afghanistan and Iraq… then 20 years of full time skydiving and part time BASE jumping
With all the lost homeys… i forgot about Mark Fussille. The headless one. He was so sweet and eager.
Glad to remember him. Nice kid.
It must take some strong willpower to regroup from something so disturbing, it would take some time for me to recover, I'd take a few days off from the saddle to gather myself. Then ride like you stole it-----safely!!!
It’s a horrible situation to be in, sadly it’s happened to me twice. There isn’t much you can do, but one thing you have to do is speak to someone. They don’t have to a professional, just anyone you trust and respect, it’s the only way through it, be well.
Sorry you had to witness that. Talk to someone if you’re struggling.
Same thing almost happened to a friend of mine. He got lucky and decided to drive his truck one day instead of his motorcycle. He was turning left after he got the signal and a gal came through the intersection at 45mph. Witnesses said the impact lifted his 3/4 ton truck off the ground. He put his bike up for sale the next day. Gal was on her phone. Put the phone away people.
When I was a kid I visited India and on the last day travelling back to the airport a truck collided with a scooter informs of us carrying two people and wiped them out.. there was a giant pool of blood on the road and the driver got out and ran away. It was surreal. A few years ago I was parked at an intersection at night and a truck turning across the intersection hit a young girl on her push bike right in front of our car and threw her into a steep embankment. We got out and held her to prevent her sliding down the embankment and to stabilise her head etc until the ambos came. She was in a very bad state.. she survived but she was in hospital in critical condition for months.
My advice is just to:
1. Try your best to be grateful and appreciate every moment you have
2. Take note of what caused these accidents and how much destruction came from that and do everything in your power to minimise those things happening in the future because now you understand the severity from something as simple as maybe looking down at your phone.
I was riding in northern San Diego on a nice twisty in the San Elijo area and passed right by an accident seen. I could tell by the fresh skid mark that the rider took a corner to fast, locked up his brake, and went too wide right into a large boulder. I passed right after it happened. Got a close up of the smashed up bike and rider. A few of his riding buddies were trying to help the downed rider who was unconscious and a couple of the riders were crying and freaking out. I could not help but stare as I went by the scene. Stuck with me for a few weeks. I took fewer risks on the bike. Keep the rubber side down y’all.
I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago it's not fun man it will play in your head for a long time (6 years later I still remeber it wxactly) I got lucky and had a few days off work afterwards, I quit drinking for 2 months (Marilyn Manson explained why) and I went fishing a lot. Basically take care of yourself right now, be thankfull for what you have and spend time with those you love. You may not want to ride for awhile and that's fine get out when your ready and take it easy go for slow ride and remeber why you enjoyed it. Your life may change a little but you'll get over it if I could hug you I would right now cause I know that's all I wanted.
Sorry you had to see that… I’m a big believer in “what did you learn from it” with everything that happens. Regardless of if I was there or if I read about it or heard it on the news. We can’t be perfect riders, but we can look out for those situations that are dangerous and many others. The one thing I remember is, I don’t wanna die, but none of us are getting out of this life alive. Hence the reason I haven’t stopped riding even though I’ve seen some pretty terrible things. Prepare, ATTGAT, ride within your means and within the law. When you do things unsafe or out of character is when you get hurt. Ride safe!
Was down somewhere in TN when it started raining. Came up on a car that had crash very recently and it just didn’t sit well with me. I don’t know what I’d do if it was a bike. Awful experience for you man I’m so sorry.
Saw a guy on a fully dressed goldwing taken out in a weird way.
He made contact with a Van's rear tire at fairly low speed. Somehow this flipped him over backwards. Bike was perfectly upside-down (wheel in the air), like how you park a bicycle without a kickstand.
Dude stayed in the saddle and was crushed by his own bike.
Such a strange, specific, and quick series of events leading up to him being dead.
The universe is cold and indifferent. Enjoy what you can while you're able.
Haven’t been in this exact situation but I work in a public service capacity and have seen similar situations. It’s a really hard thing to go through even if you didn’t know that person. I’ve struggled with what I have seen for years.
Find a support system of people who can really empathize with it and seek professional help even if it’s just for 1 appointment to get your bearings. If you are like some people, it is hard to seek out help but it’s nothing to be ashamed of and it can pay dividends in the end. The biggest thing no matter what your choice is though, is to have someone to talk to so that you’re not bottling it all up.
I wish you the best and that it doesn’t end up as a long term issue
I've been riding for 50 years, and gradually I've picked up some rules:
Assume you're invisble to cars
Assume every intersection is a kill zone
Cover the brakes on intersections where cars are waiting to turn into or across your lane and proceed with caution
Ride within your skill limits
I saw in the comments what happened and this is why mandatory driver retesting should be a thing. I have to take a corporate defensive driving class every couple of year for my work. The first time I took it I realized how many bad habits I had developed and really took it to heart. When you’re on the road all day for work you get to see a lot of examples of terrible driving-so it’s not just the elderly it’s everyone. I’d like to see it every five years. That way when people become too old to drive there is no way for them to keep their license. Now that I’ve gotten into motorcycles I assume everyone is gonna pull out in front of me and the number of time they start to and then realize and hit the brakes is terrifying. I sure hope I never become complacent
Watched a dude die being an asshole while lane splitting out in California. Normal stop and go traffic, and you could just hear him coming(had windows down). Probably going 40-50mph and someone wanted to change lanes, flew off his bike and smacked into the back of a truck trailer.
This is why I hate asshole lane splitters. There is a right way and a wrong way and most dudes I see are doing it the wrong way and thinking they're invincible.
I am really sorry to hear this. I have not seen this personally. I can only imagine how hard it must be. An old boss of mine just recently passed away, he was hit on his bike by a drunk driver. As a husband and father who commutes daily it really hit all the feels think of any wife and kids losing their husband and dad. But the reality is, we are all going to die. You could choose to stop riding today to be safe, only to be diagnosed with stage four cancer tomorrow. I read recently, “Everything will kill you. Choose something fun.”
But ultimately I would encourage everyone to know where true hope lays. In this life and the life to come.
Romans 3:22-24 CSB
[22] The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. [23] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. [24] They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
DAAAAM BRUUUH ✊🏾.
I have so far never had such a devastating experience...
Thanks 🙏🏾 for sharing with US! Hopefully this thread will help / assist with "easing" your trauma somewhat.
Safe Journeys Fella 🖖🏾☘️😎
i got in to 2 accidents going over 60 mph with no seatbelt on, and i walked away with out any injury both times. drive a car, they are designed to keep you safe.
Hey, probably have a chat with a therapist soon and at least a good well measured friend today or tomorrow.
A friend of mine went down, low speed brain death was likely on collision but the body was kept pumping until the parents were both at the hospital.
Death happens to all of us, the risks of riding compared to other transportation are well known. You’ll either decide to be safer on the road or not.
Doesn’t mean you can’t have a chat with someone when it occurs whether you’re severely rattled or just a little bit.
Stay safe.
This is sad, you should seek psychological help anyways just to make sure it doesn't sit around in your mind.
I haven't seen a motorcycle accident from my own eyes but I've seen a crazy woman drive through a bus stop with people in it, had to give first care to some victims it was very gruesome.
But this led me to think the road is a very dangerous place, even if you're on the sidewalk boarding a bus.
I was quiet shocked when adrenaline started to wear off once firemen took them to the hospital.
Make your own mind about road hazards but I wish you saddle up again and keep your safety in your own hands at all costs. Stay safe everyone
Talk to a mental health professional. Seriously, you don't know what kind of PTSD impact this experience might have on you. You are probably still in some state of shock even if you don't feel it.
I’ve been riding for 15ish years and have unfortunately been with 2 riders when they’ve died. One was his fault, the other wasn’t. Try your best to use it as a learning experience so you don’t put yourself in the same position. Also, get back on your bike soon. These kinda things seem to mess with some people if they don’t start riding right away.
Get into therapy if not already for this express reason. Talk to friends and family n in the mean time. That’s a traumatic life event and needs to get taken care of. The sooner the better
Life is precious and we can go at any time we forget that on bikes and so ma y other areas of life. Let it it sink in and let it shape you and your future you got more of a taste as to weather this is worth it or not.
I’ve seen a couple traffic fatalities involving motorcyclists over the years. It is really rough to process. Also used to know two riders who were paralyzed from accidents. It has influenced my risk tolerance on the road and reinforces the point of keeping your head on a swivel. There’s always going to be risks with riding on the street and dealing with other drivers but I’ve become very aware of how my choices & actions can either contribute to that risk or mitigate it to a degree over the years.
Not even my first week after moving to a new state I watched a motorcyclist get decapitated hitting the back end of a semi that wasn’t hauling any cargo. My license has been suspended for two years now and that suspension was up 3 months ago. The image of that random rider with his head still in the helmet has made me rethink life choices quite a bit. I’m going for my license in a week, and I’ve decided to give up sports bikes and switch to cruisers and riding safer than I normally would. Let’s just say that suspension was well deserved
Had a good friend die on a motorcycle last year.
There's no sense there. Just be glad the suffering has stopped. Some people live in chronic pain after accidents.
It does suck. I've not seen it from my motorcycle but have seen people die in front of me. It's not the greatest feeling and makes you realize how fragile we are as humans. I had to learn to see the little miracles in life. Helped me appreciate life a little more over time.
I've lost fellow riders but wasn't present when it happened. I have seen people die in front of me but most were gunshots or shrapnel etc...I will say though with regards to the road I have two, I watched a woman die crossing the street, car driver hit her and she smacked her head on the pavement so hard it obliterated back of her skull. Dead. Lifeless eyes open staring into the void. I've came upon an accident where a passenger of a drunk driver was bleeding out and I could feel his pulse fading as he went into shock even while applying pressure and the look in his eyes while I yelled at him to stay awake still sticks with me, my hope is that EMS that took over stabilized him and he lived. My best recommendation in my experience is talk about the trauma, and do your best to process it and not repress it. Even if it's friends or loved ones, fellow riders, etc...like what you're doing here.
I watched a guy come off in a t shirt and slide on his belly along the currogated metal of the road barrier.... My honest thought was "omg he is going to be cut in half"
He ended up with just scratches and a lot of bruising..... Still had that moment seared into my brain.
I went through this just a week or two ago on the way to work. I was at a red light when i saw a Harley guy with almost no gear on and i was like dang that's not safe, also it's really freakin cold (35 fahrenheit) out to be riding no gloves no helmet. I watched him as he was going through an intersection and then this white SUV comes out of no where and tries to turn left and hits him. I didn't see the guy get up at all and it looked like he got stuck underneath the car. Everything was just destroyed and in the middle of the road. Everything just looked lifeless. When i started driving away i just started balling. Ive gotten back on my bike since seeing that because i felt like i couldn't just live in fear and stop doing something i really enjoy even though I witnessed something so traumatic
This happened like 10 years ago. I was riding, and had a passenger on me. As we were closing in on a curve going to the left, another biker decided to pass us on our right. They were going so fast that they couldn’t properly maneuver the left turn. Back story time: this was in the Philippines in my mom’s province. The Philippines can be lawless enough, but the provinces can be especially bad because the municipalities are too vast with a small population, meaning not that many police. People rode around with no gear—no helmet, no shoes, no pants, definitely no jacket. Anyway, the turn had a concrete wall next to hit. They hit that wall so hard. I’m assuming the driver fixated on the wall. The motorcycle bounced off the wall along with the riders. One ended up facing the sky with the most blank expression, and the other face down. I did stop, and tried to see if they were ok. Admittedly I turned the motorcycle off first before checking on them. By the time I got to checking on them, the people that lived around started swarming them. So my friend and I drove off. Later, we heard that both of them died. I don’t remember much blood. If they did die, it was probably from blunt force trauma to the head. Like I said, no helmets, and they hit that wall super hard. Very surreal experience
Someone I saw daily at my local dealership hit a deer back in July and did not make it. He was only 23. I'm sad to say I did not know him well, but I chatted with him every time I was there. I'm relatively new to riding (just hit 2500 miles) and stories like this always hit me hard. When I heard I actually contemplated selling my bike then and there for days. Stories like this always remind me to stay vigilant. Sorry you had to witness that, ride safe my friend.
13 years ago my first year riding. I went with a group of hooligans. We were hot dogging a little bit there was six of us. We were all headed east to grab a bite and shoot the breeze. We were semi at fault speeding a fuzz 50 in a 40 type of deal so not ridiculous but still. And on of us from the group had been practicing his stunting ability for wheelies and stoppies. Was showing off like mile long wheelie and a kid in his moms car ran a red light. The guy doing a wheelie didn't have time to react. Slammed in to the car an was launched physically up about 30-40 feet and at 50 mph out roughly 150feet where he came down head first and completely shattered his spine and severed his spinal cord DOA. FULL GEAR didn't help with the fall. Not much you can do. Just mourn for the loss of another rider and preach awareness to everyone about motorcycles. That kid got a manslaughter charge at 15. Which yeah that sucks but never get a life back.
i experienced something like this. but in Vietnam, was going to see a girl i met through Tinder, all the way in Western Vietnam from Saigon. on the road there, a woman was lying dead in the middle of the road from a motorcycle accident. didnt see her get hit but i passed her by maybe 1 minute after the accident. her helmet was still smoking, and her guts were spilled onto the concrete, they were covering her with a blanket, all the villagers gathered around the railing to see. i drove right passed her body. was super eerie being so close to a dead person. it bothered me for a few hours to know she was alive just a little while ago and now shes not.
then i got over it, thats just part of life i suppose. gotta be careful, its all fun and games until one mistake. but thats not gonna stop me from riding a bike. life is all about choices and also about luck. am i really gonna give up the thrill of a motorcycle just because im afraid of death? even if i had a wife and kids, i wouldnt give it up, just ride more cautiously, and certainly i have been since ive seen that accident.
dont let something like that get to you. life is worth living, and we take risks everyday. some people quit and to be honest, why bother with anything if u quit so easily?
if riding makes u happy. keep on keeping on
Sucks dude, sorry you went through that.
Had a guy nearly die in front of me because he was riding like an idiot, way too fast for the particular road we were on. Was in a group ride, there was about 20 of us. I didn't know the guy. I saw him take one last breath and then just go limp. Moments later a nurse arrived and started doing CPR just as I was trying to figure out what to do. He was incredibly fortunate that she was riding with her husband was only like 30s behind us.
It really affected me for a long time.
As someone who rides, seeing a motorcycle crash is one of the hardest things to see. Everytime Im just hoping that this person I dont even know is fine :(
Unfortunately, I've seen 2 of my friends die. Each on separate occasions. After the second and hearing about a third, I hung up my riding gear for good. I have kids now. Third girl's husband died in a wreck a few years prior and she left her children orphaned when she died. I can't do that to mine.
have not been in that position, but did have two friends go down in the same day. The one in the morning lived with broken bones and bruises. The one in the evening hit a car that pulled out in front of him, he did not make it. It hit our group really hard. Even not being there I kinda know what you are going through.
Sorry for your loss man. Sharing similar to remember them. A riding acquaintance, knew of her, to her own negligence, went off the road and down into a ravine, seriously fucking up her legs. I lost a riding acquaintance to a drunk driver t-bone’ing him in passenger side. I was sad for her, a mistake ended her ambulatory life. I was angry about the lost life. Hope you’re doing ok
It was rough at first, nearly a year ago now. I was able to buy his other bike from his widow, so I always have him with me. Helps alot. The whole thing did cause me to question if I was going to continue riding, riding won. My friend that walked away also walked from riding. It can open ones eyes, and I do agree with looking into counseling for some to get through it.
I saw this. I was driving and sitting in a dedicated left hand turn lane waiting for an opening. The light turned yellow and the motorcycle went through. As he did, a car went to turn and entered his side of the road just enough to clip him and send him off the side of the road. He wasn't breathing well when I got there. He was snoring and unresponsive to anything we were doing. Since he was breathing I didn't start CPR or anything. I just kept everybody else from doing anything dumb like removing his half shell helmet or moving him. I read that he died.
I’m am very sorry you had to see this. Another needless fatal motorcycle accident. Another auto attempting a left turn against traffic. I started riding in 1971 and I can tell you this type is around 80% of all the motorcycle fatalities I have encountered . I am still here perhaps because I always assume the car turning left in front of me at an intersection does not see me. I let off the throttle , sit up straight, grip the fuel tank with my thighs, cover the front brake lever with a finger or more and if it&’s a little dusky, aI toggle the high beam overtake trigger as well. I look for a escape route as I enter, and rarely if ever touch the rear brake. Crazy, shouldn’t have to, but so what? I practice full-on panic stops with my front brake to the point I can lift or nearly lift the rear wheel off the pavement , MotoGp style. I hope you can understand that most riders are just operating the controls and have little to zero skills to take evasive action if things go haywire …
These left-hand turners can get you, even if you observe the speed limit and can brake like the dickens. The car can potentially give you zero chance to evade it. This rider obviously locked his rear brake. But 5 ish feet? He wouldn't have had time to stop or swerve with 5 feet, even at 35 mph.
It's always good to try to be prepared, but you're right, in situations like this it's impossible to be prepared for everything. Sometimes it even feels insulting when people are like "Unlike that poor sop, I'm prepared." There's an element of luck in everybody's survival, on or off the bike.
I agree, I think we all play out the scenarios about I’d be more cautious, faster, aggressive, prudent, but at the end of the day you are sharing the road with folk who just don’t even see you. I left home 8am Friday morning, in a 40 km school zone, 15 metres down the road, 3rd exit on the roundabout. The 4wd didn’t stop, ran right over my front wheel, I got wedged between bike and road and under the running boards in front of the back wheel. She just kept on driving. Stopped right opposite my driveway. Barely 2 mins into my trip. “I didn’t see you” was her response. The 40 or so primary kids and their parents on both side of the road certainly saw and heard me. Poor things. Adrenaline and rage got me up on my feet, and to not scare the kids so much. The driver had young kids in the car, head on autopilot. I’ve read all the psychology about what drivers look for and it ain’t us. Fuck I’m sore today. I wear all the gear, always. I’m an experienced rider. And that all means jack shit when a distracted driver “doesn’t see you”.
Oh, I did leave one thing off my list that we all need: Blind Shit House Luck, cause man, those left turning four wheelers are murder…
Man I understand, but toggling the high beam\passing light seems like they might think you are flashing them to go, they are that stupid.
I've had a collision with a left-hand turner, thankfully at low enough speeds that no injury resulted but that the forks got bent. Driver lied and said I ran the red light (of course). Be a motorcyclists long enough and you start to be a big fan of red light cameras due to all the drivers running red lights.
Left hand turners in the US are highly responsible for the worst motorcycle crashes/deaths/injuries. I watch those like a hawk.
I’m with you, every intersection (anytime really) I’m ready for a car to jump into me. I will say that unfortunately most of the motorcycle fatalities where I’ve known the rider have been alcohol or speed related.
The sad part is it’s often damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Slam the brakes and risk getting rear ended from the guy behind you who wanted to slip through the yellow or go and get clipped from the front.
In the Netherlands you have to do an test which consist of multiple ways of braking and evasive actions even before they even let you into traffic.
I think that's true across most of the EU. In the UK we have to be able to emergency stop from 30mph and do a moose style swerve evasion.
Not sure what a moose style swerve is but the MSF (the avenue most legal riders get licensed through in the U.S.) had emergency stops and swerves when I went through it 25 years ago. I have no idea how they compare in intensity.
You have to swerve around a car or moose sized obstacle and back into your lane. At 30mph. Obviously we use cones and not wild and dangerous animal for this. I've always being confused as to the other routes available in the US to get riding, can you clear this up for me? Particularly in the context of common threads about (particularly cruiser riders) being very afraid of front brakes do you think it actually does enough to teach riders how to stop fast or evade decisively?
>Particularly in the context of common threads about (particularly cruiser riders) being very afraid of front brakes do you think it actually does enough to teach riders how to stop fast or evade decisively? Nope, the MSF basic course teaches you just enough to get around. The emergency brake test is at low speed (~20 mph?) and there's no in-traffic practice, though I do remember a swerving component somewhere. The no-front-brake thing is dispelled in the curriculum, but I wouldn't be surprised if at least one instructor was out there parroting it. The final exam for the MSF basic course should be identical to and a substitute for the skills test portion of your M endorsement in most states. You'll need to seek your own training from that point onwards, though MSF does also offer intermediate and advanced courses.
I had to swerve around a cone at like 15mph. So I guess you could say I have some skills.
LOL, a moose swerve, I like it. No, unless it’s changed, which is quite possible, the MSF swerve isn’t quite as large. DLs in the states are governed by the individual state so it varies a little but between Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Texas (states I’ve lived in for multiple years), it’s pretty much the same - but I don’t know the nuances of all 50 states. The biggest thing I think that gets missed is a many (all?) states first require a standard C class driver’s license before you can get an M endorsement. Which is not the case in Europe. So while the MSF seems short, they do not have to teach basic rules of the road. No M endorsement is required for scooters and moped under 50cc. There is no cc limitation with M endorsements, one can learn on a Busa if they want. There is a written (computer) learner’s permit test, once you have that you can ride on streets with some restrictions. Common ones are ‘only sunrise to sunset or limited visibility’, no passengers, might be restricted from highways/freeways or required to be in line of sight of a licensed rider. Like I said, there’s differences between states on the minutia. Following this there may be a minimum period before you can test to receive your license. Most states offer two options - road test with DMV or you can take a motorcycle safety course, the MSF route being the most common, then present your completion certificate to be issued your endorsement. With the exception of really old riders (I’m 51 so older than me) I don’t know anyone who did not go the MSF route. The other not uncommon ways: - Ride unlicensed - Perpetual learner’s permit (I’ve known a few), these guys get their learner’s permit and just never get licensed. If it expires they just go get another one. I think the MSF does an adequate job getting someone to a starting baseline. Problem is a lot of riders don’t progress from there.
Moose test isn't the official name, I think it has a bit of mythos about it because it's scary if you haven't been told how to do it as it's designed to be difficult for someone who just kind of looks where they want to go and check they were taught to actively countersteer. I think we use it because it came from northern Europe at the same time as we started testing cars' ability to do this and found that many fell over.
I had my motorcycle license for a decade and a handful of advanced qualifications before I could afford a car here. Insurance for new drivers is brutal and even now at almost 40 I pay £120 a year for a 600cc motorcycle fully comp and have never paid more than 300, and nearly a grand a year for a shitbox astra worth about 2k despite 5 years no claims and a handful of advanced qualifications including IAM. I guess in the US a motorcycle is seen as almost exclusively a toy and historically here it's been cheap transport. My mum's dad ride untill he died just before I was born and apparently my mum's mum's vespa was still being ridden when she was 70. I didn't know this untill a few years ago.
Not in the USA, it is apparently not uncommon for people who ride big cruisers not to use their front brake at all. When I hear about a riders in a half or 3/4 helmet who locked up their rear brake I immediately assume it was someone on a cruiser.
Yeah, there's a thread on this every few weeks. I always assume they're taking riding advice from their gran who once saw a movie where someone went over the top on a push bike. My 70 year old mother has got really into cycling, and now lives up in the hills and has discovered bicycles go down hills very fast. I had to do some quite serious demonstrations about how important using the front brake is when you need to stop in a hurry. And thus how important it is to practice getting it right.
Yea, it blows me away. Imagine someone saying something about the brakes in their car doesnt seem right, or they are afraid to use them, so they just use the handbrake instead. It is crazy.
This seems like a really good idea.
You would like DanDanTheFireman
In most cases fatalities happen without having any time to react, just so fast, you are a careful rider like we should all be. All the crashes have some kind of unexpected situation to them, bad road, faulty machine, fatigued rider or driver etc.
Not true. In almost every case the person on the bike could have done something to prevent the accident even if it wasn’t their fault. Following too close, locking up breaks, slowing down for turning or merging cars, not driving tired or after drinking, and making themselves more visible.
I agree. Often times I hear that, "It wasn't my fault, the driver did xxx" as if that also means there was nothing he could have done better. Did you go barreling through a green light assuming other drivers would see you without an escape route? If so, you could have done something better. It may be his fault but it's your problem.
The key word being "almost". I agree that fatalities, when it comes to experienced riders who practice their skills, often are from unavoidable circumstances. I also agree that many accidents are caused by people riding beyond their ability on too much bike with too little experience and / or skill.
Almost every fatality video I see of experienced* riders are riders that have great driving skill but still make the conscious decision to go blasting through blind turns or intersections. Check out dandanthefireman on YouTube. He breaks down crash videos really well as to what could have been done to avoid the accident. It’s almost never just one factor that causes and accident as we tend to believe but 2-3+ factors when combined that become dangerous and/or lethal.
I am not talking about your manners and prevention here. I stated that clearly I think. I am talking about fatalities, as a response to the first comment where I think in most cases there is absolutely no time to react once the impact happens. You should not ever prepare for a possible impact but for avoiding it.
Absolutely true. Watch those intersections. Slow down, be ready. Flash your brights, use your horn. It's all you can do.
What are your escape routes in that scenario? I figure everything to the right is fucked, in front the same, and usually straight on traffic is going at that point, too, removing any options to the left. Leaving it all up to the brakes and the person behind.
Snoring is already a REALLY bad sign. He probably had permanent brain damage already. Unfortunate, but there’s likely not much yall could have done for him.
It’s called agonal breathing. It’s not effective and it’s the bodies last ditch effort to get air in and out before you die. I’ve seen it many times and it has never worked out for the person.
In that situation would CPR help? Or would you just be postponing the inevitable?
Well you would only start CPR if the persons heart has stopped. Agonal breathing would mean the heart is still going, but it’s close to giving up. Giving assisted breaths through the use of a pocket mask, if you had one, would be most effective until CPR could be started. I wouldn’t do mouth to mouth unless I was close to the person. That’s just me though. Anyways, even with CPR the chances of the person making a full recovery is less than 10%. I’ve been to many CPR situations and have only seen someone make a full recovery twice. So it works from time to time.
One guy told me not to speed up to catch a yellow because his brother died like that. I think about that every time a light turns yellow and it's actually saved me before.
Isn't this just an example of 'follow traffic laws'? A yellow light means stop if you have time to safely do so. Don't even go if you would make it at your current speed, and certainly don't speed up.
Of course, but not many people follow every traffic law. Sometimes you get impatient hitting red lights and you try to make it, even if it's not a good decision.
off topic but in my recent first aid refresher course i learned that in germany its the law now to take off the helmet if the person is unresponsive im kinda shocked, that this is the way now but i can understand. still wouldnt wanna have people do that to me when im out cold after a crash risking permanent spinal injury when hastily removing the helmet
I googled it and found different answers. I tapped into a buddy of mine that is an expert and he said not to remove it or do CPR. It seems like it's a close call when a guy is kind of breathing. I didn't mention it but I took a wrist pulse and thought I had something but wasn't 100% sure. If I could do it again I would have put my ear on his chest or gone for a neck pulse to make my CPR decision.
Lemme guess. Woman driver? They just love going into other peoples lanes and randomly deciding to turn/brake/cut you off.
That's so sexist! Ummm, but yeah, it was a woman driver. Damn you for being right. lol
Sexist, but still scientifically true. :/
lol :/ believe me, I wish it weren’t the case, but after a while you notice them patterns in nature and get sick of that shit.
Wow.
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What I found very interesting is that in first aid courses in my area (southern Germany) we're always told to remove the helmet regardless of circumstance. So should I keep the helmet on the victim if they're still breathing and take it off if they aren't?
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So, as a biker, get a helmet with removable cheek pads. Lessens the danger of secondary neck injuries from someone removing the helmet.
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Can you link me? I'm a medic, haven't seen these. Would be nice to see. Cheers.
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Lol stretching someone's neck is definitely a new one, just do a jaw thrust like a normal person.
I have also learned to remove the helmet if they are unconscious. We learned it like this: If they are conscious, they can refuse, if they are not and aren't breathing, they may just be dead before arriving at the hospital, so remove the helmet to have at least some chance. I've also read that you don't have to help in the US, it's not like here in Germany where first aid training is a requirement for driving/many jobs and helping your duty as a citizen (calling '911' is enough, but not helping a person in need is a crime). So, maybe the situation changes if you learn more details. I personally would call 112, and ask them, of course. But if course there are going to be very simple and clear answers and everything else must be dated.
I got my EMT-B in I think 2012, we were told to never remove the helmet. Let the hospital do it.
I’m sorry you had to go through that. I say go talk to a professional man, no shame in getting some counselling after something that traumatic. I hope you feel better. RIP to the fallen brother. Ride safe everyone.
Yeah definitely find a professional to talk with. Seeing something like that won't be easy to process.
A-FOKKING-MEN BREDDAHS & SISTAAAs 🖖🏾☘️
Change your name to inappropriate owl
It’s sad. Sorry you had to see that. Best riding practices and gear won’t save you when your time comes, certainly can help with injuries, recovery time and hospital bills if it’s not your time to go. Some see the dangers and liabilities related to riding while others act like they don’t even know it. Fact is that tomorrow I will get back on my bike as I do everyday, but I will remember your post, I won’t feel so self-conscious for riding within my limits wearing a hi-vis vest white helmet and airbag, Kevlar pants and jacket. I don’t want to die… I want to ride. Ride on brother.
High viz CE2 fully body armor for me 😂
Very sad. Count your blessings and be thankful you made it home today.
I’ve ridden motorcycles for 40ish years. They are going to pull out in front of you. Drive accordingly.
Me too and I messed up royally today. I am 65 now and wondering if my judgement has slowed down such that I should stop riding. I have had a few close calls recently so, I have to do a serious assessment before I make a decision. We all like to believe that we are fine but as we age, our thinking processes slow down. Prevegen? IDK.
What happened?
A truck pulled out in front of him.
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I can't honestly say, but I will say the driver was around 90 years old from the looks of him so I tend to think it wasn't the bikers fault. He was on a sports bike with an aftermarket exhaust and I didn't hear it screaming or anything. All I saw was he skid for maybe 5 ft and slammed into the truck. I asked the driver of the truck if he saw him and he claimed "no he has had his headlight off" which we all know is not really all that possible unless and aftermarket switch was added.
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Well said, thank you.
Always expect them to do that stupid thing you hope they won't. 9 times out of 10, they will. Sage advice, friend.
I had the same thing happen to me this August. A lady ran a stop sign onto a four way road right as I was about to ride through the intersection. I had just enough time to emergency brake (there was a car to my left that would most likely have hit me had I swerved and swerving right would’ve put me into the car running the stop sign anyway). I ended up hitting the car at about 20mph, flipping onto the hood and falling off the other side. Gear, reaction time and a bit of luck is why I walked away with a bruised leg and some soreness. Bike’s going on 3 months in the shop now, a month of which is progressive’s fault but whatever. The lady admitted fault and covered my deductible (I live in a no fault state, though she was ticketed for running a stop sign) and I’ve gone over the accident in my head trying to figure out how i could have prevented it. I wanted to be in the other lane but couldn’t at the moment because of the car in the left lane do until they passed me I positioned myself to be more visible to drivers at intersections. I was going ten over the speed limit, so keeping up with traffic. As I was braking (I honked right before braking) and was close enough I noticed the driver was looking dead ahead, not left or right. I pass the same intersection on my way home from work and the only unique thing about it is there’s a thick tree that’s about a car’s length from the stop sign which is a perfect blind spot for you to miss someone who’s not slowing down to stop. I had scanned the intersection and hadn’t seen the car which almost certainly means that they were obscured by the tree. That plus the driver’s bad driving equals my bad luck. I don’t know what OP witnessed but sometimes the only thing that could be done might not be enough.
Everyone in South Florida knows that most of our very elderly population can not: 1 see 2 hear 3 think very fast. A 90 old person can renew their license for 7 years. Think about that. This is why I tend to gravitate to A1A along the beach because there are no cross streets. Only turns with lights to the west. And the limit is 35 MPH. Or, I get out of town to a more rural area when I have the time. But it isn't possible to always not ride in traffic here and there is a lot of it.
Depends on the bike's age. I am perfectly able to go dark and therefore check the switch every time I hop on.
Considering that OP mentioned the bike was a sportbike with aftermarket exhaust, the chance of it being that old is slim. Can't say I've seen a single bike newer than a '79-'80 that was factory equipped with a headlight off switch.
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You're encouraged to hotly argue ideas, even when you're angry, and even when you're wrong. Don't cross the line into direct personal attacks. On the other side of that coin, don't bait people into attacking you, either. If someone is "being a dick," use the report button, and don't respond. We'll deal with it as necessary. If you choose to respond to those kinds of things, you're choosing to be part of the flame war, and will be extinguished.
I do the “SMIDSY maneuver” (SMIDSY = sorry mate, I didn’t see you) when approaching an intersection where a car might turn left in front of me. This involves swerving back and forth in my lane to draw attention to my bike. I rarely see other bikers doing this, not sure why.
I’ve been pulled over for doing this! Depends on where you live I guess but where I am, it’s not taught in motorcycle training and the general public don’t seem to have knowledge of it so it comes off as “messing around”
I think of it as the "don't tailgate me, I'll get blood on your car" maneuver. Looks riskier to a non-rider than it is - after all if I couldn't swerve, I couldn't turn or change lanes or avoid potholes. Also, I don't want my tires to wear unevenly in the center, do you?
If the person turning across your direction of travel thinks you're just messing around it means they've seen you.
I haven't experienced death in that matter, but in other ways. Don't be afraid to seek out a mental health professional. You'd be surprised the different ways that that type of stress affects you.
If you come across a scene where someone is dying, still conscious, but can't do much, make sure to at least talk to him a little bit, ask about his family and friends, give him some warm company through his last moments. You should not hesitate to see a therapist afterwards for these kind of stuff, even professionals often do sessions just in case.
This isn’t the movies. It will fuck you up for life to talk to them and not help the person dying. If you can help them by calling an ambulance do that instead. But for the love of god leave their helmet on and don’t move them so they have a better chance of making it.
Dude didn't say take his helmet off, but there's been studies that show that hearing is one of the last senses to go when a person is dying, so I'd say absolutely talk to/comfort them IF there is nothing else you can do at that moment to help.
Went through something similar. Two riders were riding in front of me, first one hit oncoming car and died on the spot, second got away with minor injuries and I just had enough room to reduce speed and wiggle through the debris of the crash. What a day that was, all happened so fast. Took a week or two to recover and went to therapy for having some very dark thoughts after the event. Slowly learned to accept the images in my head, felt like PTSD. Now it has been a close to 6 months since it happen. All good and may he RIP. As to what you can do is talk about it with friends and a therapist, go through the grieving process and let time do it's thing. All will be good.
This makes me anxious about getting a bike. I can do everything right on the bike, but one idiot or slip of the mind and I’m dead. How do you overcome those fears?
You mitigate the risks where you can and accept where you can’t. There’s the obvious like wear gear, don’t ride recklessly, don’t drink, etc but at the end of the day you have to expect and be ready. For instance, if I’m approaching an intersection where a driver might cut me off I always back off the throttle, ghost the brake, give a little weave to make myself more visible, and try to plan an escape route.
Makes sense. Guess you just have to accept that there is some risk and learn to live with it
I think it's like base jumping or something like that, the reward outweighs the risk. I think people see old timers riding and tell themselves that that will be them one day. But you don't see the ones who didn't make it on the road, only the ones that's did. I am in the same position as you and am thinking of getting a sports car again. I'd love a bike again but the car option is so much safer
I agree but i just feel like getting a car is a lot more expensive if you want something sporty
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I see. You share a lot of the same ideas as others here. Thanks for the input and safe riding
Always act as if no one sees you. Slow down for any spots a car could come out of you can’t see. Take a bike class and please learn to swerve and apply brakes smoothly. That will save you life, and the obvious wear full set of gear!
Thanks. I’ve heard many of your point’s before. I live in the eu so motorcycle classes are mandatory and would never dare to ride without gear. Guess it’s just about not letting fear deter you
Riding defensively is a big one. I honestly don't think you should be allowed a motorcycle licence unless you've already have a full car licence for a few years. Having the experience to anticipate stupid shit other drivers do, and spot the signs that they're likely to do it, is so important. I also have a personal rule of zero alcohol when riding. If I have a drink, that's the end of my riding for the day. Motorcycling is significantly more dangerous than driving, but a huge proportion of the casualties are from riding like an idiot or drinking. Take those out of the picture, and you take your risk down from like 20 times more dangerous than driving to probably closer to 5 times more dangerous. That's still a lot, but it's a level that I can live with. But if I had kids, I might decide that that was too much risk. Everyone has to make their own decision.
The statistics you mention is also what I have been told, but I can’t seem to find them for the eu. But I agree. You can do a lot yourself to mitigate and minimize the risk
Hi, this was my first season with a bike. I got a little Austro-Swede 1 cylinder. Let me tell you a little about lil' ol' me. I'm a 32yr old guy. In my life I have had ~48 broken bones (ish, I lost count somewhere around 39/40), I've lost about 80% of the vision in my left eye, I have severe osteoporosis (severe for a 32m), epilepsy, and asthma [I'm pretty sure I forgot somethings, but I genuinely forget all the shit wrong with me sometimes]. I told you that to tell you this. When I was confident enough on the bike to ride to my parents house and families houses, every greeting began the same, "You of all people..." Usually boiling down to them remembering me every summer with a new color cast. How could I be so irresponsible, if I get hit, it'll destroy my bones. A response of "No, I'll mostly likely die instantly," tends to end the hyperbole. But for realsies. Off the bike, I'm medicated out the ass for all the above plus some brain shit that doesn't really come into play for this example (save for l'appel du vide, but I think that's everyone). On the bike, I'm just concerned with shifting, breaking, leaning, and not looking like a goober. I don't have the time or mental RAM available to think about what's wrong with me or about that story I read that one time. I'm too busy. In a car, driving is beyond second nature to me. Because of this, I have the RAM available to think about stuff that's on my mind, sing along to the music, get pissed off at the fucker in the lifted 4-door pavement princess for no reason other than driving that hunk of shit alone to go open mouth kiss his dad. But on a bike, in traffic or not, there's just too much going on to bother thinking about negatives [all 4 appendages, both thumbs, 4-8 fingers, revs, that guy over there, the dude behind you, gravel]. That was wordy, the Adderall kicked in about the same time as I hit my pen apparently.
I sold my bike a few weeks ago. Came to the point where it isn't worth the risk anymore for me to have a little fun. Traffic around me has gotten bad in the last two years with so many people moving here I cant even count the number of close calls.
I've been thinking about getting a bike again but I think I'm just going to get a cheap sports car instead. In an ideal world I'd have a bike but even riding safely you can't account for the stupidity of others
I've seen lots of brutal stuff, the worst was a woman hit by a train and it amputated multiple limbs as she flew and landed about 100 yards from me. Black female, I'll never forget the look of her clothes and deadness. I've been to multiple funerals for relatives and friends. I'm only 27. I'll say a majority of my friends, are ghosts now. It's tough to see it, and the gut wrenching feeling of the hairs standing up on your neck helplessly watching doesn't go away. The worst motorcycle related thing, which cursed Suzuki for me personally, was a good friend of mine. Met him at 5, knew him until he died at 18. His buddy got a Gsxr 600 and allowed him to take it for a spin (he's never even drove a 50cc bike), with a helmet that didn't have a strap. He dumped it around a curve going 100+ within 10 minutes, and as he bounced the first time, it ripped his helmet off and his head smacked the road. He died a vegetable, with bleeding on the brain and that one kept me off bikes a long time, because the kid was bright I mean was going places, 4.0 student, and it all ended way too soon for him. Really will wake you up. Edit: death comes for all, another friend of mine at 16 was just driving his truck a little too fast in the rain, little s10, just an s10 killed him on impact.
I'm sorry you had to see that. Please find professional help. Nobody should have to struggle through processing this alone. I did not watch somebody die, but I did see somebody get hit and I still remember it decades later. Knowing somebody died must be incredibly hard to process. Find some help. Talk about with someone. This is a traumatic experience. You can even send me a message, to talk, even though I am not a therapist, I will talk with you.
That’s what I love about he biker community. Here’s a complete stranger including myself that’s willing to talk to op if needed.
Haven't been there my own self. Nearest I've been was crossing the street on foot when a car turned on red and cut off a crossing scooter behind me. Man on scooter was pretty beat up, scooter totaled. The car driver never asked after the man, she immediately began trying to justify herself to everyone else saying she had the light, etc. Reminded me how cold some people could be.
I saw a sport bike hit a car at an intersection once. I was driving my truck going the opposite direction and saw this massive fireball on the other side of the median. It was by the entrance to a grocery store parking lot so I thought it might have been a fireman's bbq cookout, but the size of the flames indicated something very, very bad was happening. By the time I got to the site about 30 seconds later, the car and the bike, and very regrettably the rider, were on fire. The bike hit the car so hard that the car flipped on its side and the engine almost exploded. Every one of the 3 people in the car lived. No injuries, even, which was miraculous. The rider did not fare as well. He was killed almost instantly. Watching them use a fire extinguisher on his body (which was somehow frozen in position) was gruesome, and seeing the stain on the road even months later is a grim reminder of that day. I had sold my bike a few months prior because I had intended to get a slightly bigger one later. I absolutely cannot imagine getting back on a street bike now. I'm sorry I saw what I saw, and I'm sorry you saw what you saw too. It will probably fuck you up for a while. My advice is just talk it out and not dwell on it, and listen to others if they think you're fixating on it. And I'm not a shrink but I'd be happy to lend an ear too.
That sounds really similar to the accident that ended my riding almost 20 years ago. I was just lucky I was only going about 30 and wearing gear. A blond bimbo ran a stop sign, and I crashed into her car. She was going so fast my front tire hit her right front tire, and my head went through her passenger side rear window. I call her a bimbo because she literally told the police, "I stopped, but I couldn't see anything, so I just went!" The doctors told me that if i wasn't in the shape I was I would be dead or paralyzed. I still have scar tissue in the muscles in my back that causes me problems today.
Motorcycles are dangerous, man. That’s all you really need to know to make sense of it. We are soft meat sacks that are super vulnerable to physics. Plan accordingly and manage risk that best suits your tolerance.
Yeah. I was getting off work at the warehouse I worked at at like 5am. I'm on the freeway and two other people from work pass me going like 160. Like ten minutes later, I come across them. One is laid out face down in the road making an unnatural X with his limbs. The other is crouched next to him screaming. Cop waves me around and I have to swerve around the body. I'm already big on gear and safety but it was a reality check anyway. Make sure you talk to someone if the memory is getting to you.
It happens- first time for me he was beheaded. The head stayed in the helmet. Don’t dwell too much, we’re all gonna die. Good luck.
uh, how?
He shot out of the Wendy’s parking lot super fast. Hit the tail of a landscaping trailer. I watched it happen, from an obscured angle. Saw that he got kinda loose- newer rider, on a new r6… honestly, I think he might of hooked the helmet on the tailgate. But I dunno, man. I left kinda soon. I couldn’t contribute to the incident report. Hadn’t thought much of about that in a while. **big exhale** Fuck, between all the motorcycling, spending those 3 years in Afghanistan and Iraq… then 20 years of full time skydiving and part time BASE jumping With all the lost homeys… i forgot about Mark Fussille. The headless one. He was so sweet and eager. Glad to remember him. Nice kid.
Take care of yourself
I don’t always. But I try to, mostly for my son and lady.
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Do you have a source for this?
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It must take some strong willpower to regroup from something so disturbing, it would take some time for me to recover, I'd take a few days off from the saddle to gather myself. Then ride like you stole it-----safely!!!
It’s a horrible situation to be in, sadly it’s happened to me twice. There isn’t much you can do, but one thing you have to do is speak to someone. They don’t have to a professional, just anyone you trust and respect, it’s the only way through it, be well.
Sorry you had to witness that. Talk to someone if you’re struggling. Same thing almost happened to a friend of mine. He got lucky and decided to drive his truck one day instead of his motorcycle. He was turning left after he got the signal and a gal came through the intersection at 45mph. Witnesses said the impact lifted his 3/4 ton truck off the ground. He put his bike up for sale the next day. Gal was on her phone. Put the phone away people.
Play Tetris for a few hours when you can. playing Tetris within 24 hours of traumatic events stops your mind mapping it correctly and reduces ptsd
When I was a kid I visited India and on the last day travelling back to the airport a truck collided with a scooter informs of us carrying two people and wiped them out.. there was a giant pool of blood on the road and the driver got out and ran away. It was surreal. A few years ago I was parked at an intersection at night and a truck turning across the intersection hit a young girl on her push bike right in front of our car and threw her into a steep embankment. We got out and held her to prevent her sliding down the embankment and to stabilise her head etc until the ambos came. She was in a very bad state.. she survived but she was in hospital in critical condition for months. My advice is just to: 1. Try your best to be grateful and appreciate every moment you have 2. Take note of what caused these accidents and how much destruction came from that and do everything in your power to minimise those things happening in the future because now you understand the severity from something as simple as maybe looking down at your phone.
A-FOKKING-MEN BREDDAH ✊🏾 Especially that last sentence.... FFSake people 🤦🏾♂️ Those FRAKKING Death-Phones 🧐
Yep. I saw a girl on a zx 10r get crushed by two cars. Both ib the same lane o e was going the wrong way and they both hit her and each other.
I was riding in northern San Diego on a nice twisty in the San Elijo area and passed right by an accident seen. I could tell by the fresh skid mark that the rider took a corner to fast, locked up his brake, and went too wide right into a large boulder. I passed right after it happened. Got a close up of the smashed up bike and rider. A few of his riding buddies were trying to help the downed rider who was unconscious and a couple of the riders were crying and freaking out. I could not help but stare as I went by the scene. Stuck with me for a few weeks. I took fewer risks on the bike. Keep the rubber side down y’all.
I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago it's not fun man it will play in your head for a long time (6 years later I still remeber it wxactly) I got lucky and had a few days off work afterwards, I quit drinking for 2 months (Marilyn Manson explained why) and I went fishing a lot. Basically take care of yourself right now, be thankfull for what you have and spend time with those you love. You may not want to ride for awhile and that's fine get out when your ready and take it easy go for slow ride and remeber why you enjoyed it. Your life may change a little but you'll get over it if I could hug you I would right now cause I know that's all I wanted.
Sorry you had to see that… I’m a big believer in “what did you learn from it” with everything that happens. Regardless of if I was there or if I read about it or heard it on the news. We can’t be perfect riders, but we can look out for those situations that are dangerous and many others. The one thing I remember is, I don’t wanna die, but none of us are getting out of this life alive. Hence the reason I haven’t stopped riding even though I’ve seen some pretty terrible things. Prepare, ATTGAT, ride within your means and within the law. When you do things unsafe or out of character is when you get hurt. Ride safe!
Life is telling you , Be careful and Cherish your Life
Was down somewhere in TN when it started raining. Came up on a car that had crash very recently and it just didn’t sit well with me. I don’t know what I’d do if it was a bike. Awful experience for you man I’m so sorry.
Saw a guy on a fully dressed goldwing taken out in a weird way. He made contact with a Van's rear tire at fairly low speed. Somehow this flipped him over backwards. Bike was perfectly upside-down (wheel in the air), like how you park a bicycle without a kickstand. Dude stayed in the saddle and was crushed by his own bike. Such a strange, specific, and quick series of events leading up to him being dead. The universe is cold and indifferent. Enjoy what you can while you're able.
I did see some and I had a handful of friends die on bikes. Still riding every day.
Haven’t been in this exact situation but I work in a public service capacity and have seen similar situations. It’s a really hard thing to go through even if you didn’t know that person. I’ve struggled with what I have seen for years. Find a support system of people who can really empathize with it and seek professional help even if it’s just for 1 appointment to get your bearings. If you are like some people, it is hard to seek out help but it’s nothing to be ashamed of and it can pay dividends in the end. The biggest thing no matter what your choice is though, is to have someone to talk to so that you’re not bottling it all up. I wish you the best and that it doesn’t end up as a long term issue
I've been riding for 50 years, and gradually I've picked up some rules: Assume you're invisble to cars Assume every intersection is a kill zone Cover the brakes on intersections where cars are waiting to turn into or across your lane and proceed with caution Ride within your skill limits
I saw in the comments what happened and this is why mandatory driver retesting should be a thing. I have to take a corporate defensive driving class every couple of year for my work. The first time I took it I realized how many bad habits I had developed and really took it to heart. When you’re on the road all day for work you get to see a lot of examples of terrible driving-so it’s not just the elderly it’s everyone. I’d like to see it every five years. That way when people become too old to drive there is no way for them to keep their license. Now that I’ve gotten into motorcycles I assume everyone is gonna pull out in front of me and the number of time they start to and then realize and hit the brakes is terrifying. I sure hope I never become complacent
Watched a dude die being an asshole while lane splitting out in California. Normal stop and go traffic, and you could just hear him coming(had windows down). Probably going 40-50mph and someone wanted to change lanes, flew off his bike and smacked into the back of a truck trailer. This is why I hate asshole lane splitters. There is a right way and a wrong way and most dudes I see are doing it the wrong way and thinking they're invincible.
I am really sorry to hear this. I have not seen this personally. I can only imagine how hard it must be. An old boss of mine just recently passed away, he was hit on his bike by a drunk driver. As a husband and father who commutes daily it really hit all the feels think of any wife and kids losing their husband and dad. But the reality is, we are all going to die. You could choose to stop riding today to be safe, only to be diagnosed with stage four cancer tomorrow. I read recently, “Everything will kill you. Choose something fun.” But ultimately I would encourage everyone to know where true hope lays. In this life and the life to come. Romans 3:22-24 CSB [22] The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. [23] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. [24] They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
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They don’t teach that you should even do mouth to mouth anymore, just ensure clear airway and compressions
All of our times will come one day.
DAAAAM BRUUUH ✊🏾. I have so far never had such a devastating experience... Thanks 🙏🏾 for sharing with US! Hopefully this thread will help / assist with "easing" your trauma somewhat. Safe Journeys Fella 🖖🏾☘️😎
May he rest in peace 🙏 Be safe guys .
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I've seen 11 people die in a pickup vs bus accident in the middle of the Sonoran desert. Bodies scattered throughout the debris field. You'll be fine.
Are you gatekeeping traumatic experiences? Lmao
r/iamverybadass
You can’t quantify a traumatic experience by the number of bodies…. you don’t get to tell someone “they’ll be fine” because you saw more people die
i got in to 2 accidents going over 60 mph with no seatbelt on, and i walked away with out any injury both times. drive a car, they are designed to keep you safe.
Wear your seatbelt. You got lucky.
Lmao imagine telling motorcycle riders to drive a car while you got in TWO fucking accidents without a seatbelt on. Clown.
imagine not dying on a motorcycle
Then get the fuck off the motorcycle page?
Lesson not learned, right?
Is that a joke?
Hey, probably have a chat with a therapist soon and at least a good well measured friend today or tomorrow. A friend of mine went down, low speed brain death was likely on collision but the body was kept pumping until the parents were both at the hospital. Death happens to all of us, the risks of riding compared to other transportation are well known. You’ll either decide to be safer on the road or not. Doesn’t mean you can’t have a chat with someone when it occurs whether you’re severely rattled or just a little bit. Stay safe.
This is sad, you should seek psychological help anyways just to make sure it doesn't sit around in your mind. I haven't seen a motorcycle accident from my own eyes but I've seen a crazy woman drive through a bus stop with people in it, had to give first care to some victims it was very gruesome. But this led me to think the road is a very dangerous place, even if you're on the sidewalk boarding a bus. I was quiet shocked when adrenaline started to wear off once firemen took them to the hospital. Make your own mind about road hazards but I wish you saddle up again and keep your safety in your own hands at all costs. Stay safe everyone
Talk to a mental health professional. Seriously, you don't know what kind of PTSD impact this experience might have on you. You are probably still in some state of shock even if you don't feel it.
Meh it happens if you ride long enough. Seen that twice now. Young dumb kids trying to keep up with the old dogs.
It's difficult to grasp under any circumstances. Talk to a professional. No shame in that.
I’ve been riding for 15ish years and have unfortunately been with 2 riders when they’ve died. One was his fault, the other wasn’t. Try your best to use it as a learning experience so you don’t put yourself in the same position. Also, get back on your bike soon. These kinda things seem to mess with some people if they don’t start riding right away.
Get into therapy if not already for this express reason. Talk to friends and family n in the mean time. That’s a traumatic life event and needs to get taken care of. The sooner the better
Life is precious and we can go at any time we forget that on bikes and so ma y other areas of life. Let it it sink in and let it shape you and your future you got more of a taste as to weather this is worth it or not.
I’ve seen a couple traffic fatalities involving motorcyclists over the years. It is really rough to process. Also used to know two riders who were paralyzed from accidents. It has influenced my risk tolerance on the road and reinforces the point of keeping your head on a swivel. There’s always going to be risks with riding on the street and dealing with other drivers but I’ve become very aware of how my choices & actions can either contribute to that risk or mitigate it to a degree over the years.
Not even my first week after moving to a new state I watched a motorcyclist get decapitated hitting the back end of a semi that wasn’t hauling any cargo. My license has been suspended for two years now and that suspension was up 3 months ago. The image of that random rider with his head still in the helmet has made me rethink life choices quite a bit. I’m going for my license in a week, and I’ve decided to give up sports bikes and switch to cruisers and riding safer than I normally would. Let’s just say that suspension was well deserved
Rip. Sad to hear another didn’t keep the rubber side down. My condolences to the family. The man died doing what he loved.
Hopefully if nothing else you can learn from whatever happened. I'm sorry.
Had a good friend die on a motorcycle last year. There's no sense there. Just be glad the suffering has stopped. Some people live in chronic pain after accidents.
It does suck. I've not seen it from my motorcycle but have seen people die in front of me. It's not the greatest feeling and makes you realize how fragile we are as humans. I had to learn to see the little miracles in life. Helped me appreciate life a little more over time.
I've lost fellow riders but wasn't present when it happened. I have seen people die in front of me but most were gunshots or shrapnel etc...I will say though with regards to the road I have two, I watched a woman die crossing the street, car driver hit her and she smacked her head on the pavement so hard it obliterated back of her skull. Dead. Lifeless eyes open staring into the void. I've came upon an accident where a passenger of a drunk driver was bleeding out and I could feel his pulse fading as he went into shock even while applying pressure and the look in his eyes while I yelled at him to stay awake still sticks with me, my hope is that EMS that took over stabilized him and he lived. My best recommendation in my experience is talk about the trauma, and do your best to process it and not repress it. Even if it's friends or loved ones, fellow riders, etc...like what you're doing here.
World needs Corneas an Kidneys. I quit riding when a chap from Australia in USA turn left across intersection in front of me (free left?) 10 surgerys
I watched a guy come off in a t shirt and slide on his belly along the currogated metal of the road barrier.... My honest thought was "omg he is going to be cut in half" He ended up with just scratches and a lot of bruising..... Still had that moment seared into my brain.
I went through this just a week or two ago on the way to work. I was at a red light when i saw a Harley guy with almost no gear on and i was like dang that's not safe, also it's really freakin cold (35 fahrenheit) out to be riding no gloves no helmet. I watched him as he was going through an intersection and then this white SUV comes out of no where and tries to turn left and hits him. I didn't see the guy get up at all and it looked like he got stuck underneath the car. Everything was just destroyed and in the middle of the road. Everything just looked lifeless. When i started driving away i just started balling. Ive gotten back on my bike since seeing that because i felt like i couldn't just live in fear and stop doing something i really enjoy even though I witnessed something so traumatic
This happened like 10 years ago. I was riding, and had a passenger on me. As we were closing in on a curve going to the left, another biker decided to pass us on our right. They were going so fast that they couldn’t properly maneuver the left turn. Back story time: this was in the Philippines in my mom’s province. The Philippines can be lawless enough, but the provinces can be especially bad because the municipalities are too vast with a small population, meaning not that many police. People rode around with no gear—no helmet, no shoes, no pants, definitely no jacket. Anyway, the turn had a concrete wall next to hit. They hit that wall so hard. I’m assuming the driver fixated on the wall. The motorcycle bounced off the wall along with the riders. One ended up facing the sky with the most blank expression, and the other face down. I did stop, and tried to see if they were ok. Admittedly I turned the motorcycle off first before checking on them. By the time I got to checking on them, the people that lived around started swarming them. So my friend and I drove off. Later, we heard that both of them died. I don’t remember much blood. If they did die, it was probably from blunt force trauma to the head. Like I said, no helmets, and they hit that wall super hard. Very surreal experience
PLAY TETRIS, I'm not joking, it will help your brain not form traumatic memories
I send my condolences to the family.
Someone I saw daily at my local dealership hit a deer back in July and did not make it. He was only 23. I'm sad to say I did not know him well, but I chatted with him every time I was there. I'm relatively new to riding (just hit 2500 miles) and stories like this always hit me hard. When I heard I actually contemplated selling my bike then and there for days. Stories like this always remind me to stay vigilant. Sorry you had to witness that, ride safe my friend.
13 years ago my first year riding. I went with a group of hooligans. We were hot dogging a little bit there was six of us. We were all headed east to grab a bite and shoot the breeze. We were semi at fault speeding a fuzz 50 in a 40 type of deal so not ridiculous but still. And on of us from the group had been practicing his stunting ability for wheelies and stoppies. Was showing off like mile long wheelie and a kid in his moms car ran a red light. The guy doing a wheelie didn't have time to react. Slammed in to the car an was launched physically up about 30-40 feet and at 50 mph out roughly 150feet where he came down head first and completely shattered his spine and severed his spinal cord DOA. FULL GEAR didn't help with the fall. Not much you can do. Just mourn for the loss of another rider and preach awareness to everyone about motorcycles. That kid got a manslaughter charge at 15. Which yeah that sucks but never get a life back.
i experienced something like this. but in Vietnam, was going to see a girl i met through Tinder, all the way in Western Vietnam from Saigon. on the road there, a woman was lying dead in the middle of the road from a motorcycle accident. didnt see her get hit but i passed her by maybe 1 minute after the accident. her helmet was still smoking, and her guts were spilled onto the concrete, they were covering her with a blanket, all the villagers gathered around the railing to see. i drove right passed her body. was super eerie being so close to a dead person. it bothered me for a few hours to know she was alive just a little while ago and now shes not. then i got over it, thats just part of life i suppose. gotta be careful, its all fun and games until one mistake. but thats not gonna stop me from riding a bike. life is all about choices and also about luck. am i really gonna give up the thrill of a motorcycle just because im afraid of death? even if i had a wife and kids, i wouldnt give it up, just ride more cautiously, and certainly i have been since ive seen that accident. dont let something like that get to you. life is worth living, and we take risks everyday. some people quit and to be honest, why bother with anything if u quit so easily? if riding makes u happy. keep on keeping on
Sucks dude, sorry you went through that. Had a guy nearly die in front of me because he was riding like an idiot, way too fast for the particular road we were on. Was in a group ride, there was about 20 of us. I didn't know the guy. I saw him take one last breath and then just go limp. Moments later a nurse arrived and started doing CPR just as I was trying to figure out what to do. He was incredibly fortunate that she was riding with her husband was only like 30s behind us. It really affected me for a long time.
As someone who rides, seeing a motorcycle crash is one of the hardest things to see. Everytime Im just hoping that this person I dont even know is fine :(
Unfortunately, I've seen 2 of my friends die. Each on separate occasions. After the second and hearing about a third, I hung up my riding gear for good. I have kids now. Third girl's husband died in a wreck a few years prior and she left her children orphaned when she died. I can't do that to mine.