[SteveCB500F]

I have to agree with a lot of what I've read in various motorcycling books about intersections being the most dangerous place for a motorcyclist. And you don't even have to be riding through one to experience the danger!

Today I was heading out for some country type roads but had to ride through some suburbs first to get there. I was the second person in line waiting at a four way intersection with lights. The oncoming traffic straight ahead got the green first so they started to go through when all of a sudden a car comes from the left (where the light was red) goes straight through the light and t-bones one of the cars coming through the intersection at about 40-45 MPH...air bags deployed, shattered windows...it was quite a shot.

The impact pushed the t-boned car way off to my right but the red light runner was now rolling towards me going maybe 10-15 MPH at this point. Luckily the driver found the brakes and was able to stop the car. So glad he stomped on the brakes and not the gas by mistake at that point.

I have no idea how this guy missed the light. It's a straight road from the left with good visibility and you can see the light from about 150 feet away. He was either staring at his phone or totally daydreaming (or both). Definitely wasn't drunk because he got out and started talking to some of the people who started to gather.

Anyway, point is, always be alert and in gear when waiting at intersections...not just for cars coming from behind but for things in front of you and to the sides. I was in gear and paying attention but I sort of froze when I saw his car rolling towards me. In hindsight, I stopped about 10 feet behind the car in front of me (like I always do) so I had room to the left or right to goose it and get out of the way but I was like a deer in the headlights for a few seconds and didn't move. Lesson learned, next time (if I'm lucky like I was today) I'm getting on the throttle and getting out of the way!

 

[Herrick]

That's scary indeed.

 

[mike721]

Wow!

 

[hogcowboy]

I'm not surprised you froze. It's not like you practice for such an event. I've been in similar situation. I did move but it felt like every move was in slow motion. In my case the guy hit the right front quarter panel of the car behind me. So I would have been nailed. But I hated that slow motion feeling when everything was actually happening very fast.

 

[Doc Samson]

Those types of situations always make me think "What if...?" Glad you weren't involved except as a witness!

As for how someone could miss a red light? Well, these days it's almost a guarantee they were "phoning it in" so to speak!

I ride a 3 mile section of 4 lane, undivided highway to work. Lots of school buses, 18 wheelers, dump trucks, etc. and the number of auto drivers staring directly into their laps or the bottom of the passenger seat never fails to amaze me.

 

[SteveCB500F]

I'm not surprised you froze. It's not like you practice for such an event. I've been in similar situation. I did move but it felt like every move was in slow motion. In my case the guy hit the right front quarter panel of the car behind me. So I would have been nailed. But I hated that slow motion feeling when everything was actually happening very fast.

Yeh, that's a great point. I know exactly what I’m going to do if a car ever comes from behind and doesn’t look like he’s going to stop. I practice for that and I’m always checking my back when I’m the last person stopped in a line. I flash my brake light and sometimes put my hazard lights on as a car is approaching. And I always stop at an angle so that I have an emergency escape route if someone’s not going to stop.

But having a crash happen right in front of you…that is so rare that I haven’t given it much thought about how to react. The problem is you don’t know which direction the cars are going to go in after the impact. Every crash is different…the speed, angle of impact, type of vehicles involved.

When I saw the car coming from the left I almost knew there was going to be a crash. He was going way too fast and it was clear he didn’t see the red light. So maybe that’s the point at which I should have goosed it to the left (in the opposite direction of the force of impact). I had about 4-5 seconds where I could’ve made a move before the crash. Hard to say. Maybe staying put was the best choice. Just glad someone was looking out for me yesterday!

 

[SteveCB500F]

Those types of situations always make me think "What if...?" Glad you weren't involved except as a witness!

As for how someone could miss a red light? Well, these days it's almost a guarantee they were "phoning it in" so to speak!

I ride a 3 mile section of 4 lane, undivided highway to work. Lots of school buses, 18 wheelers, dump trucks, etc. and the number of auto drivers staring directly into their laps or the bottom of the passenger seat never fails to amaze me.

I think the worst "what if?" would have been if he accidentally stomped on the gas instead of the brake after the crash. His air bag deployed and he was bounced around inside of the car pretty good. After the impact he was trying to get the car stopped and that's the point at which he was rolling towards me at around 10 MPH. So, it wouldn't have been lights out for me had he hit me at that speed but it wouldn't have been fun either. But had he stomped on the gas by mistake...yikes.

We really, really, really need to do something big about distracted driving. It's no better than drunk driving in my opinion. You should only be on your phone if it's an emergency and nothing else. Makes no sense to me at all that we give people a license to operate a 4,000 pound missile but it's okay if they're not paying attention while they're behind the wheel.

 

[hogcowboy]

Oh they get fined if caught. Like that's the best that can be done. It's a crock. The phone companies could stop the carnage but don't. This sue happy country should be suing the phone companies. They'd make it right if they started getting hit in their pocketbook. When you can stop texting while driving and don't, you are just as much at fault as the texter. Hit them where it hurts and they'll stop the texting while driving. But the survivors will have to do it.

 

[Herrick]

Oh they get fined if caught. Like that's the best that can be done. It's a crock. The phone companies could stop the carnage but don't. This sue happy country should be suing the phone companies. They'd make it right if they started getting hit in their pocketbook. When you can stop texting while driving and don't, you are just as much at fault as the texter. Hit them where it hurts and they'll stop the texting while driving. But the survivors will have to do it.

How could the phone companies stop texting while driving? From the few articles I've read, the driver would have to willingly install an app that blocks texts. If phones had these apps installed by default and they couldn't be disabled, how will the app tell when you're driving or when you're on a train, bus, or subway...or how could the app tell if you're just a passenger who isn't driving?

 

[Doc Samson]

How could the phone companies stop texting while driving? From the few articles I've read, the driver would have to willingly install an app that blocks texts. If phones had these apps installed by default and they couldn't be disabled, how will the app tell when you're driving or when you're on a train, bus, or subway...or how could the app tell if you're just a passenger who isn't driving?

I have done that with my phone, i.e. set it so that I get no texts or calls while driving. If I'm a passenger, I just scroll and tap to indicate that I'm not driving...

 

[hogcowboy]

How Can A Phone Company Stop Texting While Driving?

How could the phone companies stop texting while driving? From the few articles I've read, the driver would have to willingly install an app that blocks texts. If phones had these apps installed by default and they couldn't be disabled, how will the app tell when you're driving or when you're on a train, bus, or subway...or how could the app tell if you're just a passenger who isn't driving?

Okay, maybe I should say I think they could. It seems to me, they know if the phone is moving above some set amount, so they could stop the ability to transmit.

The real argument is how would they know if the phone is moving in a car versus a bus, train, ship or plane. I got no answer there. But I do think they can stop the texting if movement above a set amount is detected since they track the phone anyway.

They might have to change the texting apps though to be able to know what kind of transportation texting is coming from. But really, what's more important, texting or human lives? Texting should only be allowed stationary might be what folks would need to agree to. I honestly don't see why I need to text and any speed above 25mph.

But then I don't use my phone for much more than a phone. So I admit I might not see why it's so important to be able to text at 75mph in a car or 250mph in a plane. But yes, the apps themselves might have to change. And I do think they(the phone companies) can control that. I might be wrong in that assumption though.

 

[Herrick]

Okay, maybe I should say I think they could. It seems to me, they know if the phone is moving above some set amount, so they could stop the ability to transmit.

The real argument is how would they know if the phone is moving in a car versus a bus, train, ship or plane. I got no answer there. But I do think they can stop the texting if movement above a set amount is detected since they track the phone anyway.

They might have to change the texting apps though to be able to know what kind of transportation texting is coming from. But really, what's more important, texting or human lives? Texting should only be allowed stationary might be what folks would need to agree to. I honestly don't see why I need to text and any speed above 25mph.

But then I don't use my phone for much more than a phone. So I admit I might not see why it's so important to be able to text at 75mph in a car or 250mph in a plane. But yes, the apps themselves might have to change. And I do think they(the phone companies) can control that. I might be wrong in that assumption though.

I think it would be more feasible if the car & phone companies worked on making bluetooth and voice commands better & making this stuff easily upgradable via downloads. The bluetooth in my 2015 Subaru Forester sucks. I think more people would be more receptive to voice-texting rather than being forced to not use their phones while driving.

 

[Retired Guy]

Wow! Glad you did not become a victim of that accident.

I remember a few years ago I was trying to find a device I could install, secretly of course, on my son's pickup. He just refuses to leave that d--- phone alone when he's driving. He's a terrible driver and worse, he thinks he's a good driver.

They make some sort of cell phone blocker, but it was out of my price range. I think if a cop stops someone because they're driving like a drunk, then discovers its their phone, it should be confiscated.

A drunk that decides to drive doesn't care that it's not just his life he puts in jeopardy. I think it's worse when a sober person decides their talking/texting is more important than other drivers lives.

 

[Critter]

My truck will read your text as a voice message, but at the same time tell you I am driving. I can reply with a voice command which will send you one of 4 preselected texts. I don't bother replying as I feel the original text telling you I am driving should be enough. I do listen to the text and if I feel it is important I will either pull over and reply or use voice commands to call you back. Thinking about it it is the phone that does all of that except the radio in the truck via blue tooth will display or read the message out loud.

 

[SteveCB500F]

Interesting discussion on texting while driving. I wish they would make some of these features mandatory instead of it being a situation where the user has to activate something. But that would probably be considered an infringement upon a person's right to operate a 4,000 pound missile without fully paying attention to what they're doing. :surprise:

Just yesterday I was riding through a suburban neighborhood and had a lady pull out from a side street who either didn't see me or didn't care that she was pulling in front of me. Luckily I saw her in time and was able to brake. A minute later we both stopped at a red light so I glanced over and saw she was talking on a hands free phone and tossing popcorn into her mouth. No surprise there.

 

[cattzap]

I was on the receiving end of this exact situation the last week of June. It caused me to delay my MSF class for over a month. My light was green, it was a 55 zone but I don't usually drive fast especially in the Hooptie car I had that day. A lady drove square into my drivers door. It was estimated she was going 55. How I survived puzzled the crew that dug me out, the er staff, the police, and the doctors. I had a feeling something was about to happen so I was already on the brakes. My arm busted through the window and I almost put my hand on her hood. Then the car was spinning. Then a medic was trying to pull the window frame down and was telling me not to move. Then a couple more were taking me out of the passenger door. I don't remember the time after looking directly at the car hood to them talking to me. The car was way off in the grass. It took me a couple of days to get the police report. I contacted her insurance. She refused to call them or talk to them when they called her. They told me that. It took a few weeks before they finally said they were going to take care of things. I feel like they did pretty good handling things with me. It takes time and they aren't going to admit anything to someone who's not their customer calling trying to get a claim started. I looked up the lady in the local justice website and shes been sued before for accidents and shes had alot of speeding and red light running tickets. I never contacted her. I was on crutches for awhile. I was beginning to think it wasn't going to get better then it did one day. I still get sore from it. My elbow that went thru the window is sore now. It's been looked at and the doc said it's ok but all of my boo boo's will take along time to get over. In some ways I say I was glad i wasn't on the bike. but had I been, it would have taken me longer to get my gear on so i would have not been there at the time. You just never know. I keep full coverage insurance on all my vehicles, I try to pay attention and treat every driver like they are about to do something stupid, and I pray before I ride.

I have the car at my house. It still has alot of good usable stuff on it. I have tow of them. Looking at it, the drivers seat got pushed over so far that it broke the console off. Looking at all the places its crushed in really a site to see. Once I get all I want off it I'll get rid of it.

 

[Retired Guy]

Think of the difference a few seconds, either way, could make. You're lucky to still be alive!

 

[Tobacco Road]

The number of drunk driving deaths have dropped significantly since the 1970's, mostly due to MADD. But even with the known fines and even jail time for DUI's it hasn't stopped idiots from getting behind the wheel and driving. There will always be those who truly believe they can get behind the wheel of a car and even motorcycle, and drive without problem. I know some of these people and I have ridden with them. They are dangerous.

Now we have the cell phone. A study by Risk Analysis has found that a majority of drivers do not believe texting while driving causes accidents. While many drivers prefer to actually talk on their phone most did not see a problem with texting while driving. Most drivers see texting as having only a minor effect on driving. Mostly because these same drivers do not believe the statistics, even though cell phones play a role in about 25% of all traffic accidents. Texting while driving increases the risk of being involved in an accident by more than 6 times.

Then there are the drivers who tell themselves that they have found a better way to text and drive. These drivers actually believe they have developed strategies to cope with environmental factors while maintaining a high level of performance. Mostly these are the idiots who believe they are better than the other guy so why should they not be able to text and drive?

Sadly it is the fact that these people cannot bear to be away from their phone, they don't want to miss that important text from their buddy, it's the fear of missing out and the anxiety of not having their phone with them. They can't bear the thought, even to their own death..

The average time a person looks away from his driving to focus on his phone is 5 seconds. At 55 that's about the length of a football field. You be the judge. You're not going to stop it, and only by self-education and parents drilling it into the brains of their kid will it even slow down. It's up to us, those who understand the danger of texting while driving, to protect ourselves from those who would take us out without even looking....

I don't believe anyone has the reaction time to get out of harms way if an accident is unfolding within your line of sight. Of course you'll freeze. Something that happens in a fraction of a second does not give anyone time to move to safer ground. Your best bet is like knowing how to fall....

 

[hogcowboy]

Maybe they come up with a way to simulate it like they do for people to try like they do at fairs with drunk driving. But then how to simulate pain. That's the only thing that means anything to far too many.

 

[Offcenter]

I've heard, and I believe, that people with phones are more dangerous than drunks.
At least, the drunk is TRYING to pay attention to the road through the alcohol haze.
The cell phone idiot isn't even LOOKING at the road!