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The biggest killer of motorcyclists

6391 Views 76 Replies 32 Participants Last post by  hogcowboy, 
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To summarize. The three deaths below in Lincoln Nebraska were caused by left turning drivers violating motorcyclist right of way. The 1981 Hurt report had cited this as the most common cause of the most common type of motorcycle accident, collision with another vehicle. It seems that little has changed.

Bottom line: We talk a lot about driving defensively, but if you don't have a plan for surviving potential left turning drivers at an intersection or a vehicle planning to turn left off the roadway into your path other than hoping for the best, you're running a terrible risk of becoming a statistic. This MUST be an active safety action by the cyclist, it CANNOT be left to chance.

My own solution has always been to

Slow down- Reduce speed to the point where you can survive an impact.
Try to make eye contact with the driver- then proceed with extreme caution at a speed that gives you time to respond or reduces the consequences of a crash.
Cover the Brakes- and have a plan

Curious to hear how others manage this high-risk situation.



Lincoln man charged with motor vehicle homicide for crash that killed motorcyclist | Crime and Courts | journalstar.com

Lincoln teen pleads no contest in crash that killed motorcycle rider | Crime and Courts | journalstar.com

Lincoln teen charged with motor vehicle homicide for crash with motorcyclist near UNL campus | Crime and Courts | journalstar.com

Reference: The Hurt Report, 1981
Article source: The Hurt Study Summary - webBikeWorld

  1. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile

  2. In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

  3. Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause. The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.
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bweighmaster
Your safety is up to you . You have to watch out for the fools .... You have to drive defensively .... You need to wear bright clothing ... You have your life in your own hands .
You need to know that nobody but us , ( bikers ) can , or care to see us ... ... , I ride daily , ride everything from 150 cc scooter to Honda Silverwing with trike kit . Shadow 750 . All in city / highway , and local paved backroads . Been doing it for over 60 yrs .. , .. Keep your eyes open , forget about ear buds , Head on a swivel . And covered with a good helmet ...
Be safe out there , and Enjoy ....
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bweighmaster
Annihilator said:
But how do you get in an accident if you are going slow and expecting the person to left turn? The videos would exist if it were common.

Furthermore, the speeding motorcycle does not necessarily have right of way. If you are doing twice the speed limit then the left turner only has half the time to safely complete the turn. The only reason the collision happened was because of the speed of the motorcycle. And you cant expect oncoming traffic to judge your speed, and iirc, Archimedes law dictates that your brain will not recognize the speed.
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Sorry , I don't believe you were there , or know the whole story .... Just pointing out facts ...
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bweighmaster
Cool off , it's just different opinions . Nothing personal ...... YET ....
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bweighmaster
Retired Guy said:
I'm slow. It took me a while to figure out what has offended you. I was thinking about something I saw on TV a few days ago concerning our education system. How our students are not being provided with the best education for their future.

I apologize for any misunderstanding.
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I don't think it was on your part ....
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bweighmaster
Some people just can't take a statement without trying to one up someone else ,,
It's all opinion , and , yes some A holes ... LOL...
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bweighmaster
NOT going there , NO ...
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bweighmaster
Misti said:
Agree with what a lot of people have said here about slowing down and expecting that the driver can't see you. Being visually ready, looking far enough ahead but also with enough vision around you to have an escape plan. Also brushing up on your emergency quick turning techniques in case you need to make a sudden avoidance and being on top of you emergency braking techniques so you can slow down enough in an emergency situation is important as well. How many of you practice these skills regularly? What are your methods for refreshing emergency riding skills?
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Riding MX , Singletrack , Trails , Sharpens all aspects of riding ..., Riding older highway routes where traffic is sparse is great also ..., There you can practice without the Crazies to distract , or run you over ....,
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