No matter how good a driver one is, one can still get stuffed because of the other driver.
The other driver: - bent down to change the radio channel crosses the centre line right into your car. - overtakes round a bend right into your path - did not stop at a stop sign - came out from behind a big truck right into your path - changes lane without checking blind spot
tamarillo,
Dec 24, 9:11am
Possibly, and many 'other driver' accidents are avoidable with great hazard awareness and defensive actions. Not all, but many, especially bike accidents.
peja,
Dec 24, 9:41am
I have managed to avoid a number of "other driver" accidents over the years by left foot braking. Once it was someone running a red light and the other time it was someone who did a right turn in front of me, missed that one by well less than a metre at 50 kmh. Also has been useful in avoiding a few pile ups ahead of me
Not much you can do about someone hitting you from behind though
tamarillo,
Dec 24, 9:49am
Sometimes avoidable.
mrfxit,
Dec 24, 3:20pm
Pretty easy to avoid red light runners
Don't be in a big hurry to get off the line. Avoided a lot like that without any effort.
peja,
Dec 24, 3:26pm
May be some truth on that. but in this particular instance I'd had the green for some time and was about to pass through it when the other "driver" passed through the red. They missed it as they were busy on Facebook or a text.
Being slow off the lights may also increase the risk of being rear ended, and I feel it is discourteous to those behind me particularly if I am the first in a long queue at that set of lights
mrfxit,
Dec 24, 3:32pm
Probably 99% of red light runners, do it within the 1st 2 seconds of the red light. Green to amber to red delay timing would place most of them within the intersection as it goes red. Up to a 2 second delay moving off works well & isn't any hassle to anybody. 3 to 5 seconds is an entirely different matter.
If the info could ever be found, I wouldn't mind betting that more then a few 'left foot brakers' rather then std 'right foot brakers' have been caught with red light runners.
tamarillo,
Dec 24, 5:03pm
Left foot braking does indeed give quicker reaction. But why are folk setting off without looking? Unless your neck is broken look left and right (or wherever) to check no one is coming up at speed without any sign of stopping. Occasionally an entry is blind but not often. Treat it like crossing the road on zebra crossing and look!
socram,
Dec 24, 5:51pm
Depends. If you are already stationary at the lights, absolutely nothing you can do. (I even had someone reverse into me at the lights then sped off, leaving me with a $2,500 bill. )
If you are in a line of moving traffic, probably stuck behind a clatty and the person behind hasn't left enough braking distance, then yes, you can hang back a bit and make sure you don't brake hard.
Other than that, OP is generally correct, though you do develop a bit of a sixth sense about some other drivers.
clatty,
Dec 24, 6:03pm
I have had cars sail into the back of my car on two occasions while I stopped to give way at a give way sign. Also over 50 yrs of driving I have never held people up except F W s who want the road to themselves and I don't give in to these bastards.
socram,
Dec 24, 7:08pm
and don't we all know it.
sr2,
Dec 24, 7:50pm
mate;, it's obvious you need to do a defensive driving course; most of it focuses on how you deal with the "other driver".
trogedon,
Dec 24, 7:54pm
When I was into motorcycling (still got one. ) in the club we talked about riding with ways of 'escape' from other vehicles just in case.
clatty,
Dec 24, 7:59pm
On the motorway doing long trips I stay in the outside lane follow the car in front doing the same speed . nothing much ever happens I don't know what the hell you are going on about.
mark.52,
Dec 24, 8:11pm
I rode motorcycles as my primary form of transport for over five years. Had a few minor prangs -trying too hard, basically = my fault.
Tell you what, it's amazing how well you learn about how to compensate for the "other driver" when your life is on a motorbike! That learning has carried on through.
mrfxit,
Dec 24, 8:22pm
Amen to that. Done a few years on various mokor bikes in my early days. had a few minor spills that could have easily turned nasty in a split second, but didn't. Same for cars. Pretty damn careful these but not a nana driver or race driver unless the situation demands it. Always scanning the road for about 1 or 2 hundred meters often further (or as far as practical) then scanning in between to decide various possibility's but never in a panic mode. In a nasty situation, the 1st thought is how to avoid the smash (braking swerving etc) next is MY escape route which of course combines with the 1st thought & if I can I try to workout where everybody else is going.
sr2,
Dec 24, 8:34pm
LOL, sometimes I think it should be compulsory for everyone to ride a bike for a few years before graduating to a car licence!
socram,
Dec 24, 8:38pm
Amen to that. Which is why you should be able to get a bike licence a year before your car licence.
UK used to be 15 - moped, 16 bike, 17 car.
socram,
Dec 24, 8:43pm
For the last time clatty, the rule is you keep left except when overtaking. Don't continue be a total pratt, otherwise you may well find yourself getting a letter from the police and dashcam pictures to prove you were in the wrong.
sr2,
Dec 24, 9:32pm
Don't feed the Troll mate, he (or she) is just after a reaction.
whqqsh,
Dec 25, 3:19am
nah, I had a guy run a red turn arrow when I was pretty much right in front of him on my motorbike 20 years ago. Result was broken left femur, hip, 3 ribs & collar bone. still feeling the effects of it now & always will. Not using my bike over the next few days until the Christmas madness has calmed down.
clatty,
Dec 25, 7:46am
We cant all be in the inside lane all the time.If the inside lane is full I may as well stay where I be. Let people stick to the topic.
kazbanz,
Dec 25, 9:13am
That reminds me--I gotta bone to pick with you. Thanks to you and your bike I got thinking about a road bike. nek minit Im bidding on a bunch of big /biggish road bikes. Now Ive got me a 99 Gsx750f in dark blue So its all YOUR fault.
trogedon,
Dec 25, 11:42am
I would be willing to take it off your hands for a few hours at a time to assuage your guilt.
ignition328,
Dec 25, 11:48am
They're great bikes though.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.