Five Ways to Crash (plus one)

[AstroPigGo]

the bit about "passing on the left" means passing on the right in america, right? You shouldn't pass on the right unless it's absolutely necessary. Can't believe they even do that in the UK - being so motorcycle safety oriented.

 

[audaibnjad]

Another variant of Passer vs. Passee:
Motorcyclist Trying To Pass Semi Hospitalized.

I'm not sure how he got Semi Hospitalized -- sort of like being semi-pregnant? Anyway, grammar lessons go in another thread.

Here is a guy trying to pass a semi making a right-hand turn onto Lytton St, a fairly narrow residential road. Unfortunately, the motorcyclist tried to pass on the right. Here's the map.

So be careful not only of passees turning left -- but big trucks turning right!

 

[undertheoaks]

Intersections are by far the worst, I agree. If possible aim for the rear of the car that is pulling out in front of you that way if they are moving you might get lucky and miss the car due to the fact that they are moving and once you hit them they continue moving as you project past them rather then into them.

 

[Paulo666]

Great post. Thx

 

[blanktarget]

I slid on the painted STOP letters on the road once, it was wet still from rain a few hours early. Definitely didn't think it through or expect it. Now I know to pay attention to surface and have new respect for an evenly slightly damp road.

 

[SynergyKim]

I slid on the painted STOP letters on the road once, it was wet still from rain a few hours early. Definitely didn't think it through or expect it. Now I know to pay attention to surface and have new respect for an evenly slightly damp road.

Being from OR I've had some experience with wet roads. Seems as if there is always a big, slick, circle of metal (man-hole cover) right in the way of a turn in an intersection.

Also being from OR, I have not seen many figure-four/clover configurations for freeway/highway entrances/exits.

I have had a few hair-raising moments on circular on-ramps that are two-lanes wide. Sometimes, I'll use the outside lane to put distance between myself and other motorists (seems as if the inside lane gets the most traffic). However, with the inside lane getting more traffic it'll push gravel and what not to the outside lane. This debris sometimes moves all the way to the shoulder, but frequently (due to less use) the gravel, loose rocks, general roadway crap is in the outside lane. I had a rear wheel wobble on the on-ramp from Montague/San Tomas Expy to the 101 S-bound.

 

[canyonrat]

Dan, a 5 year bump for great info.

The following is not well discussed in the motorcycle world. I've heard of it and witnessed it.

When a rider or riders are in tow and then they or one of them feels comfortable with the lead rider, then feels the lead rider is perhaps a bit slow, they then pass them and soon after crash.

As for my experience they crash with in 10 or less of passing me. I come upon them in the dirt...4 times in as many years. Really experienced riders, some of them. Really high speed offs too (55, 60, 75 and 90). I have warned the two last ones prior to the start of the ride that they might feel "too comfortable" behind me but to trust my speed. Ahhh, I was too slow for them, but they were too fast themselves...

Moral of the story, trust your lead rider, unless you know you can lead better. But not if you think you can rider faster.

THINK...is 85 more fun then 80? Or what ever numbers you can use.

 

[GPzPop]

My personal nemesis is reason 5-b : CRAZY IVAN
(as in "The Hunt For Red October" Tom Clancy novel about submarine pursuit )

a driver in front of you slows and pulls to the shoulder, or is parked on the shoulder.

just as you pass them, they whip a U-turn across your path of travel

for some reason, this is the one that tries to get me, has gotten me in once the past, has tried to get me but I 've avoided contact several times as close calls ...

- even though I know to look out for it

--s