My first crash in quite a while...

[Fizzix]

This happened on 4/13/2015...So I was headed home on Piedmont Ave, Berkeley about 9:30pm basically along UCB's frat row. I'm going a little under the speed limit entering Channing traffic circle. There is a car in front of me. Next thing I know there's a jogger who apparently thinks he's the Flash and tries to dart between the car in front of me and myself.... he waited for the car of course.... In addition to this he's in black shirt and dark shorts (a f'ing brilliant move at 9:30 at night), so I literally don't see him till my headlights show him right in front of me. I hit the brakes, but of course I just started going over a tar snake.... There was literally no slow mo "Oooooooh shiiiiiiiit!" moment, it was very very abrupt in my contact with the ground... End result: Broken left collarbone, torn shoulder muscles, torn peck, torn scaline (the one that goes from in between your collarbone to your jaw).

Luckily there were a lot of witnesses who agreed I was not going fast and the jogger made the mistake. Jogger I think even admitted as much to the cop that showed up. I should get the police report in a few more days.

The bike faired much better than I did. I have a 2007 VFR and had the saddle bags on, so the left one took the brunt of the hit. There's some rash on the fairings near the turn signal (but the signal lens didn't break) and a couple of spots directly above it, bent clutch lever and lever mount, L mirror rashed but not broken, bent left Heli-bar (I think, it's hard to tell), and the bar end weight needs replacing. Then when I got it to the shop, I noticed, rashed brake caliper and mount, rashed front axel (so left disc may be damaged too). A friend of mine was able to drive it home though.... Then I got it towed to the shop.

I did have almost full protective gear on (except I was wearing jeans), so the shoulder area is really the only place that got damaged... of course I have to now replace my helmet, textile jacket, boots (possibly), and gloves.... I did get lucky in that my Sena bluetooth didn't get damaged at all.

Lessons learned: Joggers continue to be dumb and tar snakes are straight up EVIL!!

While my insurance is covering this, I can't do either of my 2 jobs, cause they require I ride a motorcycle. I'm hoping that the jogger has renter's insurance for liability, but I should find that out after I get the police report.

Also has anyone had experience with going after the city about the tar snakes? In this case there was nothing it was actually patching and one witness mentioned that they had had a big spill of tar there and apparently didn't bother cleaning it all up.

4 more weeks of no motorcycle, nor jobs.... :thumbdown

 

[danate]

This comes down to practicing good stopping habits. It sounds like you hit your front brakes while still leaned over a bit.

Part of a good training curriculum is maximum braking while in a curve. The fastest way is to straighten the bike up, then apply your maximum braking. You can also apply brakes while leaned over, but they have to be applied lightly, then increased as the bike decreases lean angle, which takes a lot more distance to stop. These can easily be practiced by riding in a circle in a parking lot and working on emergency stops.

When practiced, you focus on a good separation of the outward counter steer to straighten, followed by good maximum braking. If you really drill this skill in, when the time comes to use it (as it seems your scenario) you will do it without having to think about it. Instead, your first instinct was to stop immediately and your natural habit was simply to hit the brakes.

While the tar snake may have reduced your traction, it would not have mattered if your bike had been straight up and down as you would have slid, but stayed upright.

Glad it wasn't more serious, but I'm sure you are in pain. I am dealing with popped cartilage on a single rib from a dirt bike fall and it's killer. Yours must be much worse! Heal up soon.

 

[DataDan]

Nasty shoulder injury. I've had a simple clavicle fracture, which healed without complications, but those torn muscles sound like a longer rehab.

You say you didn't see the ped until your headlight was on him, between your motorcycle and the car ahead. How close were you following the car? Which side of the lane were you on? Which side did the ped cross from? If the ped had been cautious, at what point would he have been able to see you?

 

[Fizzix]

It was a single lane traffic circle, wide but not wide enough for 2 cars side by side. It's a curve, so the fixed headlights are a tick behind where your looking. I was probably 20, maybe a touch more, but it's a wide crosswalk the jogger was using from the car and he accelerated (according to the jogger) and if any thing I was slowing down. I was off throttle and honestly felt like I only tapped the breaks. The tar snake showed where it slide across it. I have pics of that too.

The VFR has linked breaking so I am forced to always use the front brake whichever lever or pedal...

I have been riding a long time, first time was 1983 I can always afford to learn/improve def not perfect, but I still ride well, so I definitely get the braking, unfortunately without mods I can't rely on the back break for that thing... I'm definitely thinking more about de-linking now though... haha

I could've tried standing the bike up and then braking certainly that could have saved me, but it might have also led me in to hitting parked cars...

I certainly wished I had picked the correct option, no matter what ultimately worked.

This was also meant as a reminder to peeps to watch those tar snakes. They're slick.

 

[DataDan]

Where I'm going with my question is that maybe the ped couldn't see the motorcycle behind the car at first. A little extra following distance can help separate you visually from traffic ahead. And it improves your field of view by reducing the area blocked by the vehicle ahead.

 

[danate]

Where I'm going with my question is that maybe the ped couldn't see the motorcycle behind the car at first. A little extra following distance can help separate you visually from traffic ahead. And it improves your field of view by reducing the area blocked by the vehicle ahead.

Good point. Vision goes both ways.

The other night I had a person walking (of course wearing all black) along the side of the road on my street I was about to turn left on from a stop. Made eye contact and she continued walking so I assumed she was just going straight. Initiated my turn and as my headlights came around, there she was in the middle of the street trying to cross. I'm guessing she assumed I was going to wait there while she crossed (mind you, there is no crosswalk or stop sign on that portion of the street). I got to put my ABS to use since that portion of road was just chip sealed and is almost all gravel. People are unpredictable!

 

[budman]

Good point DD

Still jogger was the issue not there tar snakes. If younger going to chase someone legally chase the man in black. Sorry to hear you got hurt. GLuck and heal quick.

 

[Fizzix]

Where I'm going with my question is that maybe the ped couldn't see the motorcycle behind the car at first. A little extra following distance can help separate you visually from traffic ahead. And it improves your field of view by reducing the area blocked by the vehicle ahead.

DD, I do hear what you were saying, but the jogger told me that he saw me, but thought he could run between the car before and myself, because the car started to accelerate....

I'm far from perfect, and maybe if I hadn't hit the tar snake, or seen him sooner, or something else i'm not thinking of atm, I could have avoided it....

Got the police report back and the cop put it squarely on me.... Apparently the jogger said he was walking, but by what he said to me, the look of his stride when I did see him, and how abruptly he was in my field of view, this is contradictory (don't know what to do about that). The jogger said "sorry, I thought when the car accelerated I could run between the car and you." pretty close to exact quote....

Plus in the report it says I did a stoppie??? VFR's have linked braking (at least later models) and that doesn't lend well to doing stoppies. I think the rear wheel came off the groupnd once the saddlebag made contact with the pavement (makes the most logical sense from my perspective). Additionally I took pics of where my tire skidded on the tar snake (at least I have that to work with) and there is definitely a skid mark on it.

I had called the PD to talk to the office who wrote the report (had to leave a voice mail), but he has not called me back yet. Not looking for legal opinions, but would going to his supervisor if I do not hear back would get me anywhere, or would the sup, just tell me to keep trying the reporting officer?

 

[sanjuro]

DD, I do hear what you were saying, but the jogger told me that he saw me, but thought he could run between the car before and myself, because the car started to accelerate....

I'm far from perfect, and maybe if I hadn't hit the tar snake, or seen him sooner, or something else i'm not thinking of atm, I could have avoided it....

Got the police report back and the cop put it squarely on me.... Apparently the jogger said he was walking, but by what he said to me, the look of his stride when I did see him, and how abruptly he was in my field of view, this is contradictory (don't know what to do about that). The jogger said "sorry, I thought when the car accelerated I could run between the car and you." pretty close to exact quote....

Plus in the report it says I did a stoppie??? VFR's have linked braking (at least later models) and that doesn't lend well to doing stoppies. I think the rear wheel came off the groupnd once the saddlebag made contact with the pavement (makes the most logical sense from my perspective). Additionally I took pics of where my tire skidded on the tar snake (at least I have that to work with) and there is definitely a skid mark on it.

I had called the PD to talk to the office who wrote the report (had to leave a voice mail), but he has not called me back yet. Not looking for legal opinions, but would going to his supervisor if I do not hear back would get me anywhere, or would the sup, just tell me to keep trying the reporting officer?

I have a strategy which I don't think would have made a difference here but I offer it as an alternate view.

I adopted this as a bicycle commuter and I am a bit surprised that I have to do this even on motorcycles: I make pedestrians fear for the lives.

I find that many pedestrians are not alert, make unwise choices, and assume arrogantly that vehicles will stop no matter what the circumstance.

Whenever a pedestrian is making an unsafe move, usually jaywalking but even when they dart into the crosswalk, I aim my bike at them and accelerate.

My plan is actually to yield or to swerve around them if necessary. However, I want all options to me.

I point out options because I've seen pedestrians continue to walk into my path, even if I am riding next to the curb or parked cars and it would require several steps to intersect with me. By intersecting the path of my travel, they have narrowed my choices to one line.

The problem is that I cannot assume that pedestrians will choose to be safe. I've seen pedestrians even stop then double back into my line.

The closest near collision I have seen was a crosswalk in downtown Fairfax where large planters were placed on the sidewalk, blocking the view A woman entered the crosswalk at a quick pace without looking. I was bicycling with friends and one rider who was ahead almost collided with the pedestrian. I also could not warn my friend because she is deaf.

I'm not sure how my strategy would help you avoid an accident. Legally, all vehicles are supposed to stop for pedestrians, particularly in a crosswalk. I find this changes the strategy of avoiding a pedestrian.

 

[Fizzix]

May not be a bad strategy in a lot of cases, but I'm pretty sure I would have hit him using your method....

I think this whole 'pedestrians can do no wrong' philosophy is not only shitty, but a little immoral as it allows pedestrians to avoid fault even when they are blatantly in the wrong.

I've done stupid shit as a pedestrian and if I caused an accident because of it, I should be on the one who's punished, not some unsuspecting driving who gets caught in my wake of stupidity....

I know my case a more on the line, but it really bugs me that the jogger said one things to me then the complete opposite to the cop as a cya move...

 

[pt65]

Another older post, but again a few points:

As soon as you hit the brakes hard (in emergency you dont know how hard your hitting them) let go again when you feel the slide. The bike will wobble hard, but you will have slowed down A WHOLE LOT, and just maybe enough to avoid a crash or hitting someone. Riding dirt will teach you this. I dont know how many times I've been in dirt and had the front slide in sand dust or gravel when braking. Its saved me several times on the street as well. Once in a situation similar to yours around CAL. The screech from my tire made the pedestrian stop in his tracks and look.

Situational awareness : If you're at CAL on "Frat Row" - dont you kind of expect idiots to be running back and forth across the street?

Maybe your attention was more focused on the car ahead of you than everything in your field of vision?

 

[Bwana]

Situational awareness : If you're at CAL on "Frat Row" - dont you kind of expect idiots to be running back and forth across the street?

Good point for any college location. Or anywhere heavily populated by pedestrian traffic.

Another good point for any college location involves the first good days of spring. Scantily clad female students walking down the sidewalk can be a major distraction. I nearly pegged a pedestrian in a crosswalk many years ago. He did a good step and fetch getting out of my way and I was a bit red in the face having made the mistake of nearly taking him out while being distracted. Fate was on my side that day.