Vehicles pulling out in front of you

[Rebecca]

It has been known for a long time that the majority of two vehicle accidents between bikes/cars are due to actions by the cars rather than the bike (more than 2/3rds). I have heard (can't find the proof at the mo) that the majority of that is cars pulling out on bikes.

We have seen that recently on the forum in the reports of "riders down".

What can we do to make ourselves safer from this? Any fantastic ideas/habits out there?


There is

1. Head check/look down side streets before you get there to see if there is a vehicle/potential for a pull out

2. Be visable / light on/ visable clothing/loud pipe etc

3. I have heard it said "move within your lane" but I think the application of this is better seen than written - Ie: people can end up weaving all over the road and confusing the car drivers more

4. Don't zone out, or ride like a zombie, be alert and aware of your surroundings.

5. Practise braking

6. Travel at a 2-3 seconds gap from the vehicle in front so you have room to move.


Anyone got any gems to share? It might save my life one day.

[potato]

im allways watching that right front wheel of the car at the stop sign as im passing,it moves and im on the brakes if theres time !
wonder if they can feel my glare as i approach?
to those that start off then see me and stop ,i wave at them friendly like and yell out, thanks for seeing me and stopping and not maiming or killing me today..........
not that they can hear but it makes me feel better

[quattro750]

somebody should invent a projected holograph that makes us appear to others as a kenworth. that'll make em think twice

q

[Billywhizz]

Oh... 5.10am posting.....

Bub awake hey

[jak47]

watch ride on its the best ever. good morning

[19andrew59]

Always look around you, not just what’s in front.
Cover your brakes all the time.
Assume “they’re” going to endanger / try and kill you.
Ride visibly, i.e don’t sit in the “blind” spot.
I ride faster than the traffic flow. This a personal choice
and I am comfortable doing it.
At the risk of derailing this into another "squid" thread,
wear decent gear, if the worst happens it will at least
provide you with some protection.
Be aware, Be aware, Be aware, Be aware, Be aware!!
Case in point, riding home on the freeway, a newish 600
came up behind me. I was splitting but he was quicker
so I moved over to let him through. At the same time I
could see a gap opening up about 100m ahead, something
this bloke either didn’t see or ignored. As he accelerated past
me, a cage proceeded to move left straight into his path.
If he’d been paying more attention, or possibly had more
experience he probably could have avoided the whole
“Oh shit!!” episode. As he went past, I could see his brakes
weren’t covered and he really wasn’t riding with a “which
one’s going to try and hurt me next” attitude. I’ve been riding
in traffic for 30 years, been cleaned up twice by cars. Looking
back, yes it was their fault legally, but if I’d been a little more
observant I probably could have avoided at least one of them.

[Psyched]

Just one thing I do different, that's leave the headlight on high beam during the daylight hours. I've never had anyone complain, though I've heard of people told off on group rides. I think it makes you a bit more visible IMHO.
2c

[NoDs]

i hav a report somewhere
i think it was from 2000 one of the uni in melb did it
it was to do with motorbike crashes etc...

the report found that most accidents occured not exceeding the speed limit
and generally on straight bits of roads (ie not intersections or bends etc...)

if i could remeber the name of the report id post a link to where u could find it
but i cant its on another computer...

it was a good read though

[Guzziboy]

Sometimes it makes no difference what we do to try and prevent this sort of thing happening

I have, on more than one occasion, had actual eye contact with a driver in a side street who has then proceeded to pull out directly in front of me

As stated in an above post, I now treat every driver as a potential threat and I approach every intersection, traffic light, roundabout as a possible life endangering situation.

All you can do is regularly practice doing " emergency " braking, cover your brakes as you ride and stay alert

As an aside- I also believe that " I'm sorry I didn't see you " should actually be an admission of incompetence, not just a lame excuse for almost killing me

[Tenchi]

This is entirely about risk mitigation.

I ride faster than the traffic flow. This a personal choice and I am comfortable doing it, and Steve advised me to do this. I personally prefer to have cars coming from the front than behind - easier to see, easier to deal with. I do this up to 130 km/h, then if they're going faster than that, they're racing and I get out of the way.

I use high beams in the morning and afternoon commutes in areas where people are less likely to see me. Still doesn't stop people pulling out - those are basically the only times of the day that it's happened.

Whenever I see someone that may just pull out (which is almost every driver) I check my exit strategy - is there a space to pull into? Can I brake in time? Is there someone behind me to prevent me from braking? Is there any reason they may not see me? It takes a second to check the first 3 and if you're used to it maybe another second to think about the last question. If you answer no to any of these questions you're in danger and should react accordingly (I have completely black gear, so that last statement is almost always a yes for me).
You should be doing this at all times anyway, since avoidance hurts less than crashing. 2-3 seconds between you and the car in front is good practice, but not always feasible (e.g. peak hour traffic). Having an exit strategy 100% of the time is a better practice because that incorporates everything about the 2-3 second gap idea into it, plus more. It has saved me many times, and not having an exit strategy when a car has pulled out has put me in danger a few times too. Keep in mind it takes 1 second for a healthy, attentive person to react to an unpredicted event; it takes you much less to react to something you are already aware of and have planned your course of action.

Occasionally I flash the high beams too - if someone ever pulls me up on it I'll just say I was going over a bump and they copped the full headlight. I don't think it's illegal anyway.

Always be aware that while it's their fault legally, they don't wear the pavement if something goes wrong. Ride accordingly. Dress accordingly too. High visibility and protective gear isn't called High visibility and protective because it's fashionable.

Enhance your abilities by getting additional training. A licence is just a bit of paper that says you can legally get on a bike, twist that grip, kick those levers and turn the handlebars. Real riding, like real driving, takes additional training and experience. In NZ I understand that additional driver training is the equivalent to 1 year off your P's, and I support that - I had 2 crashes before my driver training at AHG and now I know how to handle my car none since. I plan to do the same for my bike in less than a week's time at the 28 Nov AHG ARD session.

I feel a combination of all of the above is the best way for me to minimise risk. It may not be the best way, but it is the best way for me so far.

EDIT:
The Hurt Report, ref. "The Hurt Report"

6. In 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.
10. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.
24. The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

[taint]

During the day ride with high beams on. Give adequate braking distance and remember your head checks!!!

[chidding]

I simply attempt to ride in positions where there is no chance for somebody to pull into my lane.. But when im in such a position, ride so that u can clearly see the car infront of you's Face in their mirror. So they have no excuse but to see you.

Im not big on headchecks but i believe using your mirrors constantly helps greatly.. watch cagers frequently and gestimate car distances/wether anyone is moving closer to you so as to gain some sort of idea if a car is passing you.

and +1 to going faster than cagers.. its alot safer to pass then be passed

[lee]

My general approach Rebecca is everything you covered, and I usually extend fingers to cover front brake when I think a hazard is approaching.

Also, emergency braking is one thing, but I try stress to people to be comfortable and proficient with coming to a stop as quickly as possible, not just within 15 metres. My mate Tim flipped his bike braking so hard trying to get out of the way of a girl who pulled infront of him (his jacket was fine, just for everyones information).

My 2c

[Taylor]

I honestly don't see the point in headchecks above 60km/h. Not the sort where you look down the road to see if anything could be coming down on you, there's usually 3-400 metres before the intersections where you can see if a car will not be stopping and react and if you have 0-little space then all you'd be doing is looking down the barrel at your fate anyway, you can't dodge anywhere because you're already as far away from the mouth of the intersection as you could get since you know it's a blind turning, you're done and dusted.

[Crashlington]

Speaking of this, Another one got killed last night - Motorcyclist dies after collision with Commodore | PerthNow

RIP Rider.

This is exactly What the above people are talking about so stay extra alert guys - Silly season is coming...