Ducati Monster Forum

No comments about police.

Worst case scenario. driver coming up fast from behind you're sitting at a light.

what would you do?

see the topic on Eric Wells to read the story.

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=41574.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=41574.0)

I saw a similar scenario right in front of me. A 3.5 Ton SUV plowed into the back of the cyclist I just waved to.
 
I now lane split and sit between cars, even if there is an open lane. If the road is empty, I watch my rear view to make sure cars coming up from behind are braking. EVERY TIME
I never sit behind a car. No f'ing way.

The SUV driver I saw was piss drunk at 2PM. She plowed threw two cars and a motorcycle. That wave of bodies and metal missed me by about 16 inches. The cyclist was wearing full gear with A very good back protector and came out pretty OK. At the time however he flew over 40 feet in the air and landed unconscious. His bike was pancaked.      

A friend of mine was in another situation the same as this, saw it coming, jumped off and ran out of the way. He left withoutascratch and got a brand new bike out of it.

I ALWAYS have my bike in gear at stops and try to watch the mirrors; at least until I have a cushion of a four wheel vehicle behind me that has come to a full stop but even then I still try to watch the traffic coming from behind.  There is no fool proof method but you must try to eliminate as many variables that you have at your control.  Ride defensively.  In the hundreds of thousands of miles I've ridden in my life I've had LOTS of really, really close calls but riding defensively at all times has really helped.  DAMM, I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

I stop at an angle and really close to the other lane. Watch in the rearview until a car slowly comes to a stop. Worse case scenario is that a car hits the rear wheel at an angle. Stop signs are my personal nightmare or turning into a street with no light, specially after a hill. I always worry about someone speeding over the hill and not having enough time to slow down.

I would just die.  I know at some point I'll get run over by some stupid pregnant dog driving a Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna yapping on her phone and yelling at her kids in the back seat.

I hate minivan-moms.

I constantly check my rear view mirrors at all intersections and like some here stay in gear and plot my escape route just in case. 

Nicely stated, I had just finished reading the article and was so pissed I wasn't thinking.


I favor one stripe or the other, and allow enough room to make the cut.  I sure as hell aint perfect, but I try very hard to watch the mirrors diligently while stopped.  Stupid effing drivers in MN, don't dare split, they don't watch and some will try to block you.

I keep the bike in gear, at a slight angle and watch my mirrors until the car behind me stops fully. And then I hope the light changes quickly so I might ride on.

I tend to 'strobe' my brakes in heavy commuting traffic to get some attention, and have always pointed my bike away from the car in front thinking its beeter to get pushed and thrown then sandwiched ???

My biggest fear commuting in Boston traffic

I got rear ended at a stoplight a few years back.  I was wearing a jacket with a race hump on the upper back - OK I don't race.  I learned that it works like a headrest - the bottom of the helmet bumped the top of the hump and *possibly* or probably kept me from getting whiplash.  My head would only go back so far and I could feel the jacket pushing down from my helmet.

An ahole driving a Suburban tried to squash me once. I honked - no response- I knocked on his window while we were going 35 and he was still moving on top of me - no response...

Fist to his side mirror, taking it off the door, he swerved away.

It's amazing how polite people get when they realize it's not a video game and they are in easy access of armourd gloves.
   (http://www.kneedraggers.com/image_storage/8/e3/8e372379ac12f6c58c72ccb329507a0b_thumbnail100x100.jpg)

I like your style.

but back on topic. how would that attitude help you if you were sitting at a light and a drunk driver was barreling down the road behind you?

You're right it does not.

Back on topic:
In addition to my earlier post, like others stated I never sit at a stop in neutral.  Always ready to bail out. Watch the mirrors, hug one side or the other, never centered and right on the bumper ahead.  Wear the helmet.

I would really love one of them strobes to cycle the lights and just not have to even sit there, but pretty sure that would be trouble.
 

The 5 Seeing Habits will save your life. [thumbsup]

I got this from UPS, they constantly drill us on this. UPS didn't come up with them, but they do work.

The pneumonic phrase to remember them is "All Good Kids Love Milk."

This link (http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Five-Seeing-Habits-of-Safe-Driving&id=1751763) explains them pretty well.

 [moto]
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Five-Seeing-Habits-of-Safe-Driving&id=1751763 (http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Five-Seeing-Habits-of-Safe-Driving&id=1751763)

this is what happens when it is 10 bikes at a light and a dump truck driver on meth...

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354503.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/i/sized/B/0/B/e298/j350/PHP4BABDA3E10B0B.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354593.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354568.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354560.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354556.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354558.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354561.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354599.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354606.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354605.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354604.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354621.jpg)

(http://i.azcentral.com/commphotos/view/354597.jpg)


story

http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=36371.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=36371.0)

mitt

Pathetic story, horrible work on the scene.  Hope the family sues and takes every dime the dirtbag DRUNK DRIVER has and will ever get. They deserve their day in court

(http://boards.library.trutv.com/images/smilies/shrug.gif)
ohhh

mnemonic.

Nice, I'm curious did you take off his driver or passenger mirror?

d'oh [bang]

i assumed it was the rearview mirror

Good stuff!  My father drilled those same habits into us when my bro and I learned to drive back in the 70s.

If you ride in enough bad situations, you will begin to automatically do things that normal riders dont do. I say this because it should be part of normal riding. Out of now subconscious fear and habbit, i do 3 things.

1) I check the rear view mirror, sometimes cars come in really hot and slam on the brakes, and if you catch a car coming in hot, atleast you are aware and can do whatever you would normally do. Yes you take your eyes of the car in front of you, but you should be good enough to know where your bike is going to stop in relation to where the car ahead of you is. Eitehrway, its out of habbit and its good practice just to do a rear check.

2) If i'm braking suddenly to stop, such  as teh case where the vehicle in front of me is being operated by a retard, ill always aim between cars. Better i end up between 2 cars the right way then the wrong way. right way being between the driver side door of one car and the passenger side door of another. Wrong way = the front bumper of one, and hte rear bumper of another.

3) the last and final thing i do is only when im in the front. I will stop the bike like normally, but i aim for about a cars length before where you would normally stop, so once i get all my brakign done, im pretty much just coasting. This is good time to do a rear check via mirrors, your still moving so all you need to do is coast left and let him pass, or you coast more foward if it looks like hes not going to stop in time.

All these things happen without effort once you start doing it and it just becomes habbit to look at your mirror  while your braking. Saved me from rear ending someone who stopped short.

call me neurotic or watever, but if you commute in the city half as much as I do, you develop a habbit of trying to know whats going on around you as much as you can. You can never account for everything, but you can always try to look out for as much as you can and save the rest for <insert your diety here>.

Ive wanted to put those windwo shattering hammers into my knucles. man i would be such a hooligan if i had that!

RIP for this. Some of us have driven with one to many beers in our system, im not saying anytong on that other than you gotta be able to be smart enough to not drive when your hammered like that. Weaving in and out of traffic? Come on man...

If I can't lane split and I am exposed at nighttime when I see a car coming up from me at a stop sign I normally pump my brakes.

I don't know if that helps or not but sometimes a flashing light versus a solid color will get the drivers attention.


Of course this happened during the day but I thought I would mention this tip if no one does it.

motodynamic sells a flashing tail light for $80 bucks. its really noticeable.

Flashing lights are illegal in California, have no idea about other states.

Modulated Headlights are legal in all 50 states under federal law

Modulated Taillights are 100% legal in California (provided it does not flash more than 4 times in four seconds)

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc25251_5.htm (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc25251_5.htm)

Deceleration Warning Lights
(c) Any stoplamp or supplemental stoplamp required or permitted by Section 24603 may be equipped so as to flash not more than four times within the first four seconds after actuation by application of the brakes.
Amended Ch. 410, Stats. 1983. Effective January 1, 1984.

 [thumbsup]

saw a police moto w/ a flashing brakelight the other day and was impressed with how well it caught my attention.

noticing flashing lights is a primal survival response :  think in terms of a small mammal noticing the sunlight temporarily shadows and then comes back.  good way to notice an overhead predator.

Or a bird getting ready to shit on your head.

Do you have to replaced the whole tail light?

The units I've seen are a bulb replacement

https://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=3 (https://www.kisantech.com/index.php?cat_id=3)

I replaced by tail light :-\

You can get electronic flashers with a bunch of different patterns

there are legitimate deceleration flashers which are legal in almost every state, and there are bulb flashers which are just crap and illegal almost everywhere.  the deceleration flasher is what you want. 

When he said flashing taillight I assumed he meant constantly flashing, which is illegal even on bicycles.

A modulated brake light is different.

Driver's side.
That's the really weird part. How do you not notice someone knocking on your window while driving down the road? Even with loud music. His head was 2' from mine, 8" from the window.
Du. Oblivious.   

gotcha!   [thumbsup]

For what its worth , got done a few months ago in Bondi Sydney. Stopped in traffic behind a car  Heard a screach behind me . Did'nt bother looking in mirror. Stood up off the seat and bang hit up the butt ! Dont know how i got out of it ok, not a scratch !My poor monster didnt do to well !Reckons he had the sun in his eyes  [roll]

Samesies. I was waiting to turn left, favoring the center line with my signals flashing when all the sudden a loud screech came from behind me. The car stopped just short of me thank god but I was spooked. I have since changed my route home. Added a few right turns to avoid that left.

Me too.
I was doing everything right. Stopped at a crosswalk in front of a school. In gear, checking my 6 every second or two. I had been stopped for a long 20 seconds or so. 2 drunk asshats were racing. They came barreling down the slow lane one behind the other and I didn't see them. At the last minute asshat1 decides to pass asshat2 by moving into my lane. Hits me instead. The crosswalk was packed with kids and Moms just in front of me. They all dove out of the way to avoid my bike which went barreling down the road and almost took out a few. I went high enough to dunk a basketball and crashed to the pavement.
Bike totaled (cosmetic really), rider not 100% for about 6 months.

This is an important conversation to have.

Here's what I've learned.
Know all of the rules and seek out all of the secrets to good riding you can find.
Always strive to improve your skills.
Realize that the best riders can be unlucky and that no one is perfect and a small mistake can be your last.
Amazingly competent riders (some were heroes of mine) have either been that unlucky or made that one mistake.
Riding motorcycles is inherently more dangerous than driving cars. Accept, understand and realize that fact. Make your decision, clear your mind, then go have fun.

What.... in Sydney??  [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

Ha! I don't count on that "cushion of a four wheel vehicle behind me" ever since the girl behind me at a red light FELL ASLEEP waiting for it to turn green.  :o (Keep in mind I actually think she was texting and accelerated when she saw opposite traffic making a left as they got a green light while ours was still red, she did not just roll into me, she gassed it but the police report said she fell asleep.)

I am obsessive compulsive checking my mirrors now all the time, ever since that happened I always think about selling the bike because people are just too distracted these days with younger drivers getting licensed up, smartphones everywhere, ipods, etc just seems like everyone is multitasking behind the wheel. I hate hate HATE sitting at red lights and I also HATE how every idiot puts their brakes on at the very last minute.  >:(

That's pretty ballsy of you but the other side of the coin is that no matter how strong you are he could have easily swerved AT you instead of away as an angry reaction. I try not to mess with people in cars simply because if they really get scared or angry they can just run you over, and them in a car you on a bike they will win everytime. I know in the heat of the moment you do what you have to do, in this case it was knock the mirror off, but in general I try to just stay away from people, God forbid if that guy was crazier than you it could have been a messy day.

No I agree with you there, but he already WAS running me over.
Someone would have to be pretty nuts to actually try to run you over though. Not that I would ever rely on the sense of 'human decency' in traffic, but I think most people try to avoid damage to their car. A knock on a window usually makes people realize their car is as vulnerable as the rider. Taking a mirror off is really a last desperate attempt to wake up an idiot before you have to do something drastic like jump off or lay your bike down. I sure as hell would rather take a mirror off.

Most of the time its best to just swerve, hit the brakes or the gas and avoiding it all together. Absolutely. That's the most predictable outcome. After you can yell in your helmet all you want  [laugh]
 

Oh I see... I was under the impression he knew you were there and it was more of a road rage type of thing, yes in cases of survival if they don't see you by all means smash anything you can to wake them up!  [thumbsup]

 I bought one of those Vizi-tech supa brake, brake flashers to flash everyone who comes up behind me at a stop light. If there's a vehicle in front of me, I usually stop to either side of it but still behind it  with lots of escape room, so if I'm hit I won't smash into the vehicle ahead but hopefully just fly off my bike and land in the street. I'm usually watching behind me tho, ready to jump off to the side to avoid a hit. 

Drunk driving charges dropped

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20100821/UPDATES/100821010 (http://www.pal-item.com/article/20100821/UPDATES/100821010)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis residents already angered by a fatal motorcycle crash blamed on a police officer are now expressing outrage that the drunken driving charges he had faced have been dropped.



For the second straight week, hundreds of motorcyclists gathered Friday at the city’s center to vent their anger over the crash that killed one man and injured two other people.

On Aug. 6, Office David Bisard was driving at high speed to help serve a felony warrant when his cruiser crashed into two motorcycles stopped at an Indianapolis intersection.

He was charged with six DUI counts after the crash, but they were dropped Thursday because a blood test was improperly obtained from Bisard after the crash.

At Friday’s protest, some suggested a cover-up in the case.

More

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/24734491/detail.html (http://www.theindychannel.com/news/24734491/detail.html)

INDIANAPOLIS -- A controversial blood draw from an Indianapolis police officer accused of causing a crash that left one motorcyclist dead and two others injured had more problems than investigators first admitted, 6News has learned.
Last week, all alcohol-related charges were dropped against Officer David Bisard in the Aug. 6 crash after it was revealed that a blood draw that indicated he was intoxicated was inadmissible because proper procedures weren't followed in obtaining the evidence.
Slideshow: 1 Killed, 2 Injured When Officer Hits Motorcycles
 
On Monday, sources close to the investigation told 6News' Jack Rinehart other issues that could have further compromised the blood draw.
The technician at the occupational clinic where the blood draw was taken first mistakenly cleaned Bisard's arm with rubbing alcohol, instead of an antiseptic, and then attempted to collect samples using two vials with expired freshness dates, sources told Rinehart.
Lawrence Police Lt. Stan Stephens, a member of the multi-jurisdictional Fatal Alcohol Crash Team, was with Bisard at the time of the blood draw, and corrected the technician on both counts, sources said.
But Stephens, who was supposed to deliver the blood samples to the Indianapolis police property room, first had lunch and then visited a friend at the nearby Arrestee Processing Center, delaying the delivery by more than an hour, sources said.
Lawrence police would not comment on the accusations against Stephens.
"This is an ongoing criminal prosecution, and I don't think that I can say anything in this regard," Lawrence Police Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff told Rinehart on Monday.
A member of the Marion County Crime Lab said it's highly unlikely the delay in getting the evidence to the lab and its potential exposure to adverse heat and weather conditions affected the quality of the result, which showed Bisard had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent.
Over the weekend, three high-ranking members of Indianapolis police -- Assistant Chief Darryl Pierce, Deputy Chief of Operations Ron Hicks and Cmdr. John Conley -- were demoted in connection with the botched Bisard investigation, while Lt. George Crooks, the former head of the Fatal Alcohol Crash Team, was reassigned last week.
Police and the FBI have begun a review of the original investigation.
Bisard, a nine-year veteran of the department, was suspended from the force pending termination. He still faces charges of reckless homicide and criminal recklessness.
He was on duty when he plowed into a group of motorcyclists stopped at a red light, killing Eric Wells, 30, and injuring Kurt Weekly, 44, and Mary Mills, 47.
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People...from the guidelines...


There's a reason for this.

Please...just a short blurb and a link.

so the only positive thing to come out of this is just plain old awareness:

after reading this thread I am now much more vigilant at a stop light. not only in watching my rearview mirror to make sure the cagers behind me stop, but in bike placement on the lane, and in making sure I flash the brake light a couple of times to let them know I am there and not blending in to the car next or in front of me. In the past I was a bit too trusting that cars HAVE to see me at the light (which is ironic b/c I am always assuming cars don't see me when I'm actually moving).

well with the forum rules... yes that is the only positive thing WE can get out of this.