Ducati Monster Forum

I think that generally most dangerous traffic scenarios involving other drivers can be anticipated and accounted for when riding. One of my biggest worries, though, is traffic on tight/blind twisties, particulary driveways on tight corners. Many of the roads I ride daily are super twisty and have some areas where a driver could easily pull out in front of me while I am leaned over. What do you guys tend to do if something like this happens? Ideally a rider could stand the bike up and stop in time. I have had a few close calls like this. What would your reaction be? What if there was no shoulder on the road and a car in the oncoming lane? Just trying to get some different perspectives on this issue. I feel like a lot of other dangerous rider/driver interactions can be avoided with the proper attention but this one is always tough for me.

Go only as fast as you'll be able to react and correct. If that means going very slow, then so be it. Personally, I never do spirited runs on any roads that have many driveways because you just dont know whats going to happen. One of my concerns too, about riding curvy roads with blind corners is the dreaded decreasing radius out of nowhere. This and not knowing if there will be a douchebag coming at you in your lane is the reason why I set up for a very late apex and go only fast enough that I can dive the bike to the inside of the turn and take a sharper radius at anytime, at least until I can see completely through the turn and see that there is no danger up ahead.

Read this
http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=117.0 (http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=117.0)

In addition to the previous posts...

If the choice is between hitting a nearly stationary car (pulling out of a driveway), and one coming at you in the other lane, hit the stationary car.

If you must hit the car, try to get to the hood or trunk area, gives you room to fly over, instead of piling into the door or roof.

Interesting thought Speeddog. I've always thought that but seeing it in print makes it somehow different.
I have the same fear of left turns because I always feel my head is hanging over the line even though I take them from the out side.

Slide Panda - I read that article several times a year. Always a good read !

Never thought of the left turn and the head hitting on oming traffic. Now i'm gonna have issues with left turns thanks :)

My fear, up here in Nanaimo, is the asian motorists. I've nearly been taken out 3 times in a month in a parking lot. Last one was last night. I saw here coming at he last second over fthr top of a car(she was in a suv) and she still pulled out and turneex at me. Was on the brakes early  and swerved out of the way laid on the horn all at the sametime(not a ig deal i know but inwas shocked i hit the horn). She never even noticed or look just kept driving. I chased her down(let the emotions get a hold of me). Rapped on her window at the stop sign she fed me some lip and was pregnant doging at me even after i told her she almost took me out(nearly t-boned her at parking lot speeds 25kph or so). Anyways. Needless to say my gloved knuckles are a little worn out from a hard n ock on a miror i took from her cutting me off ;)

try not to start fights with SUVs... you'll lose, I guarantee it.

Hmm, i see your point. I just don't put up with bs like that thankfully it wasn't high speed or it would be a different story. It happens a lot here where i live, people just don't pay attention, well its the same everywhere i guess.

Yup easier to avoid confrontation, but sometimes you just react and don't think If it gets me in trouble so be it, I can
live with and accept the consequnces, etc, but when people blatanly just run out in front of others talking on cells(illegal here unless handsfree) and don't follow basic traffic rules it gets to you after awhile. Riding a bike is probably the best thing i have ever done for my situational awareness especially when driving an auto, I'm constantly scanning etc. it would be nice if everyone had to learn how to ride a bike so they would understand how we all feel on a daily basis about cagers and realize just how dangerous people who don't pay attention really are.

Anyways, I'll do my best to avoid these confrontations, but sverynow and then it just happens a few to many times in a row and i react.

i hear ya man, and I'm sure 95% of the guys here are in the same boat.
i try and live by this rule most of the time: If the choice is between making a scene, or making an exit... always choose the latter.

i try and stick it to the bad drivers by just getting where i'm going ALIVE. that's a WIN.

Yeah, i don't try to make a scene usually. This case the bi7*h needed to be taught a lesson.  I forgot to mention it was the second time in a week(i check license plate numbers, sad i know. I get cut off or nearly ran over at least once a week here) she nearly took me out.

I'm still bot aure hiw they can miss me. I'm 250lbs i probably look like a goriila humping a bike. Christ i'm bigger then a smart haha.

Anyways, i get to where i am going safely but the peeps in this town have no clue when it comes to driving. Thank god i have decent reaction time, go figure never would have thought i did. But riding a bike here, i've had more close calls then anywhere else (6 in two months) i have lived and the pop is only about 90k. Phx(greater) is what 4 mil give or take() and I think i had one close call and that was by a soccer mom(minivan loaded with kids and a baby in board sticker).

Maybe its because it is a new bike?  And cars are attracted to it. Hmmm

aaen: you down in Cochise County?

Ahem

SUV drives into motorbike [full/HD] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRFwVYWj3lI#)

Whoa.....
true bike always loses against SUV!!

Someone forgot their happy pill.
Can we say "road rage"

Npe im up in british columbia these days PNW

One of the things I always do when I'm riding is something I read on a motorcycle forum a while back, "Don't go where your eyes haven't been."  Pretty self explanatory.  If I don't know the road, I won't be riding hard and will always be ready to escape to another line.  If there are driveways streets around blind corners, I won't go fast.

Of course there are things that are simply unavoidable (cars crossing the line and coming toward you), but riding motorcycles is inherently dangerous for reasons just like that.

I would not put myself in that position.  I have had enough wrecks in my life.  They hurt, they are expensive, and most of them can be avoided.

Before you say stuff like this, Aaen, you have to look at the facts. Are Asians bad drivers? According to statistics, they are some of the best drivers. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6001a10.htm#fig1 (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6001a10.htm#fig1) Asian americans have the lowest automobile death rate, and they are the only ethnicity to see a consistent decline in motor related deaths from 2003 to 2007. You are actually much less likely to die around Asian drivers than any other ethnic group. An Asian driver is much less likely to get into, or cause, a traffic accident. Asians are also less likely than any other ethnic group to drive while under the influence of alcohol.

It sucks that you had that experience. I get cut off every other day during my highway commute and I know the dangers. I'm glad you're safe. But if you want to blame someone, the trend really seems to point to men as the culprit. For all ethnic groups, American males have motor vehicle related death rates that are 2-3 times higher than the rates for females.

I know I'm new to this forum, and this might not be the appropriate place for a political discussion on racial differences and driving abilities, but heck, I didn't start that discussion, and I couldn't let this go without delivering the facts. (Mods, you can move this post if you want.) Plus, saying crap like that in public forums will give us Canadians a bad name. And then Yankees will stop eating our bacon.  [bacon] So next time an SUV cuts you off, Aaen, shout "f'en male motorist!" And, maybe not that time, but over 60% of the time, you will be accurate. Just don't chase him down! [Dolph]

^^^^ men....no way
gotta be women!!!    [roll] [roll] [roll]

 2009 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute report found that:

•More than half of motorcyclist deaths involved at least one other vehicle.
•42 percent of two-vehicle fatal motorcycle crashes involved a vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle.



33% of accidents involving other drivers are female drivers according to the Hurt report.
which unfortunately is 1981 information.

•In 2006, 2,537 (51%) of all motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with another type of motor vehicle while in motion.  In two-vehicle crashes, 79% of the motorcycles involved were impacted in the front. Only 5% were struck in the rear.
•55% of all fatalities in motorcycle crashes in 2006 involved another vehicle in addition to the motorcycle in the crash.
•In 2006, there were 2,226 two-vehicle fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle. In 40% (883) of these crashes, the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle. Both vehicles were going straight in 582 crashes (26%).
•93% of all two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle in which the motorcycle operator died, occurred on non-interstate roadways.
•In 2006, 51% of all two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and a passenger vehicle in which the motorcycle operator died, were intersection crashes.
•In two-vehicle motorcycle crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle, in 40% of the crashes the other vehicle was turning left when the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle.