Drunk driver kills government employee sitting at stoplight

[ducatiz]

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

[duccarlos]

I replaced by tail light

[Ddan]

You can get electronic flashers with a bunch of different patterns

[ducatiz]

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. 

[somegirl]

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

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.

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

A modulated brake light is different.

[Desmostro]

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

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.   

[ducatiz]

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

A modulated brake light is different.

gotcha!   

[gino]

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  

[lofty55]

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.

[zenjim]

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.

[ungeheuer]

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  

What.... in Sydney?? 

[eesnas]

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.

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.   (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.  

[eesnas]

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.
  

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.

[Desmostro]

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 
 

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.

[eesnas]

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 
 

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!