Is the police worth it?

Corky25 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 10 Apr 2014 Karma :

Hey guys was wanting some advice/past experience on this. Been riding daily six months now and have had my fair share of smidsy's and even if I don't look he's not there. But this morning I had a van driver on the outside lane of a dual carriageway force his way into the inside lane when I was beside him. Now I was in his mirrors because I could see him, my road position was good and my jacket has high vis on it. But I'm going to report him to the police because I watched him in the mirrors looking at me as he closed the gap, then drive on as if I was never there. But with the whole his word against mine do the police bother with these?

talkToTheHat · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Karma :

Police don't give a crap if someone puts you in hospital. Merely attempting to do so? I don't think you'll get a polite response, even if you have video.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

iooi · Super Spammer Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Karma :

Corky25 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 10 Apr 2014 Karma :

I was just behind his passenger door so was close enough to see him looking into his mirror. Plus I was on the horn the from the moment he crossed the line till I fell far enough back to be safe. He knew what his was doing plus we had been sitting at a red light toegther before this. Also he had approached the lights after me so there was no excuse for him not seeing me. Dont get me wrong I know this is a lot of bikers at the minute who are causing dangerous situations to prove they where in the right. I myself have admitted defeat on many occasions because it's not worth it. But in this case it was open shut case of road bullying which is why I got so pissed about it.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Why did you bother asking for advice without giving the full facts? Or is there more to come?

Sure, go to the police then, and keep changing your story to them too, they just love that.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

binge · Emo Kiddy Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Karma :

As a van driver, I can tell you, that I can lose an 18-ton articulated lorry in my door mirrors easier than you think.
A motorcyclist in a high-vis is very easily missed.

I am extra vigilant when changing lanes in my van. It's a Transit Mk6, with the blind spot mirrors, but even then, I've had a few moments where I've had that 'last check before I move', and spotted a car/van/bike etc.

I will be glad when I have the side window fitted in behind my passenger door, so I can over my shoulder, as anybody on my inside, I simply can not see.

As a motorcycle rider, you need to have eyes in your arsehole when out on the road. Nobody is looking out for you.
You can share, and agree with as many 'think bike' campaigns as you like. Nobody can look out for you like you can yourself.

Corky25 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 10 Apr 2014 Karma :

Have drove a van a few times myself and I do have sympathy for van drivers in gerenal. Hence why try I make the effort to get in the visable spots as it just makes life easier for both parties.

Corky25 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 10 Apr 2014 Karma :

rideslikean00... · Nearly there... Joined: 26 May 2014 Karma :

I'm a newish rider so I'm by no means perfect at this, but I'm regularly checking what the vehicles ahead of me are doing/going to do, often by having a quick look at their wheels. A lot of people forget/don't bother to indicate and just slide across lanes so it's good to be looking at vehicles ahead of you because you have no idea what stupid thing they'll do next.
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Previous/Current Bikes
2013 Yamaha YBR-125ED -> 1997 Yamaha YZF-1000R Thunderace -> 2009 Yamaha XJ-6 Diversion -> 2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2

Boris the spider · Nearly there... Joined: 24 Jan 2013 Karma :

Jeeze.
Folk live in another world when driving.
I have done a journey and hardly recalled any of it due to my mind being elsewhere .
I see it every day when commuting. They look , head moves, eyes on you...

BUT... They don't see you. Maybe focus on another item.

As ridelikeasaint says.

Watch vehicle movements
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Yes I'm a pig....And yes... The working public do pay my wages. Tho I contribute to your benefits you lazy c##t. You do not pay my wages. So go fcuk yourself.

Corky25 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 10 Apr 2014 Karma :

Funny you should mention watching the vehicles. He was hugging the white line which made me nervous and cover my brakes. Suppose you can call it another life lesson.

rideslikean00... · Nearly there... Joined: 26 May 2014 Karma :

If you're nervous it's usually a good sign you need to change something, in this case position relative to another vehicle. The standard UK dual carriageway procedure seems to be move on the left, overtake on the right. If I'm on the left and vehicles are on the right it's usually because they're passing me - if I saw one at the same speed for more than a few seconds I would suspect a lane change and decelerate, even if I didn't see indicators on the vehicle. The other option is to accelerate but if they choose that exact moment to merge across then you're moving further into their path, not away.

What I find a good rule of thumb is get really, really good with your own indicators. I indicate a little earlier than most would when coming up to the turns and am quick to snap it off when I'm done turning. Give people as early a warning as you can. If you indicate too early and the first turn isn't the one you take but the second, hey, at least drivers behind you knew too early rather than too late.

As I say I'm no expert, but years of riding a pushbike on a road have helped my roadsense a lot.
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Previous/Current Bikes
2013 Yamaha YBR-125ED -> 1997 Yamaha YZF-1000R Thunderace -> 2009 Yamaha XJ-6 Diversion -> 2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2

UncleFester · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :

https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/

Have a read of this - it may well save your life. It will certainly make you more aware of who and what is around you as well as why they may be looking right at you but still haven't seen you.

maph3rs · Renault 5 Driver Joined: 31 Jul 2013 Karma :

Corky25 · Derestricted Danger Joined: 10 Apr 2014 Karma :

The raf insight should be made more available very interesting article. I will happily let faster traffic infront of me but this was the first time for me being in that middle ground at the side. But that said me and bike got home so I'll take that and a scare over something worse any day.

Llama-Farmer · World Chat Champion Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Karma :

UncleFester · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :

I went to a talk where one of the police advanced riders was a guest speaker, he went through a skim overview of the why / what / how of saccades, fixation duration and a bunch of other stuff - it was fascinating. Eye tracking is something I deal with as part of my 9 to 5 so it's an area I was aware of. I just hadn't connected the two things together until then.

It's not that I think you can avoid every accident, however seeing as there's rarely such a thing as an accident, removing yourself from the cause seems smart.

The problem as i see it is that 'bikers' think all vehicle drivers are myopic and they are, right up until the point that they aren't and then they do something and you think 'you cock, why did you just do that, you could see i was there'. Except they probably didn't see you but you were there - right in their way. Your choice / skill is working out where you don't want to be and then making sure you're not when they do that stupid thing.

The only reason we are better on the bike than in the car is because the bike requires more of us ALL of the time. We aren't ( should be) less distracted by radio / kids / satnav smoking / eating / what that bird / bloke ( delete as appropriate ) is wearing etc etc etc.

iooi · Super Spammer Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Karma :

dydey90 · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Oct 2013 Karma :

I've found that the best way to ride is to act as though everybody is going to try to kill you. Mentally plan escape routes, like a little game in your head and then on the occasions where people do nearly kill you, it's easy to avoid it and sometimes you barely notice what nearly happened.
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,~~ER6f~~ NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

UncleFester · World Chat Champion Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :

daemonoid · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Karma :

tbourner · World Chat Champion Joined: 17 Mar 2012 Karma :

As daemon implied, it's easy to get out of the way on a bike, just because you're in the right and they're in the wrong is irrelevant.

I was driving with a large trailer over the weekend, haven't done it before (for such a long journey) and found my self saying quite a few times "Can't you see I've got a trailer!", wondering why people in their small nippy cars weren't moving out of gaps or approaching motorways logically from sliproads etc. - must be 10 times worse for truckers when some numpty in a car just continues on their merry way forcing them to slow down when the car/bike could easily just squirt the throttle and be gone.
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Trev, now a biker?
Looking for first big bike.