Unavoidable accident.....avoided.

[akaDAVE]

On Sunday I had a clear cut example of what I've heard on here many times. I have to admit I've been sceptical when people say 'he just pulled out' but this was a clear cut example of exactly that. A lesson learnt with out the pain luckily.

I was doing no more than 30mph, with my lights on in a clear bit of road shortly after a roundabout. A red van was waiting to pull out from a road on the left. He looked keen to fill in behind a car in the opposite lane. I could see the bloke clearly, with 2 passengers(3 seat van), talking to a bird next to him. He looked my way, looked the other way, looked straight back AT me, then just pulled out into my lane.
Had I continued at 30 I would have met him at that point.

I had expected the worst by then and slowed down enough to stop or avoid him. He was chatting away and just swinging his head to look so I simply didn't trust him.

The first he saw of me I was about 15ft from his drivers door with my horn going and his bird screaming and pointing at me. She even saw me before he did.
When he turned the look on his face was priceless, he reeled back as if I was going straight into him at 90mph. I had literally appeared from nowhere to him.

I wasn't at all pissed off, just more relieved and pleased with myself for spotting his stupidity.

The bloke looked like he shat himself. He stalled when he first saw me and then stalled again trying to pull away. Hopefully it shook him up enough to take a proper look next time.

In one sense I'm relieved but also realised that on other days I would never have avoided that if there were other distractions for me, so bloody hell I'm just waiting for the next one now!!
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GSXR600

[G]

So many people say "there's nothing I could have done" or "there's no way they could have got of that".
In reality, even if it isn't your 'fault' as such, 99.9% of accidents can be avoided easily enough.

[Sparky]

Nice story!

couldve been so different, well done for not trusting him Dave
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Previous zxr400 - Current ZXR636 late'03
*Who ever said nothing is impossible never tried slamming a revolving door!*

[jayluvmito]

great if that makes you feel good, but ive lost count of the times where i have slowed down becasue i expect someone to do somethign like that, and them do exactly what i thought they would, hence avoiding a unavoidable. yet their will always be the time you dont avoid it.
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one day...

[Barney]

Good observation.

Remember to always assume everything on the road is out to kill you
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CG125|CB400SF|CBR600FX|Triumph Daytona T595|CBR929RR

[Groove]

Its only this week that people have been doing this to me, doesnt help when your breaks are not their best!

The 6/7 weeks before last i never had a problem
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[bazza]

[Method]

Nicely done their mr.Dave

Ive been involved in both kinds of this, the ones where ive seen it, and the ones where i havent - and as a result have had to tae drastic action.

As long as you are in the correct mind-set and you are thinking ahead, then you should be able to predict incidents that may happen. The last thing you want to do is to fall asleep and not realise that big white van roll into you.
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CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[akaDAVE]

[G]

[dodsi]

I do this all the time, has paid off countless times, but some day someone will get me.

Like my instructors said "If you do enough miles there is an idiot with your name on and they will get you"

Nice one for avoiding it.

[innominate]

I had some nobber do a U-turn right in front of me the other day.
Noticing his indicate & turn in one manouver let me stop just in time.


His face was the same as you describe your van driving tard to have.
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I, as a responsible adult human being, will never concede the power to anyone to regulate my choice of what I put into my body, or where I go with my mind. From the skin inwards is my jurisdiction, is it not? I choose what may or may not cross that border. Here I am the customs agent. I am the coast-guard. I am the sole legal and spiritual government of this territory, and only the laws I choose to enact within myself are applicable.

[map]

[Adam_P]

[colin1]

i think jays repsonse to this thread sounded more defensive about the other thread than anything else.

Jay, no one really knows if you were at fault or not so need to be defensive.

Generally speaking tho it is true that defensive driving prevents the kind of accidents you have when riding like a twat.

I have had 2 minor accidents but I didnt get hurt, both when riding in a way that I would not recommend.

I think its fair to say that other road users are less of a danger to me than I am to myself.

Fortunately Im not careless that often.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[extreme3d]

[SoND]

One time a van was trying to turn or something and drove straight across the road in front of me, blocking the entire thing, no way round. Hit the brakes as hard as I could and started beeping my horn like mad and smacking his door.

He looked at me funny and waved as he turned off, must have thought he was just blocking the road, not near killing people


Off topic: Ever notice how standard horns are just pathetic when you're angry? You hit the horn and it lets out a big squeek, which in turn infuriates you more because it doesnt sound like you're angry, just like you're road runner instead. Fucking horns
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Go back to bed - You have no rights - "Streetfighters ~ Mainstream motorcycling's crackwhore sister."

[mrchips]

I was in a similar incident about a fortnight ago in the car on a wet evening. Travelling down a strech of residential area with my mate, heading down to see someone. As I was travelling pretty close to the speed limit, I saw a man of pakistani origin waiting to turn right. he would have been sitting up hill and he started rolling a bit. I assumed he'd just lost the bite but I let off anyway. Next thing he pulled out in front of me, now down to probably about 25mph mph. I had no option but to jam on the anchors and try and steer into the mouth of the junction, which thankfully there was no-one sitting at. I eventually got stopped to the relief of my mate without collision, my wing no less than 50cm from the other driver. After a lot of huffing and puffing I calmed down and he drove on like nothing happened.
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Northern Irish? www.nibikers.com

[McGee]

[Shaun]

Screw the horn, if you want to display your anger test your rev limiter out, works for me.

[numark1]

You need twin air horns.

[paulthewitt]

[McGee]

[king kong]

I always assume that everyone is out to kill me!

I remember on my CBT, my instructor said that it always takes 2 to have a road accident. If one of you is on the ball (usually the biker) then an accident will be avoided.
Nice observation though, we live to fight another day.

[colin1]

yeah i agree with king kongs instructor to a large extent
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colin1 is officially faster than god