1 family, 2 accidents - 1 serious injury, 1 death

[clonmore1]

One of the guys in the next industrial unit to me recently had a bad accident resulting in having his left leg pinned after a SMIDSY. Last week his elder brother was T-boned & killed at a busy junction in a local town.

The woman driver who killed the brother was telling one of her children off who was sat in the back seat as she pulled out and hit him with the usual comment!

He leaves 2 small children.

Ride careful everybody please, there is a lot of distracted drivers out there not paying attention to what they are doing...

[luxlogs]

My biggest fear is getting killed by a 16 yr old valley girl texting her bo.

I'm not afraid of dieing, I just want it to count for something.

[suecanada]

Somedays I just feel full of fear. Helps to get going on the ride or trip...just do it...but reading about this and the thread on the gas prices has me getting that negative feeling again. Just staying home and playing the piano and gardening sounds to be the best option. But then ya die thinkin' "what did i do or get done or enjoy?" Maybe too early today for such thoughts.
Had to put down my 'best furry friend forever' last Friday for the best of reasons I guess....very old age...over 16 yrs. for a big retriever-sized woof. It still is a brutal experience and ya feel like a truck ran over ya. Death is scary and playing god is boggling.
I sure would hope to die without railing into the night.

[Ed Miller]

Somedays I just feel full of fear.

I know that feeling.  Two bicyclists have been killed by cars in Polk County this year, both in broad daylight.  I'm just not willing to let fear run my life.

Sorry about your pooch, though it sure sounds like he had a long (for a dog that size) happy life.  

[clonmore1]

Sue,

I am just returning to biking after many many years away, my wife does NOT want me to ride on the road. I will be taking a 4 day course where I will be trained to ride a large bike (500cc +) on & off the road (the off road element is on a racetrack and they teach you how to RIDE a bike including cornering, counter steering, braking whilst bank at speed etc). The on-road element is training on defensive riding techniques and learning how to survive.

[Graeme]

One of the messages we get here through a Forum & Magazine (Two Wheels) is the need for a rider to recognise that you are responsible for your own safety. It's powerful and it becomes a mantra every time I begin a ride.

[Lucky_Lou]

One of the messages we get here through a Forum & Magazine (Two Wheels) is the need for a rider to recognise that you are responsible for your own safety. It's powerful and it becomes a mantra every time I begin a ride.

Every Saturday morning throughout the summer North Yorkshire police sponsor a stall at Squires cafe which gives out free safety info packs DVD,s etc , i picked one up and was surprised how good they were made me change things i do especially in relation to other motorists and anticipation of hazards.
Lou

[raymr]

Our safety depends mainly on full awareness and common sense. I don't even think about getting on a motorcycle if I had a drink that day, even one beer. That rule prevents the slippery slope that some people might get on, i.e., well 1 drink is OK so maybe 2 is OK, etc. I don't know the stats but willing to bet a large percent get hurt and killed due to going on a spontaneous cruise after 1 too many.  

Of course, good tires, and as many lights and reflectors as you can stand will improve your odds, but defensive and sober riding is all important. We do all we can, and the rest is fate. 

[Barry]

These days I ride with focused awareness of the hazards. I'm acutely aware of every vehicle waiting at a side road or indicating to turn across my lane. I don't grossly exceed the speed limit. I use daytime running lights. Even after all that I had a near miss recently - close enough to see the fear in other drivers eyes who knew they had made a mistake.

I didn't do any of those things 40 years ago when I started out riding bikes and still survived.

Are modern drivers so much worse than they were then. I think that's probably true to some extent. Certainly many people these days buy a 2 ton SUV because it makes them feel safe then they drive it with arrogance and incompetence in equal measure. As the safety standards of cars has increased, driving standards have fallen in response.  Some road users drive cautiously because they are vulnerable and some drive arrogantly because they feel invincible behind 2 tons of metal and 67 air bags. I'm not sure it's all progress.

[raymr]

One thing I do now at stop lights is to point my ride off to the right or left of the vehicle in front of me. Then if I get hit from behind I won't be sandwiched, and instead will (hopefully) be thrown into the clear.  It also puts me in better view of the front car's rear view mirrors.

[Lucky_Lou]

Are modern drivers so much worse than they were then. I think that's probably true to some extent. Certainly many people these days buy a 2 ton SUV because it makes them feel safe then they drive it with arrogance and incompetence in equal measure. As the safety standards of cars has increased, driving standards have fallen in response.  Some road users drive cautiously because they are vulnerable and some drive arrogantly because they feel invincible behind 2 tons of metal and 67 air bags. I'm not sure it's all progress.

I find it amazing that so many drivers of high value cars cannot afford hands free kits maybe they think if they spend £50K on a car they are above the law, i almost got wiped out by a new BMW 5 series the other day i know they have built in blue tooth (my son in law has one) but the driver could not be arsed to use it chatting with the phone welded to his ear oblivious to other road users.
Lou

[clonmore1]

I find that male van (around 4.30pm onwards) and female SUV drivers (all times) are the worst for phone use whilst driving.

I do worry about riding at certain times of the day, but hopefully the training will help me be a better rider.