For you newer riders.....
 

You should be able to see things like this coming from a mile away.....
Pay attention to your surroundings......

LiveLeak.com - Car Cuts In Front a Motorcycle

Piss poor lane protection, either get right up next to the door or back off.

What's the big deal? That was almost a daily occurrence for 27 years on my 75 mile round trip commute.

On my old '83 BMW R100RS that I owned for 15 years before my VTR, I'd just hit the horn button, and the dual Fiamm's would cause the encroaching driver to crap his pants and pull back into his lane.:shock: It never failed.

I don't think it was so much as not properly claiming the lane so much as the driver just saying "I'm going".

I personally would have never been in that spot because if someone is next to me I am either in front of their field of view in their window or the front windshield, or in their mirror with my hand on the horn.

The latter usually requires being submissive in the lane as I'm usually forced to the outside opposite side of the lane, but I'd rather be there than under the tire.

What a lot of new riders fail to realize is that crashing is different between a car and a bike and cagers who have never ridden take that for granted.

I ride like every time I put the kickstand up everyone (riders included) on the road is intentionally trying to kill me, and that's kept me relatively safe outside of my own riding mistakes.

Good find Mike, its a pretty serious problem here as it is everywhere but in CA, drivers just don't give a flying F*&^ despite having bikes on the road year-round.

Another thing to note in this video is the fact that the driver had displayed reckless abandon when turning already, so why chance it? Point being, absorb everything you see while riding and make the predictions that everyone will do what is going to end up with you getting hurt.

Keep the rubber side down guys, eh?

When given the opportunity, most drivers will screw you over. If passively riding and placing yourself in situations where you can be taken advantage of, you will be. The rider in question was riding in the cagers blind spot, bad place to be, mistake one. The cager failed to clear his left rear prior to making an unsignaled lane change, mistake two. The rider failed to recognize the situation developing and to take evasive manuevers, mistake three.

All of these mistakes by rider and cager led to this accident. Be visible. Be alert. Situations such as this happen every day but can be mitigated by assertive (not obnoxious) riding techniques. Make sure you let everyone around you know you are there. It is hard to compete with 110 decibels of Lady Gaga or the Little Princess texting her BFF while driving. The best way to combat these situations is to never place yourself in them by being alert, recognizing the potential for disaster and to distance yourself as quickly as you can.

I was about a foot away from that happening to me on the highway yesterday except he came into my lane (fast Lane) a little faster then in the video...(I made sure he saw my middle finger)

It looks like he expected that car to see him at the last second and swerve away... NEVER expect a car to see you!!!!

guy on the bike imo wasnt riding right. he pulled up to the cars blind spot and hung out there, either pull up infront of it or stay back from it

I always thought I rode pretty aware until I moved to L.A.. Literally, every time I put my helmet on I have to get into "race" mode in my head. Super hightened awareness and vision, making "passes" minimizes time in blind spots, being assertive and as others have said, taking control of your lane. Drivers down here are like no other. You have to try to anticipate what crazy drivers will do.

It looks to me like the guy in the video wasn't paying enough attention. If I see a guy moving over 2 lanes over to the lane next to me I'm already in the left part of my lane and probably would have sped up to get ahead, just in case. That one time you let your guard down...

Totally agree. There are so many more distracted "drivers" than there were 15 or so years ago, it's scary.

as i was watching this i just kept thinking
"brake...brake...brake! brake you fool!"

Don't forget distracted riders..... with all the blue tooth helmets and other music players, nav systems and all that crap riders are becoming just as bad.

Pay attention was the whole point of this thread.

So personally I would have been on the gas as soon as the car switched the first lane.

Also never be afraid or concerned with traffic laws when it comes to this type of situation, Do whatever you have to in order to avoid the accident.
There is another old saying that goes "It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6" which means it much better to explain what happened to the police than the ambulance driver or worse...... ;)

Situational awareness will save your life.

Living/riding in NYC I am a paranoid rider. I actually get sick of the sound of my own horn but quck taps tend to get way more attention since people tune out long honks.

When in doubt, beep. Flash hi beams, be conspicuous. You just need them to check up long enuff to escape.

this acident was ultimatly the car drivers fault but i was so obvious that was what the a***hole was going to do.

he shoulda backed off. being in the right means jack when its 200 kg of bike vs 1 ,half ton of mercedes

The saying I go by is "there is no arguing with steel".

Being right doesnt fix broken bones.

"
The saying I go by is "there is no arguing with steel".

Being right doesnt fix broken bones. "

well said old boy.


the biker should have been more to the left also..

car driver deffo a twat though

A Big +1!!!

I've accelerated over the double yellow a number of times to stay clear of such situations (when there's no traffic coming the opposite way, of course).

As said, the rider should have been in the left tire track...more room and time to react.

And I usually know the driver is going to change lanes before the driver himself does. Watch head movement and "body fakes" of the car. Be aware of possible "escape" routes at all times while riding in traffic.

And stay in a low enough gear so that you have enough punch to get out of the way. That's where the torque of our bikes comes in really handy.

This accident was totally avoidable by the rider. He should have seen it coming a mile away.

Great and fun read on how unprepared some motorcyclists are to deal with extreme situations. Quote: "If you know the only hazard-avoidance move you have is a menacing glare or a loud exhaust note, staying in bed is always your best policy."

The Geezer with a Grudge - Why Do We Die So Often?