Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Discussion area for Newer Riders and LAM's bikes including the Ninja 250

Moderator: Six Addict

Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Postby tim » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:16 pm

Had to pick some stuff up today at lunchtime for work. Riding back, light rain, along a 2 way double-line road doing 50 in a 50 zone, commercial district, busy road.

A van approached up a driveway from the left (I SLOWED IN ANTICIPATION AND MOVED TO THE LEFT) he looks right at me (DIDN'T SEE ME), looks left, then comes out right in front of me (I'VE SLOWED CONSIDERABLY 20m SHORT OF HIM now probably doing 15km/h) he sees me and does a double-take "WTF!!!! OH SHIT!!! " panic look at me then realises I've stopped then looks embaressed. I nodded at him, and we both kept going.

"IF" I hadn't prepared like the 200 other times I did during the week this 200th time I would have eaten van. What's really interesting to me are the 2 times this week I caught myself NOT preparing.

For me, being prepared while riding a bike is analogous to being a slips fielder in cricket. You have to concentrate 100% and be prepared and ready for a catch the first, and every single 360 balls of an average day of cricket. On those balls when you don't prepare mentally and physically, if you're lucky to not get a catch the best slip fielder will realise the potential outcome of what he just did, get really pissed off with himself because of it, resolve to do better, then relax and forget about it but act on the resolution.

This discipline allows us to stack the odds of crash avoidance in our favour. I sure hope that if i do ever have a crash there's NOTHING else I could have done to avoid it.

:kuda:



My wife wanted to add this (she's shy): hmwjadtbzcqx :oops:
2008 ZX6R Special Edition
User avatar
tim
VIP MEMBER
VIP MEMBER
 
Posts: 5815
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:12 pm
Location: Sydney, NSW
Bike: ZX6R
State: New South Wales

Re: Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Postby robracer » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:37 pm

Tim you will find that over time you wont have to concentrate so hard when scanning..... it will become ingrained.... its having little moments like this that trains you to keep the senses going the whole time & also by now you would have realised just how complacent one can become driving a car :roll: would explain why smash repair places are always busy :lol:
User avatar
robracer
VIP MEMBER
VIP MEMBER
 
Posts: 15251
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2005 8:23 pm
Location: Port Macquarie
Bike: ZX6R
State: New South Wales

Re: Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Postby tim » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:57 pm

Yeah Rob. When I consider the way I was behaving when I was complacent, pre-occupied and crashing cars I'm SOOO glad I wasn't riding a bike at those ages. :?

If the experience car drivers had was more like that of a bike rider, full face helmet, gauntlet style gloves, driving a car with a seat, steering wheel, pedals and gear lever, there'd be a lot less crashes - you can't talk on a phone, operate the radio or put your make-up on in racing gear strapped into a race car.
2008 ZX6R Special Edition
User avatar
tim
VIP MEMBER
VIP MEMBER
 
Posts: 5815
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:12 pm
Location: Sydney, NSW
Bike: ZX6R
State: New South Wales

Re: Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Postby Rossi » Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:03 pm

tim wrote:If the experience car drivers had was more like that of a bike rider, full face helmet, gauntlet style gloves, driving a car with a seat, steering wheel, pedals and gear lever, there'd be a lot less crashes - you can't talk on a phone, operate the radio or put your make-up on in racing gear strapped into a race car.



But the little f*ckers think they're indestructable now, please don't let them try this :roll:
I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.
User avatar
Rossi
KSRC Contributor
KSRC Contributor
 
Posts: 1656
Joined: Sat May 01, 2004 12:39 am
Location: Vic : Epping
Bike: ZX9R
State: Victoria

Re: Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Postby Benno » Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:35 pm

I find that I now instinctively slow if I see a car looking to enter the road I'm on, or even if someone looks "impatient". Saved my behind more than a few times.
Vespa!
User avatar
Benno
KSRC Contributor
KSRC Contributor
 
Posts: 1241
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 4:33 pm
Location: Melbourne!!
Bike: Scooter
State: Victoria

Re: Today had my first "Invisible bike, shocked Driver" episode

Postby seiko1 » Sat Feb 14, 2009 5:24 pm

Good onya for having the sense to slow in anticipation.
Some people don't bother because they are in the right.
But being right won't stop anyone being DEAD!
Policy - Find something simple.....and Complicate it!
User avatar
seiko1
Apprentice Post Whore :-)
Apprentice Post Whore :-)
 
Posts: 7643
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:36 pm
Location: Geelong
Bike: ZX14R
State: Victoria


Return to Newer Riders and LAMS Bike Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests

cron