Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Guzzistajohn on June 14, 2019, 02:39:48 PM
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https://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Illinois-motorcyclist-killed-after-grass-clippings-left-on-road-511219891.html?fbclid=IwAR1mTKhMspVyg7Kqt5WlmWlO87iPBg1OzCCDPaBwN9-CFZ6kNu_xhtAs1p4
Grass clippings one the road have been a subject of discussion on the interneck for a couple of years, now they say someone has died and yard work could be the blame.
Great photo of her and her get back whip but no helmet???
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Reading the article I got the impression that the possible reason for her crash was following too closely.
The rider who died did not hit the grass clippings and go out of control. One of her riding partners hit the clippings, slowed down, and she ran into the back of him.
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True, but just the same, I avoid them. It's a really good way to get something stuck in your tire that has been thrown out of the side ditch.
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I wonder if she was wearing a helmet or any other gear.
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I wonder if she was wearing a helmet or any other gear.
Around here, most Harley riders don't.
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Personally, I think all the hubub about grass clippings is a load of crap. Distracted driving is a bigger issue. I see grass clippings as an opportunity to Brrrraaaaappppppp!!! I'd hate to see what would happen if someone hit some sand??
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if homeowners understood that they can be held liable for any injuries caused by the grass clippings, many might quit the practice. sounds to me like there is a wrongful death suit there.
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if homeowners understood that they can be held liable for any injuries caused by the grass clippings, many might quit the practice. sounds to me like there is a wrongful death suit there.
The lawyer might say "We're suing because the homeowner deliberately placed some slick foreign material on the highway surface".
No one is allowed to pour oil on the road, or dump mulch in the road, or throw garbage in the road; why should they be allowed to dump grass clippings on the travel surface and get away with it?
"But I was only cutting my grass!" The initial statement still stands, doesn't matter what you were doing.
Might not win, but might make the next guy think. Or not.
Lannis
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Personally, I think all the hubub about grass clippings is a load of crap. Distracted driving is a bigger issue. I see grass clippings as an opportunity to Brrrraaaaappppppp!!! I'd hate to see what would happen if someone hit some sand??
👍👍👍👍
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One of the most dangerous things to hit down here in rural NZ is cow dung on the road. Many dairy farms have been split by roads, and although there are many farms that have had underpasses installed there are still plenty where the cows have to cross the road.
Hitting fresh cow shit has close to the same effect as hitting oil. :evil:
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Leaving the Wisconsin rally on Sunday morning finds "horse apples" on the road from the Amish going to church. :grin: I smile in my helmet and wave to the kids..
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Try leaning in to a good curve and to find a squished armadillo in the road. It raises the pucker factor a notch or two :thumb:
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if homeowners understood that they can be held liable for any injuries caused by the grass clippings, many might quit the practice. sounds to me like there is a wrongful death suit there.
Here in TN. leaving "Clippings" on a roadway is a Law-Suit . Yes , if the Clippings wasn't on the roadway the accident never would have happened ... therefore all it takes is proof of how the Clippings got left on the Roadway ! Open and Shut !
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Reading the article I got the impression that the possible reason for her crash was following too closely.
The rider who died did not hit the grass clippings and go out of control. One of her riding partners hit the clippings, slowed down, and she ran into the back of him.
I agree. Riding in too tight a pack. Sometime it don't work out for riders , or the Blue Angels. The article says she worked as a paralegal before becoming a waitress. Some 'bambulance chaser is sure to want to be the white knight now....
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Here in the SoCal suburbs it’s the f’ing leaf blower brigade. They cut the grass and then blow it all out in the street, job done. Even worse when you happen by at the wrong moment and get blasted by the jet stream of filth. F’ers. :violent1:
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I just hate when people let their kids play in the road. When you run over then their little bone break and puncture the tires.
Yes, people who dump their lawn mowers in the road are creating a hazard. I have never heard of anyone being ticketed for it though.
In Hawaii girls would ride their horses on the sidewalk. Horse poop sometimes covered the sidewalk so that my wheelchair could not avoid rolling through it.
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As most of us have found out a heavy layer of fresh cut grass is certainly a hazard and can put you down with the wrong set of circumstances. No matter what other factors were present at that time of her get off it is upsetting that the clippings may have contributed to her demise.
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I just hate when people let their kids play in the road. When you run over then their little bone break and puncture the tires.
Yes, people who dump their lawn mowers in the road are creating a hazard. I have never heard of anyone being ticketed for it though.
In Hawaii girls would ride their horses on the sidewalk. Horse poop sometimes covered the sidewalk so that my wheelchair could not avoid rolling through it.
Hawaii needs a "Curb your Horse" law. Those girls should have to carry a bag for that shit!
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Hi all,
I agree, that grass and leaves should be in a compost...not the road...for several different reasons.
Slightly different topic...I had a real sphincter clencher last week when I was on the highway, rounding a blind right hand turn at about 50 mph, the road was banked the wrong way and I was leaning. At mid corner, the road was covered with tar snakes (they were apparently prepping the road for some repairs...no sign.) The front lost grip and then so did the back. Luckily, there was enough stable pavement for me to hang on and get through it without incident. I kissed my wife and pet my dog when I got home. In that order.
Be well,
DougG
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Hi all,
I agree, that grass and leaves should be in a compost...not the road...for several different reasons.
Slightly different topic...I had a real sphincter clencher last week when I was on the highway, rounding a blind right hand turn at about 50 mph, the road was banked the wrong way and I was leaning. At mid corner, the road was covered with tar snakes (they were apparently prepping the road for some repairs...no sign.) The front lost grip and then so did the back. Luckily, there was enough stable pavement for me to hang on and get through it without incident. I kissed my wife and pet my dog when I got home. In that order.
Be well,
DougG
Wow glad you're ok....but it sounds like...as always...never one issue....more a combination of smaller issues...though I have never seen a state or county roadway with a reverse "super" elevation...(banked the wrong way road surface)...it may be worth contacting your state DOT or County Road Commission. Certainly for the construction signage...though in my neck of the woods, crack sealing (tar snakes) would only have signage during the application process.
more on topic...very sad for the woman and her family....the more factors that increase risk...the higher percentage of a negative reaction to them...Helmet? riding in groups? rider experience? speed? AND grass clippings...not good :(
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I guess we need signs....Caution- Mowing Homeowners Ahead
Caution- Road Debris Can Be Hazardous
Caution- Road Kill Can Kill (not David)
Caution- Helmets are a good idea!
What about plowing your snow across the road and making slippery areas?
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AGATT Wasn’t the grass clippings, she was following to close. She got away with it her entire ridding career until she didn’t. RIP
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I have to agree, riding too close was the real issue.
I never ride in groups. I guess I understand why people are compelled to do it, but riding closer to other motorcyclists than you would ride to cars or motorcyclists you don't know doesn't make sense. If the bike in front of you, or in the stagger position in front of you suddenly swerves because of a deer, turkey or pile of grass clippings will you react in time?
Or, if you have a bike close behind you, staggered or not, do you hesitate to apply heavy braking if needed, because you're not sure if the person behind you sees the same obstruction?
To me, the pinnacle of stupidity is riding in a group of people you don't know, like a charity or memorial ride. Good way to be memorialized yourself.
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I have to agree that riding too close to the rider in front, therefore not having sufficient time to react to the rider in front having the issue with the clippings was the major problem.
So what does everybody do when fall hits and mother nature spreads wet leaves all over the road? Stay home? Or be more cautious, slow down and don't follow too close?
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I wonder if she was wearing a helmet or any other gear.
You do not see many helmeted riders in Illinois.
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Sad that it was her husband that initially lost control and slowed down. She then ploughed into him. Will be hard for him to deal with that.
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This is precisely why my yard looks like a wheat field. I would mow the lawn more often, but I don't because of rider safety.
...somehow I don't think this excuse will work with the neighbors.
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This is precisely why my yard looks like a wheat field. I would mow the lawn more often, but I don't because of rider safety.
...somehow I don't think this excuse will work with the neighbors.
Just tell the neighbors that a hay shortage is looming and you want to be prepared :laugh:
Dusty
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Here in the SoCal suburbs it’s the f’ing leaf blower brigade. They cut the grass and then blow it all out in the street, job done. Even worse when you happen by at the wrong moment and get blasted by the jet stream of filth. F’ers. :violent1:
Yep. I used to go to work in the afternoon in an area that all of the lawn service people were hitting. The big thing is to use a leaf blower to blow the clippings out into the road. I would have to ride through a cloud of dust and grass clippings. One of the reasons I installed loud honk so they would hear me as I gave them the single digit salute. Morons.
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If you have sheep, you wont need to mow the grass and risk a road accident..... :wink:
(https://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/Penderic008/sheep%20on%20road_zpssn40korj.jpg)
:embarrassed: oh oh.
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If you have sheep, you wont need to mow the grass and risk a road accident..... :wink:
(https://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/Penderic008/sheep%20on%20road_zpssn40korj.jpg)
:embarrassed: oh oh.
That looks like rural NZ. :grin:
Fairly regular occurrence out here.
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That looks like rural NZ. :grin:
Fairly regular occurrence out here.
cool photo
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Seems to me grass clipping are pretty obvious and can easily be avoided,at the least, slow down and ride over them carefully. I blame the rider for this one, not the grass clippings.
Followed a loaded hog hauler through Iowa once, not only was the road behind that hauler very slippery in spotts but the air itself was a hazard to my health!! :angry:
Paul
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I agree grass clippings or for that matter any yard waste should not be blown out on the roadway. But also I wish this country would get serious about cell phone use while driving. It seems like every time I'm out for a ride somebody is trying to kill me. The technology is there. Where I worked we had hand held computers ( basically a big cell phone) when the vehicle was moving the device wouldn't work. How many innocent people have to die or seriously hurt ? Rant over !!!
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How many innocent people have to die or seriously hurt ? Rant over !!!
Rant continued on your behalf .... Innocent people will continue to die until the use of cell phones and texters while driving becomes "socially unacceptable", like drunk driving has become relative to the 1960s. Very few people defend drunk driving today, although addicts continue to do it.
No laws are going to help as long as a large majority of the people on the road believe it is WRONG to risk other people's lives for their own pleasure, or because us little people can't possibly understand how f****** VALUABLE their time is relative to the value of your life.
Police do it, lawmakers and their families do it, and teenagers are dying by the thousands because their parents expect them to be able to "multitask" and take a call while they're driving.
Don't know what it will take. The butcher's bill is in the tens of thousands already over the last few years, but it's only getting worse.
Lannis
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Rant continued....About 10,000 people a year are killed by drunk drivers, many times that suffer life changing injuries...Yet we raise a beer in toast to certain statements like the badge of honor...
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Rest in Peace. Her husband has to live with this tragedy for the rest of his life. Hopefully the homeowner gets sued.
Never heard of anyone losing control in grass clippings. They must have been mighty wet and/or he over-reacted.
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Fellas , people die in all kinds of senseless ways , we might not want to go down that road . Thanks .
Dusty
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Ya it will probably never change in my lifetime.last wknd I had a young girl all most hit me head on. I could literally see her face buried in the cell phone , I felt like chasing her down and give her a piece of my mind , but I pulled over took a deep breath , cooled down rode home and parked the bike for the day. It's un freakn believable out there. Sometimes I just want to hang up my riding boots.
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I'll take grass clippings over mangoes any day of the week. Summer time when the mango trees fruit out and drop, loads of highway action in a turn. :shocked:
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Let’s face the cold hard truth. Yes motorcycle riders are often killed or injured due to the actions of other motorists. That being said. As a retired LEO I take interest in every motorcycle death that I read about and take the time to read the entire content including any information offered by the officers investigation and you know what the majority of the time the cause of the accident was contributed to.... you guessed it speed and alcohol. Just the difference in traveling the speed limit and just 5 MPH over can be the difference in colliding with a car which turns in front of you or being able to avoid it. When ridding in congested traffic conditions one cannot be to too high of alert, expect the unexpected. The fact is this, although yes sometimes accidents happen, that’s life and sometimes simply out of our hands however the truth is this, when we ride as professional cyclist, obey all the traffic laws and keep out full attention on the road at all times, ridding our motorcycles are as safe as any other mode of transportation. Want proof, look at the thousands of old farts on this forum 👍
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Let’s face the cold hard truth. Yes motorcycle riders are often killed or injured due to the actions of other motorists. That being said. As a retired LEO I take interest in every motorcycle death that I read about and take the time to read the entire content including any information offered by the officers investigation and you know what the majority of the time the cause of the accident was contributed to.... you guessed it speed and alcohol. Just the difference in traveling the speed limit and just 5 MPH over can be the difference in colliding with a car which turns in front of you or being able to avoid it. When ridding in congested traffic conditions one cannot be to too high of alert, expect the unexpected. The fact is this, although yes sometimes accidents happen, that’s life and sometimes simply out of our hands however the truth is this, when we ride as professional cyclist, obey all the traffic laws and keep out full attention on the road at all times, ridding our motorcycles are as safe as any other mode of transportation. Want proof, look at the thousands of old farts on this forum 👍
Yes, at the risk of being a kill joy, I agree. As a Land Surveyor, I know something about curve geometry and road design.
Curves are designed for specific speeds, but it often is not traction and grip that is the limiting factor, it is often sight lines. Now a bike can have better sight lines than a car due to lane position, but only so much. If you are riding public roads at a pace you have serious pucker moments because you come up on the unexpected in a curve, you are by definition outriding safe sight lines. Do it enough and some day your number will come up,ie, the unexpected stalled truck totally blocking your way in that blind curve, only it was not really a blind curve if you were riding in the sight lines.
On my morning commute I have a nice double lane in same direction freeway transition ramp with an enjoyable curve. I have ridden it literally thousands of times. The inside lane is safe to about 70mph as the inside radius cuts the sight lines and once in a while there is stopped traffic. The outside lane is safe to about 95mph as the sight lines are much longer. The curve radius I am on while riding is not hugely different, grip is not the limiting factor, if it were grip this would be in excess of a hundred mile per hour curve on the inside lane. It is the sight lines on that inner lane that will get you.
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Yes, at the risk of being a kill joy, I agree. As a Land Surveyor, I know something about curve geometry and road design.
Curves are designed for specific speeds, but it often is not traction and grip that is the limiting factor, it is often sight lines. Now a bike can have better sight lines than a car due to lane position, but only so much. If you are riding public roads at a pace you have serious pucker moments because you come up on the unexpected in a curve, you are by definition outriding safe sight lines. Do it enough and some day your number will come up,ie, the unexpected stalled truck totally blocking your way in that blind curve, only it was not really a blind curve if you were riding in the sight lines.
On my morning commute I have a nice double lane in same direction freeway transition ramp with an enjoyable curve. I have ridden it literally thousands of times. The inside lane is safe to about 70mph as the inside radius cuts the sight lines and once in a while there is stopped traffic. The outside lane is safe to about 95mph as the sight lines are much longer. The curve radius I am on while riding is not hugely different, grip is not the limiting factor, if it were grip this would be in excess of a hundred mile per hour curve on the inside lane. It is the sight lines on that inner lane that will get you.
Very good points. Here in Tennessee you can almost guarantee that when you crest a hill the road turns, and when you go around a curve there will be gravel from a driveway in the road. We can also encounter tractors, ATVs, bicyclists, locals straightening out the curves, crops in the road, etc. We also have a lot of people who will load up the bed of their trucks or a trailer and not tie or cover the load.
Of course one might argue that gravel, or grass clippings reduce the grip causing riders to react badly. In many cases it is the way you react that causes the crash and not the slip on the loose surface. I have had both tires slip a couple inches because of unseen rock chips in the curve and I kept my focus on the horizon and the bike regained traction and I went on. Of course my adreneline spiked!
You will notice that skilled and experienced riders that want to take a set of curves at a very fast pace will first ride the section of road to look for hazards and then turn around and run it at a spirited pace, turn around and enjoy it in the other direction and then move on to the next set of curves.
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I don’t wish to be a kill joy here as I have no right to throw stones living in a glass house. That being said, every time we ride in excess of the posted speed limits on any road for any reason we take our lives in our hands. Don’t blame the person making the dreaded “left turn” in your path when you are running 10mph over the posted limit or the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly and you are riding up his arse. The posted speed limits by no means is ok to run that speed regardless of conditions such as traffic, weather, or even times of the day. I’m sorry guys but I’ve investigated hundreds of accidents involving motorcycles and cars and I can attest there have been very few which were simply acts of God, 99.9 percent were operator, weather intentional or not, caused the accident. There are opinions and there are facts, I withhold my opinion on this one. Ride safe my friends:)
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If you have sheep, you wont need to mow the grass and risk a road accident..... :wink:
(https://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/Penderic008/sheep%20on%20road_zpssn40korj.jpg)
:embarrassed: oh oh.
Flocks of sheep crossing the road were a common road hazard when I lived in the UK. Then there was all that sheep sh!t in the road afterward.
Larry
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I don’t wish to be a kill joy here as I have no right to throw stones living in a glass house. That being said, every time we ride in excess of the posted speed limits on any road for any reason we take our lives in our hands. Don’t blame the person making the dreaded “left turn” in your path when you are running 10mph over the posted limit or the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly and you are riding up his arse. The posted speed limits by no means is ok to run that speed regardless of conditions such as traffic, weather, or even times of the day. I’m sorry guys but I’ve investigated hundreds of accidents involving motorcycles and cars and I can attest there have been very few which were simply acts of God, 99.9 percent were operator, weather intentional or not, caused the accident. There are opinions and there are facts, I withhold my opinion on this one. Ride safe my friends:)
Speed Kills? Nah... Speed Thrills!
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I've always viewed the practice of mowing grass into the road as bad form when it can be avoided.
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I've always viewed the practice of mowing grass into the road as bad form when it can be avoided.
My wife takes care of the yard and I have had to skool her on proper mowing etiquette. :violent1: Besides not blowing grass into the road, it is proper etiquette to stop the blade as a vehicle passes, and to not blow grass against the house.
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Speed Kills? Nah... Speed Thrills!
Yep, FREE WILL trumps common sense every time, I know because I often choose “free will”to “reach that trill zone”:)
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Motor vehicle "accidents" are very rarely completely accidental.... Cause & effect, whether intentional or not.
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Motor vehicle "accidents" are very rarely completely accidental.... Cause & effect, whether intentional or not.
👍
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Good conversation guys!
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Motor vehicle "accidents" are very rarely completely accidental.... Cause & effect, whether intentional or not.
Very true, and I have to give our local papers credit for never using the word "accident" any more in association with a motor vehicle crash. "Wreck", "Crash", or "Collision" is what they quite properly use, because as Ncdan says, only a tiny percentage of them are "accidents", except in the sense that people didn't intend them to happen. Lack of caring, lack of attention, lack of skill, or results of addiction are the typical causes ....
Lannis
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If you have sheep, you wont need to mow the grass and risk a road accident..... :wink:
(https://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Penderic/Penderic008/sheep%20on%20road_zpssn40korj.jpg)
:embarrassed: oh oh.
Lot of potential girlfriends in that picture. :whip2:
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Lot of potential girlfriends in that picture. :whip2:
That was just baaaaaaaaad
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Very true, and I have to give our local papers credit for never using the word "accident" any more in association with a motor vehicle crash. "Wreck", "Crash", or "Collision" is what they quite properly use, because as Ncdan says, only a tiny percentage of them are "accidents", except in the sense that people didn't intend them to happen. Lack of caring, lack of attention, lack of skill, or results of addiction are the typical causes ....
Lannis
Amen👍
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Interesting to note...the news media out here always will add the tagline that the rider in a motorcycle accident "was not wearing a helmet". If there is no fatality there's no mention of the rider wearing a helmet. No mention if the rider is licensed and legal.
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I have been riding for close to 45 years and wet or damp grass clippings on a damp road or extremely dangerous you go into a slow speed curve with that and they are just as slick as a glazing of ice on the road !
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Interesting to note...the news media out here always will add the tagline that the rider in a motorcycle accident "was not wearing a helmet". If there is no fatality there's no mention of the rider wearing a helmet. No mention if the rider is licensed and legal.
We had three auto fatalities yesterday in our and the next county, and to be fair, the newspapers noted that none of the people in the three separate crashes were wearing a seat belt.
A 2001 truck, a late-model Mustang, and a late model Toyota. All three exactly the same - single car, clear road, daytime, ran off the right side of the road, either hit a tree or rolled over on a bank, ejected from the vehicle, and died at the scene. One young woman, one middle-aged, one older man.
I mean, how do you even drive a modern car these days without fastening the seat belt? Ours harasses us so bad that you can't go a half a mile without it nagging you into compliance. And why would you NOT want to wear a seat belt? You can't even tell you've got a modern one on.
It's not like wearing a helmet versus not wearing a helmet. Riding without a helmet is a COMPLETELY difference experience out in the air and sunshine and wind, than riding WITH a helmet, which is intrusive and cuts you off quite a bit from the outside. But buckling up a seat belt changes nothing about the driving experience.
Do they do it just to be contrary? Do they NOT buckle up because The Man is always controlling their lives and telling them to do things and by Gawd Ah'm sick-n-tahrd uv bein' tol' whut ta do?
Whatever it was, three stupid decisions, and three people dead for nothing ....
Lannis
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I have been riding for close to 45 years and wet or damp grass clippings on a damp road or extremely dangerous you go into a slow speed curve with that and they are just as slick as a glazing of ice on the road !
Just curious Sir, how many times have you went down due to this road hazard ?
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I have been riding for close to 45 years and wet or damp grass clippings on a damp road or extremely dangerous you go into a slow speed curve with that and they are just as slick as a glazing of ice on the road !
:thumb: The danger remains for days afterwards. The grass clipping get smeared all over the road and dry, next time it rains - slick all over again.
Two years ago was especially bad around here for grass in the road - I "dirt tracked" my way around a corner or three. Last year a little better and this one a bit better yet. Whether it's due to drier conditions and the grass not growing as fast or that the "word" is getting out about it's consequences, I don't know. I'm just happy that there's less of it.
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Just curious Sir, how many times have you went down due to this road bazaars?
Road bazaars - The Attack of the 50-Foot Spellchecker!
Lannis
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We had three auto fatalities yesterday in our and the next county, and to be fair, the newspapers noted that none of the people in the three separate crashes were wearing a seat belt.
A 2001 truck, a late-model Mustang, and a late model Toyota. All three exactly the same - single car, clear road, daytime, ran off the right side of the road, either hit a tree or rolled over on a bank, ejected from the vehicle, and died at the scene. One young woman, one middle-aged, one older man.
I mean, how do you even drive a modern car these days without fastening the seat belt? Ours harasses us so bad that you can't go a half a mile without it nagging you into compliance. And why would you NOT want to wear a seat belt? You can't even tell you've got a modern one on.
It's not like wearing a helmet versus not wearing a helmet. Riding without a helmet is a COMPLETELY difference experience out in the air and sunshine and wind, than riding WITH a helmet, which is intrusive and cuts you off quite a bit from the outside. But buckling up a seat belt changes nothing about the driving experience.
Do they do it just to be contrary? Do they NOT buckle up because The Man is always controlling their lives and telling them to do things and by Gawd Ah'm sick-n-tahrd uv bein' tol' whut ta do?
Whatever it was, three stupid decisions, and three people dead for nothing ....
Lannis
The local media reports the same about not wearing a seat belt out here.
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Road bazaars - The Attack of the 50-Foot Spellchecker!
Lannis
Why didn’t you just correct it got me Lannis? I can’t remember if I was trying to say hazards or buzzards 😂. Spelling Police is a needed position here, lol:)
And I still want to know the answer to the original question 👍
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Why didn’t you just correct it got me Lannis? I can’t remember if I was trying to say hazards or buzzards 😂. Spelling Police is a needed position here, lol:)
And I still want to know the answer to the original question 👍
The only thing I was sure of is that a Fanged Spotted Spellchecker got you somehow .... wasn't sure what the intended word was but I was guessing it wasn't "bazaar"!
And regarding the original question, we may never know, BUT you don't actually have to fall down due to a road bazaar hazard to know that it's a hazard. I'm pretty sure that tar snakes, texting drivers, and drive-by shooters are pretty dangerous, even though I've never been downed or shot by one .... !! :evil: :thumb:
Lannis
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I mean, how do you even drive a modern car these days without fastening the seat belt? Ours harasses us so bad that you can't go a half a mile without it nagging you into compliance. And why would you NOT want to wear a seat belt? You can't even tell you've got a modern one on.
I remember when my parents bought a "safe" car that continuously beeped at you if you didn't buckle the seat belt. What did they do? The buckled the seat belt and sat in front of it.
I started wearing my seat belt because my car had a vinyl bench seat and I got tired of hanging on the wheel to keep from sliding down the seat in a curve. It stuck and have been wearing one ever since. Feels weird not to have one buckled.
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The rider was killed by the consequences of his own command decisions.
If I get a bug splatter on my visor at 130 k and wipe it causing me to lose visibility, was it the bug that killed me?
We all need to accept that it is our decision alone, to assess the available road ahead to the point where we can evade or stop, and if we are not within that envelope, then to some degree we are hoping for the best.
I do it, you do it, we all do it..
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I agree with my friend, Huzo and that’s been my take on the subject all along, as professional riders we must realize people and situations cause road hazards that we must take into consideration every time we ride.
Now, I must admit something and “eat some crow” at this time. This thread started with the “grass clippings” content and I was a naysayer with the opinion some grass blown onto the roadway is not going to cause an accident on a motorcycle unless the rider is riding over their head in the first place. Well, just yesterday I was ridding my 1400 and as I rounded a curve, some idiot was mowing high thick grass right on the road with the discharge side of the deck toward the highway. He had deposited heavy amounts of grass onto at least half of the road. I was traveling at a the speed limit, 45mph and I simply moved over a bit and bypassed the, potential hazard with no issue. It was in a blind curve and I will admit here to my friends who feel this is an extreme hazard and could cause death, if the right circumstances developed such as the grass laid there a couple days and got rained on and matted to the asphalt, a rider traveling above the speed limit could hit this obstacle and the outcome be bleak. Also I’ll confirm that an obstacle such as this at night, when visibility is low, could be bad. Contrary To a few opinions, I think this post is entertaining and informative.
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I agree with my friend, Huzo and that’s been my take on the subject all along, as professional riders we must realize people and situations cause road hazards that we must take into consideration every time we ride.
I live in an area with miles and miles of two lane roads, hills and bends, with little traffic..It's also an agricultural area so there's a possibility mud or tractors pulling an array of equipment as wide as the road...Always slow down when entering a blind turn or cresting a hill....
Of shit can happen despite taking every precaution...hopefu lly it'll be minamized by proper riding and equipment...Even down to regular tire air pressure checks...
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We all need to accept that it is our decision alone, to assess the available road ahead to the point where we can evade or stop, and if we are not within that envelope, then to some degree we are hoping for the best.
Agree with this generally, but as with many generalities (including this one I guess) there are important exceptions. Yesterday I was cruising home at the 50mph speed limit, eastbound on a stretch of straight two-lane. In the westbound lane traffic was stacked up behind a slow-moving vehicle (the only time we get a line of traffic around here is when a sleepyhead potters along 10mph under the limit, holding up the folks behind). The third or fourth pickup truck in that parade was probably no more impatient than anyone else, and when his left turn came up he pulled across my lane quickly -- may even have accelerated. He should have seen me a half-mile ahead, but didn't look. Saw me braking hard just as he crossed the centerline, but it was too late to avoid crossing my lane. He waved apology as we completed our near-miss. In this case I was in a position to evade/stop BUT if I'd begun my trip two seconds earlier the collision would have been unavoidable. And whose fault would it have been? Mine for being on the road at the speed limit, or that of the driver more intent on his left turn than on near-distance line of sight? Unfortunately this scenario is probably the second most common cause of motorcycle fatalities after alcohol.
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Agree with this generally, but as with many generalities (including this one I guess) there are important exceptions. Yesterday I was cruising home at the 50mph speed limit, eastbound on a stretch of straight two-lane. In the westbound lane traffic was stacked up behind a slow-moving vehicle (the only time we get a line of traffic around here is when a sleepyhead potters along 10mph under the limit, holding up the folks behind). The third or fourth pickup truck in that parade was probably no more impatient than anyone else, and when his left turn came up he pulled across my lane quickly -- may even have accelerated. He should have seen me a half-mile ahead, but didn't look. Saw me braking hard just as he crossed the centerline, but it was too late to avoid crossing my lane. He waved apology as we completed our near-miss. In this case I was in a position to evade/stop BUT if I'd begun my trip two seconds earlier the collision would have been unavoidable. And whose fault would it have been? Mine for being on the road at the speed limit, or that of the driver more intent on his left turn than on near-distance line of sight? Unfortunately this scenario is probably the second most common cause of motorcycle fatalities after alcohol.
👍 yes there is a small percentage of what we call unavoidable or “acts of God”
ACCIDENTS, in the LEO family.
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The rider was killed by the consequences of his own command decisions.
If I get a bug splatter on my visor at 130 k and wipe it causing me to lose visibility, was it the bug that killed me?
We all need to accept that it is our decision alone, to assess the available road ahead to the point where we can evade or stop, and if we are not within that envelope, then to some degree we are hoping for the best.
I do it, you do it, we all do it..
The lady following her husband was the one killed. She was probably in Lemming mode and when he screwed up she crashed. This is one of the main reasons I wouldn't want my wife to ride unless she really wanted to ride. I would feel that now I have to ride for the both of us which apparently this guy wasn't doing.
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I agree with my friend, Huzo and that’s been my take on the subject all along, as professional riders we must realize people and situations cause road hazards that we must take into consideration every time we ride.
Now, I must admit something and “eat some crow” at this time. This thread started with the “grass clippings” content and I was a naysayer with the opinion some grass blown onto the roadway is not going to cause an accident on a motorcycle unless the rider is riding over their head in the first place. Well, just yesterday I was ridding my 1400 and as I rounded a curve, some idiot was mowing high thick grass right on the road with the discharge side of the deck toward the highway. He had deposited heavy amounts of grass onto at least half of the road. I was traveling at a the speed limit, 45mph and I simply moved over a bit and bypassed the, potential hazard with no issue. It was in a blind curve and I will admit here to my friends who feel this is an extreme hazard and could cause death, if the right circumstances developed such as the grass laid there a couple days and got rained on and matted to the asphalt, a rider traveling above the speed limit could hit this obstacle and the outcome be bleak. Also I’ll confirm that an obstacle such as this at night, when visibility is low, could be bad. Contrary To a few opinions, I think this post is entertaining and informative.
Dan, please please tell me where I can go to get paid to ride my motorcycle. I would definitely like to be a professional motorcycle rider.
I am far from being a novice rider and definitely not an expert rider but still an amateur none the less.
I am close to retirement and would love to get paid to ride. Please share you source of income. Thanks. :thumb:
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Dan, please please tell me where I can go to get paid to ride my motorcycle. I would definitely like to be a professional motorcycle rider.
I am far from being a novice rider and definitely not an expert rider but still an amateur none the less.
I am close to retirement and would love to get paid to ride. Please share you source of income. Thanks. :thumb:
Not sure what you are referring to, “getting paid to ride ride your motorcycle”, which I assume you were referring to something in my last post?
Please explain and I’ll attempt to respond accordingly.
To respond to the first part of your comment about getting paid to ride, I did, for nearly 5 years as a motor Officer with the WSPD;)
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I think it was your suggestion that *we* are 'professional' riders, that implies payment. We may be experienced and enthusiastic but it doesn't make us professional.
FWIW I'm sitting in the pub having a beer and a group of knobs on bikes just left. The 'King Knob', who was old enough to know better was telling his catamites, including a couple of really young lads, that a local road, Shingle hill way, was a great road with 200kph sweepers on it. While his audience was clearly agog I have to admit to being more than a bit worried by this. Shingle hill way is a potholed goat track with 'roo infested scrub and plenty of road furniture right up to the edge of the tarmac! I'd no more go fast down it than set fire to my scrotum but he was about to take these lads off to show them! Two beers under his belt as well!
I'll listen for the sirens.......
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Hey Pete, hope you are enjoying your beer with your mates and I hope you don’t have to hear the sirens either, for those lads.
As far as the “professional rider” thing, in my humble opinion, there are several classes of cyclists that I would consider as a professional rider and we get paid with survival:)
One, would be a motor officer, as they spend hundreds of hours in every condition imaginable ridding and training. Another would be a racer, of any type, dirt, flat track, motorcross, high speed tracks etc. Those being recognized, as the number one professional rider ,in my book, is the old guy, such as many of us that has managed to log in tens of thousands of miles, in every weather condition, road condition, road type and terrain. On every type, brand, model and size of bike on the market and some which are no longer on the market, and to accomplish this feat and still be able to make these observations at our age. Now if that’s not considered a professional rider in anyone’s book I’ll be glad to be enlightened by anyone here as to what a professional rider is. This is my explanation as to my assessment of a “professional rider” is.
By the way Pete, thanks for all the help you give us guys here that would be in deep $#|+ without guys like you 👍