My turn

[12bar1]

On my way home from work today I got rear ended by a rather large box truck. I was stopped in the right turn lane and he never even hit the brakes he actually told me he hit the gas. My bike is pretty beat up and I have a sprained ankle and some bruises but I will be ok according to the ER doctor. I was wearing my First Gear KJ air jacket, draggin jeans, gloves and a full face helmet and they all did their jobs. He hit me hard enough to shatter both of my system cases and launch me into the air. All I remember is sitting there waiting for traffic to clear and the next thing I knew there was that awful sound and I was getting up from the pavement. I will know in a day or two how much damage there is to my beautiful red roadster. I would not be surprised if it is totaled I think the frame is bent. Remember to be carefull and wear the gear, had I not been wearing all the gear I would likley be in the hospital right now.

[Anger]

This happened to someone at work about 2 weeks ago. he was stopped at a light and a stake truck nailed him. the truck driver guy wasn't paying attention. My coworker broke his arm when he landed.

I can't believe how common this is.

Anger.

[ErikU]

It happened to my brother-in-law too.

I have hyper lights and the BRAKE! light in the back, so that should help. They seem to make a huge difference. It might be a little annoying, but it's better than getting hit!

[DJ Downunder]

Jim...sorry to hear about your crash...the buggers!...

I think all the lights and even day-glow clothes wouldn't help (well maybe a little)..you need eyes in the back of your head sometimes.

DJ

[ebiker]

It happened to my brother-in-law too. I have hyper lights and the BRAKE! light in the back, so that should help. They seem to make a huge difference. It might be a little annoying, but it's better than getting hit!

Excuse me for jumping in, but you think with all those lights you'll be immune from a rear end collision by a cager?

Both times I was rear ended my K1200RS and my R1150R had working hyperlights, flash gizmo for brake lights and RT auxillary tail lights. I rode a bright color motorcycle ,red Savanah II jacket, white helmet and it was a bright sunny day! I was stopped at an intersection, foot on the brake. I was lite up like a Christmas tree---hell, Ray Charles might have been able to notice me!

And I got hit!

Let's face it. We are surrounded by brain dead people who firmly believe their enclosed motor vehicle will protect them, so screw everybody else.
Gone are the days of motorists trying to avoid an accident.

I believe some day not too far off, a Government study will show that as motor vehicles become more safety engineered, driver stupidity increases.

Rant mode is now turned off,

Ed..

[wncbmw]

Jim, glad you are relatively unscathed! Could have been much worse.

Sometimes I feel like I spend more time at a light with my eye on the rear-view mirror than watching the light. And posts like yours remind me of why. ebiker is right, all the lights in the world won't help if they drive brain dead!

"I see (brain) dead people"

[chris]

I believe some day not too far off, a Government study will show that as motor vehicles become more safety engineered, driver stupidity increases.

It's already a fact. People take more chances as their perceived level of risk falls. If you fitted a 10" steel spike to the centre of all car steering wheels there would never be another rear ending again...

[RGallagher]

Jim,

I hear you and have been there.

I got rear ended at a stop sign by some girl in car. She never saw me, never looked just looked to the left to see if anyone was coming and on she went. TWICE! Yup twice. First time she bumped me, she made me fall over then when she bounced back she tried it again and hit my bike as it was headed to the ground.

I totally agree that no matter how many lights, signs, reflectors, air raid sirens, whatever there are people that will NOT see you.

[12bar1]

This really sucks but it makes me feel better being in such good company. I was trying to think of what I could have done different and can't come up with anything. Like I said at least I am not alone, it happens to the best of us.

[Doug]

Jim, really glad you are ok and good job with the protective gear.

[daslimpet]

Stupid BOX TRUCK!!!!

Bad week for accidents. A co-worker was involved in a 2 car collision on Sunday - driving to church with her two little daughters. They're all fine. The "crumple zones" did their job.

Thank goodness you're ok too ,12bar1!

Best wishes, and better luck on ya!!

[Sit]

Jim, glad you are okay. Last week on way to work I got stuck in a traffic jam. Got to the accident and saw two cages with minor damage. Cops had crime scene tape up and all. As an LEO, I was trying to figure out what the big deal was. As I rode by, I saw the fallen rider by his crumpled machine. Poor guy got rear ended and smashed into the car he was behind. Died within a few minutes of the accident. I talked to the investigator today. Guy saw it coming, but was too close to the car in front of him and he was centered on it. He was trying to move out of the way when hit-he saw it coming. Lesson- give yourself room in front for an escape, watch your mirrors and off set so your escape is shorter.

[chris]

God that's terrible. In all my years of riding I never gave that situation a thought. I'll be watching my backside from now on.

[wncbmw]

Lesson- give yourself room in front for an escape, watch your mirrors and off set so your escape is shorter.

I would add - keep the bike in gear until you have some cages as a buffer behind you. I narrowly avoided becoming a cage sandwich at a light one time by seeing the panic stop coming, moving between the car in front and the curb. The car stopped about 6 inches off the bumper of the car I was behind! Needless to say, it would have been messy for me!

[sweatmark]

12bar - glad you're OK.

SitR1150R - guessing you're talking about the Hwy30 bike fatality we watched on morning Portland news last week? Your description of events matches the images broadcast from Fox12 news helicopter, including the rear/center damage on sedan that "stopped" the bike & rider, and little or no damage to offending truck/SUV's front bumper.

Warning to us all!

1980s Basic Rider Training in the old MSF course taught the following, IIRC:

Approaching a stop, leaving an ESCAPE ROUTE, (1) click down into 1st gear; (2) left foot down; (3) right foot on brake, tapping/flashing to wake up following cagers; (4) hands ready on clutch and throttle; (5) eyes scanning mirrors for impending smash.

I don't relax at a stop until any vehicle behind me has fully stopped and driver has (hopefully) aknowledged my existence. Call me paranoid.

Mark
Oregon

[Sit]

Thank you Van, I forgot to say to keep your bike in gear for the quick escape. And yes Mark, I am speaking of the Hwy 30 accident. I did not see any of the news coverage, just saw what the police knew going in and talked to the investigaors afterwards. I think the media actually got it pretty right this time-amazing! Was still a pointless accident that could have been prevented any of a number of ways. The Team Oregon course I took taught the same thing Mark. I have hyper lights on my R that are set up to flash and then go steady after being on a bit. I usually release brake a quick second as a car approaches and re-apply so they flash again. Seems to work as when I do this the car usually stops farther back. I am going to reconnect the wire that flashes them all the time. I am also going to re-aim them so the shine in between where a car driver and a SUV driver sits.

Mark, what part of Oregon you in, the metro area I am assuming?

[wncbmw]

Call me paranoid.

A good thing to be when on two wheels in traffic!

[Ebet]

Sorry to hear about the accident. It's interesting that rear-ending of motorcycles is reportedly one of the less common types of accidents. Maybe that's because cage drivers have to be exceptionally brain-dead in order to plow into a motorcycle that's right smack in front of them. But reading this thread reminded me that there are those drivers out there, and maybe they have more distractions these days to minimize what limited street-smarts they had in the first place. Sad, isn't it?

[1MPH]

Jim, glad to hear you are basically O.K. Good to be ATGATT. Hope all heals well.

[NorseMan9]

12bar - glad you're OK.


Approaching a stop, leaving an ESCAPE ROUTE, (1) click down into 1st gear; (2) left foot down; (3) right foot on brake, tapping/flashing to wake up following cagers; (4) hands ready on clutch and throttle; (5) eyes scanning mirrors for impending smash.

I don't relax at a stop until any vehicle behind me has fully stopped and driver has (hopefully) aknowledged my existence. Call me paranoid.

Mark
Oregon

I do the same thing. I make sure there's at least one car stopped behind me. I keep my eye in the rear view with the clutch in in first gear and a good escape route. You just never know. Glad to see everyone's ok! Sheesh, lot's of bozos out there with engines on and brain off.