Foam pad 1, motocycle 0

[Humpy]

Shit happens. Cops didn't see fit to ticket the guy and I think that was the right call. The purpose of a traffic ticket is to discourage breaking the law. Trust me, the last thing you want to do on a motorcycle is lose control of it and go down.

Ticketing the guy at that point serves no purpose, it's just adding insult to injury.

I'm sure there are a bunch of similar events where a ticket was issued, so I don't really buy your arguments.

I'm fine with him not getting a ticket, I don't feel strongly about it one way or another. Glad everyone is okay.

 

[Phanuel]

I don't disagree. There are a ton of reasons why a person might lose control though. When you see ice on the road, or come up to a blind corner, or see a big foam pad strapped to a boat being pulled on a trailer, you're supposed to contemplate the possibilities and make preparations.

You've never ridden a day in your life have you?

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm sure there are a bunch of similar events where a ticket was issued, so I don't really buy your arguments.

I'm fine with him not getting a ticket, I don't feel strongly about it one way or another. Glad everyone is okay.

You think there's a strong case for citing him then?

I don't buy your arguments.

I could see him getting a ticket if he was breaking other laws but he wasn't. He wasn't speeding, he wasn't riding recklessly or dangerously, his motorcycle was in safe working order, there just wasn't any reason to cite him IMO.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Should he be ticketed? No. He paid his dues.

But he was following too closely. Not just because he was following a vehicle carrying a load, and not just because he was a beginning rider. Although for those reasons alone, he was being pretty stupid. But even if he was following a car, he was a little too close.

 

[Humpy]

You've never ridden a day in your life have you?

Is this the part of the thread where we try to one-up each other's riding experience?

 

[Humpy]

You think there's a strong case for citing him then?

I don't buy your arguments.

I could see him getting a ticket if he was breaking other laws but he wasn't. He wasn't speeding, he wasn't riding recklessly or dangerously, his motorcycle was in safe working order, there just wasn't any reason to cite him IMO.

No, I don't think there is a strong case. Without being an expert on traffic laws where ever this occurred, the existence of an applicable infraction, something like following too close or failure to avoid, makes it possible he could have been ticketed.

Whether the responding cop, or you or I, judge it worthy or not doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Personally, I think he could have avoided the hazard had he been riding more defensively and should be cited as a result. I accept that you disagree.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Should he be ticketed? No. He paid his dues.

But he was following too closely. Not just because he was following a vehicle carrying a load, and not just because he was a beginning rider. Although for those reasons alone, he was being pretty stupid. But even if he was following a car, he was a little too close.

He really wasn't following too closely. I ride and I can assure you that he could have avoided that object. His problem was that he fixated on it and didn't really do anything to try to avoid hitting it.

What he should have done was brake hard to slow his closing speed and give him more time to avoid it. Then steer away from it. It looked like he may have decided to go right to avoid but then it unexpectedly bounced that direction and since he hadn't touched the brakes he had much less of a chance of avoiding it at that point.

Being inexperienced isn't against the law but on a motorcycle it can get you killed.

 

[JulesMaximus]

No, I don't think there is a strong case. Without being an expert on traffic laws where ever this occurred, the existence of an applicable infraction, something like following too close or failure to avoid, makes it possible he could have been ticketed.

Whether the responding cop, or you or I, judge it worthy or not doesn't make a whole lot of difference. Personally, I think he could have avoided the hazard had he been riding more defensively and should be cited as a result. I accept that you disagree.

He absolutely could have avoided it. His problem was that he just failed to react. It wasn't that he did something wrong or illegal he just didn't know what to do.

If I looked at that video a thousand times it wouldn't change my mind though. He didn't deserve to be ticketed for it. I'm glad the cops saw it my way and didn't cite him.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I ride and I can assure you that he could have avoided that object.

Ding ding ding. Humpy nailed it.

 

[werepossum]

He really wasn't following too closely. I ride and I can assure you that he could have avoided that object. His problem was that he fixated on it and didn't really do anything to try to avoid hitting it.

What he should have done was brake hard to slow his closing speed and give him more time to avoid it. Then steer away from it. It looked like he may have decided to go right to avoid but then it unexpectedly bounced that direction and since he hadn't touched the brakes he had much less of a chance of avoiding it at that point.

Being inexperienced isn't against the law but on a motorcycle it can get you killed.

I dunno, I ride and I wouldn't follow that closely. It isn't just about how quickly you can stop - an average motorcycle has awesome stopping power - it's also about how quickly the guy behind you can stop. You have no control over how closely the car behind you can stop, and if he's too close, then the quickest you can stop is however quickly he can stop. Unless you wish to be his hood ornament. I've had panic stop situations where I've actually lifted my legs for impact because I didn't think the guy behind me could stop, and once the girl behind me couldn't stop but lost control, went around me, and smacked into the truck stopped in front of me before hitting the concrete bridge rail. In a panic situation, distance is your best friend.

That said, I completely agree with your analysis on what he should have done. Foreign objects in the road are a constant hazard, and any rider needs to be prepared and vigilant.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I dunno, I ride and I wouldn't follow that closely. It isn't just about how quickly you can stop - an average motorcycle has awesome stopping power - it's also about how quickly the guy behind you can stop. You have no control over how closely the car behind you can stop, and if he's too close, then the quickest you can stop is however quickly he can stop. Unless you wish to be his hood ornament. I've had panic stop situations where I've actually lifted my legs for impact because I didn't think the guy behind me could stop, and once the girl behind me couldn't stop but lost control, went around me, and smacked into the truck stopped in front of me before hitting the concrete bridge rail. In a panic situation, distance is your best friend.

That said, I completely agree with your analysis on what he should have done. Foreign objects in the road are a constant hazard, and any rider needs to be prepared and vigilant.

Not a whole hell of a lot you can do about what is behind you in those situations except try to avoid getting in them in the first place. It's really impossible to control what people behind you are doing so if someone is on my ass I usually try to put some distance between me and the vehicle in front of me or distance between me and the guy following me.

I've had people merge into my lane who didn't see me, I've had to avoid debris on the road and I've had to stop quickly because other people did something stupid or jammed on their brakes. This is why I tend to ride in the right or left side of the lane and not the middle (usually the right because I can just lane split if I have to).

My bike has a really bright brake light thankfully and it has ABS which is a wonderful thing on a street bike. I can't tell you how many youtube videos I've seen where a motorcyclist grabs a handful of brake trying to react to an emergency and locks up the front wheel and then he's sliding across pavement. That's another problem altogether though.

 

[BUTCH1]

No, it was a rolled up foam mattress strapped with what, a fucking shoelace? to the outdrive. Just some half ass cargo hanging on by a thread. you don't even see the failed rope or whatever, it is too small to see.
As for the cyclist not reacting soon enough, that thing bounced one way and then another before it started out in the general right drift. It was like dodging an animal with a mind of it's own.
Boat guy should bring out another several thousand.

Fair enough, it does look like a home-made deal but that would be a reason to maybe stay further away from it, if I see something dodgy like that I stay WAY back or pass quickly.

 

[Fenixgoon]

fairly certain the cyclist target fixated, but the boater is obviously at fault for failing to secure the goods. there's a reason i don't trust trucks/trailers with anything attached.

 

[werepossum]

Not a whole hell of a lot you can do about what is behind you in those situations except try to avoid getting in them in the first place. It's really impossible to control what people behind you are doing so if someone is on my ass I usually try to put some distance between me and the vehicle in front of me or distance between me and the guy following me.

I've had people merge into my lane who didn't see me, I've had to avoid debris on the road and I've had to stop quickly because other people did something stupid or jammed on their brakes. This is why I tend to ride in the right or left side of the lane and not the middle (usually the right because I can just lane split if I have to).

My bike has a really bright brake light thankfully and it has ABS which is a wonderful thing on a street bike. I can't tell you how many youtube videos I've seen where a motorcyclist grabs a handful of brake trying to react to an emergency and locks up the front wheel and then he's sliding across pavement. That's another problem altogether though.

I envy you that ABS - I've locked up my front brake before in panic stops and you have to be REALLY quick to lighten up. It's especially scary if you're leaned, since you only have muscle and no leverage to straighten back up.

I also ride on left or right side, mainly because if there's dripped oil, it's usually in the middle of the lane. Also, I try to always have a go-to-hell plan, and if I'm on the right side of the left lane, my no-thinking default is to dodge left.

Forty years street riding this year and only once been seriously broken, only twice on the the ground and twice off the road.

 

[Darwin333]

Wow talk about a shitty day also wtf the other cars keep driving and don't stop to check on the guy. Let me just dodge this bike and see ya later!

It looks like they are stopping further down the road. I wouldn't want to slam on the brakes on the shoulder either.

 

[Darwin333]

How would you suggest he get more practice before riding on an actual road? So if a boulder falls 5 feet in front of you and you hit it would you accept a ticket for "failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident"? If there was an accident in front of him, or the car/truck slammed on their brakes then "failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident" comes into play but I would not say this is one of those scenarios.

I would definitely suggest wearing the proper safety gear while riding at all times and doubly for while "practicing". The guy got up after the crash so it sounds like the injuries were rather minor, would have been way less then even that if he had the proper gear on.

And FFS, shorts while "practicing" driving a motorcycle on the interstate (or anywhere)?!?!

 

[Eli]

It's not like you really have much control over it in the moment, but the way he landed that spill and rolled was pretty much perfect. That's why he has such minor injuries. I bet he hopes he never has to do it again though.

What's the law for distance and motorcycles? Is it more or less than for cars? Just curious. Would really be surprised if he was following too close by law.

FWIW, I don't ride. I'm not that lucky... lol

 

[destrekor]

I dunno, I ride and I wouldn't follow that closely. It isn't just about how quickly you can stop - an average motorcycle has awesome stopping power - it's also about how quickly the guy behind you can stop. You have no control over how closely the car behind you can stop, and if he's too close, then the quickest you can stop is however quickly he can stop. Unless you wish to be his hood ornament. I've had panic stop situations where I've actually lifted my legs for impact because I didn't think the guy behind me could stop, and once the girl behind me couldn't stop but lost control, went around me, and smacked into the truck stopped in front of me before hitting the concrete bridge rail. In a panic situation, distance is your best friend.

That said, I completely agree with your analysis on what he should have done. Foreign objects in the road are a constant hazard, and any rider needs to be prepared and vigilant.

I absolutely hate assholes who don't give riders enough space.

It shouldn't matter how fast a bike has to stop or what happened in front of them, I give more distance to bikes than to other drivers. Why? A car will absorb energy in the event all the wrong things happen - I'm not trying to have a flattened rider on my conscience.

I speed, I enjoy driving, and sometimes I get very annoyed with people going slow in the left lane and not moving over, but I rarely have a rider annoy me so they get a ton of space.

Except for this one group of slow old assholes - two Harleys, one in each lane of a two-lane highway (well, two Southbound lanes). Both going at the same pace, which was a pace slower than most traffic ahead of them and behind them.

I used all kinds of signalling methods, lights, hands, etc, to get this guy to be less ignorant and share the damn road. He ended up giving me a "back off" because I was definitely in his comfort zone, which I did back off, but I continued to make my point. Eventually he finally got the idea and got in the other lane. I gave a wide berth and continued on my way.
Don't be like those idiots, that's all I ask. And that goes for being in or on any vehicle.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

good luck catching that driver.

"The Department of Public Safety says the driver has turned himself in and is cooperating with authorities."

 

[pauldun170]

Rider was riding too close and target fixated. He was clearly going faster than the Escalade and was closing in quick.

If he maintained a safe distance he would have more reaction time but chances are noob would have rode right into that anyway.
Would have followed it like a little puppy.

 

[Humpy]

"The Department of Public Safety says the driver has turned himself in and is cooperating with authorities."

Wish I could have been there for the crapping of the pants when his homie first showed him the video.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Wish I could have been there for the crapping of the pants when his homie first showed him the video.

That would certainly be my first response. Followed by relief the kid was not badly injured.

 

[Paladin3]

Is this the part of the thread where we try to one-up each other's riding experience?

Nope, it's the part where I call you an idiot. And not just for your postings in this thread alone. I've got nothing against you personally, but your logic just astounds me sometimes.

 

[Humpy]

Nope, it's the part where I call you an idiot. And not just for your postings in this thread alone. I've got nothing against you personally, but your logic just astounds me sometimes.

Sometimes I'm a little misunderstood.

 

[JEDI]

"The Department of Public Safety says the driver has turned himself in and is cooperating with authorities."

was his license plate visible in the video?

and link to him turning himself in?