Think Bike video

[Palfrem]

I guess we need to consider that 100 mph is near as makes no odds to 100 feet per second.

 

[Mercy1]

The motorcyclist was doing 97mph when he hit the car.

...and yet the CAR driver was prosecuted and sentenced for causing death by careless driving...
...Judge said it was the car driver's actions which caused the accident...
...car driver's fault then...!!??

 

[Minz]

I'm just wondering if this terrible accident hadn't happened, was this helmet cam video destined for YouTube anyway? Or put another way, was he 'giving it some' for the camera? Either way, a very costly YouTube production.

 

[Rustrust]

...and yet the CAR driver was prosecuted and sentenced for causing death by careless driving...
...Judge said it was the car driver's actions which caused the accident...
...car driver's fault then...!!??

the car driver probably didn't take enough care at the junction to ensure it was clear - their driving contributed to the death of the biker, but neither did the biker take care, had that footage surfaced and dibble found it, the rider would get a dangerous driving conviction. that riding would fall far below the standard of a careful competent driver and as such he, the deceased, is guilty of dangerous driving, but so is the car driver as turning accross the path of the biker would also fall far below this standard

 

[reason42]

I was in a car crash similar to what happened in that video. I was doing 50mph and a car from the opposite direction was turning right, across my path.

He didn't see me at all, failed to give way and I basically T boned him. I walked away with no injuries. His passenger, a 17 year old girl, had a broken pelvis, leg, arm and collar bone. The driver broke his arm.

The police said to me that my speed was no factor in the accident. He said the other driver was at complete fault. He was prosecuted for dangerous driving, even though they suffered 100% of the injuries, the law basically came down on his failure to anticipate and take the junction correctly. I was fully compensated and no charge raised against myself - even though I was in a 40mph zone.

I note the police said regarding the biker's speed in the above video was of course excessive but still not a blame point. Regardless, the rider was being reckless and sure did contribute to his own death, but the car driver had a duty to observe the situation and take action accordingly.

As it so happens, I passed my Mod 2 on Thursday this week and now have a full license for a bike. Friday morning most of my friends sent through the link to the above story.
The video has reminded me of the dangers - reinstated the 'fear'.

I can only say one thing though - the biker in that video did not have the 'fear'. In that video he was overtaking at around 100mph even before the accident - already an instant away from being side swiped by cars also looking for an overtaking move. He did not anticipate anything. He opened himself up to the possibility of a serious incident and all it takes is for an idiot to take that possibility. And that's what happened. The rider provided the contract for his death sentence, the driver saw that the contract be executed.

 

[Chalpkin]

Why is that, there is nothing gory in it? It's sad for this fellows family, more-so for the car driver, but far more shocking things happen in life.

Please explain why it's worse for the car driver than the rider's family?

 

[prprandall51]

Please explain why it's worse for the car driver than the rider's family?

I won't presume to answer for Dieselman, but from my point of view, everybody loses someone they love at some point in their lives, and this will be a particularly hard death for the biker's parents to come to terms with. But the car driver has to live with the memory - and the very vivid image - of a biker dying right in front of them on the nose of their car; and they have to live with the knowledge that, if they had taken more care to check for hazards before performing their manoeuvre, they might have saved a life instead of ending it.

I know the biker was doing an absurd speed through a busy junction so I am not suggesting for one second that the car driver is completely and solely to blame. Still a shocking experience for the car driver to have to live with for the rest of their life.

 

[Chalpkin]

I won't presume to answer for Dieselman, but from my point of view, everybody loses someone they love at some point in their lives, and this will be a particularly hard death for the biker's parents to come to terms with. But the car driver has to live with the memory - and the very vivid image - of a biker dying right in front of them on the nose of their car; and they have to live with the knowledge that, if they had taken more care to check for hazards before performing their manoeuvre, they might have saved a life instead of ending it.

I know the biker was doing an absurd speed through a busy junction so I am not suggesting for one second that the car driver is completely and solely to blame. Still a shocking experience for the car driver to have to live with for the rest of their life.

So the rider's family will only have to live without their loved one for a limited time then! every time they pass the accident spot, hear/see a motorcycle/motorcyclist will it not remind them. They have a gaping hole in their life that while it may subside, will never completely go away. All that has happened to the driver is he has learned a lesson the hard way.

 

[wemorgan]

There are not winners or losers in this accident. Just quite a few victims in their own way. Everyone has something to learn or relearn.

 

[prprandall51]

So the rider's family will only have to live without their loved one for a limited time then! every time they pass the accident spot, hear/see a motorcycle/motorcyclist will it not remind them. They have a gaping hole in their life that while it may subside, will never completely go away. All that has happened to the driver is he has learned a lesson the hard way.

Are you serious? The car driver just "learned a lesson"? There are no winners in this story and there are no innocent parties. Over exuberant rider meets a car driver who has perhaps no real idea of the full range of hazards that can exist on Britain's roads.

Bike rider who was just out for a thrilling ride is dead = tragedy.
Car driver who thought he was just turning right at a quiet junction and has to live with consequences for the rest of his / her life = tragedy.

You seem to think the rider was innocent, but doing 97mph through a road junction is insanity. Doesn't mean he should have died for it, but it was insane riding.

 

[Chalpkin]

Are you serious? The car driver just "learned a lesson"? There are no winners in this story and there are no innocent parties. Over exuberant rider meets a car driver who has perhaps no real idea of the full range of hazards that can exist on Britain's roads.

Bike rider who was just out for a thrilling ride is dead = tragedy.
Car driver who thought he was just turning right at a quiet junction and has to live with consequences for the rest of his / her life = tragedy.

You seem to think the rider was innocent, but doing 97mph through a road junction is insanity. Doesn't mean he should have died for it, but it was insane riding.

Where in my posts have I said the driver was the only one to blame, all I'm saying is how can the car driver be worse off than the rider's family!

 

[artyman]

I had a similar accident in my 20's where a car driver turned across in front of me, fortunately I was only doing around 30mph, but ended up with a broken wrist and left a large dent in his roof. If I hadn't have been wearing a crash helmet, not compulsory in those days, I wouldn't be here typing this now. The wrist can still ache in cold damp weather but I'm thankfully still alive.

The thing is we all make mistakes, misjudge a gap or someone else's speed, so a reminder to always stay alert and assume every other road user is a suicidal idiot, it may help preserve your life and possibly theirs.

 

[kianok]

You seem to think the rider was innocent, but doing 97mph through a road junction is insanity. Doesn't mean he should have died for it, but it was insane riding.

My thoughts exactly.

I witnessed my brother die in a road accident many years ago which was mainly his fault, however some blame was attributed to the car driver.

I have every sympathy for the driver of the car that hit my brother, their family and everyone else who had to see something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

As already said, there are no winners.

 

[esox]

Aproaching that junction on that road at that speed was a recipe for disaster - a gamble, pure and simple.
This guy `loved speed` and if this was his typical riding style he was an accident waiting to happen, and it did happen.
Diabolical awareness and total lack of defensive riding skills from someone (a motorcyclist) who should of known better.

However, view the video again and you`ll see that the car driver - even when the bike was only a matter af a few metres in front of him - took absolutely no evasive action, braked, or reacted in any way whatsoever - he literally did not look properly or see the biker at all before turning...

 

[mercmanuk]

as a keen motorcyclist of 30 yrs I must say we all take risks like this when out for a sunday blast but if he was doing 50mph he would have bee able to swerve away from the car I think.i must say the punishment for the driver of the car is appalling .

 

[Deleted member 65149]

as a keen motorcyclist of 30 yrs I must say we all take risks like this when out for a sunday blast but if he was doing 50mph he would have bee able to swerve away from the car I think.i must say the punishment for the driver of the car is appalling .

Appalling in what way? Too heavy or too lenient? All we've seen is a bit of video and a fraction of the driver's evidence. We haven't seen the results of the police investigation: their accurate measurements, their analysis of the views that would have been available to the driver, their assessment of the amount of time the motorcyclist would have been in view, the evidence of other road users regarding the actions of the driver and the motorcyclist before the impact, etc. We don't know what evidence was provided in court so how can we possibly comment on the sentence handed out by the judge? As many others have said, all we can do is learn from this horrific incident.

 

[mercmanuk]

the driver of the car was subsequently ordered to perform 130 hours of unpaid work. His driving licence was also suspended for 18 months.

 

[prprandall51]

as a keen motorcyclist of 30 yrs I must say we all take risks like this when out for a sunday blast ...

I do hope you don't take risks like that, for your sake.

The speed of the biker was not the madness so much as the overtaking through a junction with cars visible that were clearly a major potential hazard. The biker's speed was what determined that he couldn't stop when the potential hazard became a real one, but the biker could have been doing half that speed and the circumstances were all still there for him to get killed.

And of course, cars visible at the junction or not, the overtake was wrong anyway: if nothing else, the car that the biker was overtaking could have shifted road position without looking in his driver's rear mirror so that he could prepare for a turn to the left or right.

My biking instructor (RoSPA) put it perfectly, I thought: With a bike, you have the acceleration and nimbleness to overtake almost anywhere at any time, so why not do it somewhere nice and safe? On a bike, your next, safe overtaking zone is rarely more than 200 yards away.

 

[Mercy1]

...I must say we all take risks like this when out for a sunday blast...

Do we? You can't mean that...?
If the pain of this video is to be of any value at all, it is to ram home the message that reckless riding will inevitably end in tears...for far more people than just the rider.

 

[mercmanuk]

"On a bike, your next, safe overtaking zone is rarely more than 200 yards away"
very true statement,made me think