Ride Like They Don't See You

This is what I have been saying for years that it does not matter what color helmet, coat and pants you wear. How loud your pipes are drivers do not see you. As some of you know I work for the Fire Department and have been amazed over the years that people do not see a very large bright fire truck with lights and siren blasting how in the world are they going to see you on a motorcycle??

Here is a video to show what I am talking about. If you want to fast forward to the five minute mark you will see what I am talking about. Please ride like they don't see you and they are out to run you over!!! 4:

[video=youtube;8boWQvgo18U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=310&v=8boWQvgo18U[/video]

Years ago, as I was approaching a cross street intersection, a guy who was sitting at the sign pulled completely across the road in front of me and stopped. If I had been in my car rather than on my bike, I could not have stopped and probably would have killed him. The driver rolled down his window and shouted....'Hey, Dude, you're lights are ON'. Backed back behind the stop sign and resumed his place like nothing happened.

Every time someone is born, the common sense clock begins counting from zero.

That's what I call "brain dead"! Yes indeed, they are out there!

I always assume no one sees me and they are all on prescription meds.

I wonder what price that poor dumb person had to pay. Looks like she? was alone.
I always ride like I'm invisible. Wish I was invisible to radar.

I see stuff like that all the time. My morning route takes me by a hospital. I can't count the times I've had people blowing their horn at me to go through the green light when an ambulance is approaching with lights and siren. You just can't fix stupid. But, that firetruck made an attempt at it!

Observations of the accident. Early morning or late afternoon based on the shadow the truck was casting on the road. Driver looking into the sun. Tough conditions to see, but miss a fire truck?

Totally agree, ride like they do not see you.

I personally look at the tires of side vehicles. If they are not turning, they are not moving. Never at their eyes. Just because they are looking my way does not mean they see me. Always assume they will pull out.

I agree - it seems like the number of oblivious drivers attempting to kill us and themselves has increased so much its now common.

However I still think hi-viz gear & extra compiscuity lights work on a lot of the traffic out there - perhaps the ones on the verge of "braindeaded-ness" - it snaps them back to reality for a bit.

I hope they made the driver re-sit the driving test after an appropriately long loss of licence.

Ride like they don't see you! That has been the line I tell everyone I have ever met, who thinks riding is scary or too dangerous.
In over 35 years of riding I have only gone down twice, both because of my own lack of attention or a stupid move on my part. Both times in the first year of riding at very low speeds.

I believe that "riding like they don't see you" has saved me many times....... Is there a bumper sticker?????

ToddC

Dress for the slide...Not the ride...:biker:

One reason I love my headlight modulator anytime I'm riding on regular streets, but I don't leave it on, most of the time when on the freeway, unless traffic is a bit heavy!

I can't tell you how many times I've had people start to pull out and then slam on the brakes! I don't remember the last time someone has tried a left turn in front of me! Lunchtime is the worst.

Nice to have very HD cameras on your trucks.

So blatant... if it wern't for the sun, I would check out suicide by fire truck.

Or a Choo Choo train

And Supra... 1.8 million candlepower, how does that not work and a modulator does?

Maybe they should put headlight modulators on fire trucks?

Jeff F said:

I agree - it seems like the number of oblivious drivers attempting to kill us and themselves has increased so much its now common....

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I don't agree. I've been riding for over 40 years and when I started, there were fewer bikes on the roads on headlights weren't required. Even though there was less traffic back then, it seemed like it was much more common to "not be seen".

I'm not saying we shouldn't ride like they don't see you... we should. And it still happens, just not as much. I think with the greater popularity of motorcycles and greater visibility, thanks to headlights and accessory lights, more motorists (percentage-wise) are aware that there are motorcycles out there.

ddemair said:

I don't agree. I've been riding for over 40 years and when I started, there were fewer bikes on the roads on headlights weren't required. Even though there was less traffic back then, it seemed like it was much more common to "not be seen".

I'm not saying we shouldn't ride like they don't see you... we should. And it still happens, just not as much. I think with the greater popularity of motorcycles and greater visibility, thanks to headlights and accessory lights, more motorists (percentage-wise) are aware that there are motorcycles out there.

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I hope you're right that things are getting better and there are fewer distracted drivers. I also hope neither of us meets one of them "by accident"

STroll said:

Or a Choo Choo train

And Supra... 1.8 million candlepower, how does that not work and a modulator does?

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Because they think I'm a cop? I don't know but it sure stops them in their tracks!

ddemair said:

I don't agree. I've been riding for over 40 years and when I started, there were fewer bikes on the roads on headlights weren't required. Even though there was less traffic back then, it seemed like it was much more common to "not be seen".

I'm not saying we shouldn't ride like they don't see you... we should. And it still happens, just not as much. I think with the greater popularity of motorcycles and greater visibility, thanks to headlights and accessory lights, more motorists (percentage-wise) are aware that there are motorcycles out there.

Click to expand...

I started riding in LA over 40 years ago and the freeways were just as crowded back then too (they've just made them wider)! This is where 99% of my commuting has been too!

They are as blind now as they were back then because they can't see what they aren't looking for. I don't care if it's a bike, auto, pickup, bus or tractor trailer! Not to mention texting or talking on their cell phones!

Most headlights on bikes are ridden during the day, on low beam, and they are a joke, VERY hard to see! 4:

Back in the mid 80's I started riding with my highbeam on all the time and found it reduced the number of idiots that were making left turns in front of me. That's why I like the modulator, even better visibility! But even with every advantage you take, they still won't see you, if they aren't looking, which is quite often!

Kevin_56 said:

Tough conditions to see, but miss a fire truck?

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Doesn't surprise me at all. She could have easily been looking at the traffic in the opposite lane waiting for a break. She sees one and maybe barely glances at traffic in the oncoming lane since it was clear for so long from her viewpoint. Maybe she looks and gets an eyeful of sun and the speed of the truck just doesn't register. Or maybe she just sees a break and that car coming and doesn't want to wait any longer.

People do the same thing with trains except they see and hear them. They have no idea how fast the train is moving especially AmTrak trains.

There's a flaw in their decision making process (assuming they're not trying to commit suicide). They mull it over wondering if they can beat the car/tuck/train and when they finally decide they can (based on information they received at the start of the process they go but they're operating under bad info.

JQL said:

I hope they made the driver re-sit the driving test after an appropriately long loss of licence.

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I hope the driver survived.

st11ray said:

You just can't fix stupid. But, that firetruck made an attempt at it!

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No it didn't.

Jeff F said:

I agree - it seems like the number of oblivious drivers attempting to kill us and themselves has increased so much its now common.

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You're right. On Thursday the CHP took 14 crashes 8 with injuries involving motorcycles in less than 4 hrs here in the bay area. There's been no reasons given yet but the only possible explanation is that drivers attempted to murder 14 people just because they were riding motorcycles but only wounded 8. It's just not feasible that these could be carelessness on the part of either rider or driver. No doubt lane splitting wasn't a factor either.