Another reason not to overtake at junctions.
Another reason not to overtake at junctions.
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Pannywagon

Original Poster:

1,044 posts

215 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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This happened about 1 mile from my front door yesterday. Never knew him but a lot of my friends are currently mourning him.

The lady who was driving the 4x4 is not Mrs Popular in the town, but apart from possibly not checking her mirror I can't see she did anything wrong. I still think the fault lies with the biker for going for the overtake where he did. Have to ask what an 18 year old was doing on a bike like that though.

Local Rag

ETA: The media coverage is pretty sketchy, but locally everyone is saying he overtook the 4x4, it pulled right into the turning area and pushed him head on into the Golf.


ChiChoAndy

73,668 posts

284 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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Well, the article tells us absolutely nothing about the incident. hard to really comment on anything.

edo

16,699 posts

294 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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You never know the circumstances unless you were a witness, but if he was coming down the hill and overtook onto the right turn area then IMHO that is 100% his fault, and a ridiculous place to overtake.

Speed addicted

6,329 posts

256 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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From the picture it looks like he's gone for an overtake in the turning lane. If he did it's a pretty stupid thing to do.
Not sure what you mean by bike like that, it is because it's an old mans bike or the engine size?

ChiChoAndy

73,668 posts

284 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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Why isn't miss 4x4 popular, and what does that have to do with the accident? You make it sound like the lady wasn't liked prior to the accident.

Pannywagon

Original Poster:

1,044 posts

215 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
quotequote all
Speed addicted said:
From the picture it looks like he's gone for an overtake in the turning lane. If he did it's a pretty stupid thing to do.
Not sure what you mean by bike like that, it is because it's an old mans bike or the engine size?
I'm not into bikes at all but don't they have restrictions on engine size for a year or two? It's quite a big bike for an 18 year old.

Pannywagon

Original Poster:

1,044 posts

215 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
quotequote all
ChiChoAndy said:
Why isn't miss 4x4 popular, and what does that have to do with the accident? You make it sound like the lady wasn't liked prior to the accident.
A lot of the friends of this chap are blaming her because she killed him by pushing him over into oncoming traffic.

Despite the article's lack of info, it was witnessed by people who live in the town as that is the main road into Plymouth from our commuter town. At that time (8) in the morning it is solid traffic, all heading into the city and the only vehicles that are overtaking are the bikes.



kambites

71,467 posts

250 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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If he really did overtake there, then it sounds like it was 100% the biker's fault. We don't actually know that, though.

I'm always amazed that there aren't more fatal accidents involving bikers given how a significant number of them seem to ride.

ChiChoAndy

73,668 posts

284 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
quotequote all
Pannywagon said:
ChiChoAndy said:
Why isn't miss 4x4 popular, and what does that have to do with the accident? You make it sound like the lady wasn't liked prior to the accident.
A lot of the friends of this chap are blaming her because she killed him by pushing him over into oncoming traffic.

Despite the article's lack of info, it was witnessed by people who live in the town as that is the main road into Plymouth from our commuter town. At that time (8) in the morning it is solid traffic, all heading into the city and the only vehicles that are overtaking are the bikes.
Well, they need to realise that overtaking at a junction like that is utterly fking stupid. 100% riders fault.

Jasandjules

72,588 posts

258 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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kambites said:
I'm always amazed that there aren't more fatal accidents involving bikers given how a significant number of them seem to ride.
Bikers and cyclists. Been driving in London a few times again recently and I simply can't believe the risks they take.

Magic919

14,493 posts

230 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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The engine is quite big, but the thing is pretty gutless.

kambites

71,467 posts

250 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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Jasandjules said:
kambites said:
I'm always amazed that there aren't more fatal accidents involving bikers given how a significant number of them seem to ride.
Bikers and cyclists. Been driving in London a few times again recently and I simply can't believe the risks they take.
Yes, cyclists too, although cyclists usually do it at lower speeds (both in terms of their own speed, and the typical speed of the surrounding traffic) so I suppose the accidents are less likely to be fatal.

varsas

4,075 posts

231 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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I was in the IoW looking to turn right in 100 meteres or so, so I check my mirror and there's a 'bike behind, a fair distance back. I put on my RH indicator, then slow in preparation to move into the turn right lane (the road was similar to the one shown)...check my mirror...bike still catching...begin to move over...bike still catching...at this point I jinked left and jabbed the brakes to give the bike space as he overtook me, using the room I was planning on being in.

If that biker does the same thing to a car driver who assumes people do not overtake cars indicating right then this will happen to him. From what I can see, bikers fault. The only mitigating circumstance would be if the LR wasn't indicating?

Edited by varsas on Wednesday 6th July 12:20

kambites

71,467 posts

250 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
quotequote all
varsas said:
If that biker does the same thing to a car driver who assumes people do not overtake cars indicating right then this will happen to him. From what I can see, bikers fault. The only mitigating circumstance would be if the LR wasn't indicating?
Even then, it's a fairly basic rule of driving - you do not overtake past junctions (unless it's explicitly signed that you're allowed to, via a straight-on lane or whatever, and even then you should be bloody careful).

dowahdiddyman

965 posts

240 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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He shouldn`t have been overtaking on a filter lane I agree but what ever happened to the mirror,signal manouvre saying. If it had been a police bike overtaking we would probably be saying that she should have looked in her mirrors first before moving over. What is more important though is that an 18 year old has died and that somebody has lost a child in horrid circumstances.

kambites

71,467 posts

250 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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dowahdiddyman said:
He shouldn`t have been overtaking on a filter lane I agree but what ever happened to the mirror,signal manouvre saying. If it had been a police bike overtaking we would probably be saying that she should have looked in her mirrors first before moving over. What is more important though is that an 18 year old has died and that somebody has lost a child in horrid circumstances.
If it was a police bike overtaking it would have had its siren blaring and lights flashing and would have been rather harder to miss.

Of course a driver should check their mirror before changing lane, but even if you did and saw a bike behind you, you'd probably still assume that the rider wasn't going to be stupid enough to try to overtake. You can't spend your entire time looking backwards or you'll crash into something in front of you.


Regardless of what actually caused this particular accident (which, lets not forget, we don't know), I have seen numerous bikers (and even a few car drivers) do what people are suggesting the rider did here and it's utterly idiotic.

Six Fiend

6,067 posts

244 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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iirc his bike would be restricted to 33hp and thus about the same as I was riding at 18.

General overtake at junction = invite to a big off.

If there is a slow/stationary queue slow right down, make sure you are watching every movement of every vehicle and only filter when safe...

When you're 18 you believe you are unbreakable. I did. I learned quickly though...

king arthur

7,875 posts

290 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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Christ, I know that road. My mother lives just a couple of miles down that turning on the right in the picture. That really is not a place to be overtaking anyone, on that bend.

Chris71

21,549 posts

271 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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I think that's a very valid point above. While the main thing is clearly making sure you're not responsible for an accident, you should also try to prevent someone else creating one.

After a few years driving in London I check my mirrors religiously when turning off. Not so much for the people risking their lives doing silly things around me, but for my own conscience. It must feel pretty horrendous being part of a fatal accident, even when it's clearly not your fault. Anything that can be done to avoid that is worth doing.

Pannywagon

Original Poster:

1,044 posts

215 months

Wednesday 6th July 2011
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The sad thing is, that if he'd waited for a second or two, he'd be past the junction and the hatched area stretches all the way up a long straight hill. He could have overtaken up that hill with no worries.