A BIG Thank You
Discussion
A big thank you to the guy who took me home today.
Driving along the A4 today, Dual carriageway Section at Padworth an Artic decide to pull out to the middle section to turn right and STOPS blocking both lanes of the dual carriageway, apparently he had waited 5 minutes and as a van was slowing he thought he would go regardless. I am in the outside lane 150ft away (now measured) as he starts the maneouvre and start to brake. Road damp and as it happens with a bit of diesel and oil.
No alternative (either i go down or go heads up into the side of the trailer)and I go down, bike slides into front rear wheel of the trailer section on white lines between lane 1 and 2. I stop a couple of feet short. Plenty of witnesses in cars in lane 1 who stop and who had to "slam on the brakes" (their words). Police not interested at all as not seroiusly injured, 999 police operator said as I could walk they did not need to attend whether the lorry driver was dangerous or not and if later i became aware of any serious injury I should walk to my local station to report it. (oh and 4 police cars went past, one when the artic was blocking the cariageway with debris of the bike stuck under its wheels)
Anyway to the reason for my post, thanks to the guy who took me and the bike home. It was my other half's bike and as the RAC cover her personally would not recover the bike. If i paid they would take me to the petrol station 50m down the road. Also great thanks to the lady who helped me et the bike up and who was most concerned about my welfare. From her expression and behaviour I assume she expected to see me as a mangled mess. I have her details as a witness and will thanks her personally.
Gave him £20 for beers and will always appreciate the gesture, we need more like that.
Out of all this I summarise (with no offence to the BI on here) that - there are still many decent people out there, the BIB dont give a damn about quality of driving or offeneces unless they are related to speed, the recovery services dont give a damn and WATCH OUT FOR THE LUNATICS!!!
PS Another moral always wear proper gear anything less and I wouldnt be here now!!!
Driving along the A4 today, Dual carriageway Section at Padworth an Artic decide to pull out to the middle section to turn right and STOPS blocking both lanes of the dual carriageway, apparently he had waited 5 minutes and as a van was slowing he thought he would go regardless. I am in the outside lane 150ft away (now measured) as he starts the maneouvre and start to brake. Road damp and as it happens with a bit of diesel and oil.
No alternative (either i go down or go heads up into the side of the trailer)and I go down, bike slides into front rear wheel of the trailer section on white lines between lane 1 and 2. I stop a couple of feet short. Plenty of witnesses in cars in lane 1 who stop and who had to "slam on the brakes" (their words). Police not interested at all as not seroiusly injured, 999 police operator said as I could walk they did not need to attend whether the lorry driver was dangerous or not and if later i became aware of any serious injury I should walk to my local station to report it. (oh and 4 police cars went past, one when the artic was blocking the cariageway with debris of the bike stuck under its wheels)
Anyway to the reason for my post, thanks to the guy who took me and the bike home. It was my other half's bike and as the RAC cover her personally would not recover the bike. If i paid they would take me to the petrol station 50m down the road. Also great thanks to the lady who helped me et the bike up and who was most concerned about my welfare. From her expression and behaviour I assume she expected to see me as a mangled mess. I have her details as a witness and will thanks her personally.
Gave him £20 for beers and will always appreciate the gesture, we need more like that.
Out of all this I summarise (with no offence to the BI on here) that - there are still many decent people out there, the BIB dont give a damn about quality of driving or offeneces unless they are related to speed, the recovery services dont give a damn and WATCH OUT FOR THE LUNATICS!!!
PS Another moral always wear proper gear anything less and I wouldnt be here now!!!
AdamS
Glad to hear that you are OK and it does rekindle your faith in mankind when someone goes out of their way to help someone in need.
As with all types of collision it is no point being "right" if you end up in a coffin.
From what you say, and please don't take this the wrong way, it does sound lile you were travelling too fast for the prevailing conditions. Roadcraft tells us that we should "always be able to stop in the distance we can see to be clear." Some would also add "and reasonably expect to remain clear". It could be argued that on a dual carriageway, with turnings off left and right, with an artic on the left waiting to join the carrigeway, that is enough to warrant perhaps just a little extra caution.
Speed must always be linked to vision. If you cannot stop in the distance you can see, then safety is being compromised. When I'm out in my car around the twisties, I'm rather slow. This is because I am imagining my 5 year old son having fallen off his cycle and lying in the middle of the road.
I'm very glad to hear that you weren't one of the 10 people who died on our roads yesterday. I'm sure many of them would be alive if we all made a conscious effort to improve our observation and anticipation skills.
Glad to hear that you are OK and it does rekindle your faith in mankind when someone goes out of their way to help someone in need.
As with all types of collision it is no point being "right" if you end up in a coffin.
From what you say, and please don't take this the wrong way, it does sound lile you were travelling too fast for the prevailing conditions. Roadcraft tells us that we should "always be able to stop in the distance we can see to be clear." Some would also add "and reasonably expect to remain clear". It could be argued that on a dual carriageway, with turnings off left and right, with an artic on the left waiting to join the carrigeway, that is enough to warrant perhaps just a little extra caution.
Speed must always be linked to vision. If you cannot stop in the distance you can see, then safety is being compromised. When I'm out in my car around the twisties, I'm rather slow. This is because I am imagining my 5 year old son having fallen off his cycle and lying in the middle of the road.
I'm very glad to hear that you weren't one of the 10 people who died on our roads yesterday. I'm sure many of them would be alive if we all made a conscious effort to improve our observation and anticipation skills.
volvos70t5 said:
AdamS
From what you say, and please don't take this the wrong way, it does sound lile you were travelling too fast for the prevailing conditions. Roadcraft tells us that we should "always be able to stop in the distance we can see to be clear." Some would also add "and reasonably expect to remain clear". It could be argued that on a dual carriageway, with turnings off left and right, with an artic on the left waiting to join the carrigeway, that is enough to warrant perhaps just a little extra caution.
No offence taken. Just to clarify the HGV was not joining the 2 lanes I was travellong along but the 2 lanes in the opposite direction, however, he could not enter the other carriage way due to traffic so stopped blocking both lanes causing all traffic to stop and take evasive action. I had already started to brake when I saw him (55 down to about 35 to 40 I would guess) but i had nowhere to go when he emerged fully into 2 lanes of fast moving traffic and initially thought I could stop in the distance I could see as the carriage way was clear with no obstructions and a lane of moving traffic to my left.
But he should not have performed such a dangerous manoeuvre on such a high speed stretch of road. Even when you perform Roadcraft accidents still appen when something completely unexpected happens.
I would also assume the road was a bit slick as the only mark is on my glove which tore jacket and lid unmarked.
>> Edited by AdamS on Friday 6th January 13:59
volvos70t5 said:
AdamS
I agree 100% that it was his fault. I'm not looking looking at this to apportion blame more of what we can do, as individuals, to be prepared for idiots such as him.
I always think the same particularly with some of the driving I have seen over the Christams period. I came up with a novel solution....use loads of cameras and drop all the limits to 30.
Damn, just realised someone beat me to it!!
I witnessed a similar incident to yours a few year ago. Luckily I was the next car along and not the poor driver who had no where to go.
Large truck with fixed towing bar trailer pulled out of junction to turn right on 70 limit dual carridgeway basically without observing the traffic coming from his right. Traffic on other carridgeway prevented him clearing the carridgeway I was driving on. Basically guy who was a safe distance in front of me (we were both in overtaking lane) had no where to go and ploughed into the diesel tank on the side of the truck with all his wheels locked up in panic wedging car (205 Gti) completely, diesel started gushing out.. luckily not dangerous like petrol would be. Nurse was luckily in one of the other cars to give the 205 Driver first aid. The 205 guy even with full observation wouldn't have been able to prevent hitting the truck cos the truck just pulled out with him at around the 70mph limit.
What I'm trying to say here is that all the theory/safe driving or riding practices in the world cannot prevent some completely unexpected/random incidents caused by something outside of your control!
Glad to hear you wern't hurt in your bike accident in any case. Unfortunately its the unexpected things that catch us bikers out. I commute on my bike to work everyday all weathers, now into my 6th year in London.
About 6 years ago someone pulled a totally random unexpected U-turn cos they didn't want to sit in a bad traffic jam in south london. Unfortunately I was filtering slowly alongside the car up to the front of the queue when the driver randomly pulled out and hit me without signalling or observing. Sent me and bike down the wrong side of the road, luckily nothing was coming in the lane I ended up in. Police called and they took statements they decided no further action. Insurance settled 50/50 much to my annoyance.
Large truck with fixed towing bar trailer pulled out of junction to turn right on 70 limit dual carridgeway basically without observing the traffic coming from his right. Traffic on other carridgeway prevented him clearing the carridgeway I was driving on. Basically guy who was a safe distance in front of me (we were both in overtaking lane) had no where to go and ploughed into the diesel tank on the side of the truck with all his wheels locked up in panic wedging car (205 Gti) completely, diesel started gushing out.. luckily not dangerous like petrol would be. Nurse was luckily in one of the other cars to give the 205 Driver first aid. The 205 guy even with full observation wouldn't have been able to prevent hitting the truck cos the truck just pulled out with him at around the 70mph limit.
What I'm trying to say here is that all the theory/safe driving or riding practices in the world cannot prevent some completely unexpected/random incidents caused by something outside of your control!
Glad to hear you wern't hurt in your bike accident in any case. Unfortunately its the unexpected things that catch us bikers out. I commute on my bike to work everyday all weathers, now into my 6th year in London.
About 6 years ago someone pulled a totally random unexpected U-turn cos they didn't want to sit in a bad traffic jam in south london. Unfortunately I was filtering slowly alongside the car up to the front of the queue when the driver randomly pulled out and hit me without signalling or observing. Sent me and bike down the wrong side of the road, luckily nothing was coming in the lane I ended up in. Police called and they took statements they decided no further action. Insurance settled 50/50 much to my annoyance.
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