I killed my bike on death hill (WITH PICS)

[redeye321]

Thought I would take the bike to work instead of the car because i have been experiencing a lot of back pain since i got my first car 3 months ago. It was 5am when i left for work and a bit cold but I was happy as larry because I was on my bike. I always take the twisty route to work down the A225 heading towards London. It all came to an end when i overtook two cars after leaving the roundabout going up death hill. (A20) I was doing 60 going up heading towards Swanley then I saw something weird in my path but couldn't make it out so i started to slow down. I looked in my wing mirror to check the cars that i overtook then when i looked ahead there was a fully loaded low loader about 6 foot in front of me. Instead of going down the road to turn around at the roundabout he decided to take a short cut across my path to get to a layby. I knew i was going to hit it but i still tried to avoid it by driving to the back end but he wasn't moving faster enough for me to avoid him.
I hit the back end heard the crunch and i went flying in the air which seemed like ages. My eyes were closed and remember thinking it is either going to really hurt when i hit the ground or i won't feel a thing. Well it really hurt but i didn't hit the ground i landed on the back of the low loader. The driver didn't know that i hit him so he carried on driving into the layby, have no idea where my bike went. The pain was so bad that it hurt everytime i took a breath and i was positive that i broke my leg. I really thought i was going to die, i was so cold and it hurt so much. I was alone for a while but it seemed like hours. It's pitch black by that layby at that time and with the cold and the pain I really thought my life would end there. As I was laying there one of the car drivers that i overtook at the bottom came and held my hand and i was so grateful that i was not alone. He told me the police and ambulance were on their way. I don't remember seeing the lorry driver getting out to see if i was ok but i heard a passer by shout at him why he never had any lights on. At first i thought he was talking to me but them realised you can't turn the lights off on my bike. That would explain why i didn't see him. The police said that they would try and charge the lorry driver for dangerous driving because not only did he cut into my lane but he crossed double white lines. People say that a bike is just a machine and it can be replaced but i have so many good memories and it has really looked after me. Everyone who has seen the bike or was at the seen said that i should be dead. Apart from bruising to my pelvis all i have is a scratch on my right leg. I don't know why i am alive but i am and i am grateful and i would like to thank everyone who helped me on that day.

[Devil Biccy]

Sorry to hear about your off and the damage to your bike, but as they say bikes are replaceable body parts arent! Glad to hear that you 're okay and that you really have come away with a few brusies. wishing you a speedy recovery.

[kwak zzr]

bl@@dy hell mate! i know how you feel dam car/van/lorry drivers! and that pelvis pain i know that too just got over it myself :roll: was this today?

[carlos]

OMG :shock:

Glad you lived to tell the tale and hope they throw the book at the lorry driver :evil:

[Dicky Ticker]

Here we go again "Dam car/van/lorry drivers" Why are we all tarred with the same brush,I have ridden and driven for over 40 years and I,m not perfect by any means. OK, the lorry driver in this case was at fault,but I doubt whether he did it deliberately I would like to invite anybody to sit in the cab of a lorry on the A2 towards the Blackwall and see some of the stupid antics of bikers.
For goodness sake we are all human and to err is human,but why class us as pillocks because we aren't on a bike

Rant over

[kwak zzr]

:roll: i know bikers do some stupid manuvours and i agree not all car/van/lorry drivers are bad its just that the one i hit was ***** and hes cost me 3 grand and i really do want his nailed to a post and set fire to! :evil:

sorry rant over :roll:

[the_runt69]

For goodness sake we are all human and to err is human,but why class us as pillocks because we aren't on a bike



because most van or lorry drivers dont usually look, they think because theyre bigger than anything else they can move where they like and everyone will get out of the way.

Redeye the god of the sv was looking down on you today

H

[jonnyb]

The poor fellas just had a nasty smash, that was, from what i can see, the lorry drivers fault. Why immediately take offence at that? He could've been killed by said lorry drivers stupid manouver. Defend that.

[kwak zzr]

hence the white van man reputation.

[OldBoy]

Glad your OK, shame about the bike. I thought it was only London taxi cabs that did U turns!
I have found in the past HGV drivers are some of the best on the road but it has been mentioned that the foreign HGV drivers we now get leave a lot to be desired.

[Stu]

Can I try and steer this thread back to Redeye?
That was a very emotive piece of writing. I'm glad you were not as seriously hurt as you first feared. It is a very sobering thought how vulnerable we all are.
Firstly I wish you a speedy recovery including a psychological recovery to let you ride again as much as you used to enjoy it.
Secondly I wish you well with you claim against the driver in order to replace your machinery and compensate you.
And leave you with a thought that we are responsible for our own safety - it's no good being in the right.

[philipMac]

Jesus man.
That is a pretty rough sounding off.

Yeah. Just read it again. Rough doesnt really cover it.
Dont really know what to say. At least the plod seem to know what the story is, and are after lorry driver guy.
You will pick up another bike, wont be the same, but as options go, from the above story, that sounds like one of the better ones.

Have a nice few days off work, and feel better mate ... :)

[Demonz]

Man that sounds like a lucky escape and a reason to reflect on life. A low loader would be the worst thing to hit - so many hard bits and nothing would dent - I shivered when I read that :shock:

[RingDing]

:shock:

Glad your injuries aren't too bad, sounds like a lucky escape. It's a shame about the bike but what you've been told is right, it is just a machine. You'll have good memories with what ever you replace it with as well.

GWS.

[andy]

RedEye,

I am so pleased you got away with it OK, you sound like you did everything you could and that probably saved your life (or at least reduced your injuries). Get well soon.

OK, the lorry driver in this case was at fault,but I doubt whether he did it deliberately.......

And that makes it OK does it? The lorry did a dodgy turn over solid white lines at night with no lights on into the path of a bike.

Silly me, he didnt do it on purpose, just like he didnt drive with undue care and attention on purpose, and just because it was not deliberate it gives some sort of excuse? If (God forbid) RedEye had died then that is manslaughter in my book - no excuse for that at all especially when the culprit was quite clearly guilty of inattention at the very least.....

Dicky **** head.......

[independentphoto]

Redeye.

Glad to hear the outcome wasn't as bad as it could have been. Here's hoping the pain and injuries heal up real soon for you. Also that the unlit wagon driver learns the error of his ways and feels some remorse.

Cheers,

Garry :shock:

[BLK SV]

Glad to hear your alright, could've been alot worse. :)

Hopefully you won't have and problems with the claim, no lights in that area at that time of day is just stupid!! :evil:

[Jdubya]

:shock: :shock: :shock:
Redeye, glad you're okay mate...dont worry too much about the bike. It can be replaced. :smt006

[arenalife]

Wow, great escape there! I'm glad you're ok.

You do have to be careful of vans et al, they drive with a different road priority mentally I think. They're at work and they're just toddling round. I had one pull right across my path and he didn't even look sideways once, when I beeped him he just smiled and waved like I was an old mate.

[Biker Biggles]

Blimey.That was a close one.Good for you for (almost) walking away.
Now get yourself a bike specialist lawyer and take lorry driver to the cleaners.

[ivantate]

Alot of emotion in that piece. I hope you are able to get back on a bike soon and all injuries clear up.

I have had a few run ins with van/truck drivers, for some the action and consequence of situations seems messed up.

[redeye321]

Thanks for all your support, has anyone had any experience with bike specialist lawyers? I don't just want to be compensated for my loss of bike and the time I have had of work. I would like to change that road so there is street lighting all the way up that road instead of just at the bottom. Maybe it will prevent accidents in the future and that road won't live up to it's name anymore.

[Biker Biggles]

White Dalton get a good press on here.My son used Bromilly Holcroft and they were good.It is worth getting one though,as they will maximise your compensation.

[Dicky Ticker]

I am just glad you are all so perfect accident free drivers riders . You make me feel so much safer
knowing that you don't speed or make any mistakes. Look at the facts regarding the number of other vehicles on the roads compared to bikes,and the figures regarding mileage for said vehicles.
I am being criticised for saying that the lorry driver did not do it intentionally. my point being that most accidents, are what they are,accidents. Surely statistically if you only do 10,000 miles a year in comparison to 80,000 miles a year you are more likely to have an accident. I ride at night as do many of you but how many of you ride to the beam of your lights and adjust your speed accordingly or how many ride hoping the road is clear ahead of the beam-----be honest,I'll admit I don't ride to my visibility as most of my night riding is done on roads I know.

With the number of accidents,offs and incidents that get posted on this and other motorbike sites
it astounds me that we don't take more care,knowing we are at such high risk.but the"It will not happen to me" mentality persists. I've been on several ride outs and seen people overtake,filter,
speed and take chances on bends, not slowing down for changes in road condition but alas that seems to be the nature of biking,the thrill, the buzz,the rush call it what you like. What percentage
of SV ride outs are incident free?

----Its a high risk game and when its your turn,its your turn,in this case matey was a very very lucky person and I'm glad his injuries are minor. Sorry it had to happen and sincerely hope he feels better soon plus gets compensated accordingly for the loss of bike ,injury etc.

[carlos]

I am being criticised for saying that the lorry driver did not do it intentionally. my point being that most accidents, are what they are,accidents.

Accidents don't just happen FACT :!:

And if this tw@ of a lorry driver didn't do intentionally then I hate to think the outcome if he did :evil:

The guy cut across traffic via unbroken white lines in the dark with no lights on, and with blatantly no prior observations whatsoever. The guy should be banned IMO end of.

Not all drivers are this bad, that is obvious, but this guy could have caused a death through his own stupidity.

[andy]

With the number of accidents,offs and incidents that get posted on this and other motorbike sites it astounds me that we don't take more care,knowing we are at such high risk.but the"It will not happen to me" mentality persists. I've been on several ride outs and seen people overtake, filter, speed and take chances on bends, not slowing down for changes in road condition but alas that seems to be the nature of biking,the thrill, the buzz,the rush call it what you like. What percentage
of SV ride outs are incident free?

You are saying about bikers what you criticised others for saying about truckers - does that make you a hypocrite?

A lot of us do take a lot of care, and yes it is a number game, mainly because of **** heads like the one that got RedEye.

I can guarantee you that I (and probably most other bikers) have more accidents or close calls that were the fault of someone else and not themselves.

Like I said **** head, and what you wrote above proves it, we are talking about people lives here and implying that bikers are partly to blame for accidents that are 100% other peoples fault is pretty offensive......

If you made all bikers ride perfectly then there would still be a lot of accidents, 4 wheelers just don't give a **** any more - cyclists say it, pedestrians say it and bikers say it, but as the 4 wheelers are in the majority and as the government is only interested in speeding nothing is ever done about it.

You have got more chance of being killed by an inattentive trucker or van driver than you have of being killed by a filtering or speeding biker - what is so difficult to understand about that concept?

[Dicky Ticker]

I am not a "d**k head" but simple stating facts and if you read the posts correctly I have never stood up for or condoned the lorry driver or rider You want to take a bias attitude then that is your privilege but if your post is aimed personally at me its water off a ducks back

[Bear]

Dicky, I believe that Andy was referring to the truck driver when he said the d-word (unless I'm much mistaken) Andy: I was a courier for three years in london, doing 60-80 hrs a week, and so I've had more than my fair share of knocks and scrapes. I can say in perfect confidence that NOT ONE OF THEM was 100% someone else's fault! There is always an opportunity for you to improve either your riding, your observation or your attitude to risk taking when on a bike, and I think the "it's everyone elses fault but the poor biker" mentality leads to a lot of animosity on the road, as well as accidents.

I drive a van for work, and although I try damn hard I'm nowhere near as observant when in the van than I am on the bike, it's just not possible (there are too many blind spots), but I try to think where I would be if I were a bike. I'm only able to do that as I've had experience on a bike, and unfortunately most cage drivers don't have that luxury.

I do agree that the driver in this case was very out of order, crossing a lane at light with no lights is very stupid, but as he was heading for a layby, it's possible that he was having problems with the vehicle. We just don't know.

It's really easy to demonise other road users, and I hate it when it's done to me (all bikers are nutters or whatever) so lets just try to get along out there, eh?

[Bear]

This in no way implies that I'm not sympathetic to Redeyes plight, however!!!!

That should cover my back I hope :D :D

Love you all!

[the white rabbit]

Bad luck Redeyes and a lucky one to get out of. And as the derail/ranting goes, well said Pigbunk. Some sense there.

[Peter Henry]

Redeye what a frightening experience for you! :shock:

Dicky Ticker..I accept your point that it was an accident. However it was one that should NEVER have ocurred. The main point being a totally dangerous frankly.....brain dead manouvre was carried out by someone who is paid to drive such a vehicle. To emphasise..a "professional" driver. :?

[valleyboy]

Bloody hell...

get well soon...

[21QUEST]

redeye321, thank God you are here to tell the tale. I can't even begin to describe what I felt reading that.

Reminds me of when I spoke to Rictus about his accident. I quite regularly get for some reason horrible images sometimes flashing through my mind when riding at at night. Fear of someone doing something stupid and no one around to help etc :?

Wish you a full and speedy recovery. Hope you are able to get the maximum compesation due to you.


Cheers
Ben

[gettin2dizzy]

jesus! thats intense. Hope you get well soon. (and if you can find out the name of the lorry driver we'll take care of that ;) )

[ArtyLady]

Dicky d*ck head.......

Andy IMO - that's just plain rude, there is no need for name calling :? everyone is entitled to their opinions.

Redeye Im glad your ok, get well soon.

[Stu]

I am just glad you are all so perfect accident free drivers riders . You make me feel so much safer
knowing that you don't speed or make any mistakes. Look at the facts regarding the number of other vehicles on the roads compared to bikes,and the figures regarding mileage for said vehicles.
I am being criticised for saying that the lorry driver did not do it intentionally. my point being that most accidents, are what they are,accidents. Surely statistically if you only do 10,000 miles a year in comparison to 80,000 miles a year you are more likely to have an accident. I ride at night as do many of you but how many of you ride to the beam of your lights and adjust your speed accordingly or how many ride hoping the road is clear ahead of the beam-----be honest,I'll admit I don't ride to my visibility as most of my night riding is done on roads I know.

With the number of accidents,offs and incidents that get posted on this and other motorbike sites
it astounds me that we don't take more care,knowing we are at such high risk.but the"It will not happen to me" mentality persists. I've been on several ride outs and seen people overtake,filter,
speed and take chances on bends, not slowing down for changes in road condition but alas that seems to be the nature of biking,the thrill, the buzz,the rush call it what you like. What percentage
of SV ride outs are incident free?

----Its a high risk game and when its your turn,its your turn,in this case matey was a very very lucky person and I'm glad his injuries are minor. Sorry it had to happen and sincerely hope he feels better soon plus gets compensated accordingly for the loss of bike ,injury etc.

Well said.really don't like to take the attention away from Redeye, but they only one who can be most responsible for your own safety is yourself.

Well said Pigbunk as well, even if you were a little naive in your understanding of someone else's post unfortunately.

[seedy100]

Just read the original post and the thread.

Redeye, it sounds like from the moment collision was inevitable that you came out of it as well as it was possible to hope for.

Its a shame about the bike, but it is only a bike, look forward to getting a replacement.

The best of luck with the insurance. it sounds cut and dried, but no oubt his insurers will try to make it your fault (though from your description i dont see how)

Wish you a speedy recovery and enjoyment with a new bike.

[kwak zzr]

i keep getting letters saying i was to blame when i know 100% i wasnt :( life sucks sometimes and all you need is for people to own up and tell the truth :wink: hope all goes well redeye :thumbsup:
buy yourself an sv1000 in the meantime :D

[busasean]

because most van or lorry drivers dont usually look, they think because theyre bigger than anything else they can move where they like and everyone will get out of the way

H

Absolute ****e. on my bike i travel 40,000 + miles and HGV drivers are normally the most courtesous and aware, you should try driving an artic to see how many blind spots there are! yes this guy was in the wrong, but most drivers i pass are better than your average car/bike driver.

[redeye321]

http://upload4.postimage.org/1762575/2006_1127WU54CHV0002.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762575/photo_hosting.html)http://upload4.postimage.org/1762607/2006_1127WU54CHV0003.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762607/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762617/2006_1127WU54CHV0004.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762617/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762637/2006_1127WU54CHV0005.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762637/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762646/2006_1127WU54CHV0006.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762646/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762655/2006_1127WU54CHV0007.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762655/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762664/2006_1127WU54CHV0008.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762664/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762681/2006_1127WU54CHV0009.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762681/photo_hosting.html)
http://upload4.postimage.org/1762750/2006_1127WU54CHV0010.jpg (http://upload4.postimage.org/1762750/photo_hosting.html)

[TSM]

Wow, the R&Gs are still intact :roll:

[kwak zzr]

that reminds me of mine before i took all the broken bits off :( your sv took it all in the front wheel and forks by the looks :( my damage was more higher (mostly plastics).
glad your ok redeye the bike can be replaced.

[Flamin_Squirrel]

I am just glad you are all so perfect accident free drivers riders . You make me feel so much safer
knowing that you don't speed or make any mistakes.

There is a big difference between making a mistake and being downright negligent. It's a little worrying you don't understand the difference.

Best wishes redeye.

[dirtydog]

because most van or lorry drivers dont usually look, they think because theyre bigger than anything else they can move where they like and everyone will get out of the way

H

Absolute sh*te. on my bike i travel 40,000 + miles and HGV drivers are normally the most courtesous and aware, you should try driving an artic to see how many blind spots there are! yes this guy was in the wrong, but most drivers i pass are better than your average car/bike driver.


So because i'm an HGV driver that makes me a sh*te driver? I'm with busasean on this one what you've said is a complete load of cr*p and you're generalising evry HGV/van drivers cos you've obviously had a couple of incidents wtih them just the same as most car drivers see us as hooligans who have no respect for speed limits, laws etc etc blah blah blah





Hope you heal quick redeye

[21QUEST]

I'v e said before and I'll say it again. Ive only ever come across one HGV driver who was a ****. For my money one of the best drivers on the road. Most problems perceived by car drivers and bike riders to be honest, is because of their inabilty to think(no offence to anyone).

HGV are huge :roll: . Loads of blind spots and need a wider turning circle etc. How many cars have people seen crushed or almost crushed by HGV on for the car drivers to rant at them.

A car got crushed on the motor way once when the lady in the car decides she was going to undertake an HGV. Unfortunately for her the HGV driver was pulling back into the inside lane. I bet she was probably thought he should have looked :roll: .

We bikers are found of saying non bikers should spend time on a bike to get a better idea of what we have to go through. I think everyone should maybe spend some time in the cab of an HGV and maybe people can appreciate more what the drivers of HGVs have to put up with.


Cheers
Ben

[dirtydog]

A car got crushed on the motor way once when the lady in the car decides she was going to undertake an HGV. Unfortunately for her the HGV driver was pulling back into the inside lane. I bet she was probably thought he should have looked :roll: .



I had a similar accident a little while ago, was driving along m25 over took a woman dribving at about 45mph ish even though the road was pretty clear. Checked my mirrors (all 3 on the n/s) couldn't see the car anywhere, indicated then i started to move over. Next thing i could hear a load of tyre sqealing as i pushed the car over onto the hard shoulder. Pulled over swapped details etc, police attended and what did she say to the police and i quote "i didn't realise how slow i was going until he (me in the lorry) started to overtake me so i sped up a bit"

But i guess as i was the hgv driver i must be at fault :roll:

[21QUEST]

I had a similar accident a little while ago, was driving along m25 over took a woman dribving at about 45mph ish even though the road was pretty clear. Checked my mirrors (all 3 on the n/s) couldn't see the car anywhere, indicated then i started to move over. Next thing i could hear a load of tyre sqealing as i pushed the car over onto the hard shoulder. Pulled over swapped details etc, police attended and what did she say to the police and i quote "i didn't realise how slow i was going until he (me in the lorry) started to overtake me so i sped up a bit"
But i guess as i was the hgv driver i must be at fault :roll:

Idiot :x .

What you do in that situation moron is hold your speed or even slow down just a bit more so the HGV spends less time in the over taking lane. Then you can now step on it having now realised how slow you were going :roll: . How difficult is that to work out.

Apologies redeye for the off topic posts. Might just start a new thread


Cheers
Ben

[BarbieBabe]

I am just glad you are all so perfect accident free drivers riders. You make me feel so much safer knowing that you don't speed or make any mistakes.
----Its a high risk game and when its your turn,its your turn,in this case matey was a very very lucky person and I'm glad his injuries are minor.

DT: How can you say such a thing! Redeye is a very close mate of mine and we've helped each other through a lot, I am so glad he wasn't taken from me. I've lost one close friend through a bike accident, it would hurt so much to loose another. We're not all 'perfect accident free drivers riders', I've pushed the limit on my sv but I've also been sensible when necessary. I live by the saying 'Everything Happens For A Reason', definately not by'when its your turn,its your turn'! That's just ridiculous and I hope that no one else has taken any interest in your message. You make it sound like it was his fault and for that I hate you.

Nobody is perfect. My dad and god father are HGV drivers and are good drivers that do take care. Unfortunately there are some drivers that lack care and these accidents do happen. Likewise with other bikers. You get sensible ones that can push their limits when it's safe to do so but then there are the plain stupid ones that choose to ride round in shorts and tshirt or ride through a town at a ridiculous speed. It's all down to the individual, you can't put the blame on a certain vehicle.

Anyway;

Redeye: I am so glad you are still here. You gave me a bloody shock and I just can't get it all out of my head. Maybe our bikes had some kind of connection, Toby got himself a new owner so yours didn't want to stick around either! The pics look terrible by the way. I hope your physio goes well and you're all better soon, you've got to take me out remember!?! Love ya babe, speak soon.

Your Tinkx

[Davido]

You can't live by one vague statement like "Everything happens for a reason" and then slam another equally vague statement like the one Dicky trusts.

Neither are proven, neither can be proven, so I don't see the need to call it ridciulous.

Oh and for the most part (99% really) HGV drivers are pretty spot on with their driving. They are scrutinised a lot more highly in every aspect of their driving, purely because they can cause a lot more damage than 'bloke on phone' in his corsa.

White van drivers on the other hand... :lol:

I personally feel that i ride like a **** a lot of the time, but I also feel that I can do it relatively safely, and know there's a time and a place for it. However if I was ever to fall due to somebody else, I would also realise that I would be partly to blame for not anticipating it.

Sucks when you fall off, sucks even more when it leads you to question whether or not you'll survive. Get well soon. :thumbsup:

[Damoulianos Marios]

Oops, that was a pretty bad mate, glad you were lucky enough to escape only with bruises. Now it is a good chance to upgrade to an SV1000 :wink:

[Duck-man]

Redeye, those photos are messy!


Hope ur ok? Looked like a lucky escape!

Hope u get back on ur bike!

[Steve H]

Just read your post. Bloody Hell mate, that sounded awful. :shock:
Glad you are not seriously hurt and hopefully can put the trauma of the accident
behind you now.

[Dicky Ticker]

Barbie Babe you hate me ,fine,possible not to fond of you either if you are such a vindictive person. Please tell me where I said Redeye was at fault? or even insinuated such.

I'm doing well here,Hated,**** head and classified as a crap driver being of the lowest of the low in somes books

Who gives a toss :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Biker Biggles]

Well after all that----how you doing?Have you got a lawyer yet?Was the other driver insured?You got away with it so these are your priorities now.It's a bad job but make the most of it.

[Viney]

I saw somone get killed there some years ago outside the Farningham pub. Glad you havent gone the same way. Heal fast dude.

[philipMac]

Jesus Christ.

This is a very F#cked up thread in fairness. On all sorts of levels.


There's only one thing for it:
http://www.kitten-gro.com/images/kitten24.jpg


Cant go wrong with kittens boss.

[ejohnh]

With the number of accidents,offs and incidents that get posted on this and other motorbike sites it astounds me that we don't take more care,knowing we are at such high risk.but the"It will not happen to me" mentality persists. I've been on several ride outs and seen people overtake, filter, speed and take chances on bends, not slowing down for changes in road condition but alas that seems to be the nature of biking,the thrill, the buzz,the rush call it what you like. What percentage
of SV ride outs are incident free?

You are saying about bikers what you criticised others for saying about truckers - does that make you a hypocrite?

A lot of us do take a lot of care, and yes it is a number game, mainly because of d*ck heads like the one that got RedEye.

I can guarantee you that I (and probably most other bikers) have more accidents or close calls that were the fault of someone else and not themselves.

Like I said d*ck head, and what you wrote above proves it, we are talking about people lives here and implying that bikers are partly to blame for accidents that are 100% other peoples fault is pretty offensive......

If you made all bikers ride perfectly then there would still be a lot of accidents, 4 wheelers just don't give a sh*t any more - cyclists say it, pedestrians say it and bikers say it, but as the 4 wheelers are in the majority and as the government is only interested in speeding nothing is ever done about it.

You have got more chance of being killed by an inattentive trucker or van driver than you have of being killed by a filtering or speeding biker - what is so difficult to understand about that concept?


The original post had me gripped. A lump in my throat - I was 'out of body' there! - the W9Y! Didn't some of the follow ups get near the mark though!

As a car driver with a million percent no claims bonus I would say you are being a tad prejudiced mate(eg . '4 wheelers just don't give a sh*t any more'). I do think, however, that the reason 'some' HGV drivers don't have more accidents is that other road users know better than to tangle with them. As for 'most' white van drivers, one wanted to hit me with an iron bar because I honked him when he cut me up. I got no time for so called 'knights of the road' - more like nightmares to me.

Driving back from college this evening it was Psing down and sheet water across the M4 just after Sarn services going west. Vis was not good. A bike went past me at about 90 - 100 mph, maybe more. That was an isolated incident, as are most stories of crap 4 wheel driving.

Big problem today is that we got virtually no traffic plod. Where the hell are they all? Too busy learning photography maybe..

JohnH

[Davies]

Fooking hell mate, those pictures :shock:

Glad you're still with us :thumbsup:

[northwind]

I've never driven an HGV, but I bet I'd be rubbish at it...

White vans are involved in statistically less accidents than they ought to, by the way.

[independentphoto]

We bikers are found of saying non bikers should spend time on a bike to get a better idea of what we have to go through. I think everyone should maybe spend some time in the cab of an HGV and maybe people can appreciate more what the drivers of HGVs have to put up with.


Cheers
Ben

:thumbsup:

Too right Ben. How many drivers (Riders too for that matter) do you see not doing their lifesavers or similar. We all know that almost all vehicles have at least a couple of blindspots, but many still pull out of a slip etc without properly checking.

I've been saying for years like you, that peope should have to do a mandatory period of driving or instruction in a transit sized vehicle(with similar visibility) or larger. The other thing that gets me, is the number of people who drive around (illegaly) on sidelights in the pitch darkness or with no lights at all in reduced visibility. Anyone that's driven a vehicle without a rear wash/wipe facility will appreciate how easy it is to fail to notice an unlit vehicle in rain for example.

I guess that what we're all saying in our little (or large) rants, is that enforcement and improvent of driving standards in this country leaves a lot to be desired. Laws without (effective) enforcement are all but pointless - Seatbelt laws? Mobile Phone law? Child Seat laws (new but still)? Vehicle lighting laws? To be fair, there are many very good drivers from all vehicle types, but it's the lack of policing that keeps the overall standard below what it should be.

Lothian & Borders Police had a spell earlier in the year where they increased patrols and videoed drivers from within the patrol car. When they spotted anything a little iffy, they pulled the driver in and showed them the incident(s) on video whilst explaining the error(s) of judgement. Anything more serious was dealt with in the normal(?) manner. More activity like this should be common place.

Ride/ drive safe people.

Garry 8)

[redeye321]

Well after all that----how you doing?Have you got a lawyer yet?Was the other driver insured?You got away with it so these are your priorities now.It's a bad job but make the most of it.


I'm not too bad considering. I have been in touch with White Dalton and they will probably take my case on. The insurance side is an absolute nightmere, the police have all the information that i need to tell my insurance company but they won't give it to me until the investigation is over. My solicitor said it might take the police anything up to 6 months to sort out.
I was furious the other day when i found out that i was being charged for recovery and storage for my bike!!!! Had to pay £300 to get it back for 6 days storage.
Got the police coming around tomorow to take my statement so i'm going to give him a grilling! :evil:

[kwak zzr]

my case is with the solicitors now and its going nowhere fast :? christ knows what there up to but nothing seems to be happening?

[jamesobrady]

I find the writing on the bikes tank very chilling.

RED Im glad to hear you're "well" after your smash.
Its unfortunate you had to meet an irresponsible truck driver at that time and place.
As stated previously by both "sides" there are good and bad drivers in every vehicle.
You met a bad one and it ended up better than it could have done.

I got hit by a bus at the start of the summer. When i say "got hit by" I mean it, he hit me from the right side at a junction just after some roadworks and men with stop/go sticks.
The bike spun 180deg and slid down the road 90deg to the direction i was goin.....i stayed on top of it somehow which saved me dragging off the ground or under it.

I was lucky enough to be able to get off it and roar and shout abuse at the driver.
Not one car driver/van driver/truck driver/biker that was stopped in traffic came over to see if i was ok.*to be fair i probably didnt look very approachable what with all the shouting*

The bus driver admitted liability instantly and asked if he could move the bus out of traffic to where he was planning on parking it. i moved the bike, he parked up the bus in the yard he was heading to .

I calmed down, we spoke....
Turned out he was a lovely guy, very upset at it all, apologised profusely, and as it turned out he was looking down the length of his bus to make sure no bikes were there as he turned.
The manner in which the traffic was stopped by the roadworks was badly done, we went over to where he had been waiting and he couldnt have seen me until i was right in front of him because of the position of 2 parked diggers.

For my own part, he had his indicators on, it was a broken white line, my attention got taken by a car that approached fast and broke late from the lhs.....by that time the bus had started his turn from stopped and i was in a bad place to be. Smack. Partially lack of proper observation on my part. had i been going slower I wouldnt have been there(but would have been crawling along..was doing 30kmh as it was))....had i been going faster.....the impact probably would have been harder. I would have had to be going a good bit faster to avoid it that way. Had i used my horn when i saw the situation develop it may have given me enough room to get by assuming he stood on his brakes without delay.

I was uninjured apart from a sore shoulder for a few days, the bikes fairings(all 3 front pieces and headlight)/bar ends/levers/pegs/fairing/exhaust/front hugger had to be replaced...bike shop recieved a cheque to cover the damages(from bus company...not driver) 3 days after the damage quote. The owner of the company rang me on numerous occasions to see how i was/ask if i needed transport/rental car etc.... i got a rental car. Paid up for doctors bills/physio without question....even gave me money for a few pints.

There was absolutely no way we could pin any blame on the council as they had their road works finished and gone in record time.....amazing really.

I gained nothing from this incident financially.....nor did i want to. My bike got fixed asap, i was uninjured, i was not out of pocket, and i learned a lesson on observation.
I met a good driver in a bad situation....as it turned out a family member knows him from working with him, and the story on the guy is sound...driving busses/trucks/taxis all his life without incident. One bad situation, one smack.

Your guy unfortunately is different....no lights, broke a solid line. its fairly clear cut. Is there anything you could have done differently? Thats up to you to decide in time and with hindsight.
I sincerely hope your claim goes well....its unfortunate it has to go to insurance.
A new bike and gear,and your doctors/physios bills and a rental bike/car to get you about would be less in straight cash for a truck company than insurance hikes over a few years.

Additionally the driver may lose his job. He may well be an inconsiderate irrespossible moron who didnt put a moments thought into what he did and it nearly cost you your life.....or he may be a hard working sound man who made a genuine costly mistake due to fatigue....thats not for any of us to decide here.

No one class of road user is reliably bad. Hgv drivers are my favourite users on my commute, which is 160km per day from one side of ireland to the other(return the following day). Out of the 40-50 trucks I come up behind every day, i have to say approx 2 or 3 fail to see me/pull in. Thats my own opinion from 2 years of doing the same commute.

I think you just met a bad one at the wrong time. No consolation for anyone if you had died, I agree, but neither would it be consolation if the guy had an excellent record of driving,rospa certs,and taken advanced courses etc..etc. NOTHING would be consolation.

You didnt get killed or badly injured, your bike is damaged, you dont seem to be at fault. In many ways you're very lucky and you have the opportunity to take a lesson from this situation,whatever that may be.
Dont forget to get receipts for any cost to you now...storage bill, busses,taxis etc...... it's all claimable back(minus what your bike running costs would normally be) from their ins if your solicitor knows what he/shes at.

Best of luck with it, and again, Im glad you're ok. Thanks for the piece, it was very honest and emotive of you.

[redeye321]

Thank you, I think that is one of the best posts I have read on this site.

[Warthog]

Its very sad that this thread has been sullied by a few insulting posts when there have been some beautiful pieces of writing in it as well. Redeye, hope you get everything sorted out painlessly and as quickly as possible. If everyone can just remember, you can't generalise about any type of road users, so stop it.

Remember,

Never ever ever generalise! :lol:

[Flamin_Squirrel]

White vans are involved in statistically less accidents than they ought to, by the way.

Of course, 'cos they always drive off after they've run you over :shock:

[philipMac]

Its very sad that this thread has been sullied by a few insulting posts when there have been some beautiful pieces of writing in it as well.



Nice writing... and kittens. Probably just forgot to mention that, right? Best kitten you've seen in a while? Right Warthog? RIGHT???

Dont make me post up a cute puppy dog. I'll do it. I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL DO IT.

[Warthog]

*sigh* yes Phillip, and some nice kittens too, well done. :lol:

[jamesobrady]

Thank you, I think that is one of the best posts I have read on this site.

Lol, well..thanks for the compliment.
Its a pita getting a smack....it really is. But after about 2 hours I honestly wasnt worried about it, more in life to get down about :)

My situation as per liability was sorted out within 10mins after it happened, i guess you dont have that comfort yet, but you've nothing broken on yourself, and nothing long lasting i hope.... I tell you something though its a bloody scary experience !
All i remember is realising i was going to get hit by a bus...fuppin hell.....I do distinctly know i took my hands off the bars at the last moment so my fingers wouldnt get caught up in the levers....lol...the things you think of :) Next thing i know everyhting is upside down and the sliding stops...then i wait for the pain to hit...... I cant describe how relieved i was to be able to get up and shout at the guy ......


.....he told me he was glad to see it too, because from his point of view i looked dead until i stood up !


Its kinda nice to know a complete stranger held your hand and comforted you... just reaffirms yer faith in the world a small bit.

[Red ones]

Sorry to hear about your off, glad to hear you are OK though.



In defence of HGV drivers I find most of them very courteous. I distrust White Van Man though. Why? I believe it is because HGV man has a tough test to pass to get in the cab, WVM has an ordinary car licence and no additional training to drive something so much bigger, bulkier and with far less vision than a car.

[ArtyLady]

I distrust White Van Man though. Why? I believe it is because HGV man has a tough test to pass to get in the cab, WVM has an ordinary car licence and no additional training to drive something so much bigger, bulkier and with far less vision than a car.

I take your point but again we have this generalisation (as Warthog says) - my OH drives a White Transit and is an excellent, careful, considerate driver, definately NOT stereotypical WVM and he is a seasoned biker of 30+ years. 8) :)

[Strobart]

Had a look at the pics.... I think that'll come out with a bit of T-cut ;)

Jaysus.... scary story Redeye. Chilling read. Glad to hear the outcome wasn't as bad as it could've been.

As for all the ******** about HGV/WVM etc. You can't generalise fairly. There are crap vehicle operators in every class, including bikers :shock:

Problem with HGVs is that they're huge and cumbersome so are hard to avoid when they do something stupid and they are as close to an immovable object as you're going to come across on the road.

[Alpinestarhero]

Damn, just saw the pictures.

It'll take more than a bit of t-cut to fix that (Jim Whitam!)

Glad you are ok though :D

Matt

[netsurfer]

:shock: Glad you are ok Redeye!

I must say some good points have been raised here, and like others I dont think you can generalise with HGV/WVM stereotypes

Pete

[redeye321]

Sorry to bring this thread up again but i just got a letter back from the third party insurers saying they are willing to offer me £2000 for my injuries!!!!!
I was shocked when i got the letter especially when there are people out there that get over £10,000 for whiplash. I asked my solicitors what this payment covered and they said it was just for the fact that i had the accident. Should get another £1000 for all my gear that was lost and £3000 for the bike. So £6000 in total, guess i would of got more if i broke some bones?
My solicitors said they think the sum is a bit low so they will ask for £2300
and if the third party doesn't accept it will go to court.

Need some advice on this from people who have had dealings with insurance companies. Is this offer normal for my kind of accident?

[Viney]

I saw someone die on that same stretch of road on a wednesday night when the Farnigham pub was in full effect. Bandit hit a car turning right out of the no right hand turn! I think i was the last person he spoke to asking if there where any police up in the layby!!

Edit: I only got £5000 for a broken shoulder, i say only, i have only lost about 2% movement if that, which is lucky as the Physio said id loose 15-20%!!!

[redeye321]

I think that is disgusting especially when that injury will effect you for the rest of your life.

[micky t]

hubby got knocked of his bike a few years ago by a car driver on a roundabout that"didnt see him", wrote the bike of, bashed his elbow on the kerb, had to have those nasty injection in the bone for the pain, got 2k injury pay out for that so i think that your seems low considering that this was about 7 years ago.

oh by the way we are both hgv drivers, and agreed some of the "foreign" drivers over hear are just damm right dangerous, i saw one "driver" watching his dvd player on the dashboard while driving on the motorway:smt013 , what chance do we have on a bike :confused: .

a few days ago i was indicating to turn left, took a second look in the lefthand mirror, blasted scooter aiming for the same bit of tramac that i was on the left hand turn:mad: , obviously she had a deathwish, and was totally oblivious as to what might have happened if i hadnt looked again in my mirror
arrrggghhhh:rant:

[Viney]

I think that is disgusting especially when that injury will effect you for the rest of your life.Hmmm, but will it? No not really, unless i was in a lot of bank hold ups :lol: and to be honest, you didnt break anything, so have no disabilitating injuries.

Mine was also difficult due to the fact i was claiming against the Motor insurance beaureu as the driver was uninsured.

These sotries of people getting 10k for whiplash are one in a million, and the sort of payouts that we have recieved are more the norm.

We aint the US (Where you can sue a microwave company for YOU putting your dog in there to dry off and it cooks!!, All because they didnt say...dont put your dog in the microwave, unless you are Korean), and we ALL moan when our insurance goes up, so we cant have it both ways.

[Warthog]

How are you now Redeye? Any lasting injuries? Rereading this post gave me chills again.