Police cause SV650 to crash...

If the CPS hold evidence against you that they intend to use in a prosecution, you are entitled to a copy in order to prepare your defence. That's probably how they got the video.

The bikes are not faultless, they were going far too fast for the conditions. The copper has probably been stopping slower motorists that way all day long, but as soon as the copper saw 90mph on the speed gun, he should have known they'd have real difficulty stopping and realised stepping out was a bad idea. Not only did he fail to think about the stopping distance, he didn't think much about self preservation either and put himself in a really dangerous situation. He's the one who is supposed to be trained in road safety. He created the hazard in this situation.

I can't say I'd have stopped any quicker or better than these bikes, but what I can say is if I were on the first bike, when I got close enough to realise the copper wasn't intent on actually getting in the way, and I wasn't going going to hit him, I'd have released the brakes and gone past him, then pulled a U turn further down the road. If during an emergency stop an escape route presents itself it's almost always safer to take it and let the bike roll and steer, than risk locking your wheels in a straight line. Also would have protected him from the bike behind.

The second bike will probably still get done for careless driving if they charge him with it, because he was going far too fast for the conditions and did fail to stop causing a collision. Once in court charged with an offence it actually doesn't matter anymore how stupid the copper was, the only thing that is under scrutiny is how well the defendant reacted to it.

The copper is a knob.

Yes the bikes were going too fast, and deserve to be done for speeding. But causing an accident to stop a potential accident is stupid. The cop was hidden from the SV by the VFR at the front. It looks like the SV saw the brake light and let off the throttle at least (which at 9K rpm would provide quite a lot of engine braking) not realising that it was an emergency brake situation, untill he was right on him. The SV was still in the corner at this point.

In his (SV rider) situation I would be looking to extend my braking distance by going either side of the VFR in front (which is what I think he did) but then that bl00dy copper was dithering and getting in the way there too.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by Ch00

If it wasn't an officer in the way how about an animal like a pheasant or sheep?

Rider error.

True, however I would hope that policemen should have a bit more nous than sheep though, no?

Unwise actions on both sides.

[Mark_h]

The officer's actions were the trigger for the accident, not the cause. The cause was poor planning and emergency stop execution on the part of the second bike. The actions of the officer and the first bike contributed to it but did not cause it.

Well that's in my humble opinion anyway.

[G]

Turns out that whilst not completely fake, or staged... it was being filmed as part of a road safety campaign that ironically went wrong.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxiKQl7B2y8

Originally Posted by G

Turns out that whilst not completely fake, or staged... it was being filmed as part of a road safety campaign that ironically went wrong.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxiKQl7B2y8

Was just about to post this too, i think we all suspected it wasnt just a genuine case, too many camera angles, poor copper position etc etc

[Mr Speirs]

Apart from it being staged as it were, as it was the isle of man which much of it has no speed limits, were these guys actually speeding in the first place?

Originally Posted by thulfi

If you look closely at around 20 seconds in, you can see two people standing behind the copper and a camera stand.

I personally think the copper was a total idiot. No justice was served. I feel bad for the first biker. Looks like the second bike took his left leg out and that must have hurt.

I've heard tell that it was actually a road safety video gone wrong.

Allegedly that's a road on the isle of man?


EDIT: I see it's been noticed by others too. Funny how stuff that seems a bit funny, usually is.

[Wideboy]

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

Apart from it being staged as it were, as it was the isle of man which much of it has no speed limits, were these guys actually speeding in the first place?

No they weren't as its on the mountain section which is no limit 24/7. I thought I recognised it when I watched it.

Normal road rules apply apart from national speed limits. Balls to the wall as they say. TT week its all one way so you can ride it like a track.

[ChrisCurvyS]

I thought everything looked decidedly retro. The bike salesman's trackie top would probably be illegal now.