NEW POLL - What dangers do you look out for the MOST on the road?......

[Diesel]

As a ST pilot, you are on of the safest riders around (statistically) - what do you need to watch out for THE MOST when you saddle up and tear off?

Remember - you may well have to watch ALL of the above - but the question asks about the BIGGEST DANGER.

You can change votes (up to 10 times).

Post a great story/incident you may have experienced below for ALL OF US to learn from...

Cheers, Diesel

[Carrelli]

Hi everyone, my daily commute on carrelli is about 65km all up. Within that point to point one way  journey are no less than five school zones. Over the last four years I have come to this view point.


1. Watch out for the people who have left picking up their rug rats till the last possible moment... most parents.
2. Watch out for the people who have picked up their rug rats and need to get home.. asp...most parents. (I know it's asap but they really really need to save time).
3. Within the above group, watch out for large, baby killing four wheel drives driven by, usually, an incredibly small statured person, with all of the above thrown in.
4. Especially watch out for all of the above when the conversation/ interest/ admonition is concentrated on the rear or passenger seats...ALL parents!
5.... and blond chicks in hyundi excels

Tonque in check with a dash of reality.. well perhaps a real big dash of reality

Cheers and do try to keep the black stuff under ya
Carrelli (snr)

[saaz]

No category for me..Subaru 4 wheel drives, most likely wagons. Drivers of those have tried to kill me in the car ( ran into the side of my car and nearly flipped it on a roundabout) and the bike (I did not need that space on the road I was on on a white police looking bike did I really want that bit of road!) over the years!

Anyone with a 'baby on board' sticker as they drive like they want to kill those spawn from hell they have on board..must have lost the will to live.

[terrydj]

Decided a long time ago that everything is out to get me including the bike I'm riding, so I look out for everything and then I look for more

[Brock]

School pickup mums, they may be able to multi task, but at school out, they forget how to drive.

[terrydj]

School pickup mums, they may be able to multi task, but at school out, they forget how to drive.

That's because a lot of em are drunk. When I was working on the roads the amount of drunk mothers I would see on their way to pick up the kids, when they were pulled over at a stop point you wouldn't believe, right down to a "Mother" on a major highway with a wheelie bin still attached to her bumper bar still full of rubbish. She never even knew it was their. You'd see em sucking on their water bottles full of wine on their way to pick up the kids???????

[Tipsy]

  py
it really has to those mums picking up/ dropping of the rug rats, you see I reckon that when they pick their tin top keys they put their BRAINS where their keys were.
Hell and everything else as well, including that Bite-U-Man

[Poppy Dave]

ALL other road users.

[Carrelli]

Decided a long time ago that everything is out to get me including the bike I'm riding, so I look out for everything and then I look for more

Hi Terry, now Diesel has opened Pandoras box here.
We all have things that annoy us on the road, but this thread might define what will kill us.
+1 for your comment
I ride to enjoy my existense here on this planet. I acknowledge that there are others who might unknowingly terminate my enjoyment, hence your words echo with mine.
I WILL break the speed limit/ overtake in a double white line zone/ and do certain other things that to ..some others.. might seem totally reckless and irresponsible, by "Their rules".
I have done this for a total of near 40 years.
I always offer a wave to anyone I might overtake, especially a bike aware motorist and yes you can pick them.
I try to Never scare older drivers ( or any road user for that matter, but especially older folk who are just trying to get around), because we as motorcyclists are far more manouvorable and faster than the average tin top...or for that matter, what the tin top pilot is aware of.
In a sentence, I ride to survive, and I no longer blame anyone but myself for any incident or near miss.
There was/ is a saying out there that allows a certain degree of manouverability with all of this. "treat every other road user as if they are intent on hurting you"
I just acknolowedge this and keep growing my road skills.

Now keep the black stuff under ya and have a great ride

Cheers
Carrelli

[alans1100]

Hi,
There's not one thing that I can put a finger on for this topic. I've had my bike licence for around 35 years with most of that riding in suburban Adelaide traffic. One thing that stands out is delivery vans.

The partner and I were riding into the city one weekday afternoon and there was this one van driver changing lanes like there was no tomorrow. He was plainly a danger to himself and the rest of us near him. To cut this short, I down shifted, lane splitted and got to a safer part on the road.

This manouver upset my partner a little and mentioned this incident to our neighbor at the time. His response surprised her, "if your in a bad situtation, do what you need to do to get out of it."

He was one of those lucky people who get paid to ride. Not sure if he's still riding the usual white beemer of the South Australian Police force but it was good advice and i use it everyday I ride or drive the car.

Alan

[scarp]

Gotta Say Both Carelli & Alan have hit it on the head I've had a couple of major accidents over the years that have hospitalised me for some time & although I was "in the right" when the "accident" happened that is no comfort when the surgeon is telling your parents they may have to amputate your leg.
Now I know that I would never put myself in that situation again, just change lanes & let em go by no abuse no finger just get on with my ride.
Be Aware of your surrounds & ride accordingly thats my advice to all new riders I meet. There is no glory in kicking off a mirror or yelling & screaming at them if they did not "see" you.  It's coz they think your a 2nd class citizen to start with & there is no need to confim it in their minds for them

[Malcolm6112]

The one most scary thing on our roads, are other road users.
This point was raised in the preceding posts as well.
When I got my drivers licence, 26 years ago, I did a motorcycle riding course. One piece of info that always comes to mind...
"Treat other road users as if they are out to get you"
In other words, If people are playing silly buggers, get out of there.

 

[Diesel]

Gotta Say Both Carelli & Alan have hit it on the head I've had a couple of major accidents over the years that have hospitalised me for some time & although I was "in the right" when the "accident" happened that is no comfort when the surgeon is telling your parents they may have to amputate your leg.
Now I know that I would never put myself in that situation again, just change lanes & let em go by no abuse no finger just get on with my ride.
Be Aware of your surrounds & ride accordingly thats my advice to all new riders I meet. There is no glory in kicking off a mirror or yelling & screaming at them if they did not "see" you.  It's coz they think your a 2nd class citizen to start with & there is no need to confim it in their minds for them

That right there folks, is the ethos we should all adopt for longevity. Thanks Scarp. In fact - you have ALL put in some great info - keep 'em coming.

I have been guilty myself of shaking my finger of disapproval or nodding my head to acknowledge a "bloody insane act of motoring". Fair dinkum, I sometimes wished I had a badge to pull people over with and have a chat about the decisions they just made in a 3000lb 'death machine'.

Anyway, rant over. thanks for the A grade input on this one STers!

Cheers.

[Gavo]

open road country ridding mostly wild life , Kangaroos ect

[Malcolm6112]

I'm surprised that no one has said Gavo and his lights! 

 

[Gavo]

Since fitting my lights its supprising how many other bikes i now notice with extra lighting

[rendog]

Nearest traffic light is 130km's away.
We seem to make our own road rules up this way.
But they are based on a sense of respect for other road users.
That's why I always slow down to overtake 
Wildlife is the single biggest danger out here.
Well B-triples etc punch a fair amount of wind around too, so I get outta their way.
Some places the bitumen is so narrow I pull over and stop on the dirt shoulder. 
It's a vast country we live in hey? Gotta love it.

[Shiney]

I have been very lucky in my years of riding… :)
Never had a blowout (that sounds very scary), never hit any wildlife, and have only had a few accidents.

In one accident I was travelling along in an 80kph zone on a newly gravelled road (loose gravel), I observed a truck and trailer down the road pulling off to the side so I slowed down to 60, when he was almost stopped I speed back up to 80.

Then as I got closer (without indicating) he turned out in front of me going into a driveway on the other side of the road,  I hit the brakes but realised I wouldn’t stop before running into the cab of the truck, so since he wasn’t slowing down I decided to go around behind him.

Well just my bad luck the front tyre slipped out from under me and the bike went down sliding under the trailer and out the other side, I went sliding on my belly heading for the rear wheels of the trailer (thank god for full face helmets, had gouges out of the chin guard after) so I rolled over and slid under the rear of the trailer just missing the wheels and out the other side.

Got a few scars from that little scrape.

Anyway the thing that I look out for most is people not indicating, I'm getting good at spotting the idiots that like to merge without indicating, but it's still is a problem.
And as has been stated before the best thing to do is expect everyone to be out to get you… or at least expect them to have no skill or commonsense.

[scarp]

Sounds like a scary experience, speaking of not indicating, I once was following a car on a major road doing about 40kph after following for some time I decided to overtake, of course as I did he turned right into a driveway hitting my left leg with his bumper causing 3 compound fractures to my lower left leg dislocating both knees & fracturing my right wrist.
I learned that day that if someone is travelling along like that they are prolly looking for somewhere to turn BEWARE

[OzRider]

The 2 'R's up this way Roadtrains and Roos

[OzRider]

The reason why you dont mess with Road Trains the attached happened at Humpty Doo this week on the road to Kakadu

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-14/driver-killed-in-road-train-collision/3731896/?site=darwin

[alans1100]

Hi
Having worked in both Port Hedland (14 months) and Karratha (29 months) WA . from March 2007 to November 2010 I never had  problems with any heavy vehicles ranging from 18 wheelers to quad road trains. Including trips to Perth, Broome. Marble Bar and at least four round trips to Adelaide and back in that time as well.

On the hand I lost count of the 4WD's and cars whose drivers thought they owned the road. Most driving company vehicles in excess of 120kph and mostly male drivers showing off to their work mates.

 

Alan

[laurie]

I watch out for....
Wallabies,Pheasants,Geese,Ducks,Bloody big Pythons,assorted Lizards,Echidnas,Bandicoots,Hares and Rabbits, gravel washed out of farm driveways, enormous potholes and backpackers in Campervans trying to find the Nimbin turnoff. You can probably guess,But I dont live in the City...........
Cheers
Laurie

[Tipsy]

  py
 sounds like the Aussie Zoo just a little north of Brissie
Tipsy
aka Laurie

[pault]

latest is half a house doing 80 k and bits of fibro flying off
pault