OzSTOC
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Old Steve on December 12, 2016, 08:19:51 AM
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Just want to remind people to be careful out there.
7.20 am Monday morning two weeks ago today, I was riding down a T3 lane, no-one else in the T3 lane apart from a bike about 50 metres ahead, traffic was stopped in the RH normal traffic lane, the road was dry. Came up to a side street on my left with "Keep Clear" lines painted on the road and a taxi coming the opposite way swung right through a gap in the stopped traffic and started to cross the T3 lane. It came from the behind a stopped SUV in the normal lane so I didn't see it until it entered the clear T3 lane.
(T3 lane is a dedicated lane which can be used only by busses, cyclists, motorbikes, taxis and cars with 3 or more occupants, It's why I ride my bike, riding the T3 lane cuts 20 minutes off my commute).
It braked and came to a stop with it's nose about 2/3 - 3/4 across the T3 lane. I braked but decided that I'd hit the taxi so released the brakes and steered hard to the left to go around the front of it. I must've hit an unevenness on the road (the camber of the side road where it met the camber of the main road) because I felt the bike lift slightly but low sided the bike, the bike skidded across in front of the taxi (I must have made the right decision?) and I slid across the front of the taxi, across the side road and into the gutter.
Rearward dislocated shoulder (and aren't they painful), bruised or suspected cracked (hairline) ribs, bruises on the hip, right hand and elbows. The gear did it's job, left boot worn through the leather and the steel cap had wear marks on it, elbow of my jacket has a small hole worn through it about the size of an Aussie $1 coin, knee of my trousers ripped but no damage to me down there, and scratches on the left hand side of the helmet and helmet visor. It wasn't until it arrived in the gutter that any damage was done to me, it'd been sliding on my front but my right shoulder hit the gutter and flipped me over onto my back and I guess that's when it was dislocated.
Ambulance ride to hospital, seven hour wait until I could have general anaesthetic to relocate my shoulder (why did I have breakfast, they won't give you a general anaesthetic until 6 hours after you've eaten), and home by 7.30 pm.
But the thing that really P*##ed me off was that the taxi driver pulled in to the side street, pulled into a driveway and sat in his car for about 5 minutes, then drove off. The wonderful people who were looking after me grabbed their phone and took a photo of the number plate and gave it to the police.
Not too much damage to the bike, new gear change lever, new topbox and saddlebags, new headlight surround, new helmet, and I'll have to keep my arm in a sling for a while - subject to torn shoulder ligaments/rotator cuff which would be longer.
But, could have been worse.
Cautious rider who will be even more cautious in future.
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I wish you a fast and safe recovery, Steve.
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Wow, glad it wasn't worse Steve, speedy recovery
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Hope you are back on the STeed sooner than later. Glad you able to write this up. Merry Christmas from me.
sent by my note 2
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Glad it wasn't to serious Steve but gave you a big fright
Hope all recovery goes well :like
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Old Steve, you and I are a bit too old to be bouncing off the bitumen.
Get well soon.
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Thanks for sharing the details of your off mate, it is a good reminder to be careful out there.
From the sounds of it you made all the right decisions and came out of it without major injury (Although it still sounds like your going to be in a lot of pain for a while :'()
All the best for a speedy recovery mate :thumbsup
Cheers
Shiney
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I'm sorry to hear of your Off Steve, which is a reminder to all of us for ATGATT. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
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Glad to hear that you are in one piece!
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It's Summer, and leaving the jacket off is a real temptation. Thanks for the reminder that even the most careful can be taken down by idiots. Strange behaviour by the Cabbie. He's just doubled his liability by leaving the scene.
Trust you make a full recovery, and before long. And that the bike is restored fully.
Bill
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Steve, glad your still here to tell the tale. I hope your healing goes well.
A very good reminder about caution when approaching gaps in stopped traffic.
Cheers,
Gary
sent using another of Gadget's gadgets.
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good to hear you are in good spirits, best wishes with your recovery :thumbs
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Three weeks later and I went back to work yeasterday, ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) had been paying me 80% of my wages are now paying for me to taxi to and from work, bike is still at the shop - probably parts won't be here before Xmas, but I won't be riding until later in the New Year anyway.
My shoulder is still delicate, I can raise the forearm up to the horizontal. Bruises and ribs have cleared up, still got some shopping to do for replacement gear (Youi paid out $500 for replacement gear) but don't feel like trying jackets and pants on at the moment.
I do know that I'm getting a 'voucher' for a ProRider Gold (Advanced Safe Riding Course) course for Xmas from my wife. In fact I believe if the bike had been written off then I would have been under a lot of pressure not to get another one. The shop can't replace the exact model topbox I had fitted so have asked me for my favoured GIVI top box model, don't know what GIVI has in stock but I asked for the TRK52 (52L Trekker topbox)
Finally, the Police have located the Taxi driver and have scheduled a 'discussion' with him this Thursday as they want to hear his view of the incident. They already have two witnesses who gave statements, plus my own statement. At least I should get the Taxi company insurance company's name so I'll get me excess paid by someone else.
I tried getting ACC to advise what accident type my accident had been classified as in their motorbike accident statistics - was it a single vehicle accident as only one vehicle was damaged or was it a multiple vehicle accident as the Taxi caused the accident? But they could not/would not advise me. I might write and ask for their classification as I have a strong feeling that because of the nature of motorcycle accidents where a bike may go down avoiding another vehicle, and yet not actually hit the other vehicle, that this type of accident is likely to be classified as a single vehicle accident.
Could have been worse, and I'll be even more careful and though I did slow down I'll now slow down even more at that sort of intersection.
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Good thing you have ACC over there. Glad to hear you're on the mend.
Cheers,
Gary
sent using another of Gadget's gadgets.
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Good to hear your recovering and the bike is repairable :-)
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Consolations on your off Steve and thnx 4 sharing the xperience as it has the effect of sharpening fellow riders' awareness of the need 4 sharp concentration and there4 the benefits of "what if so-and-so does this..." predictive thinking. However your case was unavoidable bcoz of the instantaneous bad driving of the taxi driver. Your injuries sound so painful tho and your resilience is inspiring ... Ya godda b a tuff nut 2 ride motasickles! Hope you get off the pain-killers ASAP.
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Good to hear you are recovering Steve and the ST will live on.....thanks for the update mate.
Have a good Christmas
:beer
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Finally heard that the Police have tracked the taxi driver down and are charging him with careless driving causing injury and leaving the scene of an accident.
My bike (Suzuki Boulevarde M50) is still in the bike hospital, probably waiting on new gear change lever to arrive. Don't know if my Aussie ST1100 would have fared any better, it was going over the camber of the side road which unweighted the bike while I was leaned over to the left to get around the front of the taxi which caused the tires to lose traction and the bike low sided. However, Youi have come to the party, plus $500 for riding gear, and the Police are claiming the $410 excess plus a little extra for the cost of replacement gear from the taxi driver as reparations - his insurance company won't pay the excess because he never hit me so its a single vehicle accident. In fact the ST1100 would have had much more damage than the M50, all those fairings and the pannier would have been smashed. The bike shop can't get the same model top box I had fitted to my bike so are looking at fitting a GIVI equivalent.
Finally had an MRI and have a review by the specialist in a week or so to see if I need corrective surgery on my shoulder. Probably get the bike back before I can ride again, so I'll be limited to going down in the garage, sitting on my bike and making brmmm brmmm noises for a while.
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Thanks for the update Steve, fast recovery mate. At least the insurers are bearing the cost of the damages and the driver that caused them now has to reach into his own pocket as well. The Boully will be back as good as new, and both bikes will need some patience until you are 100% fit again. :thumb
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he'll probably lose his taxi licence as well. :dred11 :dred11 :dred11
paul
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Thanks for the update Steve, fast recovery mate. At least the insurers are bearing the cost of the damages and the driver that caused them now has to reach into his own pocket as well. The Boully will be back as good as new, and both bikes will need some patience until you are 100% fit again. :thumb
Hear, hear :like