Motorcycle Enthusiasts-Horrible Accident

[lasersailor184]

Consider this.
Had they been in a car instead of on bikes and hit broadside that way
Its entirely possabe and indeed probable you would have had the same outcome. And possibly worse because they would have been trapped in the car.

Rough deal either way
I dont envy you.

What happened to the driver?

   Beat you to it.

[Choocha]

Ok, Part II...the driver.  The state troopers got to her.  At first, she was walking in circles mumbling while the rest were fighting for their lives so we ignored her.  Then the troopers arrived photographing everything and got to her.  They asked her like three questions and the cuffs came out.  She was clearly impaired by something.  Before I could blink she was taken away for blood work. 



And thats it.   

[moot]

Here's the way it works.

If I'm operating a contraption that has the ability to hurt you and yours, restrict away.

If I'm operating a contraption that impairs my ability to protect myself from you hurting me and mine, mind your own business.

I'm all for that, but for two things I can think of, off-hand: Enough bikers mauled by cars will eventualy get the teeming masses to whine to their politician that something needs to be done for their own good.  You can't fight that sort of demographic muscle, and definitely exists and is ready to do just that.  And second, bikes and cars definitely have the ability to hurt.  Cars are mobile people plows.. And you've seen the pic of an RC30 speared into a sedan, right?  This danger paired with ultra melons stunting across lanes on highways is definitely a good reason to up the floor of license requirements.  That on its own would be a win-win for everyone, no need to actualy restrict anything else.

Laser I understand you can't help but kneejerk here, but you can't deny that some people don't deserve a dangerous tool.  Just as you don't let the legaly blind drive, you don't let the mentaly impotent handle 400lbs machines that do 0-60mph in a few blinks of the eye.

[Jester]

I am a Firefighter/EMT by trade and have been to many of these types of accidents and seen many gruesome outcomes of them. As a matter of fact I went to one tonight - guy on a motorcycle came around a corner, cat ran out in the road, he trided to dodge and lost control and flipped the bike about 5 times. He was lucky though - only a broken collar bone, cracked ribs & a good case of road rash because he was wearing "SHORTS" of all things.  

1.  <S> To you for jumping in and helping. Most people just stand around and gawk (and usually make a pain in the arse of themselves) or are more worried about grabbing up a cell phone or camera to take video so they can show all their friends on U-Tube.

2.  Due to the nature of things - there will ALWAYS be idiots among us unfortunately. You cannot limit what people drive or do simply by the fact that "They may hurt themselves" - if you did that no one would ever leave the house again. More than likely if both parties had been driving M1A1 TANKS - there would be injuries on both sides.

3. The fault was the auto drivers by the sound - NOT the motorcyclists. However - They chose to ride these types of vehicles - and they knew the risks. That's why they pay higher insurance premimums.

4. You can't fault people on everything - even being unsafe while driving and eating Taco Bell at the same time.  

<S> Again for helping out.  

[DREDIOCK]

  Beat you to it.

Actually you either miss spoke or had a typo when you stated

"And from here it is only conjecture whether or not there would have been people in the passenger side of the car.  Odds tell us that there wouldn't have been."

 Since they were all together, they were probably all friends going to the same place together.
thus if they were in a car they all would have been in the same car.
That being the case.
Odds are there would have been at least 1 person in the passenger seat.
Unless you know how to cram 4 people in a car without at least 1 of them sitting in a passanger side seat. LOL

[moot]

2.  Due to the nature of things - there will ALWAYS be idiots among us unfortunately. You cannot limit what people drive or do simply by the fact that "They may hurt themselves" - if you did that no one would ever leave the house again. More than likely if both parties had been driving M1A1 TANKS - there would be injuries on both sides.

You can't limit people on what they can or can't drive, but you can make it so that before they're allowed the privilege of driving (and I think that's how it is, it's not a right) they have to show that they're capable of properly and safely controling their car/bike.  Whether they drive well or recklessly after that is all up to them.  But there's no sense in handing out a license to someone who doesn't even know how to drive/ride.

And that doesn't change the facts I mentionned in my previous post.  The nanny staters are out there and they're waiting for an excuse to limit your free will.

[Jester]

You can't limit people on what they can or can't drive, but you can make it so that before they're allowed the privilege of driving (and I think that's how it is, it's not a right) they have to show that they're capable of properly and safely controling their car/bike.  Whether they drive well or recklessly after that is all up to them.  But there's no sense in handing out a license to someone who doesn't even know how to drive/ride.

And that doesn't change the facts I mentionned in my previous post.  The nanny staters are out there and they're waiting for an excuse to limit your free will.

Last time I checked they did. Cops pull them over around here and they don't have that "M" on their license they get a warning about it. Next time they get a ticket.

[angelsandair]

Holy Crap dude. Was that a hit-and-run?

A friend of mine last year got hit by a lady going 75-80 in a 55mph intersection... Crushed the whole side of his face and broke the passengers ankle... And he got sued. I'd rather be driving around a car that gets 10 Miles to the gallon than a motorcycle......

[moot]

Jester,
The bike license the last time I passed it was a joke. I saw some guy who couldn't get the shifts right (his bike all but wheelied while he rodeod it for a second or two, trying to undo his instinct to grip the right handle and pin the throttle 75% open in the process) pass his test like nothing was wrong.  Overall it doesn't push the rider nearly as thoroughly as it should.
I don't know if the question test is as easy as the car license test (I got a waiver from taking the safety class), but that's way too lenient too.  I don't care what they do after they get the license, but they ought to at least make it so only someone who's really ready to drive/ride ought to get a license.

[Mustaine]

I ride a bike, just started recently. I am aware of the dangers. I ride for a few reasons:

1: It is fun. I love the feel of the open road, the wind, and the freedom.
2: It saves me almost triple in gas. 40+ MPG vs ~15 in the truck.
3: It is relaxing. I can take off and zoom around for an hour and forget all my worries.

Regarding the accident above, I can only say from my limited experience. I never start from an intersection without looking both ways even when I have a green. Maybe it is because I am a new rider, but I am extra cautious. I always wear jeans, and a leather jacket with skid pads.

[Yeager]

Those folks lost SA in a big way.  Sorry you had to witness that, but I sense your actions helped save lives.

[Pooh21]

When I drive my Car, Work truck, or my bike(motor not commie) I always assume everyone on the road is a drunken imbecile on the phone who has a deliberate intent to ram me.

[Vudak]

I don't know if the question test is as easy as the car license test (I got a waiver from taking the safety class), but that's way too lenient too.  I don't care what they do after they get the license, but they ought to at least make it so only someone who's really ready to drive/ride ought to get a license.

Driving's not all that different than Aces High, really.  The bottom line is the majority of the population is never going to get all that good at it.  Considering how limited our public transportation options are around here, living with people who don't know what they're doing is just the way it is.  A lot of nice people die because of it, but there's not really any way to change it.

Following numerous high-profile teenage driving deaths in Connecticut (sadly, many from my particular town), new laws have been passed upping the requirements for first time license applicants, and restricting teen drivers from driving at certain times and with certain passengers, and, I believe, upping the age before they can start (not sure on this last one). 

I have serious doubts that this will accomplish anything save making it even harder for a teenager to get a job around here.  When pretty much the only jobs that'll take teenagers have shifts that close at 11 p.m., and they aren't allowed to drive past 10 p.m., I don't really know what they're going to do.

All I do know, is no law on the books ever stopped me from thinking I was invincible when I was 16.

Also worth noting is the only real way to get better at driving is to drive often.  As gas prices and teen restrictions increase, average driving skill will decrease.

[Newman5]

...

Also worth noting is the only real way to get better at driving is to drive often.  As gas prices and teen restrictions increase, average driving skill will decrease.

Well said.  I agree.

[CAP1]

i understand your shock. i ride. have been for 20 years now, and have had a few close calls, ALL from drivers that either didn't see me or being just plain stupid like this guy was.

 i still won't stop riding. love it. it's a feeling that's hard to describe. you have to experience it to understand.


and, yes, if you don't mind typing, lets hear more please.

<<S>>