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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> crashed yesterday /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1286210825 Message started by Fuschia on 10/04/10 at 09:47:05 |
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Title: crashed yesterday Post by Fuschia on 10/04/10 at 09:47:05 yesterday while out riding with my husband and son,we were on a nice straight road cruising around 40 mph behind about 4 cars.For some reason i don't know the first car slammed on their brakes and caused a chain reaction.Everybody stopped ok but me. My son was in front of me and managed to clip my husband's left turn signal but he stayed upright while i locked up my back brake and probably my front as well but hubby's rear end was getting closer and closer.I tried to steer away from him and the next thing i know i'm rolling across the street and hubby's in a ditch. I broke my collar bone and sprained my neck but otherwise ok but i really did a number to our poor bikes. Hubby says the bikes can be fixed and that they're not too bad but they look pretty bad to me.I guess i'll be off the bike for a while but can't wait to get them fixed again. :'( |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by BuckHMCC on 10/04/10 at 10:09:09 It's lesson-for-all-of-us time. I make these comments in all sincerity and not to be a jerk. If you cannot avoid a collision with a vehicle in front on you, you were 'tailgating' and the collision was your fault. It was not the fault of the guy in front of you who stopped quickly. This person may have had a good reason to do so (avoiding a animal in the road, for example). Minimum you should have is a two-second gap between you and the next thing ahead of you. Better is a 3 or 4 second gap. I'm getting older and my reaction time is not what it used to be. I go for 3 or 4 second gap. Also, riding in a group of bikes takes training and is something I prefer not to do for the very reason that you provided. I used to race bicycles. Unless the group is well disciplined and used to the behavior of others, crashes result. I do hope everyone heals well. Damage to the bikes can be fixed (that's only money). |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by babyhog on 10/04/10 at 10:11:41 Oh, I'm so sorry to hear your news. Best wishes to you for a speedy recovery and I hope you are able to ride again soon. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by lukeduck on 10/04/10 at 10:27:23 Glad you came out as well as you did. Personally don't like riding in a group. Much rather go my own way, "ride your own ride". Heal quickly. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/04/10 at 11:47:03 Here's hoping you heal OK. I'm guessing you fell victim to the brakes "coming your way." This happens a lot on multilane roads that are over capacity. But it can happen anytime when people are following too close with multiple vehicles. When something happens up ahead, people brake, people behind see them brake and they brake (people scanning ahead add to this phenomena) and so on. Thus you are not just approaching whatever happened ahead at your groundspeed, it is approaching you at some speed (sometimes several times the speed of traffic flow). The closure rate is the sum of these two. Which means you have to have extra room to stop. It's been said before, practice, practice, practice. Rapid stops, swerving, etc. etc. You're gonna do what you practice. Even visualization helps. It will give you your best chance of avoiding crashing and possible injury. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by jsarsfield on 10/04/10 at 12:45:18 0F382E2605000E0E4D0 wrote:
I agree with everything you said except for the animal bit ... Smaller than a dog I won't even try to avoid it .... Many people die trying to avoid animals that wouldn't have even changed their trajectory. One thing I will add is also "Always have a way out", Like what was said visualize crash scenarios in your head and make sure you have an escape route. Heal up and you'll be back in the saddle in no time :thumb |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by LANCER on 10/04/10 at 14:00:31 7D787979767A627B7B7E707679170 wrote:
So sorry to hear of your crash, stay positive like you are and heal quickly. Can we send electronic signatures for your cast or bandages or even for your bikes ? |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/04/10 at 14:01:16 544D5F4C4D58575B525A3E0 wrote:
I don't know. I'm a firm believer in practicing what you want your reactions to be. I know a lot of people advocate aiming for center of mass on animals smaller than you. I think that if you force your brain to make a decision (is it too big to ride through or not?) you are just slowing yourself down and you are putting yourself at potential risk - how do you know that you aren't going to get knocked over. I personally know someone that was knocked down by a chunk of gravel on the road, a deer, a dog, etc. If you always decide that you are going to run over everything that gets in your way, you're going to lose. So personally, I've made the advance decision to steer around things when possible, when I have to react to a situation where I can't steer around, I slow down as fast as possible, and I practice these things. I did recently find out that if I am slowing down, I can still look for opening to steer through. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Serowbot on 10/04/10 at 14:08:40 Best wishes for a speedy recovery... Serowbot ;)... |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by dvansyck on 10/04/10 at 16:51:03 Heal quickly and get back up when you can!! |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Starlifter on 10/04/10 at 17:58:28 "I agree with everything you said except for the animal bit ... Smaller than a dog I won't even try to avoid it .... Many people die trying to avoid animals that wouldn't have even changed their trajectory." BY SLAMMING ON THEIR BRAKES. Regardless if a person breaks hard for a deer or a mouse, if you hit them from behind you are tailgating and it's your fault. If someone is following you so close that they will hit you if you stop fast, pull over and let the idiot pass. If traffic is bumper to bumper (and not safe) exit and find a secondary road to travel even if it takes longer. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by bill67 on 10/04/10 at 18:41:51 When your going down a road in a car or motorcycle you can be at least 50 yards behind the cars in front of you, Theirs no reason to be closer. So really your husband was to close to the cars. You can slow down so that there is a distant between you and the cars.If another car passes you and gets in between you slow down some more. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Serowbot on 10/04/10 at 18:47:48 In Wisconsin you can do that,.. ...in Tucson, you'll end up going backwards... :-?... |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by bill67 on 10/04/10 at 18:52:20 Tucson driving must be like driving in Asia or India :) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Lupo on 10/04/10 at 21:10:18 Crash :( That's the ugly side of what we love. You never really know when the magic carpet is going to get ripped from underneath you. Best wishes on your speedy recovery. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by kimchris1 on 10/05/10 at 03:25:19 Sorry to hear of your and your hubby's accident. I send best wishes for yourselves as well as your bikes to mend quickly. You've had your down and hopefully it never happens again. It comes with lessons and I sincerly am thankful your injuries were not worse. Big hugs to you...kim |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/05/10 at 05:20:48 Ive hit 3 cars with bicycles & totalled 3 motorcycles, so I have at least some understanding of how you feel when you say "I crashed". I always replay every crash, over & over in my head till I can see where I played into it & what should I do in the future. It sounds to me like you may have been a little too relaxed & following too close. I dont like riding with others, because its hard to know what thetre gonna do. Get some distance between me & whoever Im with & Im okay, but I need like 1/2 a block. Im GOING where Im Going & well meet there. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by babyhog on 10/05/10 at 05:28:54 Fuschia, since a few have posted about not riding with others, I just thought that I would add that I prefer to ride with my husband and/or son. I ride by myself alot, but I think riding with someone on a regular basis gives you an understanding of what they are going to do, etc. Plus it gives you someone there for assistance... Experience is a big key, and now you've had a bad experience. Luckily, it could have been worse, so we learn from our mistakes. I bet your body is sore now, so take care, and heal up! |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/05/10 at 05:57:06 Ill ride "with" others, just not in close formation. Everyone knows where we're going & gets there. If someone wants to take a different route, okay. If we wind up side by side at a light, thats cool, but while Im rolling down the road, gimme the room I need to not need to be watching your every move. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Fuschia on 10/05/10 at 08:53:16 I thank you all for the well wishes. I do take blame for my accident although I don't feel I was tailgating. I was about two car lengths behind my son. I think I got a little too relaxed and let my guard down and I definitely know now that I need a lot more practice on the panic stops. It's going to cost $1000.00 to get hubby's bike going again and we're still trying to find out how much for my bike. Hubby's been great about it all but doesn't want any more of my "love taps"! ;D thank you all again for the moral support |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/05/10 at 10:47:37 Just for general information at 40 mph: 2 seconds = 117 ft or approximately 8 car lengths 3 seconds = 176 ft or approximately 12 car lengths recommended following distances are 2 to 4 seconds depending on who you listen to. Human responses to stimuli (the time that it takes your brain to get input) is around .2 seconds. Humans applying the brakes after seeing a light turn red or reacting to a video tape takes about 1/2 second . Note that these are times when people aren't doing anything but waiting for a stimulus and reacting as fast a possible. At 40 mph this is going to mean about 4 car lengths for a rider to begin applying the brakes if they have their hand on the lever just waiting for something to happen up ahead so that they could immediately apply the brakes. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by John_D FSO on 10/06/10 at 01:17:14 Glad to hear everyone came through it ok. Here's to a speedy recovery! ;) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Fuschia on 10/06/10 at 20:58:07 went to the dr's today and saw the xrays for the first time. looks like i broke the collar bone pretty good.i'm scheduled to have surgery this friday morning. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Serowbot on 10/06/10 at 22:07:27 Gathering my best wishes to throw your way on Friday... Be well... Serow... ;)... |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by kimchris1 on 10/06/10 at 22:12:08 Best wishes to you as you go thru surgery and start the healing process. I have some extra pain pills in case you need them.. Hugs.. Kim :) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by babyhog on 10/07/10 at 05:43:56 Awww Fuschia, that sucks... but do as the doctors tell you and you will be fine. Best wishes! |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Skid Mark on 10/07/10 at 08:31:31 Here's to a speedy recovery. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by cursal on 10/07/10 at 11:38:50 Best wishes and a speedy recovery to you and yours. Regardless of how it happened, a lesson learned, and you still want to get back on the iron horse....live to ride! |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by J2 on 10/08/10 at 07:52:59 At the risk of stating the obvious, it is all about interval. And you should throw in a little "situational awareness" too ... like they teach fighter pilots. Motorcycles are not too far removed from fighter aircraft. They depend upon their maneuverability. Here is a situation that few think about: You are standing still at a stoplight in a line of cars. Nobody seems to maintain their interval there. Everybody lines up nearly bumper-to-bumper at a stoplight. The last accident I experienced was generated by this circumstance. As the line of vehicles started to pull away, one driver (a young kid) suddenly got spooked and slammed on his brakes. We were all accelerating from a standing stop, so I had a fraction of a second before eating his bumper. I wasn't going very fast, but I took a spill, a little road rash, but I broke the fender on my plastic pony (a 150cc scooter). It was the cager behind me that got my attention, but he was good. He managed to avoid my overturned scooter without hitting the car in the adjacent lane. I heard his tires squeal as I was rolling off the road for the ditch. Another thing about interval. I maintain it and some jerk will often pass me and put his fat butt right into that reaction space between me and the car ahead. So, I have found that I either have to maintain less than a car length in interval to keep the jerks out or just back off more when some A Hole pulls into it. And about situational awareness ... I have been riding since 1965. I have had 5 accidents ... lets call them negative experiences, as in Rubber Side Up. I walked away from all of them because I saw the situation developing and was able to mitigate the impact ... either slow down and slide or head for the boonies and leave the bike altogether. Of course, my number could come up any time. If some cager pulls out right in front of me or makes a left turn right across my path, and I'm doing even moderate speed ... I am probably going to die. When someone asks me whether I would recommend they take up two wheels, I tell them that they should consider this. When I had young children who needed a dad to be around, I did not ride. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by EJID on 10/08/10 at 08:08:23 7A02300 wrote:
I fit this situation exactly with 5 kids ranging from 19months to 12yrs and they all "need" me around, but I ride when I get a chance. Granted I don't put on the thousands of miles that many other riders do, in fact I've had my bike only a little over 1 yr and have only put on a little over 1,000 miles in that time. But I ride every chance I can given my circumstances. :) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by qp on 10/08/10 at 08:29:01 To add my 2 cents, I, too, laid down the bike last week. The only explanation is that I was following too closely, so the only way to avoid the collision was to kiss the asphalt. The bike is running again, and, thankfully I only suffered road rash and a bruised ego. Gratefully now, I remembered my training and avoided a much more serious outcome. Seriously consider the Experienced Rider Course offered by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation - they are on your side. It saved my neck, and it can save yours, too. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by mornhm - FSO on 10/08/10 at 12:35:23 4342535159534056320 wrote:
Did they explain in your rider's courses (basic, experienced) that you can stop a MC in a shorter distance by keeping the rubber side down than by putting it on it's side? You can also swerve further side to side than you can move side to side (to avoid a collision) in a slide. So unless you slide under something you want to avoid hitting keep the rubber side down. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by babyhog on 10/21/10 at 12:00:37 So Fuschia, how are you coming along? Did your surgery go well? Are the bikes recuperating too? |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by bill67 on 10/21/10 at 12:43:59 646574767E746771150 wrote:
Those rider courses are a wast of money,I never or my wife or my brother,39 years and over 150000 never been down,Wife 45000 miles never down,Brother over 200000 miles and never down.People must take those courses and think they know how to ride and don't, that you can only teacher your self,Like you learned how to walk and ride a bicycle. |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Bubba on 10/21/10 at 13:28:44 I think any extra courses are worth it whether it be riding, racing, skiing, cars etc... They can throw you into situations within a controlled environment and allow you to practice. Experience is great and for those that can rack up tons of miles that's great but if you can't rack 'em up that way then the courses are always a help. Unfortunatly it's the cagers that really need to be taking refresher courses... Plus you get a discount on insurance in most States... |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Fuschia on 10/21/10 at 14:37:23 The surgery went fine and I have been doing the exercises the Dr.showed me and every day it seems I can lift my arm a little higher. I go back in tomorrow to get the staples out from the surgery and hopefully tomorrow the Dr. will clear me to start driving my car again. I can't stand having to depend on my son to take me everywhere!We got the rest of my bike's parts in Tuesday and my husband finished putting it back together yesterday and his parts came in today so he'll have his bike together by this weekend. I've already got my new helmet so now I just have to wait patiently to heal up! :) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by stinger on 10/21/10 at 23:40:37 Thats how I crashed last week! Usually I give lots of room for either bikes or cars in front of me, but this time I got lax and ran into the back of my friends kawasaki police bike. Maybe only 10 mph but it was the hardest I have ever hit anything. Broke some fingers and my knuckles, strained and fractured wrist and a broken rib and some damaged organs I guess cause I feel all loose inside and its painful. I go in for some more tests on my chest today. Yesterday, the President was visiting our city and cars slowed to watch his procession on the other side of the freeway. A biker riding to close failed to notice the cars slowing and ran into the back of one and his bike caught fire. He died at the hospital. You have to pay attention on a bike! And that can't be stressed enough! |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Lupo on 10/22/10 at 00:27:02 Get well girl and am still sorry to hear of your mishap. You will be fine. Especially with your husbands help. Coulda' happened with a skateboard :) Big freakin fast skateboard 8-) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by Fuschia on 10/22/10 at 10:38:54 Got the staples out.Another lesson learned today: Don't listen to other peoples horror stories! I went in there terrified of the pain I was going to feel having the staples come out.It turned out that I didn't feel it at all! The doctor cleared me to drive again as long as I don't take any vicoden so even though I can't go back to work yet at least I can start driving myself around.Yeah! ;D Thanks for all the well wishes and Stinger,I hope you're feeling better too! I think we both learned a very important lesson the hard way but as long as we learn from it then we're doing good! ;) |
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Title: Re: crashed yesterday Post by kimchris1 on 10/22/10 at 10:47:02 Hey gal, great to hear your doing well. Sounds like you will soon be back on the bike as well. That will be the best medicine. Take care, hugs and keep your spirit up.. :) kim |
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