Just got held up in a road closure a mile from my front door. Was able to filter through it and around the road block. Road completely closed so I suspected a fatality. J came out of the house, white faced as I pulled up. Turns out it was bike on Jeep. Pillion dead, rider serious. Don't let being anxious to get out into it this year cloud your judgement, guys...
Couldn't agree more, its easy to think your back on terms with the bike etc after a few rides but most of us are still a bit rusty Also car drivers are still in winter mode and don't look for us or expect us to come popping by. I hope the rider pulls through and my thoughts are with him / her and the family of the pillion at this terrible time.
This year does appear to have got off to a bad start - much worse than previous years but perhaps its just the random nature of the incidents. Junctions are terrible - but I am also noticing how difficult a dark bike, black kit / lid is to spot - not saying everyone rush out and dress head to toe in high vis but surely there must be someway to make high vis stylish enough to become more popular (I'm thinking things like Dainese / Alpinestar logos or similar)
You have partly hit the nail on the head. It is not that car drivers are in 'winter' mode, its that bike returnees are in some quarters riding without using their melons. Lets be honest guys, some of the leather clad power rangers riding out there on a sunny morning are doing so without engaging any grey matter at all, I have seen so much shite riding in the last 3 weeks, accidents are inevitable....simple mix...too much power too little ability. We should not be surprised when other road users seem rather surprised when some of our brethren are 'popping through' at insane speeds and ignoring most road traffic laws in doing so. RIP to those involved above.
Man who died in Topsham Road collision is named as young Exmouth dad Stephen Sanders who died on the day before his birthday | Exeter Express and Echo
Agree with you 100%. Unfortunately at this time of year my workload tends to increase substantially for that very reason. Many riders lay the bike up for the winter, first day of sunshine and/or good weather, out comes the bike and they seem to think that they can continue from where they left off several months previously. This of course does not excuse the behaviour of many car drivers, but often at this time of year, many riders to a certain degree to contribute to their own downfall. Of course at the moment we do not know what happened exactly in this case, but I certainly concur with your comment and the point you were making.
This ^^^ We all occasionally have race track moments on public roads. It's not surprising that accidents happen. Car drivers simply aren't looking for something so small travelling at such a speed. And why should they.
That piece of road is a notoriously boring, residential straight, about a mile and a half in length, 40, 30, 40, 30, 20, with good sight lines. It's hard to go wrong there unless at least one party does something stupid. Looking at the picture of where it was and the orientation of the jeep, a likely scenario has popped into my head, but with no information to go on it would be the wildest, though calculated, speculation. It makes no difference anyway. At least one life has been taken, there's no going back or second guessing that fact, unfortunately.
I'm with kpone! Despite not knowing any details about this accident at all I'd be amazed if the following is not what happened............... Older 46 year old Rider is giving his younger 23 year old Pillion (Workmate/relative/mate) a bit of a 'Ride' demonstration. Whilst 'leathering' his Bike along a low limit rode he fails to notice the possibility (indicated or not) that the Jeep in question may turn right in to the side road shown. The inevitable happens and they slam in to the side of the turning Jeep at speed whilst committing the School Boy error of Overtaking on a junction! Game Over!
