Close call ... glad to be here and typing

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Brian P

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I came very close to being taken out by a cager in a beige Honda minivan on the way back after today's ride.

Eastbound 15 SR Halton Hills at 5th Line (for those not knowing the area, 15 SR is straight thru and 5th Line has a stop sign). I spotted the minivan northbound on 5th Line approaching the intersection well in advance. As per my normal practice, I adjusted speed (in this case slowing down slightly) so as to time my arrival at the intersection at a different time than the car (in this case, after the car) in case the car blows the stop sign. That was successful, the van stopped at the stop sign before I crossed. Also as per my normal practice, I prepared for evasive action in case the brain-dead cager did something wrong. Nothing coming in the other direction, so the evasive action prepared for was to swerve into the oncoming lane.

And this time ... it was necessary. The van started moving forward. I aimed for the opposite lane and went through the intersection almost all the way on the other side. I heard a screech of brakes just as I passed the front of the van. The driver obviously had no idea whatsoever that I was coming. Looking in the mirror, the front of the van was almost at the center line. The course of action that I had taken was the correct one. No way would there have been enough time to stop.

I'm not normally one to do this, but ... I stopped, turned around, came back to the intersection, and went after the van. There had been a pickup truck waiting to cross the intersection southbound - the driver had seen the whole thing and was still waiting there when I came back, probably freaked out at seeing what had just happened. Catching up to the van was not a problem (ZX10R).

The driver of the van - a man in his mid-forties, roughly my age - pulled over to the side of the road and rolled down the window, and was extremely apologetic. I passed along the "look twice - save a life" message, turned around, and we both resumed our separate journeys. Hopefully he takes the message to heart, and doesn't do that to anyone else.
 
Yikes... I'm glad you're alive and well, but not surprised.. God takes care of the one that takes care of himself :cool:
 
Brian P said:
I came very close to being taken out by a cager in a beige Honda minivan on the way back after today's ride.

Eastbound 15 SR Halton Hills at 5th Line (for those not knowing the area, 15 SR is straight thru and 5th Line has a stop sign). I spotted the minivan northbound on 5th Line approaching the intersection well in advance. As per my normal practice, I adjusted speed (in this case slowing down slightly) so as to time my arrival at the intersection at a different time than the car (in this case, after the car) in case the car blows the stop sign. That was successful, the van stopped at the stop sign before I crossed. Also as per my normal practice, I prepared for evasive action in case the brain-dead cager did something wrong. Nothing coming in the other direction, so the evasive action prepared for was to swerve into the oncoming lane.

And this time ... it was necessary. The van started moving forward. I aimed for the opposite lane and went through the intersection almost all the way on the other side. I heard a screech of brakes just as I passed the front of the van. The driver obviously had no idea whatsoever that I was coming. Looking in the mirror, the front of the van was almost at the center line. The course of action that I had taken was the correct one. No way would there have been enough time to stop.

I'm not normally one to do this, but ... I stopped, turned around, came back to the intersection, and went after the van. There had been a pickup truck waiting to cross the intersection southbound - the driver had seen the whole thing and was still waiting there when I came back, probably freaked out at seeing what had just happened. Catching up to the van was not a problem (ZX10R).

The driver of the van - a man in his mid-forties, roughly my age - pulled over to the side of the road and rolled down the window, and was extremely apologetic. I passed along the "look twice - save a life" message, turned around, and we both resumed our separate journeys. Hopefully he takes the message to heart, and doesn't do that to anyone else.
Click to expand...

Damn, i imagined all of this while you were on your 125. Good save, and good thinking in advance.
 
Draw a diagram. I'm a little bit confused.

The van was going east-west? You were going North-South? He had a stop sign, you were approaching the intersection. He decided to go through but he didn't clear the intersection before you got there?

You had to dodge his car by going in the other lane and IN FRONT of him? So then he did see you?
 
Rider was going east.

I've thought about this scenario every time I've been on this road. There are a few of these intersections where you would have to stop to make sure nothing was coming because of trees or other obstructions. It would be safer if these were 4 way stops.
 
Good on you, Brian!! Glad to hear to came out unscathed, and for what it's worth...the way you handled the 'confrontation' that you initiated after the incident was 100% the best, most sensible approach. Passing along a message as oppossed to going Chuck Norris on someone is far more likely to sink in & cause the driver to think (and look) twice the next time.
 
I had a close call a few years back up near Shelburne. Left turning car crossed 89 in front of me to get into a Tim Hortons. Not a super close call but i had to brake fairly hard to avoid them.

Like you, i turned around and went to have a little chat with him. He had pulled into the drive through and was ordering when i rode through the drive through backwards and stopped in front of him. I asked him what his hurry was, he was very apologetic and seemed threatened by a "badass sportbiker". I basically told him the same thing.. just pay attention, look twice and save a life.. then continued on my way.

Looking back, i wonder if that had any effect on him.. does he pay more attention now?? Does he look twice?
 
Alvito said:
Draw a diagram. I'm a little bit confused.

The van was going east-west? You were going North-South? He had a stop sign, you were approaching the intersection. He decided to go through but he didn't clear the intersection before you got there?

You had to dodge his car by going in the other lane and IN FRONT of him? So then he did see you?
Click to expand...

I'm eastbound towards the intersection with no stop sign in my direction. Van was northbound towards the intersection and had a stop sign. Van stopped, but started moving into the intersection before I got there and didn't stop until I crossed the intersection directly in front of him (by which time, I had already swerved into the oncoming lane). Inaction or incorrect action on my part would have had me into the side of the van.

The driver of the pickup truck that was stopped at the southbound stop sign probably saw the whole thing coming: "Oh shi.... oooh, he made it!"

Take home lesson; "you go where you look" works ... don't look at the car that's about to violate your right of way (aside from noting its existence and that it is, in fact, about to violate your right of way); look at the space where you can get around it ...
 
Wow.... Scary stuff Brian! Glad to hear you made it out unscathed and that you had the presence of mind to speak to him calmly and make the safety point. Some people literally need to have things pointed out to them unfortunately :( Hopefully it sinks in and the driver changes his habits...and even better, passes along the info!
 
Glad you're ok! :)
 
I think that a lot of people going north/south along there don't realize that it isn't a 4 way.
 
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redridernl said:
I think that a lot of people going north/south along there don't realize that it isn't a 4 way.
Click to expand...

It's possible. That's the problem with them (Halton Hills) having retrofitted some - but not all - of the intersections on that road with 4-way stops. Whether going north-south or east-west, there is now a mishmash of 4-way stops and regular intersections with stops only in one direction, with no apparent rhyme nor reason.

But still ... 4-way stops are all marked with a sign indicating thus, and it's the driver's responsibility to note whether that's the case or not. Unfortunately, it's up to US to avoid them when they screw up.
 
Good stuff.....I take the same precautions so far have not had to use quite as close evasion.
I really try and catch the drivers eye - many are good at 4 ways and wave me on - I tend to nod them on and slow until they are there first.
Fifth line is pretty quiet ( I ride it and 6th all the time ) and I suspect it was dozy driver just assumed nothing was coming without really looking.

That was an odd one as if he was rolling ( as most of them are around here ) it actually would have been easier to cope with. Horn lights and brakes but he lulled you.
Good save.

Coming to a stop and then going through in your path... :confused1: .urk
Love those back roads but on occasion.....

That north south 3 way on The Grange just east of 10 always makes me nervous. ( East bound uphill does not stop and of course that's where I am....heading east on The Grange.
Have yet to see a car at that intersection tho.
 
Nicely handled. Talking without attacking the driver was the way to go and good for you keeping your cool.

We all can and do make mistakes. It's the ones that don't know or don't care that annoy me.
 
:read: Good story man! Nice avoidance. :thumbup:


ps> ZX10 riders are all troublemakers....
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