Barrie Officer cleared of charges when he made a left turn in front of a Motorcycle

[SLaP]

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Slap, I interpreted their stance on the light as it was very. Lose to being red. There's a difference between the light just turning yellow and a yellow just about to turn red.

Their stance was based on evidence. I wonder if that "evidence" was based on the testimony from 3rd party witnesses or the officer(s) in the police car?

Did the statements say the light was yellow? or red? which was it? I doubt the statements (evidence) said "it could very likely have been red."

Anyhow, there is no difference in whether the light is green, yellow or red. If making a left turn, make sure the way is clear before proceeding.

How long are you expected to sit in an intersection before you can complete your turn?

Until it is save to proceed without obstructing through traffic.

 

[|X|]

It was not the REAR quarter panel, but the FRONT quarter panel

This kind of error on the part of SIU strikes me as very very odd and kind of disturbing. I just sent it over to a journo friend to see if there is a story there. SIU REALLY should have its facts straight, or it has zero credibility.

 

[beverage]

Until it is save to proceed without obstructing through traffic.

Given the lane positions, angles and sight lines in a scenario like this, the bike wasn't visible. The first opposing vehicle to approach the intersection didn't seem to have any trouble stopping for the light, at which point the cop would think the other lane is vacant and / or approaching traffic would also be able to reasonably stop for the light. The cop went because it was safe to proceed as far as he could tell, and the biker chose to not stop for the light.

Should the cop (or any other driver) sit in the intersection indefinitely until other drivers eventually approach and fill all the opposing lane positions? If you don't wait until all opposing spots are filled, you'll never know if someone is going to come out of nowhere and run the light and hit you while you're turning. Nobody waits that long to make the turn. They wait until they know opposing traffic is stopping for the light. The only visible vehicle (and the lead vehicle I might add) was safely stopping for the light, so it was not unreasonable for the cop to believe the way was clear.

I'm a firm believer that if the lead vehicle can safely stop for a light, then the followers also shouldn't have any trouble making the stop. The fact the bike was behind, and still tried to go through the light, leaves me with the strong impression that the rider wasn't paying attention or was trying to race the light. In either case, he was way late to the light.

Do I think the cop should be charged? Sure. The same charge anyone else would get for the same situation. Do I think there was police wrongdoing requiring supplementary discipline. Nope. The bike rider was partially culpable in this accident.

 

[SLaP]

The bike wasn't visible.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was riding southwest on Kingston road, in the curb lane, approaching Woodbine Avenue. Beside me in the left lane, there was a line up of vehicles turning left on to Woodbine Avenue (South). As I approach the intersection, the light was green, however I could not clearly see the opposing traffic as it is obstructed by the vehicles turning left, so I proceed to slow down considerably in case there was opposing vehicles making left turns to go Northbound on Woodbine. Sure enough just as I am into the intersection an opposing car cuts in front of me, making a left. Since I was slowed down and proceeding cautiously through the intersection I had enough time to brake and miss hitting the car. I believe if the car's driver had have slowly proceeded to enter the left turn, and not try to rush through, they would have seen me approaching and been able to yield the right of way before they completed their turn.

The blue Subaru making the left, in the Google streets view, is approximately where the car was positioned when I entered the intersection. When the car's driver saw me they hesitated, stopping in my path.
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=kingst...ntario&t=h&z=17&panoid=9Q5J8BzIQ3QrIjbbOI6YKQ

Do I think the cop should be charged? Sure. The same charge anyone else would get for the same situation. Do I think there was police wrongdoing requiring supplementary discipline. Nope. The bike rider was partially culpable in this accident.

I agree that there was no police wrongdoing requiring supplementary discipline.

Could the motorcyclist in Barrie have prevented the collision? Yes
Could the Police officer in Barrie have prevented the collision? Yes

 

[omnivore]

By looking at the photo, it is obvious the bike hit the very front passenger side quarter panel of the car, probably while it was initiating it's turn. SIU probably said "rear quarter panel" to make it sound like the cop was most of the way thru his turn and the biker broadsided him, instead of what more than likely happened: He chopped the nose off of the oncoming motorcyclist.
I will remember to tell the cop if I am ever in an accident "I was surprised when he hit me.....I didn't see him and I believed it was safe to proceed". That oughta do it...no?

 

[jeffjones]

It doesn't matter if he changed lanes or not....the biker was not allowed to pass the leading edge of the car in front of him to either side in any lane. You can change lanes, you just can't pass the leading edge of the car ahead of you approaching an intersection. And if that car happens not to be approaching but actually stopped, you too must stop then proceed through the intersection. The bike did neither of those things and went right past the vehicle stopped for the amber light.

So if it is a 2 lane road and the left lane is a straight through/turn lane and a car is turning left, It is illegal to go straight through the intersection on a green light? Your saying you have to stop at the green light until the car in the left lane makes its turn so that you don't pass him?

 

[beverage]

^ I'm glad we can agree!

In your case, you assessed the "blind spot" risk and did the safe thing. The Barrie rider apparently did not. That alone isn't wrong in the legal sense though, just poor judgement. In your situation you were proceeding on the green (so far as I can tell). I'm quite confident, based on the stopping/stopped lead vehicle, that the Barrie rider was not facing a green, and was likely even late in the yellow or possibly even red by the time they reached the intersection. That paints a different situation in my mind regarding responsibility for the incident. Both have a degree of responsibility for the accident and both could have made better decisions.

 

[SLaP]

In my case, as stated above, I had a green.

Regardless of the fact that the Barrie rider may have been proceeding through a yellow, the same rules applies to the left turner. Proceed only when save to do so and without obstructing through traffic.

 

[Paul1000RR]

By looking at the photo, it is obvious the bike hit the very front passenger side quarter panel of the car, probably while it was initiating it's turn. SIU probably said "rear quarter panel" to make it sound like the cop was most of the way thru his turn and the biker broadsided him, instead of what more than likely happened: He chopped the nose off of the oncoming motorcyclist.
I will remember to tell the cop if I am ever in an accident "I was surprised when he hit me.....I didn't see him and I believed it was safe to proceed". That oughta do it...no?

Only if you're a part of the "brotherhood"

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