+1. I heard that in some areas of the GTA, people take 4 times longer to heal than in others. I wonder why insurance rates are so high in those areas. I wish the people like hondahhh to give us all an insurance break and quit riding/driving.
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Left Turning Cagers.
- Thread starter chino
- Start date
+1. I heard that in some areas of the GTA, people take 4 times longer to heal than in others. I wonder why insurance rates are so high in those areas. I wish the people like hondahhh to give us all an insurance break and quit riding/driving.
viper84737
Well-known member
Instead of safety vests, I've also discovered these reflective+LED flashing safety tags at Canadian Tire, for about the same price. They have a clip-on thingy on them which can allow you to hang them in tactical places, like perhaps off a handlebar or something. They're made for bicyclists riding at night. Might come in handy.
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Reflectorized is good, but flashing = bad idea on a motorcycle. You do not want anything that might cause confusion as to what your intentions are, and a flashing light might be taken as a turn signal which in turn may cause traffic around you to make the wrong assumptions of what you're intendeding to do.
sundancekid
Banned
I agree to some extent about the potential for creating confusion. I would be concerned about the police misconstruing the flashing red lights as mimicking an emergency vehicle and laying charges accordingly. However, if you rigged up White/Amber LED's which operated in a similar fashion to vulture (tow) trucks the potential for confusion should be minimized.
I'd consider using such a solution if it existed.
The same issues apply with flashing amber or white as would exist with flashing red. You're using flashing lights of whatever colour that do not have the standardized meanings expected of lights on a motorized vehicle, and that can lead to confusion. Confusion is never a good thing where predictability is required.
Reflectorization is a good way to increase visibility without sending conflicting messages to drivers around you. The other way is to keep the stock lighting systems on your bike in good working shape, and even to add to that lighting to increase your night-time visibility to other traffic, but in a way where the added lighting is of the proper colour and mimics the proper operation of the stock lighting systems. That makes you more visible in a good way. On the other hand, moving to smaller stalks and near invisible flushmounts and integrated taillights is a total Darwin move that shows questionable smarts on the part of the owners of those bikes.
Um that is not what is causing the insurance rates to go up. It the people who scam professionally and drag out what they don't have wrong with them and get huge settlements. Plus having to pay for all the private investigators that do servaillance on these people. Going to a few extra physio sessions or massages is nothing.
sundancekid
Banned
I disagree with your assessment of the amber lighting solution. Amber and white are general caution colours which can be used by any vehicle. If a rider was equipped with two amber and two white LEDs on either shoulder and the flashing pattern alternated from left to right in rapid succession people might wonder what it is, but it would be noticed and that's the primary goal to grab the attention so you don't become SMIDSY. If people are confused by that, by extension they should also be confused by all of the tow trucks who use an identical flashing pattern. I've never seen anyone confused by a tow truck's lights, have you?
But I do agree with your point about the flushmount indicators and tail lights, I've often witnessed bikes equipped with those riding very unsafely and IF they do signal it's hardly noticeable.
killerkeith
Well-known member
I've been riding with my high beam on during the day. No one has pulled out in front of me since. Cops see it and don't care. If I ever get hassled "sorry sir, kids must have been messing with the bike". I even did my M test with it the high beam on.
I turn off the high beam during group rides and at night.
I turn off the high beam during group rides and at night.
Alright there, dude. Put 2 and 2 together. If people in a certain region of the country take four times as long to heal as people in a different region of the country, do you think it's more likely that a) the people in that region are inherently feebler, weaker, and legitimately need that extra time to heal, or b) it's because people are scamming the insurance companies to get medical coverage they don't deserve?
ReactionRED
Member
Firstly, sorry to hear and glad you're ok. A situation like this might have scared me off a bike for a while.
Secondly, when I approach an intersection the principles of defensive driving take over. Just like in my car I look to maintain eye contact with whoever is turning left. Do they see you? Can you move in your lane to improve your visibility? If you move blocking positions for visibility/safety just as you approach an intersection that's a good thing, as most other riders move to their right in the left lane of this situation. I say this because passing is prohibited within intersection so staying in your blocking position to stop passing shouldn't be completely necessary, when there is the option of improving your chances of surviving an irrational decision on the part of a driver.
If you could not make eye contact or notice the driver looking at you or inching forward, I would always slow down. Just assume they cannot see you and WILL turn until you are completely visible to them - SMIDSY or not. Covering the brake, horn and plotting an escape route are all thoughts that should go through your mind.
I work like a hawk to avoid blind spots on typical two lane rush hour traffic and it's annoying, but drivers know their place.
If someone does decide to act stupid, you want to have done everything you can to prepare for it. Anyways, best of luck in your recovery and ride on!
Secondly, when I approach an intersection the principles of defensive driving take over. Just like in my car I look to maintain eye contact with whoever is turning left. Do they see you? Can you move in your lane to improve your visibility? If you move blocking positions for visibility/safety just as you approach an intersection that's a good thing, as most other riders move to their right in the left lane of this situation. I say this because passing is prohibited within intersection so staying in your blocking position to stop passing shouldn't be completely necessary, when there is the option of improving your chances of surviving an irrational decision on the part of a driver.
If you could not make eye contact or notice the driver looking at you or inching forward, I would always slow down. Just assume they cannot see you and WILL turn until you are completely visible to them - SMIDSY or not. Covering the brake, horn and plotting an escape route are all thoughts that should go through your mind.
I work like a hawk to avoid blind spots on typical two lane rush hour traffic and it's annoying, but drivers know their place.
If someone does decide to act stupid, you want to have done everything you can to prepare for it. Anyways, best of luck in your recovery and ride on!
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Not a dude, dude...and the person in the post said to milk the recovery not rape it. Most people don't even take the time off that is needed so for some to take some extra time and others not taking any it all works out.
Just saying the big bucks are wasted on people who drag it out for years and have nothing wrong with them and end up with 6-7 figures.
You cant compair a few hundred to 6-7 figures.
rjm4u
Member
glad you are okay...you don't know until in happens to you...have over 30 years riding and driving experience and have written off one bike by somebody turning left in front of me...happened apr 8, 2009 and my shoulder still hurts...the cager pulled out and there was nothing i could do at aprox 50kmh...she pulled out in front of me i was less than 30 feet away...i skidded maybe 5 or 10 feet and was air borne...the bike ended up under her front bumper...i think at 50 kmh you travel aprox 30 feet a second...even driving like she would pull out i couldn't believe it react and stop fast enough...you cant go around them all the time if they keep coming or go behind them if they do and it is impossible to predict...you just have to try and keep your body out of the inevitable crunch of metal...i have had drivers turn left in front of my truck as well though...a license should be harder to get and some fines increased...the driver involved here should go back to a G1 after a suspension and a big fine IMO
I'm reasonably paranoid about busy intersections when I'm on my bike...my head's on a swivel and if I'm first off from a green light I look to make sure some ******* isn't racing to get through on a yellow that just turned red.
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