Scary accident

[Condor]

I just witnessd one of the worst MC vs Car accidents I've ever seen. It happened right in front of me. I'm south bound on Fair Oaks blvd in Carmichael, in the LH lane with the left hand turn signal on getting ready pull into the middle lane to turn left onto Kenneth, and a rider on what looked like a middle sized Honda v-twin split the lane to my right between my truck and another car that was in the RH lane. Up ahead a north bound car was in the process of making a left hand turn into some apartments. The rider didn't see the car, and the driver couldn't have seen the rider because of where he was coming from. I sat right there and watched him bury the bike into the left turning car. The rider launched down the street 30-40 feet over the top of the car. Pieces of the bike went everywhere, and then it caught on fire. All that's was left of the bike after the FD arrived and put the fire out was a black lump. It took about 15 minutes for the FD and Amb to arrive and the rider never moved. I thought he was dead, but the EMT did talk to him while he was laying there. The rider had a helmet on, and what looked like a riding jacket but I can't be certain. Whew!!!!

[1sttenor]

I guess I just getting old...splitting lanes, I don't need to get there that fast!

[Venturous Randy]

I guess I just getting old...splitting lanes, I don't need to get there that fast!

 

I second that. We always have to pretend that we are invisible and then, on top of that, we must make ourselves as visible as possible. It is a helpless feeling when someone does something like that right in front of you and you can't do a thing to prevent what is going to happen.

RandyA

[Condor]

I guess I just getting old...splitting lanes, I don't need to get there that fast!

 

I my opinion that was the leading cause for the accident. He couldn't see the car because he was to busy splitting lanes and the driver of the car couldn't see him coming out from behind my truck. Actuall when he excellerated out of the split if he'd have pulled into the LH lane in front of me nothing would have happened, but he pulled into the RH lane and then when he finally noticed the car it was too late and he went farther right instead of going left. Inexperience and testosterone...

[Condor]

I second that. We always have to pretend that we are invisible and then, on top of that, we must make ourselves as visible as possible. It is a helpless feeling when someone does something like that right in front of you and you can't do a thing to prevent what is going to happen.

RandyA

 

I yelled, but it didn't do any good...........

[Guest ReinyRooster]

Never been a fan of lane-splitting, always thought it was too dangerous in many ways.

[Rip]

Never been a fan of lane-splitting, always thought it was too dangerous in many ways.

 

especially in an intersection. The same problem happens in any regular 4 lane street where someone has stopped on one lane for a turn. When you pass there is often a blind spot to side traffic. It's hard for them to see you anyway, much more so when coming from alongside another vehicle.

 

I had a very close call in that situation once--the other driver would have been at fault, but it sure sobered me up about my responsibility to stay alive when driving through intersections!

 

Rip

[Ozark]

I'm sure you will be seeing that scene over and over again for several days. It's a very traumatic thing to witness. Young and invincible seem to go hand in hand, but never the less, I hope he makes it okay. Only the Grace of God has kept me upright on the road all these years.

[bongobobny]

Yup, call me an old fogie, but I never have been a fan of lane splitting. Too many stupid people out there...

[flb_78]

If he was lane-splitting in moving traffic, then he was in the wrong, not the cager. Sounds like traffic was moving along just fine, even if it wasn't, legally, when you split, you're only supposed to go 10-15 mph faster then traffic.

 

Lane-splitting, when done legally, is safer for motorcyclist then sitting in traffic.

 

Too bad for the rider.

 

Too bad for the cager who now, under no fault of their own, now has to go through the entire insurance hassle.

[Condor]

If he was lane-splitting in moving traffic, then he was in the wrong, not the cager.

 

Exactely.... I California you can split lanes up to 15mph. I was slowing down to make a right hand turn so I was going around 15mph when he split the lane on the right. Then when he past us he excellerated and i think he was looking in his right rear mirror to see if he had room to pull into the right lane. He started to pull into the lane without looking ahead, and hit the car. It was his fault. Inexperience will up and bite you, 'Specially if you think you are......

It's hard getting that picture out of my head....

[IH Truck Guy]

Splitting lanes is one of the the stupidest things you can do while riding a bike. IMHO..To put yourself in such a vulnerable position on two wheels,your just asking for trouble.

[flb_78]

Splitting lanes is one of the the stupidest things you can do while riding a bike. IMHO..To put yourself in such a vulnerable position on two wheels,your just asking for trouble.

 

Legal lane splitting is safe. Well, as safe as riding a motorcycle can be. What most call lane splitting is not legal and not safe. Lane splitting does not happen in fast moving traffic with cars turning in and out of traffic. Lane splitting is in slow or stopped traffic with no turn offs.

[Condor]

Legal lane splitting is safe. Well, as safe as riding a motorcycle can be. What most call lane splitting is not legal and not safe. Lane splitting does not happen in fast moving traffic with cars turning in and out of traffic. Lane splitting is in slow or stopped traffic with no turn offs.

 

In Ca. you can only do it under 15mph, and it's called lane sharing. It doesn't take much to get up to 15mph when traffic is moving. It's a gray area in the Ca MVC. There isn't a statute saying it's illegal. Scares the 'H' out of me. I've never done it and now never will.... Having a hard time getting the image of that guy spinning thru the air like a rag doll........

[flb_78]

Kinda tough to lane-share or split lanes when your bike is almost as wide as some cars nowadays!!!!

[EasyRider]

Left mirror on my truck shows a bike coming up on the white line, bang hits side of car behind me and bike goes under the car in the fast lane. Fortunately we were doing about 20 mph. He was up an yelling in seconds (his bike however was pinned under the car). Police called me later for info. Officer said biker was "cut off " but after further review mentioned he was lane splitting. case closed. If traffic is moving peroid and you chose to lane share the consequences rest squarely on you. 07 triumph now scrap.

[BuddyRich]

This is straight from the CHP page

 

Can motorcycle riders "split" lanes and ride between other vehicles?

Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.

[AKRefugee]

Watched a guy "lane splitting""lane sharing", what ever you want to call it,

during rush hour with traffic at a near stand still but not quite. Just as he

got to the front end of a semi the car in front of the semi jolted left into a

hole that had opened in the left lane. Pow, right over the front end of the bike.

Head into side of car. Ended up walking away from it but bike was still wrecked

and I am sure he was hurting for quite a while after that.

 

They are ALL trying to kill me any way, why would I do anything to help them

complete their mission?

 

Just because it's legal doesn't mean its safe.

[Guest JGorom]

Condor...those images often stay with us for. The wife and I were coming back from Chicago (picked up a bike) last summer when we came upon a horrible accident that had happened only a few seconds before we came upon it...I can still see a young man badly hurt standing next to the car bleeding and dazed. I was on the motorcycle and my wife in our car behind me...my thoughts were we could have been involved if we were at that section of the highway only a few seconds earlier. Dittios to your "Wow!"

 

 

Riding in heavy traffic is always more dangerous than taking the less beaten path. As I have aged there have been two things I have tried to stay away from as much as possible...and as I look back on some 40 + years of riding I think I should have come to these same conclusions sooner in my life.

 

1) Riding at night...I've had lots of critters jump out at me from cats & dogs to deer. Debri in the road is also hader to locate as our eyes are on the road further ahead, traffic, or traffic signs. I enjoy seeing what is out there so I tend to drive mainly during the day with the odd exception being coming home after a long day of riding with friends.

 

2) Riding in traffic...for many of the same reasons already mentioned, I am mostly a day driver now...the very fact you have to watch out for the other guy can often take away the pleasure of riding to relax and see God's beautiful creation all around you. I try to find the roads less travelled and only hop on the interstates when time and pace are crucial. When I travel to nearby cities (we live in the country) I try to find roads I've never gone down.