Forget the video for a minute and study the location and topography on Google Street View (It's the A47 Honigham junction with Wood Lane on the nearside)......... Note the following; the two sets of junction signs when approaching along that long straight fast road; the ghost islands with the red infill; the sign for a Parking lay-by coming up; the different direction arrows approaching the junction; the foliage either side of the road; the colour of the bike and the rider's leathers......... ......they are every reason as to why the throttle should have been rolled off. If you then look at the Daily Mail stills from the video; in the first still, he is almost upon the junction at 100mph; the car is visible and intending to turn across the bike's lane. In the second still, the car has just about turned and the bike is much nearer to the junction, yet he has rolled off the throttle (note the speedo needle position). In the fourth still, he has shut the throttle far too late, and it doesn't appear that he touched the brake. I don't know about the car driver not seeing the bike, I can only guess why.....but the bike rider didn't see or take note of the car either. You might not like my opinions on this one, but they are how I read it.
I was told the location is a well know accident black spot and the rider was local and would have known just that, I think we all know he was going too fast, wrong location, wrong this and that... he paid the ultimate price for his poor judgement. Accidents happen even when the most care is taken, I think the video is intended to bring home how riders etc need to keep in mind IF you choose to ignore the saftey points all should know, this is what could happen.
In my opinion the car crossing another lane must always 'giveway' to oncoming traffic. Although speed is a factor in this instance, the rider has the 'right of way' in his lane. If the oncoming traffic then has to take avoiding action and ends up in a collision with the vehicle which is crossing/ turning across there path, then that vehicle making the turn will be the 1 who shoulders the majority of the responsibility for the RTA, irrespective of speed. As I said in my original post, the lack of "due care & attention" will possibly be the 1st thing to both the rider and car driver. Yes the rider didn't read the clues or the road ahead/ the warning signs that were there. The turning car may not have factored in that a bike was either behind the car or indeed was overtaking the car that they had seen approaching them. The driver may have only looked up the road once instead of twice, there are 100's of reasons why they didn't. We'll never know the full story. What we are all discussing here shows that we have a vast amount of opinions based on our own knowledge and experience. Every accident that involves a bike & a car will never be the same RTA as each other. Some will be similar circumstances but never actually the same. Every bike rider has different levels of skill and experience or the lack off judging by the sounds of some of the opinions on here. Some will be lucky and others will hopefully find some luck. Whilst riding with a camera can be useful to show up other ignorant road users at times. It can also work heavily against you too and this very sad and tragic circumstances proves it. The rider was not reading or understanding the road signs and riding at a safe speed will have contributed here, but the car drivers responsibility is to check 2/3 times and constantly as many times as required to wait until the road is clear in order to proceed. We all do daft sh1t and get lucky, some risks are calculated or otherwise at times. It's part of life I guess otherwise we wouldn't risk our selfs by taking high risks such as riding bikes or Sky Diving etc, etc, etc the list goes on. Enjoy each day and live life to the full, because life is always too short.
Broke my back 2 and a bit years ago. Burst my first lumbar vertebra. 76 year old semi retired bus driver who didn't look before he swung away from the kerb across the derestricted road heading 5'oclock to the road both he and I were travelling on. I lost, legally, on all counts as I was classed as following traffic even though he was coasting the kerb, in close proximity to a bus stop and in line with parked cars and witnesses confirmed he wasn't indicating. Doesn't really matter who was wrong or right. I still ended up in a back brace for months with a toddler and a pregnant wife. That was in a bright red car with nice bright lights on, seatbelt, airbag. 50mph. Like to think if I'd been on the bike I'd have made the gap instead of stopping dead against his engine block. I'd echo the earlier sentiments that there's little to be gained by apportioning blame beyond the ruling of the courts. Just accept that shitty accidents will happen.
Perception is a funny thing too. Today a mate said I must have been pushing on as I was on the wrong side of the road on exiting a corner a few times. I wasnt; I was where I wanted to be. Blind junctions, debris, cars poking out of drives, with a clear road as you come out the corner open up and move away from potential danger. He thought I over cooked it. Ironically we werent pushing on at all
The Bike was NOT doing 97 MPH, the term 97 MPH was used as an average speed. personally I think the Bike was doing 90, even slightly less at the time, still fast.
Having read all the posts on this particular forum and on other sites where comments have been made by bikers; I find it staggering just how many seem to ignore the fact the rider was doing 100mph on that road......... They appear to consider it normal that the rider was way over the speed limit and way beyond a safety limit, bearing in mind how early the junction signs appear. I don't know what the Police mindset was to prosecute the car driver..........I guess it was because thay had to get a broom out and the fact the car driver said he didn't see the bike made it an easy nab. Still, with a District Judge sitting (no better than a magistrate) it's hardly surprising.
I've not looked however if the Daily Mail comments sections follows the pattern of every other item of social media on the matter that I've seen, I imagine the rider's taking a pasting and had it coming. I wouldn't normally care for such trolling / comments but in this instance, this is who we share the road with. The mother says she agreed to the release in order to promote discussion, slow all motorists down and also take the time to look for bikes. In view of what I have seen on social media amongst those moved to comment, many of whom will be the very people we share a road with, the campaign is failing badly because overwhelmingly the biker's actions are taking a pasting and the driver is seemingly blameless. Regarding the debate of the cause of the accident etc - this is a good read. A47 death crash driver disqualified - News - Eastern Daily Press A district judge, in possession of all the facts and evidence, decided the driver should have seen the bike and was guilty of causing death by careless driving. The driver admitted he should have seen the bike and admitted the offence. It is noteworthy that The Daily Mail is a paper that earlier this week clarified for its readers that the iCloud isn't an actual cloud but is a huge bank of whirring and humming computers.
Look at the stills on the Dail Mail website, you can clearly see the speedo needle........He was doing 100 mph as he reached the junction, in fact he was doing 90mph across the junction.
Mine's spot on.......on a Ducati, that is..... The point is, the rider's speedo was indicating 100mph........therefore there was intent to be riding fast........you seem to ignore the fact it was about 65% higher than the National Speed Limit.
Its just the same circular comments over and over. Nothing new. Nothing to make anyone change their mind I went thru similar junctions at probably more speed today (although I am a compulsive liar so cant be sure that true ) difference being there were no cars approaching from the other direction, I could use all the opposite side to open up the lhs entry road and check any traffic, and assessed clear and ok to proceed. On occasion, when its blind, I slowed down, on another cars turning I cut my speed by half. But what does that matter? I made it home alive tpday. That poor beggar didnt. RIP fella, I'm off to make a coffee.
He could have been doing 150 MPH if the car had not pulled out we would not be discussing this. if he was doing 60 MPH the car would have still pulled out, the end result may be slightly different, but as the car driver stated he did not see him, so he would have still pulled out. If the bike was not even there at all, the car that pulled out stated he did not see the car either so he would have still pulled out and prob the car would have just clipped him, Car was prob doing 60 to 65 MPH. Point is Speed made the end result, but the car should have not pulled out even the driver agreed he should not have pulled out. In my view Car driver takes most of blame, the bikers speed just made the end result far more fatal
Hang on, I'm talking about the car that pulls out/across on him, the black Clio? That car is facing him, it pulls across his stream of traffic very slowly indeed hence why he hits the front of the car almost head on. The car is making its manoeuvre straight across his path of travel after being in the filter box, so like I said, it's already in its safe zone (the car) and out of the way of the traffic coming behind it, the driver should have checked mirrors very briefly before moving in to the filter box yes, but they should have been solely focused on the oncoming traffic they were about to cross.....they didn't need mirrors for that.
Arquebus, will you shut the F*** up (amended due to threat of ban, Eh matt) I'm Kin sick of having to agree with you! :Happy:
Anyway,it's a sad story and frankly I'm glad they've made it public viewing, hopefully it'll be used correctly in the Think Bike adverts and not dismissed by car drivers saying it wouldn't have happened if he wasn't going so fast. It'll make me approach junctions with cars even more carefully than I do now
All I know is it's utterly sickening to view, and I'm truly hoping he didn't suffer Made my blood run cold RIP David
