It wasn't me. (Accident)

[CapeBusa]

Sometimes you can be doing all the right things & still get nailed

Like me for instance, I'm sitting at a red light in Melbourne central, get the green & accelerate. Then out of the corner of my eye I see movement from my right & go hard on the brakes.
As I did a red blur flashed across the intersection against the red light. I don't even know what sort of car it was as it was travelling so fast.

Someone told me later that that particular intersection has a red light camera so the cage driver is farked, 6 pointer & big fine I was wearing all the right gear, lucky I didn't need it.

Is 6 points and a fine enough? Did anybody read that bit in (i think it was AMCN) 70 year old hits a bike rider, the rider ends up in a coma and is still in it after 6 or 8 months and the driver... $200 dollar fine. Far out! I read it out loud to staff at school during lunch around in the staff room. General concensis, "bet he wont do that again" (<- please note the sarcasum) "talk about a slap on the wrist". And this is from a group of people who mostly think i'm an idiot.

Out on the roads, we ARE the victims! The councils are putting up barriers that will mame us at a minimum, and more likely kill us, should we be unfortunate enough to come into contact with them. (Wire rope fencing) Car drivers, on a good day, didn't see us. Yeah, there was a time i didn't ride. Way back then i don't remember ever seeing a bike on the road. No Sh*t! Before i rode i never saw bikes. Imagine how that must be for current car drivers. We ride, so, sub conciously we look for other bikes where your average cager doesn't. Our visibilty as a road user is up to us. Not just out there where our lives are in iminant danger, but, in the long term, when it comes to our right to be safe on our roads. A large part of our safety is up to us. Wear the right gear, ride in a safe manner, think defensively, treat all cagers like the potential weapon they are. I could go on, but my point is there. Add to this your responsibility to other riders and ask yourself, "Are you a safe and conscientious rider?" do you look for dangers to others and ask yourself how can we make our roads safer for 'L' plate motorcyclsit. It's not in LAMS, or in skills developement. To make them, and us, safe we need to be aware of danger and be willing to speak out! This unfortunate incident today illistrated a point i make to every rider i see in jeans and a t-shirt, or for that matter any fanshion choice that isn't life preserving. "WHAT THE F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING???" I have taken keys out of ignitions of bikes where the rider wasn't wearing gloves. I've publicly humilliated riders i've seen stopped at traffic lights while they straddled their bikes in shorts or t-shirts.

MY POINT;
6 demerit points and a fine doesn't send a message, neither does road rage (yeah, I'm talking to your Josh) Nothing the government is ever going to do with it's $50 levy (Victorians) is ever going to help you as a rider. You need to help yourself, and, any and every rider you meet by making them aware of the value of safety gear. Yes, you can legally ride down a public road in your birthday suit, provided you are wearing your standards approved helmet. But, a 15 meter slide on ashphalt in shorts from a 20 km an hour accident WILL leave you scared for life. Depending on where you ground away 3 inches of skin, fat, and muscle you may even loose the ability to walk. (loss of 30% or more of quadricep muscle can render you incapable of bipedal movement (unable to walk!)).

I might have had a few too many to drink at this point in time, but what i'm telling you is something i am passionate about. A full suit of safety gear, head to toe, can cost less than a thousand dollars. What is the abillity to walk worth to you????

6 points and a fine... nothing. What were you wearing when you had your lucky near miss?


Geoff.


Think! It might save lives!


PS yes, i'm an arrogant prick. But i still have a good point.