Wow, that is all. Not disagreeing with anybody on here but driving 40 mph over the limit on that kind of road, does not seem very bright. sorry about the accident, but have to blame it on the bike driver. PS do have an MC license for over 35 years. Have ridden off road and used bikes as a commuter vehicle, have never driven 40 mph over the limit.
You are totally correct, it wasn't very bright and it is unreasonable to expect someone in a car to allow for someone going WAY over the speed limit. But, studies show drivers that cross in front of bikes simply don't see them even at proper 'safe' speed. I ride like everyone is TRYING to kill me which is not to say I ride slow because slow isn't the issue; control, awareness, staying ahead of the bike, what's in my path, what might move into my path, that's the issue in my view.
1. He was going too fast
2. He was not 'aware' enough for the speed, condition and skill level. As a rider, you can 'feel' him in the vid, far too relaxed for the conditions. He was not covering his front brake and he didn't even have his other hand on the bar let alone covering the clutch. I ride with one finger on each as general SOP and ALL of the time whenever I 'feel' possible issues such as traffic, or 'feel' cover on both sides is a lot, ie, cover for an animal, or whatever. He, belatedly, lets off the throttle and then has to reach for the front brake AND get his other hand back on the bars.
Now, I ride one handed, a lot, and no hands every chance I get. This is to relieve muscle tension, give the hands a brake. Help stay relaxed. Be kewl. But, again, not in traffic and not at higher speeds; only as my assessment of conditions allow. OK, not in traffic anyway.
The first time I watched the thing, I was expecting an animal because of the grass. I KNOW I'd have been going slower AND covering my controls. The instant he saw that car, he had PLENTY of time and distance, he should have reacted "Mortal danger, what if they do IT?" and every rider should know what "IT" is; violate your right of way, the dreaded turn across the riders path. I KNOW I'd have slowed, a lot, and focused on that cars 'body' language and assumed he was going to try and kill me BEFORE he did IT. I'd likely have flashed my hi beams, weaved a bit, shrugged my shoulders in anticipation. I move around on the bike, a lot, specifically to ease any tension or discomfort AND to try and get attention.
3. Predator vision and prey vision. Human beings have 'predator' vision. Tunnel vision. We are able, naturally, to focus on something...and not see everything else. We don't naturally have prey vision but, we can work on it. That car focused on where they were going. That car should have detected him sooner in his 'prey' or, peripheral, vision. The rider should have detected the car sooner with is practiced prey vision AND THEN turned on the predator vision on to WHERE DO I WANT TO GO and leave the car to his peripheral.
THAT is where we riders #### up; the golden instant where we either incorrectly look at what startled us, panicked us, encroached on us...and hit it, or contribute to hitting it OR, properly, turn our focus on where we want to go. Again, he very well may have died anyway. It looks like there was a curb and who knows what was in the trees but, your mind has GOT to make that assessment, instantly, better this than that.
I am saying he,100%, could have avoided this given everything right up to seeing the car and recognizing the car was at least starting to turn. There was time to bleed off a TON of speed AND make a good move to the left and, maybe, swerve around and then #### his pants and use the rest room in the pub to tidy up in between boring people to death with how you almost got killed out there. Hell, it would be a TOTAL pro move but, physically, MORE speed, once he, finally, reacted, might have worked. There is the itsbob school of thought that says 'get there before they do and be gone when they get there'. It IS an option.
David ####ed up. He panicked, was WAY too late getting on his controls to bleed off much speed, started to evade and then, in that instant, looked at what he didn't want to hit AND as Desert Rat pointed out, actually turned into the car at the last instant; what he was looking at.
It happens fast but, he wasn't ready for it and should have been.
And this is NOT to say I WOULD have avoided it. I THINK I would have but, there are times when I #### up, not enough attention, anticipation, whatever, and get that sick feeling that I just lucked out. My goal is to limit those instances and they don't happen very often. If they're gonna get me, they're gonna have to earn it.
In any event, speed did not kill David. Hitting that car did.
