Near Misses

[mogster]

I've been wondering what stories riders have re nearly having an accident, & maybe we could share tips on how we managed to avoid being hurt.

My story is from many years ago when I was a student nurse riding my trusty Honda CB 200 home from a late shift.

It was dark & roads very quiet. I stopped at a red light T junction. To my left (nearside) was a 30' wall with no view around corner. To my right was an imposing old tenement block (apartments), ahead a hill start at junction.

The lights went to green & I was just about to move when something made me wait. Seconds later a fire engine (no flashing lights or siren) came hootering round the corner at high speed! I can still see the look of horror on the driver's face when he saw me sitting there, knowing he would have certainly killed me if I had started to cross junction!

So was this a sixth sense or a guardian angel that saved me? No it was my feet!!

What I realised later was as this part of town still had cobbles (like lumpy brick paving) & being on a hill I had both feet down, therefore I actually felt the oncoming fire engine even tho I couldn't see or hear it!

So my lesson that day was pay attention to your instincts cos otherwise you might ignore information that you don't even know you have!

[totalmotorcycle]

I had a near miss just last year when I was going about 40 miles per hour down a twisty road... I saw a car waiting to turn onto the road I was on from a side road... but I was watching him and waiting for him to do just that (I'll chalk that up to riding experience) so when he turned in front of me I was already prepared for it.

I have found wearing brightly colored riding gear eliminates A LOT of near misses.

[Hondagirl]

The two main times I went down badly I was very lucky no traffic was coming immediately. The only instinct i had was to get to the side of the road fast but both times i didn't want to leave my bike to get smashed up so I didn't!!!! So both times I just waited and waved down traffic and luckily got some friendly help. Very luckily. I don't think i could walk away and leave my beloved bike in the middle of the road although if it was an expressway or something I would have I spose. So much luck involved because it was a quietish road both times and i happened upon some kind people.

[Marvin]

I have learned from past experiences to watch the head and eye movement of the car-truck driver at a red light or stop sign to know if he's going to pull out in front of me or not, there have been many times when I stopped in the middle of the road when I had the right-away to avoid from being hit, then when I remind them with either my horn or body movements that they were making a mistake they just flip me off!
One time even a state police car pulled out in front of me knowing he never seen me.
I don't get pissed off any more about it, i got used to it.
also used to people being rude, mean and just plain hateful, you must accept the fact that the majority of the drivers do not like motorcycles, some are even on the verge of hating you and it wouldn't bother them if they would kill you. You have to know and understand that everytime you get on a bike, think of it as a war out there!