New Initiative

[MellowYellow]

https://docbike.org/docbike-launches-a- ... in-dorset/

[Jug]

I must admit, I hate approaching a junction (or crossing) when a car is waiting as you can't tell if they've seen you until the last minute.
Like most riders on here I guess, I've been pulled out on so many times I've lost count.

[ptolemyx]

That's all very good, and yes, we do ride defensively but I question a campaign that appears to put the onus on riders to proceed at a snail's pace. If there was any fairness there should be a program to remind drivers to double check for bikers instead of blithely being allowed to get away with being sloppy in their roadcraft.
Will there be a "SMIDSY" incident where the driver's defence is the rider did not slow down sufficiently to avoid collision when they pulled out?

[MikeZ]

I still believe the biggest aid to road safety would be a law that bans car driver seat belts and fits a big spike on the centre of the steering wheel. There would be a lot less collisions involving cars then.

[Jug]

Bikes should be fitted with a strobe light rather than the headlight flash "PASS" button.

It should become the norm for bikers to hit the strobe button as they approach cars at junctions to ensure the car has seen them. This strobe should be clearly different to a headlight flash as that is just seen as giving someone permission to pull out.

Ideally it'd be blue, red or even green but I can't see that being allowed, so maybe the strobe could be amber as that is seen as warning of a hazard, but flashing much faster that indicators do, and much brighter. Could even be integrated into the indicators.

[Simmo]

How about a handlebar mounted sawn off shotgun ! that'd do the trick

[billinom8s]

How about a handlebar mounted sawn off shotgun ! that'd do the trick

I'll take two please.

[Jug]

Always wanted a front mount canon on my car to deal with middle lane hoggers.

[billinom8s]

what i don't agree with is that it's on the bikers onus to make the driver see us, not to stop the driver from chatting, texting, eating etc when on the road.
Where do they put these signs? On straight pieces of road and bike stops. Why not have them opposite junctions where the driver (hopefully) is looking at the road signs and which way the roads are going?

[Mervin]

reminded me of this not watched it for a while

https://youtu.be/masAsJeyIVQ

[Kata]

With Bill on this. How is the biker supposed to make sure he has been seen? It's not his responsibility, though I try to work out if the car in front has seen me.

[Jug]

I think forward facing ultra bright white LEDs that pulse a few times in very quick succession when triggered.

In fact I might even order up some parts and make a system and fit it to my bikes.

[ptolemyx]

I think it's plain wrong, the idea that we should have to light ourselves up like Christmas trees and slow right down because mumpty might pull out across our path. Somehow it's our fault when a driver pulls out ffs

Richard's disco light show may be fine for him but for the rest of us we've only ourselves to blame

[Jug]

I think it's plain wrong, the idea that we should have to light ourselves up like Christmas trees and slow right down because mumpty might pull out across our path. Somehow it's our fault when a driver pulls out ffs

I don't think anyone is saying that it's our fault that car drivers don't see us, but we know it often happens.
So what should we do about this fact...

We can either scream at the universe for being so unfair or we can realise that it's likely not going to change and that if an accident does occur then regardless of who's fault it is, we get hurt more.

We are told to ride defensibly, and although that will help there are some situations where even that will not help as the car driver has just not registered that you are there. Many towns have signs warning drivers to be aware of motorcyclists but signs only do so much. I want an active means of alerting other road users that I'd like not to be run over. Maybe in the future all vehicles will have proximity sensors that work much like blind spot ones do now, but on a cool head up display. That isn't going to happen any time soon though so what other options do we have?

[menzies3032]

Got to say the police bike safe corse corse really opened my eyes to road hazards and the teachings are something that I use when on a bike or driving a car.

The bit that frightens the life out of me is the general standard of other motorists. How many campaigns have we all heard that shout about “Speed Kills” (which is crap in isolation), where are the campaigns about “Lack of Awareness Kills” “open your eyes and save lives”

Most of the time public roads feel like a game of “Paper Boy” where your trying to avoid everybody trying to hit you.