Rash of motorcycle accidents

[skipgoulet]

Anyone who gets on a motorcycle knows he's taking his life in his own hands. People just don't watch for motorcycles.

Since Saturday there have been three or four major accidents in Midland and Odessa involving motorcycles.

The worst, by far, occured Saturday night in North Odessa. Two motorcycles were riding together with two people on each bike. It's still unclear exactly what happened, but the two bikes collided injuring all four, two of them critically. None of the four were wearing helmets. DPS has cited both of the drivers.

 

[JoeyC]

Its not always that people just don't watch for motorcycles. Motorcycle riders often see themselves as having special privledges on the roads. They often speed, whip in and out of lanes haphazardly, and drive erratically. There is no wonder that people don't see motorcycles when motorcycle drivers have little respect for the cars on the roads around them.

 

[rvawatch]

nice stereotype there... too bad there are so many accidents where cars "didnt see" other cars too.

Its not always that people just don't watch for motorcycles. Motorcycle riders often see themselves as having special privledges on the roads. They often speed, whip in and out of lanes haphazardly, and drive erratically. There is no wonder that people don't see motorcycles when motorcycle drivers have little respect for the cars on the roads around them.

 

[skipgoulet]

You make a good point, Joey. When I was growing up here in Midland, I used to see a lot of motorcycle accidents: and most were because of what you said, irresponsible motorcycle riders. When I moved up to Lubbock I expected to see a lot more motorcycle accidents than I saw here, simply because Lubbock is so much bigger. But that wasn't the case. The motorcycle wrecks were few and far between. The only bad thing was that one of them involved a good friend of mine, but he wasn't seriouslly hurt!

 

[JoeyC]

nice stereotype there... too bad there are so many accidents where cars "didnt see" other cars too.

You can label my comment any way you wish, but it doesn't change the fact that some motorcyclists "think" they can escape trouble on the road simply due to their smaller size and flexible maneuverability. Doesn't work in a crowded roadway environment.

Automobile drivers need to be aware of bikes, but bike riders need to be more respectful of autos who may not (in a split second) be able to anticipate that a bike 2 lanes away and 3 car lengths behind is suddenly going to weave through traffic at warp speed and cut in front of you while another car changes lanes in front it. :roll:

 

[bpckty1]

There is a reason Harley Davidson motorcycle riders prefer noisy bikes, unlike the Honda sewing machine riders:
Loud pipes save lives.

 

[Thayne]

another reason is the loud pipes on Harleys cover up the sound of the engine falling apart--

One time a friend & I were riding together and somehow got our bars hooked (I think I was looking at some girls) but somehow we got them separated without dumpingn the bikes.

 

[loumaag]

"Some" people rob banks, "some" people kill other people, "some" drivers operate on "auto pilot", and "some" people generalize to the point that it becomes an indictment of a class..."some" of those people have posted in this thread.

 

[bpckty1]

Nowadays, some HD owners prefer the loud pipes so they can cause havoc in quiet neighborhoods by both making racket and setting of car alarms.

I worked with a HD owner that just loved to do that. One unfortunate factor, though. He owned a parrot, and after a few weeks, yep, that "motorcycle" was living in his den. That bird was also well versed in microwave dings and OSHA beeps. He sold the bird, but not for the above reasons, but because of the new baby. I think he shudda kept it, the bird would have new (midnight) additions to its vocabulary.

;^>

 

[TXFirefighter112]

Almost had a MC crash into me the other night. I was on I-35 Southbound thru Dallas at the I-30 interchange. I was staying on I-35 heading south so I was in the second to right lane for the proper exit. I was on the ramp, and there was a car about 1 car length ahead and one lane to the right. This particular ramp makes a fairly sharp turn to the right that is diffficult to negotiate at highway speeds. Out of nowhere this crazy guy on a motorcycle comes up behind me at over 80 mph, barely misses the back end of my car as he changes lanes and then barely misses the back of the other car as he cuts me off as he changes lanes back to avoid the second car. His 2nd lane change though took him a little farther to the left than he wanted though. If not for the concrete divider ending he would have smashed into it and then been run over by my car. As it was he still went into the next lane 2 lanes of traffic in the maneuver. Then he took off at over 100 mph on the straight way and I never saw him again.

What is it about being completely unprotected that makes these idiots think they are invincible? All it woulda taken was for me to be changing lanes as he came up that ramp and he probably would have been killed.

EDIT: And no he was not wearing a helmet. He woulda been safer playing Russian Roulette with a 6-shooter loaded with 5 bullets.

 

[Grog]

Bikes crashing? Did John move to Texas?

Wait, he sold the CV :lol:

 

[skipgoulet]

I made my first post some time back. One of the local news stations just ran a feature a few nights ago on the same topic: motorcycle wrecks; except they went into the details about the number of fatalities involved...in Midland and Odessa. One motorcycle wreck in broad daylight was not only a fatality, but a hit-and-run. The newscast said that the motorcycle rider had laydown the bike to keep from hitting the pickup that had pulled out in front of him. He died when he hit the pavement. They're still looking for the two guys in the pickup!

 

[rockag41]

It is interesting to hear what everyone has to say about motorcycle riders. It does not sound like any of you actually ride. I do. I have a H-D Road King and have been riding for a number of years.

Yes, I like loud pipes. My pipes are not real loud but loud enough so that someone talking on the phone in the car next to me can hear me. It has saved me on at least two occasions. Cars may not be able to see me when I am along side them, but they can hear me. This is also why I don't ride early in the morning or late at night. I have respect for my neighbors. Besides, if you care, you don't have to wind up the engine and make lot of noise in the neighborhood.

As far as going 80 mph on the downtown freeway, that is just plain stupid. Like every group of people, there are a few who make the rest of us look bad.

I'm not saying I perfect. I (and my wife) are recovering from shattered scapulas when I laid my bike down in July. We were going about 30 mph around a curve and hit a patch of gravel. We slammed our shoulders and heads on the pavement. Thank God we were wearing helmets.

The hot summer weather is beginning to give way to cooler days and nights. To me this is the best time to ride. Perhaps we are seeing more accidents because there are more riders out.

I'll make a deal with all of you guys. I won't pass you going 80 mph weaving in and out of traffic if you won't pull out in front of me.

Peace.

 

[letarotor]

Organ Donors

Most motorcycle riders are responsible and abide by the law. However, here in Dallas/Fort Worth, we have our share of "crotch rocket" drivers that travel everywhere at 100 mph plus, defy the odds, and eventually go out with a bang. I've seen videos of riders who have done wheel stands on every major freeway in the area. Its actually a contest to see who can stay up on one wheel the longest and actually stay on film. I was going down Hwy 360 one night and had one right next to me for about a mile on the back wheel. Yep, it was amazing, but if the idiot had lost control it would have been curtain time. The real contest, however, is doing wheel stands through all the toll booths in the area. Although incredibly stupid, it must be a heck of a rush! I known a few of these guys and gals over the years, and their bikes show the road rashes from their exploits, because eventually the odds catch up with them and they lay em down! When they do crash and kill themselves, I really can't feel any sympathy for them, its the natural selection process in action. These riders give bikers a bad name. When I see these jerkoffs passing me on the freeway like I'm not moving weaving in and out of traffic, I just smile and know that someday if I need a kidney, heart, or some other organ, these guys will be there for me!!!

Mark