The latest from Europe

[accyman]

Originally Posted by entwisi

I'm not annoyed that someone has had a go at bikers, I took Neils post and responded with my opinion based on my experience of > 20 years as a biker. Your statement of 90% of bikers shows just how ignorant you are of them. I doubt you know 10 bikers so how you can make sweeping statements about them being injured or how they ride shows you up to be talking from a viewpoint with little or no basis on reality. I sit here with a broken back which will cause me pain for the rest of my life due to a car driver making assumptions about bikers ignoring traffic laws. She decided that Amber to bikers meant accelerate where I know it means stop, unfortunately for me she decided to 'be a biker' and accelerated into the back of me as I stopped. so don't go pontificating at me about those who choose to ignore traffic laws.

actualy i grew up around bikers , i make my assumtions about bikers by the amount of idiotic actions i have seen done by bikers that put car drivers in serious danger because we try to avoid hitting and killing them

as for your accident amber means preppare to stop if it is safe to do so, RED means stop , this is why we have 3 coulours not just 2 colours for stop and go so if you had bothered to use your mirrors before stopping then you probably wouldnt have ended up with a car up your backside

as for lights been on , if you cant see a car coming in broad daylight then you shouldnt be on the road in the first place

we need jaywalking laws like america , if pedestrians knew they didnt have the law %100 on their side they may take more care crossing roads instead of just walking out blindly into the road and been surprised when they get hit by a car

[entwisi]

Amber does mean stop unless it is unsafe to do so. I stopped and had put my foot down, I hadn't jumped on the brakes or anything extreme, just a gradual normal stop. the car was plenty of distance behind when I had checked a hundred yards or so before and it is THEIR responsibility to ensure correct space, what could I have done to adjust that, sped up and broke the law?. You seem to be trying to make it out as my fault??????? I'm sorry for having the audacity to ride two wheels within the law its clearly totally irresponsible of me.

It isn't said that people can't see cars, purely that it improves people peripheral vision when there are items of great contrast i.e. lights.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by accyman

actualy i grew up around bikers , i make my assumtions about bikers by the amount of idiotic actions i have seen done by bikers that put car drivers in serious danger because we try to avoid hitting and killing them

as for your accident amber means preppare to stop if it is safe to do so, RED means stop , this is why we have 3 coulours not just 2 colours for stop and go so if you had bothered to use your mirrors before stopping then you probably wouldnt have ended up with a car up your backside

as for lights been on , if you cant see a car coming in broad daylight then you shouldnt be on the road in the first place

we need jaywalking laws like america , if pedestrians knew they didnt have the law %100 on their side they may take more care crossing roads instead of just walking out blindly into the road and been surprised when they get hit by a car

If someone runs into the back of your vehicle it is their fault regardless. The vehicle behind should have been back far enough to stop without hitting you should you stop in an emergency.

It could even be argued that if you are stopped on a hill and your car rolls back as you set off and hits the car behind it is their fault for being so close. Of course that would depend on the roll back distance.

Jaywalking pedestrians are a danger to everyone. Some will turn and look straight at you then step off the pavement almost daring you to hit them.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by entwisi

I'm sorry for having the audacity to ride two wheels within the law its clearly totally irresponsible of me.

Irresponsible? Maybe it is now you have your lovely little girl to think of.







.....Neil goes and hides before he is accused of being a trouble maker again.



Just ignore me I am in one of those moods

[entwisi]

Siobhan will be on the back as soon as she can touch both footrests(thats the legal requirement for being a pillion). Life has taught me one thing and that is that you have no idea how or when your number will be up, in the meantime I choose to LIVE rather than exist.

Daddy will be happy to collect her from primary school on his big black, evil, loud, smelly, socially unacceptable motorcycle (deleted whatever doesn't apply in your view of bikes )

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by entwisi

Not one biker gets on with anything other than knowing he is more vunerable than car drivers. thats why they concentrate on what they are doing.

To be against something because you don't like who's telling you it? thats not only childish but pathetic. If we go around instilling that sort of attitude in our children then we end up with the exact thing that you complain about. Ignorant, couldn't care less idiots, which way do you want it?

Jambutty, I know its not that we agree often but I'm with you all along re people who don't understand what the dip function of their headlights is for. However I would question what difference is it if its two bikes side by side or 1 car you should still not pull out!

I was only quoting what bikers on the radio were saying. I think that what they were trying to say is that their single headlight would get lost in the myriads of twin headlights of cars.

But I agree whether you see one headlight or two you still don’t pull out unless you want a few hundred pounds of metal sat on your lap.

As an ex-biker of the early sixties I can say that because the biker is more vulnerable s/he will be more careful. I know I was. Of course there will always be idiots but you can’t tar them all with the same brush because of the antics of the few.

In general bikers are better road users than a car driver.

[Neil]

LOL, I know a bloke who used to take his lad on his bike. He had a very long, wide leather belt. He used to put it around them both so his lad could not fall off. Then he was a big bloke and could probably have climbed on/off the bike with his lad strapped to him still

[Neil]

Originally Posted by jambutty

In general bikers are better road users than a car driver.

More aware yes, better users, not sure on that one. I see so many doing crazy things like weaving in and out of traffic. Yes they can see better but it only takes one nudge from a car on the motorway and you are dead.You would think that would stop them being idiots, I think some of them think that just because they are high up and can see well they are safe. It only takes a car to move over within his lane to see what is ahead in heavy traffic and the bike driving down the white line is dead

[Eric]

I ride every summer and on my touring bike I have a pulsating headlight for the daytime and LED turn signals and brake lights ... every little bit helps.

[entwisi]

that wouldn't be allowed over here on motorised transportas the emergency services use pulsating headlights. I've seen them oon push bikes and thought them effective at making me aware of them, there is a push bike I pass most mornings and I don't know how many batteries he carries but his headlight is better (brighter) then most cars!

[Eric]

Originally Posted by entwisi

that wouldn't be allowed over here on motorised transportas the emergency services use pulsating headlights. I've seen them oon push bikes and thought them effective at making me aware of them, there is a push bike I pass most mornings and I don't know how many batteries he carries but his headlight is better (brighter) then most cars!

Our emergency vehicles use the pulsating lights too ... but anyone who can't tell the difference between a fire truck and a motorcycle should not be on the road.

[entwisi]

I'd agree in principle and boy would it make the roads quieter but somehow I fear there are lots that can't/wouldn't.