Motorcyclist to Blame - Not the Car Driver. Watch The Video

[woe10]

Mother releases harrowing footage of son's death in 97mph horror motorbike crash, A camera attached to his helmet recorded moment he was hit by turning car.

As an ex, High-Powered Motorcyclist, and more than one crash, including a Fractured Pelvis. I'm astonished that the car driver was convicted of careless driving.
The guy was doing 97 MPH, that's 142 feet per second. Having ridden at these speeds, I know there's no way the car driver could judge that the bike would be on him in seconds.

Any opinions from other Motorcyclists.   

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2746026/Please-don-t-die-like-boy-Mother-releases-harrowing-footage-son-s-death-97mph-horror-motorbike-crash-try-stop-families-going-agony.html#ixzz3CcgAQsxk

[Magoo]

Watched the video & got to say it made me cringe. This was not the usual SMIDSY incident. The biker had his headlight on, as you can see in the car's number plate, but traveling at that speed, the driver's brain would not register that the glow in the distance would be on him in seconds.
I hung my leathers up a few years back & yes, I have thrashed it occasionally. Saddly, this was the biker's doing. Too much speed in the wrong place, after a few near misses, I got very cautious when approaching junctions.

RIP and condolences to the lad's family who may have saved a life or two by releasing this video

[SheilaW]

My sympathies go out to both families.

The rider was certainly taking one chance too many by driving at that speed and overtaking close to a junction. I believe the video said he'd been to a race meeting? I remember Brands Hatch after many a bike meeting, everyone hurtling down "Death Hill", pretending to be racers on a track. We'd grit our teeth if we were in the car but I always insisted on leaving early or late if we were on our bikes (a pair of Honda 400 's). We raced on tracks (hillclimbs and twisty sprints mainly) and weren't interested in doing it on the road, though we did use to enjoy our rides around Kent.

I don't think the car driver has cause to complain that he was penalised, though I don't see him as necessarily a particularly bad driver. He killed someone by his inattention. There's nothing automatic about seeing. You have to actively look. If you can't be 100% sure there's nothing there then there's only one way to go: wait until you are 100% sure. Car drivers don't have the right to drive along in their nice safe bubbles with anything less than 100% concentration on the road.

What a strong and courageous Mum to allow that video to be seen by everyone! And so good to hear that she's still able to think so sensibly about it. It's certainly not the fault of the bike. Testosterone on the one hand and inattention on the other hand: a recipe for disaster.

[zedzedeleven]

Looking at  the still photographs reveals the car "cutting" across as if the driver knew that it was touch and go but just had to do it, as usual. If a car driver cannot judge the speed of an approaching vehicle in broad daylight on a sparsley populated road then they shouldn`t be driving. I wonder at Woe`s motive in posting this here.

[bedouin]

I'm amazed at the mother's plea "Motorists - slow down".  Her son was riding like a lunatic on an unfamilar road, passed a SLOW sign in the road at almost 100mph, and was unable to take avoiding action.  If he'd survived, I guess he'd have been banned.

[woe10]

Looking at  the still photographs reveals the car "cutting" across as if the driver knew that it was touch and go but just had to do it, as usual. If a car driver cannot judge the speed of an approaching vehicle in broad daylight on a sparsley populated road then they shouldn`t be driving. I wonder at Woe`s motive in posting this here.

There's no ulterior motive here, I know there are quite a few Bikers on this Forum and was interested in their opinion. I'm just surprised that the motorist was sentenced. He probably DID see the Motorbike whaen was 1/2 mile away, and thought he had time to cross. When a Motorbike is coming toward you, there's no way of knowing if it's doing 20 mph or 100 mph. How could he have known the Bike would be on him in 2 seconds, hence the last second hesitation when the Bike was on top of him. .

[Jock719]

Anyone wo has driven/riden bikes has speeded at some time, that's for sure. I had a high performance Subaru and I admit to using it to its potential, the same way that the young man in the video used his bike to its potential. We, who are drivers, should remember that there but for the grace of god....go all of us. It only takes a fraction of a second and there are no winners.

[zedzedeleven]

It`s absolutely chilling to think that there are people like Woe who make terminally stupid statements like <<When a Motorbike is coming toward you, there's no way of knowing if it's doing 20 mph or 100 mph.>> Thank god most drivers can tell. On any stretch of fairly straight road where the speed limit may be 60mph the vast majority of traffic will be travelling at 70mph. Some will be going faster, 80-90mph. That is only marginally slower than the speed at which this motorcycle was travelling. If you are turning right across the oncoming traffic you WAIT until you are sure. This motorist clearly knew he was wrong and he caused a fatality. I think you are trolling Woe, I can`t think of any other reason to post this on here, it isn`t a motoring forum.

[MinRich]

Whenever you make any turn across the path of traffic you must be 100% certain that it is safe to do so , there is no exceptions here and hence the car driver was punished . The motorcyclist was riding down a road and should expect what happened to happen and ride accordingly , he didn't and look what happened . Both driver and rider made mistakes and look what happened 
This is the purpose of this video and really needs no comment about either rider or drivers actions , just remember it next time your drive or ride

[woe10]

It's not a plumbing forum, or a somebody got stabbed in Tenerife forum either. This section of the forum is under the heading GENERAL CHAT. The key word being GENERAL, meaning any subject of interest to a GENERAL selection of Forum Members.

On that note, good night. Tomorrow I'll be sticking with Immigration and Benefit Scroungers,

[zedzedeleven]

It`s a holiday island forum and so Fuerteventura plumbers and incidents in Tenerife are pertinent. It is logical to expect general comments to be about island life. I still think you were trolling and in a particularly cynical way when a young life was lost. Shame on you.

[Can the Man]

Whenever you make any turn across the path of traffic you must be 100% certain that it is safe to do so , there is no exceptions here and hence the car driver was punished . The motorcyclist was riding down a road and should expect what happened to happen and ride accordingly , he didn't and look what happened . Both driver and rider made mistakes and look what happened 
This is the purpose of this video and really needs no comment about either rider or drivers actions , just remember it next time your drive or ride

MinRich you are correct in your interpretation, I seen this video in the office and about 15 of us viewed it, some bike riders, some car and bike riders and some car drivers only, at the end we all more or less agreed with your sentiments.

RIP the bike rider 

[woe10]

It`s a holiday island forum and so Fuerteventura plumbers and incidents in Tenerife are pertinent. It is logical to expect general comments to be about island life.

So, zedzed, if that's the case, what has "Scottish Independence" got to do with Fuerteventura. Got you there 

[Ivemovedon]

I doubt theres a motorist on this forum has not at one time pulled out of a junction assuming they had more time or that nothing was coming at all. 99% of the time we all get away with it. Unfortunately due to the bikers speed this guy didn't. I would find it hard to accept that especially due to the average age on here and thus the number of years driving that it has never happened to all. ...yep even minrich.

[RVEEE]

Thoughts from a (very trained*) biker and car driver.

Braking distance and total stopping distances at 60mph are 180 & 240 feet.

The same at 100mph are 500 & 600 feet.

The biker should have allowed these extra distances in his riding style, he singularly failed to have any anticipation of the obvious manoeuvre of the car. For this he died.

The car driver made a manoeuvre in accordance with an expectation of approaching traffic to be at street legal speeds. He didn't look far enough down the road to see either the bike or the car following. The bike could have been an emergency services vehicle legitimately travelling at that speed. For this he got punished by a court.

If this clip makes people on both sides of the argument think harder at some point in the future the family will be happier.

* In a previous life I was a police advanced driver on cars and bikes.

[woe10]

When you've done a ton-up on a 1950's Sprung Hub Triumph Thunderbird, you know you're going too fast. been there and done it, and still suffering the pain in my pelvis today.

[MinRich]

Thoughts from a (very trained*) biker and car driver.

Braking distance and total stopping distances at 60mph are 180 & 240 feet.

The same at 100mph are 500 & 600 feet.

The biker should have allowed these extra distances in his riding style, he singularly failed to have any anticipation of the obvious manoeuvre of the car. For this he died.

The car driver made a manoeuvre in accordance with an expectation of approaching traffic to be at street legal speeds. He didn't look far enough down the road to see either the bike or the car following. The bike could have been an emergency services vehicle legitimately travelling at that speed. For this he got punished by a court.

If this clip makes people on both sides of the argument think harder at some point in the future the family will be happier.

* In a previous life I was a police advanced driver on cars and bikes.

So you will also know your braking/stopping distances are not modern day correct . They are alot shorter with modern technology . Let Jeremy tell you  and this is from about 15 years ago too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGkKDaYd3Mo

[isleswing]

But not everybody has high-tech brakes yet. And as for promoting the "Two Second Rule" - a lot of people seem to think that is actually the stopping distance!