Rule #5 (10 things I've Learned from 10 Crashes)

5. It’s Always Your Fault, No Matter What
Here’s the thing about riding a bike: you’re taking your life into your own hands. There’s no steel safety cage, no airbags, no crumple zone, its just you and your wits against the world. If you ask me, that’s what makes riding so great, but it also means you need to make a fundamental shift in your thinking. It doesn’t matter what it says on the police report or the insurance papers or that the teenage chick was texting her boyfriend when she hit you; all that matters is she hit you. And you could have prevented it, you needed to, it’s your life, not hers.

So go out there and actively take your own life into your own hands. No excuses. Someone hit you from behind at a stop light? Why weren’t you flashing your brake lights? Why didn’t you slow down early to bring them to a controlled stop? Why were you stopped in the lane and not on the margin?

Car turn left in front of you? Why didn’t you see it coming? Why couldn’t you brake harder? Why weren’t you more visible?

You have the tools to ride safely, it’s up to you to use them. No one else is going to do it for you.


From: http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-things-ive-learned-10-motorcycle-crashes/

I agree with you almost 100%. But I do think there are the occasional accidents where it really can't reasonably be avoided (Deer out of the woods, for example). But those instances are far fewer than people acknowledge. I've always felt that 99% of all accidents happened because two parties weren't paying enough attention. Sure, one party may be totally legally responsible, but that's not to say the other party couldn't have avoided it with reasonable diligence.

And on a motorcycle, that can be a matter of life and death. I think a lot of people don't take accidents where the other party was "at fault" as learning experiences.

And even still with deer. We can slow by 10mph, we can avoid riding in high deer traffic areas etc...

Yes, but it is so much easier to blame others rather than take responsibility for my actions




Eric

Agreed... But I put the number at 98%. (could have been/should have been avoided)

I wouldn't want to be confused with those 1%'rs

I wonder if they would take offense if we wore 2% patches?

Stop using that word when discussing these kinds of events. Use 'collision' or 'crash'.

We are supposed to listen to someone who had 10 crashes?

They need to move the deer crossing signs so the deer will cross the road in slower traffic areas where it makes more sense. Maybe put them at school crossings?

ALL: Yes. I would think so.
I would bet that Hillary, before he got to the top, asked a lot of people who didn't make the top of Everest and fell off, "What seemed to be the problem?" I believe that the Wrights kept track of others' progress for similar reasons.

Not counting 'dirt fun' crashes, I probably have 20-30 crashes to my credit, lifetime, so far. And I am reading this thread hoping to pick up something useful.

OTOH: I have followed a few riders who have never crashed or fallen off. If I had to ride like that all the time, I would sell the bike and be done with riding ever again.

This. Nicely put, Dakez. Especially paragraph 2 which points right at the fact that there is much more to 'traffic management/risk management' than many riders ever dream of.

Or you could speed up.....then, you would already be past that point on the road when the deer decides to cross...

Sums up my views on self defense.

I would not say absolute 100%, theres's that .00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% chance and airplane will fall out of the sky on your head

Yeh not all
Most of mine could have been prevented
Except for the one that took
Off from a park position
Across 3 lanes of traffic
Sideways in front of me.
I just took off from a set
Of lights, so was going slowly.
Smashed front end.
Coppers would not book him
He said someone sideswiped him
He took off to chase.
But the sideswipe fucked his steering
Still see red and that was 35 years ago.
But the rest yep, most my fault.
The rest could have been avoided.
Cheers

Oh I went over his car got up
Punched out his window.
He stayed in the car
Lucky for me.
He was built like a brick shit house.
I would have been double smashed.
Lol

Do you get wetter
Running through the rain
Or walking through it.
Cheers

Trivia
Mosquitoes ride the raindrops down
Then get off before they hit the ground
Unless they are close to the ground
When they hitch a ride.
That's why there are still Mosies
When it rains.
Lol

Dakez, I agree with you! I must have missed the first four rules, can you re-post them? (Gotta be something you said that I don't agree with)

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Taking the 990 adv for a last ride before the hibernation. Tight right hand turn, narrow strip of gravel which I saw when the front tyre was already on it. The front stepped sideways, no drama as I wasn't flat out because the road was wet after few days of rain. My fault?
Be what it may, gravel on blacktop can be like roller bearings, and has caused me more 'oh shit' moments than anything else I can think of.

.