to actually feel sorry for the driver of the car? WARNING- upsetting video.

[ToThePark]

Ok, so I've been a wimp and name changed in case I get totally flamed.

www.suffolk.police.uk/newsandevents/newsstories/2014/september/hardhittingvideolaunched.aspx

The motorcyclist was travelling at 100mph past a busy junction. I watched this video and thought, as a car driver, this could easily happen to me. What an horrific thing to have on your conscience.

What if it had been a child crossing?

Ummm I have RTT...maybe this is just too slightly close to home for comfort. Motorcyclists are hugely vulnerable on our roads, and my understanding of this video was to implore both sides to slow down and anticipate what each type of driver may do. His speed did not contribute to his death.

See I would hope a motorcyclist watching that would come away thinking it was idiotic to drive at 100mph (along with car drivers remembering to think once, think twice, think bike). But saying "his speed did not contribute to his death" is just daft imo. Would you rather come off a bike at 40mph, 60mph or 100mph?

Where does anyone say he deserved to die then plus?

Sorry posted too soon... The driver made an error. It does not make it the biker's fault just because he was speeding.

Maybe it is tone - despite watching the video, reading the report the Courts found the driver guilty, other posters stating that the bit of road is notorious, the overriding tone is that David was at fault for speeding, and poor driver, what a harsh sentence. Maybe I am being defensive at the this idea, that if my DH's was to injured or killed whilst riding his bike, it would ultimately be his fault, because, you know, he was a biker.

Would you rather come off a bike at 40mph, 60mph or 100mph?

Preferably not at all.

Obviously due to impact speed when you come off, the faster you are going the worse the outcomes, but I have known of bikers that were killed coming off at 30 and one that survived [with lifechanging injuries] coming off at 70+.

So going slower doesn't guarantee your life.

I don't think it was anything other than crazy to do that speed on that road, but it didn't cause the accident and the outcome could still have been death even if he were within the legal limit.

Yes, I'm afraid I think you are being overly sensitive.

Everyone has been sorry for Davi'd death and his mother's grief. All we have said is that his speed contributed to causing the accident. And that the speed certainly must have contributed to the severity of that accident.

Nobody has said he deserved to die because he was speeding or because, you know, he was a biker. In the same way that the driver didn't deserve to have his life torn apart by a momentary act of carelessness which we all have at one point or another.

It's a terrible tragedy. And what we should learn is that motorists need to look for bikes, bikes need to slow down

Of course the rider's speed contributed to the terrible outcome. That's in no way saying that the driver was not at fault.

And I am sitting here looking at my partner's new motorbike parked up outside, so I am certainly not anti-biker.

plus3
People are commenting on this video and this incident. It isn't about your dh or other bikers. No one has said he deserved to die. Some people are agreeing with the op and that is all.

I agree with those who have pointed out that the motorcyclist made a conscious decision to drive at a ridiculous speed, whereas the driver of the car simply made a mistake.

Regardless of the argument about whether it would or would not have happened if the motorcyclist had been going slower, I can't help feeling angry with the him and feeling desperately sorry for the driver of the car. Obviously, I'm not saying that anyone deserved to die, but accidents and mistakes will always happen, but the motorcyclist was deliberately acting dangerously.

Having read the responses here I actually think that this is a poor choice of video to use. It seems to place too much emphasis on being 'bike aware', with minimal mention of the importance of not speeding. His mother's comment about him loving speed almost sounds like she is excusing him.

As pointed out earlier - I wonder if the driver consented to its release ...I'm sure his life will never be the same again.

Imagine if it was a car hurtling towards a busy junction at 100mph, which then hit, and killed, a motorcyclist turning into his path? I don't think opinions would be so divided then.

That's not remotely what people are saying.

I think anyone who drives on public roads at 100mph is likely to be involved in a serious accident at some stage. I agree bikers are vulnerable, and they can protect themselves by driving within speed limits & wearing high viz & reminding every car driver they know to think bike. If they drive at 100mph they're dicing with death though - same as a car driver who does that.

And while I agree bikers are vulnerable on the roads - they do sometimes kill others when speeding recklessly. Anytime someone chooses to drive at that speed they're not only risking their own life.

Maybe I am being defensive at the this idea, that if my DH's was to injured or killed whilst riding his bike, it would ultimately be his fault, because, you know, he was a biker.

I would argue that the opposite is true. Whenever a cyclist or motorcyclist is killed it always seems to be a case of 'blame the car unless proven otherwise.' I think this is the route cause of so much of the poor cycling that I have personally witnessed.

*root cause, even

All we have said is that his speed contributed to causing the accident

The police who investigated and the court that passed judgement didn't think so, but hey...

Where exactly do they say that, Knee?

I feel as if we're going round in circles here...

The purpose of releasing this footage is clearly not just about 'think bike'

I think it was intentional to use a video like this, they could have used one where the biker was travelling within speed limits, but would that have got so many people talking and thinking?

The following statement addresses both general driver and rider behavior.

Chief Inspector Chris Spinks, head of the Norfolk and Suffolk Roads Policing Unit, said the video was hard-hitting and understood public opinion would be divided

He said: “The video is shocking; however this is the reality of fatal collisions. The emotions people may experience after seeing this video can only touch the surface of those feelings that families and friends go through when losing a loved one in this way

The consequences of fatal collisions are devastating for all involved and as such our message though education has to reflect this. I firmly believe this footage is powerful enough to make riders and drivers think about their behaviour on the road; and most important of all, change it for the better

I understand releasing such footage will divide opinion; David’s family are in full support of the material being released and we’ve worked closely with his mother Brenda to ensure this is achieved in an effective and sensitive way

The causes of collisions are almost always the result of driver or rider behaviour. Motorists, be it on two wheels or four, need to take responsibility for their actions. I would urge riders and drivers to think about their behaviour and what changes they could make to improve their own safety and that of others on the road

I’m confident this campaign will make people take time to think about their actions on the roads and allow David’s family to take something positive out of this tragic event

The aim of releasing this footage is not to achieve agreement from the public; it’s about delivering messages around road safety and how deaths can be prevented. I welcome the fact it will create debate and, in my view, this will get people talking about road safety; their actions behind the wheel or on a bike and it will go some way to achieving our aims

My slight fear is a 'it was the driver's fault' response from bikers who routinely drive in that manner. Rather than them recognising how bloody dangerous and threatening it is.

Yes it's made me think how easy it must be to not spot someone at a busy junction - so from that point of view I suppose it's worked - not entirely sure I'm the intended audience as my uncle made sure I was bike aware, but I almost think they need 2 videos (1) a video of a biker driving sensibly and being hit by a car doing something daft and (2) a video of a biker driving too fast and hitting something stationary.

If he hadn't been travelling at 100mph from the beginning then he would not have been at that junction at the same time as the car. The car who was due to turn when he arrived there going at a slower speed may well have seen him.

If you change one thing, everything changes. His speed was a massive factor. He was driving recklessly.

The car driver in this case may not have been paying attention but he definitely is at fault too.

[3] video of a biker driving too fast, then getting into an accident caused by another driver.

That confliction is the talking point really isn't it?

You can see from the beginning that the motorcyclist rides as if he is on a race track, surrounded by professional drivers. Clearly he enjoys riding motorbikes and gets a thrill from the high speed, but it's very risky to ride like that.

I ride a bicycle and don't go that fast (obviously!) and I tend to assume that a driver hasn't seen me and will drive into me. Also I would tend to be aware of the road conditions, e.g., turnings like this are far from uncommon across the country and it's normal driver behaviour to try and 'nip in' when you spot a gap in the traffic, so as a rider you have to be aware of that (and can I only assume that Mr. Holmes had ridden this rode before).

At 100mph or whatever he was doing, he places his life in the hands of others, which is very foolish when you are on a motorbike without airbags or other protection.

Assume everyone else is out to get you, and you will probably be right.

The car driver was careless and was sentenced accordingly www.edp24.co.uk/news/a47_death_crash_driver_disqualified_1_3523497

The motorcyclist however would still be alive if he had ridden defensively.

Saintly if you speak to bikers it's rarely a bikers fault. They don't drive recklessly, and they never do anything wrong. its always a drivers fault.

My son has just watched this video. He is a biker of some 13 years experience. He said it was totally and utterly the biker's fault (and then ran me through the safety for approaching junctions etc.). There was no way the car driver was able to avoid the accident with the bike travelling at that speed.