To be annoyed at 'Think Bike' posters and other ads telling drivers to be considerate to motorcyclists ??

[Tinkerbell7373]

Every time I see one of these posters or adverts on TV it really irritates me in fact totally pisses me off
We are continually told to look out for motorbikes etc - when motorbike riders are thee most reckless, dangerous, inconsiderate people on the roads !! They speed, weave in and out of traffic, cut in when they feel like it and generally think they can do whatever they like !!! How about posters and adverts aimed at them saying 'Think Car' or 'Don't ride like a dick and you won't have, or cause, so many accidents !'

[Andro]

The number of oblivious drivers is scary; my Harley is big, loud and not easy to miss - even if you don't see it you'll hear it (unless you're one of an increasing number of people who's music is so loud I can hear it 4 cars back whilst wearing a full helmet) - so how do drivers miss it?

At least no one suspects I'm female until I take my helmet off, apparently no woman can handle a bike that size...Ok then!

[inflatableflowers]

I've been in both circs as biker and car driver

I agree with poster above suggesting new car drivers should take the CBT (compulsory basic training for bikers) before their test, just to get a unique viewpoint of road safety.

In this old video, the debate was always out on who's to blame. The biker was going fast and didn't slow down at a junction, failed to use the kind of common sense all bikers (should) use in that situation. Yet the car driver pulled out on him anyway. But even if he was going slower, car could still have pulled out because bikers are far less visible. He just probably would have survived in which case.

So yes, you're being unreasonable. Raising awareness is always good.

Dont watch the video if you're easily upset , it shows the fatal collision, although no injury or gore, there is audio of the biker in his final moments which is probably the most heart wrenching aspect.

[inflatableflowers]

m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZCadhDW_i0

[kali110]

Odfod. Let's hope you never know anyone who's lost someone or had an accident on a bike

[kali110]

Odfod. Let's hope you never know anyone who has lost or been injured on a bike.
They are the most vulnerable people on the roads, not cars.
goodluck pacific !

[HiggeldyPiggeldy]

YABVVVU

bikers are vulnerable, cars have far more protection, within my own family and friends;

exh hit by a car, drivers fault he was not looking, hospital for two weeks with injuries
ds1 hit by a car minor injuries, drivers fault not looking
ds2 has been hit by cars 3 times, all 3 times they didnt see him, fortunately for him all at low speed in traffic, worst one both arms broken and two ribs bike a write off
BIL car pulled out on him in traffic broke his leg so badly still has problems 20 years later
DD1 exbf last year knocked off his bike and killed, car pulled out in front of him
all the fault of the cars, so yes THINK BIKE is a message that obviously needs repeating

[DarthMother]

I think the OP has run away but I have to say - YABVVVU.
I've been riding for over 20 years and yes, some bikers ride badly or dangerously but the massive majority ride defensively so they don't get killed by cars.
There's a saying - "There are old bikers and there are bold bikers, but there are no old, bold bikers".

[dailyshite]

You are so FU that 'reasonable' is a dot on the horizon.

[Solo]

LakieLady My Ds was on the back of my 1100 when he was 3 1/2 years old, so it's not illegal as far as I know. Also, I used to have a Pan European in the early to mid 90's :)

I've always said that car drivers should do 6 months on a bike before they venture behind the wheel of a car; it does make a difference. I was biking long before I drove a car.

Andro women sit differently on a bike compared to men. I always know a female biker from the rear :)

[Yambabe]

Why are car drivers continually told to watch out for bikes ? Are motorcyclists continually told to watch out for cars ?

Well yes we are actually. When I was doing my bike training for my test it was constantly drummed into me that the biggest hazard to me when on the road was cars, because if I collided with one no matter who was at fault I would come off worse.

I did my car training and test a couple of years after, and during my lessons it was all about the technicalities of driving a car, other road users were rarely mentioned.

I love riding my bike, it gives me a sense of freedom that you just don't get from anything else. But I am a fairly slow, careful and extremely defensive rider. You quickly develop a sort of "spidey sense" when you ride a bike, you can just kind of tell when someone else on the road is going to do something daft. Have a look on youtube for some of the helmetcam footage of bikers quite lawfully going about their business and see what goes on around them, it's pretty grim.

Despite all that I do filter when it's safe to do so, and I have the acceleration and space on the bike to do overtakes that wouldn't be safe or possible in the car.

So yeah, I appreciate the think bike campaign. The biker that you spot when you take that second glance and don't pull out on, don't injure or kill, might just be me one day.

[Lostpangolin]

Solo, I've ridden for most of my life. How do females sit differently on a bike, please? I can mostly tell from physical size, shape or sometimes hair, but I can't honestly say I've noticed a difference in the way they sit.

[fuckingwall]

I think op's '90% of bikers' is from the Donald Trump school of statistics.

[AnneTwacky]

I think any campaign aimed at increasing awareness and safety on our roads, is amazing.

Bikes are harder to see and as drivers, we do need to be so careful. I know the odd rider may take a silly chance, (as may the odd driver, pedestrian etc.), but shouldn't that make us be more careful, not less.

to all those who have lost loved ones.

[Solo]

Lost we sit more upright and on our crotch whereas men sit on their backsides and usually slightly more to one side (more on one cheek than the other iyswim).

[Googlebabe]

I agree with OP.

[Lostpangolin]

Solo, I was going to say I'd watch for that, but prefer my teeth as they are!

[Solo]

:)

[user1485706893]

I have a lot of friends who are bikers, 3 of them have been killed by car drivers driving recklessly. Bikers have to be more careful on the roads than car drivers (I'm generalising, there''s always exceptions) because frankly if they crash then they will be hospitalised or even die. Some of my friends regularly have car drivers trying to veer into them to ram off the road and don't seem to realise that this will KILL them! My friends bike was an old chopper style and did a max of 50mph so she wasn't driving like a lunatic at all (I witnessed this from my car per chance) and a car overtook her on the bypass (70mph) and then slammed on his brakes in front of her. I don't know why but hey. Car drivers, I am a car driver, need to be aware of bikers and even more so stop being fucktards towards them. End of.

[5OBalesofHay]

I drive I ride horses my kids ride mopeds. Let's all look after each other on the roads

[NoBetterName]

Interesting point solo makes about women sitting differently on the bike to men (and now she's pointed it out, yes, I notice I do sit differently on the bike to dh). However, whilst most bikers pay attention to other bikers, many car drivers and white van men don't even notice the bike, never mind the details of the rider.

I wear a helmet cam every time I ride after dh was involved in a collision with a hit and run driver on a country road (the driver left him with a broken ankle in the middle of the road). Helmet cams can be used as evidence against the rider too, but that's ok by me because I know nothing would be found on there which would show me riding illegally, dangerously or even speeding etc because I don't do that. On the other hand, I have a lot of footage of car drivers pulling out on me, cutting me up, talking on the phone, weaving around on the road etc

It's also surprising how many bmw and audi drivers seem to think it's a game to drive as close as they possibly can to the back wheel of bikes. They are completely clueless as to the significantly shorter stopping distances required for bikes than for their several tonnes of metal and that they are actually threatening the rider with a lethal weapon. I wonder how many of those same people would consider it acceptable to hold a knife to someone's throat? Tailgating a biker is no less of a direct threat to that person's life and yet some drivers seem to find it amusing.