Motorcyclist films his own death

[Skybird]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWgEbYWho5k

This is helm camera footage of a motorcyclist filming his own death by frontal collision with a car at high speed. British police uses it with permission by his mother for a traffic education campaign. The link above already destroys that constructive intention by interrupting the footage short before impact. But I think this hypersensiblity is not helping the cause, so I provide the link below which shows the full sequence. There is no gore and blood and such to be seen, don'T worry. It even looks somewhat harmless. Which maybe makes it even more disturbing that the sequence nevertheless illustrates the death of a human being.

http://www.focus.de/auto/videos/fahrer-tot-mit-156-km-h-helmkamera-filmt-horrorcrash-in-england_id_4114099.html

Especially after winter, when the first springdays show up, I occasionally see young men driving like maniacs on their motorbikes. Videos like this should be mandatory viewing in driving schools, and even at ordinary schools, in the last one or two schoolyears.

Respect for the mother allowing this film being used for the police's campaign. Hope it saves some people'S lives. Always remember that you do not only need to avoid mistakes by yourself - you also need to allow room for mistakes made by others. At speeds like this, you delete that room for the other's mistake. With the illustrated result.

[Eichhörnchen]

I haven't looked at this yet: not sure I want to, but your point about defensive driving, as we call it, is very important and well made.

[Buddahaid]

I watched it. Foolish driving by the deceased to drive at that speed in that area. It's just asking for it really and that moment of knowing the collision is inevitable is heart stopping. Reminds me of James Dean's death.

[Skybird]

It also should be a clear lesson for those people who take risks and drive so fast and who deceive themselves and excuse themselves to others by claiming "I have things under control, I have good vision, I can see what happens and I can react to it."

No, you fool - you cannot.

[Skybird]

I haven't looked at this yet: not sure I want to, but your point about defensive driving, as we call it, is very important and well made.
As I said, the effect from the video is not due to gore, blood and horror - there is none. It is the apparent harmlessness and quickness of events.

[Wolferz]

I've seen that happen in real life. Biker bounced off the car that turned in front of him.
Motorcycles are the hardest vehicles to see so, if you ride, do the bloody speed limit and mind your situational awareness. The other drivers out there are not. I had a driver who was half asleep run me off the road just last week and I drive a pickup truck with the headlights on. Apparently the driver had one thought on his mind...getting a cup of Joe from the McDonalds just up the road.:-?

[Stealhead]

I wonder how often he rode at such speeds? He appeared confident which was his mistake along with not driving defensively. You can never be sure that you will see and avoid every hazard which is why speed is such a factor. I think many drivers and riders feel that they are good enough to take that extra risk.

When I was stationed in Germany military bike riders(riding their personal motorcycles) driving reckless was a problem. Take a young man and put him on the autobahn with "no speed limit" (in fact our military license limited us to 75 mph) is a bad mix. The often short exits got plenty of us as well. Many of the car driving crowd where pretty bad as well. German Highway Patrol knew young American military well slightly better than German youth but not much.

[DJ Kelley]

I also own a motorcycle, but I have never had any urge to go and do suicidal stuff.

However when I am in places like Dallas, or Memphis I see Motorcycles do some of the craziest stuff. I never understand it either. I am always semi nervous when I am riding my bike on the interstate. I get over it, but I never let my guard down.

The worst I seen was in Dallas. I was driving a Semi through a construction zone and I was doing the posted speed limit. Then 2 bikes out of nowhere not only passed me and the car in front of me, but then drove into the construction zone and began zig zagging between the cones and barrels.

I just watched in absolute amazement. There was no way they could have known what was in that construction zone. Equipment, missing patches of road, and various other items of debris.

They didn't wreck, but they sure pushed there luck.

[DJ Kelley]

I remember the first truck job I ever got (working for a farmer), there was a wreck out by his farm just before I started.

They where telling me how a kid had just got a crouch rocket bike, and was riding it out in the country at over 100 mph (on country roads).:06:

He drove into some loose gravel, and wrecked. When he was found, they had to get a group of police to walk the wreck path and pick up pieces of him. He hit the ground so hard that it literally tore him apart.:down:

[Oberon]

Huh, East Anglia, why am I not surprised?

Lots of speed freaks in bikes and cars around here, the geography doesn't help, it's as bumpy as a pancake after it's been run over by a steamroller around here. :nope: :/\\!!

[Eichhörnchen]

No matter how expensive are the leathers they're wearing, motorcyclists are still "soft pink bodies", and the most vulnerable people on the roads.

We have signs everywhere in the UK: "Think Once, Think Twice, Think Bike". I remember this every time I come out onto a main road (freeway) so it does sink home with car drivers.

[Onkel Neal]

When I was 16, I was a danger to myself on 2 wheels. Thanks to my antics, I got a couple of tickets and my father chained my bike to the garage. That was it for street bikes until I turned 19. I think it's even worse today, with modern sportbikes and the celebration of speed and cornering. They really should raise the requirements for under 20 to get and keep a motorcycle licence.

[Wolferz]

When I was 16, I was a danger to myself on 2 wheels. Thanks to my antics, I got a couple of tickets and my father chained my bike to the garage. That was it for street bikes until I turned 19. I think it's even worse today, with modern sportbikes and the celebration of speed and cornering. They really should raise the requirements for under 20 to get and keep a motorcycle licence.
:agree:
No feeling in the world like buying your kid a graduation present of a motorcycle and a funeral.:-?

The ER staff call them Donorcycles for good reason.

Never lose your fear of those things. If you do, you already have a foot in your grave.:yep:

[fireftr18]

One of the areas I was assigned on the fire dept was an area very popular with the sport motorcycle crowd. I don't know how many motorcycle wrecks I made as a result of crap like in this video. Over 23 years, I can count on one hand motorcycle vs anything else that the motorcycle driver was not doing something stupid.
I read once that the primary cause of motor vehicle accidents isn't speed, not paying attention, etc., but incompetence. It leads to driving too fast for conditions, ignoring signs, cutting in and out, over confidence, etc. I see more tricky and dangerous maneuvering in 20 minutes on Interstate 75 than I do in 2 hours on the Kentucky Speedway.

[Stealhead]

I am always semi nervous when I am riding my bike on the interstate. I get over it, but I never let my guard down.

That is how I feel not so much nervous but very cautious. In all honesty the first 6 months or so that I drove a straight truck I was pretty nervous. It is amazing how unaware people are on the road and then you have people doing stunts and people driving distracted. Also in truck all that weight if you hit someone even at 15 mph you could still kill them 80,000 pounds is no joke.

Couple weeks ago I was stuck because of this wreck so I got out of the truck and talked to another trucker. All of a sudden another rig (wont name the company :D) came up too fast. I thought for sure he was going to hit a vehicle and probably kill or at least cause some serious injuries and property damage. He managed to get off onto the right median though. As soon as it stopped the driver and his team mate jumped out. The team mate yelled "you (not safe for TV) I told you a thousand times not to screw around with your cell phone while driving" pretty sure that guy lost his job because a trooper came running over when he heard the guy say that and his team mate looked like he was ready to knock the driver flat out.

I am glad that I mostly do regional runs little less time on the open road exposed to the idiots.

[HunterICX]

When I was 16, I was a danger to myself on 2 wheels. Thanks to my antics, I got a couple of tickets and my father chained my bike to the garage. That was it for street bikes until I turned 19. I think it's even worse today, with modern sportbikes and the celebration of speed and cornering. They really should raise the requirements for under 20 to get and keep a motorcycle licence.

What about cars? it's not like their development has been standing still regarding the weight of the car with the HP the engine and electronics in it produce. Also the media shows of people who know how on closed circuit how to do ''fun'' things with cars but the average joe may thinks he's Ken Block himself claims he can do it on the public road in his VW Golf GTI with his speakers blasting. :nope:

Simply put you've got stupidity on the road both on 2 and 4 wheels and too much HP then they should or can handle and how is one to fix that? Because I have no problem if the stupidity clears itself of the road, it's the unfortunate cases where one's stupidity bill is shared with innocent bystanders that I have a problem with.

in other news hows your Suzzy doing? still holding strong?

[Jimbuna]

Absolutely tragic yet so avoidable :nope:

Been to quite a few scenes like that over the years...adhere to the speed limit and drive with awareness of the traffic and road/weather conditions.

[Nippelspanner]

Absolutely tragic yet so avoidable :nope:
All what crossed my mind as well :-?

[Skybird]

A barbwire net instead of a windscreen, no seat belts, no neck rest but the sharp edge of an axe - would people drive more careful and slowly?

Some yes. those on hormones not.

The myriad of gadgets they build into car electronics, i wonder how helpful they really are. Those functioning well, may ease the need to accumulate experience in manual driving, but is that good? Others may just increase the risks by distracting the driver.

Keep it simple, I say. And do not use electronics to compensate for driver's skill deficits, like the second backup parachute should not be taken as sufficient equipment when jumping out of the plane. Its only there in case the main parachute fails.

[DJ Kelley]

That is how I feel not so much nervous but very cautious. In all honesty the first 6 months or so that I drove a straight truck I was pretty nervous. It is amazing how unaware people are on the road and then you have people doing stunts and people driving distracted. Also in truck all that weight if you hit someone even at 15 mph you could still kill them 80,000 pounds is no joke.

Couple weeks ago I was stuck because of this wreck so I got out of the truck and talked to another trucker. All of a sudden another rig (wont name the company :D) came up too fast. I thought for sure he was going to hit a vehicle and probably kill or at least cause some serious injuries and property damage. He managed to get off onto the right median though. As soon as it stopped the driver and his team mate jumped out. The team mate yelled "you (not safe for TV) I told you a thousand times not to screw around with your cell phone while driving" pretty sure that guy lost his job because a trooper came running over when he heard the guy say that and his team mate looked like he was ready to knock the driver flat out.

I am glad that I mostly do regional runs little less time on the open road exposed to the idiots.

First time I rode my bike on the interstate, it was windy and every time the wind blew the whole bike would shake. This made me vary nervous because it is vary rare that a person survives a wreck at 65 mph.

After awhile I realized that the reason the bike was shaking was not due to the wind, but because of me. You see I was getting nervous, so I was tensed up. Every time the wind hit me I would shift so the bike was just shifting with me. I eventually calmed myself down, and managed to get it under control.

As for Semi's. I generally drive at night to avoid as much traffic as possible. It is pretty peaceful at night.

[Wolferz]

You can't fix stupid.:nope:

At least they're cleaning the gene pool.:yeah:

[Betonov]

but the average joe may thinks he's Ken Block himself claims he can do it on the public road in his VW Golf GTI with his speakers blasting. :nope:



I see western Europe is the same as eastern

[fireftr18]

I see western Europe is the same as eastern

and North America.

[TarJak]

And Australia. We call 'em hoons down here.

[Eichhörnchen]

Where does that word come from? (I'm a keen student of Aussie lexicography)

[TarJak]

It depends on what version you want to believe: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoon

Do a search on Youtube using the word and you'll see some prime examples of the species. I also like the fact that several jurisdictions over here have enshrined the word in legislation. Good to see colloquialism's at work.

[Eichhörnchen]

Thanks: that clears that up. One other thing, do you use the word "pillock" in Oz?

[TarJak]

Thanks: that clears that up. One other thing, do you use the word "pillock" in Oz?

Not often. My pommy missus does have occasion to use that one though. The words we tend to use in place of that one can't be seen here without spelling surgery. Other than "nob-end" maybe. ;)

[Eichhörnchen]

Yes, there were a few more I would've liked to ask you about.