Re: Why I drive a BMW and not a motorcycle.

[Michiel van Wessem <jmvw@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Steve,

I can understand it was a shock to see that. 

Just wanted to tell you that the guy on the motorcycle may not be dead and
may not even be hurt seriously. 

When I was about 13 years old, I made a left turn on my bicycle without
looking and I was hit from the left by a car (probably going about 40).
According to my friend who saw it happen, I was propelled through the air
about 40 feet before I hit the street. I don't remember the incident as I
was unconscious, but all I was left with was a light concussion and a
broken collarbone. After that, I became a lot more careful in traffic. 

Sometimes, people get amazing luck in accidents. Sometimes they don't.

You're damn right people on motorcycles are vulnerable.

Michiel

At 02:49 PM 2/1/99 -0500, Steve wrote:
>I had a front row view of a motorcyclist getting clobbered by a
>car today at an intersection.  It's a sight I've never seen in
>person before, and definitely one I'll not soon forget.
>
>I was stopped in a left turn lane, light green, waiting for
>oncoming traffic to clear.  Across from me, three cars were in
>their left turn lane waiting for traffic from my direction to
>clear as well.  All of a sudden, the motorcyclist approaches the
>intersection from the direction opposite me, passes the three cars
>on their right, does not have his headlamp on, and then proceeds,
>without even stopping or looking (remember, he was about 10 feet
>from me when he turned) to make his ill-advised, totally illegal
>left turn.  He paid dearly.
>
>An instant later out of the corner of my eye I see a gray Accord
>entering the intersection.  Immediately following was a horrible
>"WHUNK" and my next view is literally seeing both the motorcyclist
>and his bike flying through the air.  Both came to rest in the
>middle of the intersection, the cyclist totally unconscious and
>perhaps even dead.  It was a hard impact.  The poor woman stopped
>and we all told her it wasn't her fault.  It's a grey, rainy day
>here, the bike's light wasn't on, and there's no way she could
>have seen the fool entering the intersection.  But it really drove
>home the point we often hear about how totally vulnerable you are
>on a motorcycle.  Had he been in a car, it would have been a good
>fender bender.  As it is, it could be a fatality.  It shook me up
>to see it happen - so for any of you motorcyclists out there - you
>can't ever drive too safely.
>
>Steve C.

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