Motorcyclists and Danger - C or D?

He's probably an off-duty motorcycle policeman. They can get very precious about things.

But off-duty motorcycle policemen are often quick to point out how shit everyone else's driving is, as their 'advanced' driving skills make them more aware of hazards which us lesser mortals simply DO NOT SEE.

We've got a Motorcycle Training Centre and garage round the corner from the house, slap bang in the middle of a housing estate, and they go flying down our wee residential street at crazy speeds all day.

I've got a mind to get knocked down on purpose to prove a point, but that's taking it too far.

my dad calls motorcyclists 'temporary australians'

I was stuck in a huge long traffic jam on the A40 once, and the driver in a car ahead of me was so incensed that a motorcyclist was able to beat the jam by overtaking us all that he flung his driver's door open in an attempt to knock the motorcyclist off deliberately.

Lots of nutters out there on the roads, on four wheels as well as two.

that said: my dad was lucky to be alive after his motorcycle crash in 1986, and my uncle in 1993 ... well, he wasn't quite so lucky. the car driver was 100 per cent at fault in each case.

to be honest, as long as cars exist, i really don't think motorcycles should. contentious, i know, but ... it's for everybody's good.

Do they? When I rode my scooter it only happened if I couldn't drive at ambient speed (it only went 30mph when restricted, and when derestricted it couldn't quite make 50, though I didn't go on 50mph roads very often), which is fair enough. Most motortcyclists seem very happy driving at least as fast as car drivers.

This driver was doing less than 30 on a 60 road? THAT is dangerous driving - not to mention preventing you from overtaking and stopping in front of you. I'd have told him you videoed him on your digital camera, then seen what his reaction was.

(I am feeling substantial righteous anger on your behalf right now. Motherfucker)

Ive respect for most bikers, cos every single one I know is very stridently careful about road rules and doesnt ride like a dick, but they constantly run risks with careless "cage" drivers (cars).

Of course there are bikers who are stupid, but that goes for all road users. People just dont look out for bikes properly tho.

Oh yeah, most dangerous drivers I come across are car drivers, that goes without saying but there are more cars on the road.

From what this guy done it's obvious he was trying to taunt a motorist into overtaking.

Not all bikers are the same, there are many, many experienced cautious riders out there, but a large proportion of them are so into the 'thrill' of it that the safety of themselves and others goes right out the window.

the worst part is if you have to see him in the lift every second day and feel all awkward.

I've only seen minimum-speed signs on fairly remote multi-lane highways in the US. (The one on the AR/TX border near my grandparent's house reads: "Speed limit 75, night 65, minimum 45.")

It would have been karmic justice if a huge lorry had appeared over the brow of the hill bearing down on you. Head-first smash into big rig or sideways nudge of motorbike? Not a tricky decision...

I'm not disputing that there are motorcyclists who behave appallingly towards other motorists (and who ride stupidly - I've seen several people on powerful bikes who ride wearing T-shirts and trainers rather than proper leather gear) but I do think they're in the minority and not all motorcyclists are suicidal as the first post suggests.

Gone are the days when having a half-decent bike was the cheap alternative to a car. Insurance premiums are prohibitively high, and you'll probably find that most people riding (big) bikes these days aren't teenagers and boy racers who have only recently passed their bike tests, but affluent middle aged professionals because they're the only ones who can afford it. Some of those might be arseholes, yes, but it's a shame to tar all bikers with the same brush.

I got quoted 3rd party insurance for a 125cc moped in London at £240/year. That's pretty cheap for a bike you can ride with an L plate and that can do 80mph.

Most motorcyclists are not unsafe drivers or crazy-behavin' thrill seekers. I'd say, based only on personal experience, that the percentage of unsafe car drivers is much higher--because of something that has been pointed out a few times on this thread. "Oh, what would happen if we sideswiped/nudged/hit the motorcyclist, he'd be in some trouble then..." Yes, most of them know that. And an awful lot of car drivers are fully aware of their level of relative safety and size...

A friend of mine just had to go to a funeral for a guy killed on his bike heading down to the event that was in DC this past weekend. He was killed by an SUV driver who barrelled through red light on a right turn and swiped him.

And this is at least the third person in that group whose been killed by an SUV driver doing the exact same thing.

In fact, thinking about it, every car/bike crash I am familiar with in the past 10 years in my personal circle has involved an SUV, with the sole exception of the one I was involved in. Huh.

So, I mean, yeah, the guy in the thread question is an intolerable dickhead (saying thhings like "I am an advanced driver" is like amazing), but tarring motorcyclists in general in this fashion kind of isn't cool.

That said, if you ride a motorcycle you must know that you are putting yourself at significantly increased risk of serious injury or death.