Another "Left Turn Death" here in Maine....

[brownie]

Hope he gets 30 years......

[bmwrider88]

Hope he gets 30 years......

I hope he gets at LEAST 30 years. Being charged with a homicide and negligent driving are a BIG start. Let's take it the extra mile and actually imprison these people. Maybe a few years in prison and a permanent HOMICIDE on their record would show them how serious this issue really is. IMO one problem with today's world is not enough people are equipped to take on full responsibility for their actions.

[98288]

Be as obvious as possible, but, treat them all like deer. - Bob

[Omega Man]

Foxboro is the next town over from me...a little more info.

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/...244911c9a.html

[BCKRider]

Be as obvious as possible, but, treat them all like deer. - Bob

Well, yeah, they can dart out from behind bushes and stop when they should have kept going or vice versa. But deer are far more maneuverable. Not saying that some drivers are any smarter than deer, but I believe they are a little easier to miss when they do something stupid.

[Brian-NC]

IMHO, nothing to do with DT lighting. It has to do with incompetent people being issued licenses. No more drivers ED in high school, do to liability issues and budget cuts, incompetent parents teaching (or should I say riding around with their kids JUST long enough for them to get a license), feeling of safety with 94 airbags, ABS, back up warning etc, which makes the consequences of not paying attention seem minimal.

It will not get better until we toughen up training and licensing requirements.

+1 on poor training. The current state of our driver training in America is SHAMEFUL! To the contrary, go try to get a drivers license in Germany. MUCH more comprehensive and I hear the test is very difficult.

As a LEO, I'd have to say that distracted driving is the damnation of this country. Texting and being sooo constantly connected to our "smartphones" is an epidemic in todays world. Now, they have started installing internet search engines in the dash of new cars. "Bing" at the touch of your fingers while hurdling down the freeway at 80 mph...just what we need

[175781]

My first bike was destroyed when an elderly lady (on the way to church) waited until the last minute and turned in front of me. I hit just as she reached a right angle. Jumped off the pegs and got by with scrapes. Bike was all over the intersection. Over a quarter century later, any car stopped in the oncoming lane with the blinker on still has my undivided attention.

[jnerges]

Be as obvious as possible, but, treat them all like deer. - Bob

Left turn killers and deer are number one and two on my hazard list. I used to think a nice evening ride in the country was great but deer tend to graze at dusk around here.

I treat deer with the same vigilance that I treat a left turning texter or somebody who stops at a perpendicular stop sing to my right and has a dent in the left front corner panel.

[flyrider]

We all know there are distracted drivers. I've had a young female cross into my lane while driving my car, and she was head-on into me. Fortunately, she looked up from her cell phone at the last minute and swerved back into her lane.

The real question is...when does the incidence of death and destruction reach a level that regulators get serious about BANNING the use of digital technology in a MOVING vehicle? Could disabling mechanisms be put in place that would jam these gadgets unless the vehicle were STOPPED?

It used to be that owning a mobile phone was a sign of power and status. Now it's a sign of slavery...don't people get that?

Sorry for the rant...

P.S. My bike is equipped with "hazard flashers"...it's tempting to turn them on when approaching intersections...they almost look like flashing police lights. Anyone ever do this?

[Rpbump]

My friend Rick had all of these on his BMW when a woman turned in front of him in Anderson, SC. he died the next day. He was ATGATT; it did not help.

The problem is nothing more than people driving while distracted. I have a buddy who drives an ambulance and people turn in front of him all the time.

THEY ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

Amen

[adventurexpress]

Cagers are extremely distracted these days, whether they have passengers or not.
On the cell phone, texting while driving, playing with their "SYNC" system, swapping out CDs or playing with an iPod, eating while driving, drinking and spilling while driving, smoking and dropping ash in the lap while driving, conversations (heated at times) with passengers in the front and rear. The list could go on and on. Accept the fact that the person behind the wheel is oblivious to you as they have too much going on in the cage.

I personally have adopted the "Ride like you are invisible" attitude. I am a daily commuter on my GSA and as big as the bike is, I cant tell you how many times a week that someone doesn't see me. Lights on, hi-vis jacket ... it doesnt seem to matter. The cagers that are driving at the same commuting times... are off work, heading home and are in a decompressing stage... sort of zoning out and trying to wind down on their way home or the next event in their life.

I've been cut-off, merged in to, rode up on from behind, and just about any other violation you could think of. I think I'm still here because I ride defensive and ride like i am invisible. Don't fall prey to the idea that you have the right of way. Anytime you approach an intersection or far that matter a vehicle that potentially could cross your path at the last minute should always be met with ... slow your speed and cover the brake preparing for a last minute stop. Remember you are invisible.

My apologies for the soap boxing... but riders have to accept that they damn near dont exist in the eyes of the cager. You are always at the disadvantage with 2 tons of steel.

Ride safe my friends and ride like you are invisible.

[R1200RClassic]

Middle aged rider, 17 year old SUV driver. No the rider didn't have a helmet, yes the 17 year old driver was inexperienced but that is not what I'm here to discuss.

Is it just me or does there seem to be a higher percentage of these accidents? Sure, more cars on the road, more accidents but......
...

When I took my Team Oregon refresher they went over some stats and the #1 fatality between a bike and car is where the car makes the left turn in front of the bike.. largely happens when the bike is tucked behind a car and the turning car doesn't see it, assumes the passing traffic (a car or SUV/van) was the last vehicle and then begins to turn.

This is why I:

a) always ride well behind the car in front of me
b) always ride on the left side of the lane (more visible to on coming traffic)
c) wear Hi-Viz cloths/helmet
d) am EXTREMELY cautions and try to make eye to eye contact with the turning car

Is this a guarantee of safety? no, but it's not going to hurt my odds..

RIP to the rider and my condolences to his family.

[acejones]

Don't issue drivers licenses until age 25. That's when the adolescent brain begins to function properly. Ban cell phones and any other kind of communication devices when a vehicle is in motion and enforce the ban vigorously.
I could go on about the dumbing down in our schools and parental failure to teach accountability but I'm just wasting band width.