There's a lot of great stuff posted about safety. 176 things they never told you. Garys post with the bike getting rearended(re-posted by Everett), but we've all seen drivers do some crazy stuff. I'm an experienced rider, but there's plenty with more experience, and I ain't afraid to learn something new, even from someone younger. Thought I'd add a few things I've seen, and hopefully ya'll will add some of your more unusual experiences to help "drive it home".One way streets. Look both ways, I've seen many a cager go the wrong way, either by accident, or by intent. Some morons use 'em as shotcuts if they think they can make it. Turns from the wrong lane. I see this a lot. Driver realizes they're in the wrong lane for their turn, shoots across lanes to get where they want to be, and just hope for the best, no signal of course. I call this the "ostrich syndrome" "if I don't look at 'em they won't hit me" The sudden turn. Driver decides at last second they need to turn. If signal is used ,(rarely) they use it at the exact moment of the turn.Same with lane changes. Freeway Follies. Once was just about to pass an 18 wheeler when a woman up ahead decided she was going to miss her exit, so she stopped her car, put her right turn signal on and looked over her shoulder to wait for traffic to clear.Still not sure how we got out of that one. A guy blew a tire, and commeced to change it right in the fast lane. 18 wheeler just missed him and we missed by inches. Moron behind the wheel decides he can pass me on a one lane interchange, decides he can't, watch in my mirror as he does 360s right in front of an oncoming wall of traffic. Experience is the best teacher, and I learned a lot. I give large vehicals a wide berth 'cause they hide a lot of hazards. I never make assumptions about what a drivers going to do and I try to plan for an "out". One more for now. Lane changing driver not paying attention, hits a tire laying in road, flips it into my lane. Thanks to experience and a great handling Sporty, I missed it without panicking.

Well said!!

I now slow down and LOOK BOTH WAYS before entering an intersection, even when I have the green light.
I also wonder why they don't lower the cost of new cars by offering turn signal as an option only. Considering how rarely people use them.
Assume you are invisible.
Put a LOUD horn on your bike.
Assume slow drivers are yakkin on cel phones while driving- they're everywhere on the roads these days & they are not aware of their surroundings, even if using a handsfree unit.
Stay away from vehicles that have more than one dent- these are incompetant drivers who have no investment in their vehicles so they don't care if they hit anything..
I was driving fast in the left lane of a major highway north of Toronto once and the guy ahead of me had a canoe strapped to his roof. It was bouncing up and down a bit and a lttle voice told me to get out from behind him. I passed on his right at the exact moment the canoe flew of his roof landing right where I would have been a moment earlier. God damn $#@$% A-hole. I should have stopped and beat the shit out of him for endangering so many people, but hopefully he got killed trying to pick up his canoe.

There's a lot of great stuff posted about safety. 176 things they never told you. Garys post with the bike getting rearended(re-posted by Everett), but we've all seen drivers do some crazy stuff. I'm an experienced rider, but there's plenty with more experience, and I ain't afraid to learn something new, even from someone younger. Thought I'd add a few things I've seen, and hopefully ya'll will add some of your more unusual experiences to help "drive it home".One way streets. Look both ways, I've seen many a cager go the wrong way, either by accident, or by intent. Some morons use 'em as shotcuts if they think they can make it. Turns from the wrong lane. I see this a lot. Driver realizes they're in the wrong lane for their turn, shoots across lanes to get where they want to be, and just hope for the best, no signal of course. I call this the "ostrich syndrome" "if I don't look at 'em they won't hit me" The sudden turn. Driver decides at last second they need to turn. If signal is used ,(rarely) they use it at the exact moment of the turn.Same with lane changes. Freeway Follies. Once was just about to pass an 18 wheeler when a woman up ahead decided she was going to miss her exit, so she stopped her car, put her right turn signal on and looked over her shoulder to wait for traffic to clear.Still not sure how we got out of that one. A guy blew a tire, and commeced to change it right in the fast lane. 18 wheeler just missed him and we missed by inches. Moron behind the wheel decides he can pass me on a one lane interchange, decides he can't, watch in my mirror as he does 360s right in front of an oncoming wall of traffic. Experience is the best teacher, and I learned a lot. I give large vehicals a wide berth 'cause they hide a lot of hazards. I never make assumptions about what a drivers going to do and I try to plan for an "out". One more for now. Lane changing driver not paying attention, hits a tire laying in road, flips it into my lane. Thanks to experience and a great handling Sporty, I missed it without panicking.

Experience is the only teacher late for school.
_______________
yeller 1200

slow down and LOOK BOTH WAYS before entering an intersection, even when I have the green light.
Assume you are invisible.
Put a LOUD horn on your bike.
Assume slow drivers are yakkin on cel phones while driving-
Stay away from vehicles that have more than one dent-
a lttle voice told me to get out from behind him.
Great advice and never ignore that little voice.

I also wonder why they don't lower the cost of new cars by offering turn signal as an option only. Considering how rarely people use them.


Ain't that the truth, I wish the cops would start to ticket those aholes who don't use em!

This story happened just yesterday, and while we were in a car, but that doesn't matter. My brother (Chipdog4 was driving) and I were on our way to school. Two and a half hour drive. We wern't even an hour into when some crazy crossed the center lane at us. There was a van in front of us and the van missed the car by inches by swerving onto the shoulder. Then it was our turn to avoid this lunitac. This is the second time that this has happened to us within the school year. Scared the :censor out of me. Both time happened in out slighty used car that is new to us. I would just like to track the person who is driving that car and beat the living :censor out of them. The first on involed a early model chevy half ton and the guy was on his cell phone. Never even braked once he got into our lane. It makes me wonder if some people got their licenses in a Cracker Jack box. Next time it happens I am going to follow the guy and report him to the police. I don't know if there is much that they can do about it since they did not witness it.

You can go crazy thinkin about all the idiots on the road today, so just keep yer eyes open and be aware all around ya.........best ya can do :D

ALWAYS BE CAUTIOUS NEAR FAST FOOD JOINTS. People always check their bags and start digging for food as they leave the drive thru...probably while talking on cell phones!!! I think that being a rider has made me a better driver. Many of the safety practices I utilize when riding I also incorporate into my driving style. (ie. escape routes, blind spots, intersection management.) I'm hardly a perfect driver but I realize that and try to keep my speed low and head up.(just not up my butt like too many cagers!)

My brother (Chipdog4 was driving) and I were on our way to school. Two and a half hour drive. That's a helluva commute, glad to see you guys were paying attention and are here to bitch about it.