Topic: This afternoon I saw a Ducati hit a pedestrian...

[sparty]

Guys,

I live in a college town.  People and cars and bikes and motorcycles are everywhere, espically when the weather is beautiful -like today.

I was driving through campus and came to a red light.  As I was stopped, I saw a pedestrian (with headphones on) step from the curb into the crosswalk.  At the same time, a Ducati Monster S4R was making a right turn.  The motorcycle bumped into the pedestrian at low speed, the pedestrian stumbled and feel, the bike and rider also stumbled and I guess that the rider twisted the throttle and the bike shot out from under him and landed on its left side in the middle of the road.  I sat in my car with my mouth hanging open.  I couldn't believe what I just witnessed.

So, who is at fault?  Pedestrian have the rightaway on campus.  And according to that, it would be the riders fault.

Too bad for that nice looking S4R.

Sparty

[edbikerii]

Did you give him your phone number?  Dummy with the headphones should pay for the bike's repairs.

Guys,

I live in a college town.  People and cars and bikes and motorcycles are everywhere, espically when the weather is beautiful -like today.

I was driving through campus and came to a red light.  As I was stopped, I saw a pedestrian (with headphones on) step from the curb into the crosswalk.  At the same time, a Ducati Monster S4R was making a right turn.  The motorcycle bumped into the pedestrian at low speed, the pedestrian stumbled and feel, the bike and rider also stumbled and I guess that the rider twisted the throttle and the bike shot out from under him and landed on its left side in the middle of the road.  I sat in my car with my mouth hanging open.  I couldn't believe what I just witnessed.

So, who is at fault?  Pedestrian have the rightaway on campus.  And according to that, it would be the riders fault.

Too bad for that nice looking S4R.

Sparty

[sparty]

Did you give him your phone number?  Dummy with the headphones should pay for the bike's repairs.

Guys,

I live in a college town.  People and cars and bikes and motorcycles are everywhere, espically when the weather is beautiful -like today.

I was driving through campus and came to a red light.  As I was stopped, I saw a pedestrian (with headphones on) step from the curb into the crosswalk.  At the same time, a Ducati Monster S4R was making a right turn.  The motorcycle bumped into the pedestrian at low speed, the pedestrian stumbled and feel, the bike and rider also stumbled and I guess that the rider twisted the throttle and the bike shot out from under him and landed on its left side in the middle of the road.  I sat in my car with my mouth hanging open.  I couldn't believe what I just witnessed.

So, who is at fault?  Pedestrian have the rightaway on campus.  And according to that, it would be the riders fault.

Too bad for that nice looking S4R.

Sparty

I actually spoke with the police officer and the rider.  I told them that I was a witness.  There was also several other witnesses.  The rider left the bike in the roadway until the police arrived.  The rider snapped a few photos with his phone camera.  He actually wasn't upset.  He was much cooler than I would have been.  His bike was 800 miles old.  I think he was a newbie.

Sparty

[edbikerii]

He was probably really happy he didn't kill the pedestrian accidentally.  I dumped my bike in a pothole at a really busy intersection once, and nearly brained a pedestrian with a walkman going down (completely my fault).

[seaweb11]

Don't bikes have to stop before turning right?  :Look both ways and carry on if safe to do so>

[sparty]

Don't bikes have to stop before turning right?  :Look both ways and carry on if safe to do so>

Yeah.  The bike was stopped and waiting for the green at the four way.  When the light turned green the bike turned right.  I don't think he was looking very well.  Ooops.

Sparty

[nickjtc]

Sounds like he forgot the 'lifesaver', the prudent shoulder check and observation to your immediate right when turning (after stopping.....you do stop, don't you???) at an intersection.

Problem is that most road users (Nicks totally unscientific guess would be 95%+ hereabouts) get so wound up with worrying about their observation in to the intersection to see that it will be clear to go, that they a) forget to come to a complete stop at the stop sign and b) don't shoulder check right to look for inattentive pedestrians hurling themselves off the pavement, or that bicyclist who sneaks up alongside them.

Rolling stops and poor right shoulder checking are two of the most common reasons why I end up advising the hapless examinee that they were unsuccessful in their road test.

[nickjtc]

PS. The rider or driver of a motorised vehicle that hits a pedestrian has to have credible witnesses if they are to stand any chance of not being blamed for that kind of accident.

[seaweb11]

So Nick, do I win a prize?

[nickjtc]

So Nick, do I win a prize?

Yes, if the intersection is 'controlled' by either a red light or a stop sign. If neither, then the vehicle operator is not obliged to stop unless other traffic dictates.

Usually the non-mandatory-stopping-intersections are controlled by a yield sign, but there aren't many of them in urban areas here in BC. I asked a RCMP officer why there weren't more yield signs, when most riders/drivers do not stop at stop signs anyway. He responded that if there is an accident at a stop-controlled intersection it is almost always possible to assign fault to just one of the accident-ees.

[74cb750]

Wow. Good luck to the driver of the Duck.

Recently sitting at a stop light 3 cars were rear-ended by a speeding Subaru WRX, coffee drriinking, cell phone taliking
teenage girl. My 'new to me' car was 3 weeks old. It took 10 weeks for me to see payment from USAA insuarance.
USAA kept trying to blame me (the middle car! for stopping at the red light!)
peace,
michel