New rider here. Back on 2 wheels after being away 35 yrs.

I read so many horror stories on here about fellas being rear-ended at a red light, I am getting so I almost fear them !

Do folks really have the time to get out of the way? (and to where?-middle of a busy intersection?)

I was rear ended in a car once, (by a drunk driver) and I even saw it coming, but it was a little different. I was pulled over on the side of a normal street, in the winter, big snowbanks.....nowhere and no way to get away....WHAM ! Hit about 35mph....totaled my 74 Firebird and small injuries to all 3 in the car. Car was in park and basically against a snowbank. A passenger was getting out of the car at the time of impact and was thrown clear. Anyways....

On a bike, I would not be picking up or dropping off a passenger at a red light, but I always wonder if I was first or 2nd in line at a 4 way stop light...where in heck would I even go if I "guessed" (sensed?) some stupid texter or drunk driver was not going to stop ! ...and how would I even know? I swear with better brak es in cars nowadays, some folks wait until the very last second to apply them. (am I going to be a jumping bean, dashing for the sidewalk every time I approach a red light?)

What brings this to mind more today than a week ago is I witnessed an SUV blow past a whole line of cars (maybe 10 of us) while driving straight, at 50mph, right up a turn lane and then pass a school bus who had JUST turned off his red flashing lights.

I am pretty sure the SUV had no idea whatsoever they were doing anything wrong. Never saw us, never saw the schoolbus, never saw the kids, who had thankfully (whew) just barely cleared the street. I was like, WTF...all those kids could be dead right now !

...scary stuff.

My question is 100% serious though. When I was 18 I thought I was invinceable and had no fear of cagers at all. 35 more years on has taught me I sure as heck am not !

Thanks......drive safe

 

Even if one is salty and frosty all the time, it is hard to prevent something that is out of your control. My solution is that I try to never get stopped at a light on those rare occasions where I am ridding in a city. Most of my riding is commuting to work on nice county roads with few traffic lights. If one rides, getting creamed by some revoked, drunk, distracted, no-insurance having, texting a-hole is one of the risks.

 

I don't think you can prevent anything 100% of the time, but you can do things that may make being rear ended preventable. I have an exit plan at every intersection before I even come to a complete stop, sometimes they are better than others. if you are 3 or 4 cars back, maybe taking off between them is your only option, you may still get taken down, but at least you let 2 or 3 of the cars absorb some of that energy. If you are first in line with no cars to the rear you may have to move left or right. lastly watch your mirrors and stay in gear.

 

I was rear ended back in 2008. Bumper to bumper traffic. I stopped to let a car in from a sidesteet. The guy behind me didn't stop. He knocked me forwards about 15 feet. I Keeped the bike up but had a pushed in rear fender. I was about a mike from the Harley dealer. I rode there and they pushed the fender out. The guy who hit me wrote a check out right away, so I could get the damage fixed.
There was nothing I could have done differently except for not been a nice guy, letting someone in. Stuff like this just happens. It's just part of being on two wheels. Just ride as safe as you can, that's all you can do.

 

To me, your scenario is just like any other part of any ride you take...first, always have an escape route or two. Secondly, head on a swivel...and be just as aware of what's happening in back of you as in front of you, by scanning the rear view mirrors. Third, keep your bike in gear and ready to move immediately when danger approaches. Fourth, be aware that it is HIGHLY unlikely that you will freeze at a critical moment rather than move to the right area. In my opinion, a lot of motorcyclists' deaths have occurred because of this last.


As you move into a place to stop as you approach a traffic light or stop sign, scan the areas available in front of you. It might even be that your escape route would include moving against the red light, but at a critical moment, laws can pretty much go out the window...it's about saving your life. Gotta keep your head in the ball game. And how about turning that fine stereo off as you ride down the road and spend that time thinking about scenarios, and practice looking for escape routes and going over 'what ifs' in your mind. At some point it will be second nature to you, but as a brand new rider...and you ARE a brand new rider...or even worse with the impediments that age brings on...you've gotta go back and start over.


As you approach a traffic signal or boulevard stop, pay close attention to your rear views. If you see someone coming up hard behind you, and it's clear they're not gonna stop, then you're gonna move to one of the escape routes that you've already scoped out. Likely, that will be between cars...let the cars take the impact, their survivability quotients will be MUCH higher. Or, if you've been a total idiot and your bike is right up against the car in front of you, bail off and run! Don't worry about the jiffy stand...it might be the only thing that survives the crash! And don't freeze up!


What I typically do at a traffic signal, if there's room, and if your state laws allow it...that leaves out 49 of our states...I move between the cars in the #1 & #2 lanes...preferably...or any others that are clear...up to the head of the line. Thataway, I know a car can't get me...the only vehicle that can get me is another motorcycle, and you'd hope that their head's in the game.


So, to boil it down, it's just like any other thing on a motorcycle...awareness, reaction, and action. This has worked well for many years for me, and as involved as it seems, all of this happens extremely quickly and becomes second nature. But don't be timid in your riding...be cautious...not timid. The worst thing you have going for you is that you think your experiences of 35 years ago are the same and will benefit you. Nope. You're worse off now than if you were just coming into it, and that's just one guy's opinion, others may poo poo this...your reaction times are much longer, your reaction decisions aren't honed, and basically...you may simply be scared at times. And right there can get you killed mo ricky tick. Fear is a good thang...scared...nope.


If you haven't already done so, please take a basic motorcycle safety course. You might want to research the Ride Like a Pro series, but that's gonna be after you get thru the basics.


Keep in mind that the skills of motorists across the board have degraded to a huge degree in the years that you have been away. That includes other motorcyclists, and especially the Harley crowd. (Oh, boy, I'm gonna get some hate on that one, but for every hater, there's ten old bikers who are sittin' back goin' "Amen brother") If you are a guy who got your Harley to go to Real Biker Events, and a lot of Real Bikers are on the road, this is where the fear factor comes in, my friend! Personally, I avoid any and all of these, since it's just about a guarantee that someone's gonna get hurt or killed on any mass riding event! Your choice...my suggestion is get out there and ride by yourself in traffic situations by yourself for a while, then move up to small groups...


Good luck to ya sir...you can agree with any of the stuff I've written or not, but it's what's kept me alive and well for almost fifty years...with the one exception of last January, during a panic stop situation, and BOTH of my escape routes escaped, and I had to lay the bike down...it happens. If you're not ready to die...stay in your cage.

 

No,make sure your taillights work.Give yourself an out when stopped.Keep an eye on your mirrors.

 

BAL
http://www.brightasslights.com/site/

 

You can try to prevent it but that's about it.

 

Yup...I don't like to be tomine holding other traffic, so I don't stop or slow to let someone out.

 

In all my years of riding, I've only had one truly close call of this nature.

Was riding to work, on a divided, four lane. Stopped at a light. I'm always extra wary until a car pulls in behind me to provide a "buffer".

So, I'm sitting there, eyes on the mirrors, when I see this car coming hard at us. It all happened fast, but I ended up making a snap decision and pulled up next to the car ahead of me. I was on my SV-650 at the time. Having a small, light bike at that moment was a blessing.

A moment later the car that was approaching blasted into the rear of the car I had pulled next to. Quite the crunch.

A very sobering moment.

To ride is to accept certain risks. The vast majority of them YOU can control. Some, you don't.

The way I look at it is this: 100% of the mistakes I make have the potential of killing me. That I can control. I can't eliminate every mistake, but through deliberate skill development, attentiveness, sobriety, good maintenance, etc, etc, etc I can minimize them.

I have no control over mistakes made by others. I can "wish" other drivers were more skillful or attentive or whatever, but "wish in one hand, **** in the other" and all that. All I can do is stay focused and attentive and very actively observe those around me.