Please Pay Attention Oppo

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213) 11/20/2015 at 11:40 • Filed to: rip, careful, alert, pay attention, news, motorcycle

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Yesterday afternoon, there was a fatal motorcycle accident by me. Some 90 year old man in a Toyota Camry failed to yield to traffic and cut off a motorcycle rider. The rider was doing nothing wrong, even was wearing a helmet. He smashed the side of the Camry and was pronounced dead at the scene. The 90 year old got a citation for failure to yield...

Now I didn’t personally know the rider, but I was able to just go on Facebook and search his name. The day before he posted a picture of himself with his girlfriend (maybe fiance?) and looked so happy. To think that now he is gone, in the blink of an eye, from someone being careless is hard to swallow.

Just be careful out there.

RIP Adrian

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 11:42

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:(

450X_FTW > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 11:45

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This is why I always wear a gopro when I ride two wheels. Not to get videos to show off, but in case someone who is not paying attention kills me, then at least there will be video of the incident.

Ride in Peace

HammerheadFistpunch > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 11:46

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Exactly why I wont ride. I know its an old excuse but its a good one; I trust my skills but I don’t trust the skills of those I share the road with.

CalzoneGolem > HammerheadFistpunch 11/20/2015 at 11:47

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I don’t even trust my skills.

B Reynolds > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 11:47

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RIP fallen rider.

$kaycog > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 11:53

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That’s heartbreaking.

NJAnon > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 12:03

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Yeah, some states have age limits and have the elderly re-take tests. But some don’t.

The 88year old guy that hit someone and kept driving was in a state where they don’t restrict driving at a certain age.

(Still unclear how even at an advanced age you can’t register that you’ve hit something the size of a human while driving)

FKA-RacecaR > CalzoneGolem 11/20/2015 at 12:04

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That’s why I don’t own a motorcycle.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 12:05

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Terribly sad. This is exactly why I’ve agreed with my wife to only ever ride a motorcycle off public roads.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > B Reynolds 11/20/2015 at 12:07

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What’s the closest call you’ve ever had? Ever considered hanging up your helmet? Stay safe out there.

Mmmmm > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 12:10

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And that’s why I rarely ever ride on the street anymore. Dane Westby, a pro racer, was killed by where I live not too long ago. It doesn’t matter how good you are if someone else does something stupid enough you are screwed.

B Reynolds > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 11/20/2015 at 12:18

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I’m pretty cautious, certainly had some close calls over the years, all seemed to be when I was not paying attention like I should have been. When I was a kid I took a corner too wide on a dirt road, I was learning to ride my dirt bike at the time and met a school bus, coming way too close. That one stuck with me. Every time something tragic like this happens it makes me appreciate life. Stuff like this reminds me to be safe, but make sure I enjoy life, and for me a lot of that enjoyment is riding.

Rico > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 12:26

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Old people get away with anything. Last year an elderly lady confused the brake pedal and gas pedal (how that ever happens I’ll never know) she hopped the curb right next to a school and mowed down a group of 3rd graders, one of which died. Nothing happened to the lady, I don’t even think she got a citation. This is a constant thing too, another article a few months back here had an elderly gentleman ram like 4-5 cars in a parking lot after confusing the pedals and nothing happened to him.

Accidents happen yes but when it’s a careless accident like “confusing the brake pedal for the gas pedal” I think there needs to be some accountability.

Speed > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 12:27

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Simply saddening and tragic. Elderly drivers really irk me. Half the time I see someone in a car doing something questionable it’s someone old as the hills.

1) Someone that’s been around that long should know how to drive better than just about ANYONE based on experience alone.

2) If they’re so old they can’t see or hear anymore, their licenses need to be taken.

Granted this is a mistake someone of any age could make, but the thought of half blind and deaf people piloting 3,000+ pounds of steel at 35+ miles an hour down the road is frightening.

Rico > 450X_FTW 11/20/2015 at 12:27

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But as you can see nothing will happen. Do you think the old geezer learned his lesson with that bullshit citation?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > B Reynolds 11/20/2015 at 12:29

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Yeah - life is made for living. I’ve definitely had close calls on winding roads in my car (mostly because of others’ actions). We’d all sit home on the couch all day in fear otherwise. I’m a very attentive driver, so I think I’d be safer than average on a bike, but there’s also some percentage of stuff you can’t account for (true for life in general). I’ve agreed with my wife that I’d only ever ride a motorcycle off public roads (until the kids are much, much older anyway), but I really do want to learn to ride better than I do. I didn’t grow up riding, but bought one from a friend a while back to learn to ride, and had another friend with a trailer and dirt bikes to go riding with, but he’s since moved away, and my bike has sat for way too long... Need to get motivated, get it running again, and get out there.

E92M3 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 12:31

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This is exactly what happened to one of my best friends (except replace the 90 yr old with a 16 yr old girl). She didn’t even get a ticket as she was turning into her fathers church (He’s a pastor in the small town, and knew everyone including the cops who came to the scene). He had a 4 month old baby when he was killed who will never remember him.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Speed 11/20/2015 at 12:56

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There really needs to be a requirment for the elderly to have to retake a full driving exam like every few years once they hit a certain age. The fact that they just walk into the dmv and renew is not okay. So many of them should not be driving anymore.

deekster_caddy > HammerheadFistpunch 11/20/2015 at 12:58

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This here - same for me. I used to ride dirtbikes, and loved it. But I won’t set two wheels on pavement with all of these motherfucking assholes driving around who are either too stupid to leave any room, or too stupid to turn in their license when they can’t see/comprehend/react anymore. And accidents happen, if you have a steel cage around you it’s going to be a very different outcome than if you have some leather as your only protection.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Mmmmm 11/20/2015 at 12:58

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I drive a fairly large hatchback and I’m scared by the actions of these drivers. I could never ride a motorcycle here because of that. The median age of my town is 68 and we have crazy seaons where thousands come from up north. And they get lost and clog up roads and are idiots behind the wheel.

handyjoe > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 13:28

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That “failure to yield” needs to be upgraded to vehicular manslaughter. I find it completely unacceptable that I can break the law, kill someone, and only receive a freaking citation.

handyjoe > handyjoe 11/20/2015 at 13:29

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Also, very sad for the family. No one should have to deal with this type of loss, but we insist on making it so very easy to do so.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/20/2015 at 13:38

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I think that at every license renewal (I’d say 5 years maximum), *EVERYONE* should retake the theory and practical exams.

I mean, if you really are that good of a driver, then the theory and sign test as well as maneuvering around a parking lot/residential block should be a piece of cake.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Rico 11/20/2015 at 13:41

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And what would charging him with involuntary manslaughter (or Causing Death by Criminal Negligence in Canada) accomplish?

Rico > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 11/20/2015 at 13:49

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The same thing it accomplishes when a person who isn’t elderly gets charged, accountability. I’m sure if I mowed down your family member you’d want me to get more than a $100 ticket.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Rico 11/20/2015 at 14:10

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You missed the point. Since in most states the prison term is up to 15 years for vehicular manslaughter, what would incarcerating a 90 year old prove, either to him or to society?

Do I think it deserves more than a citation? Yes. Do I think that it merits a decade in jail for a nonagenarian? Probably not. Should he be barred from driving? Absolutely.

It is a tragedy that a motorcyclist was killed. I ride, and it’s a scary thing at times. Both of my parents ride, as well.

If it was a kid who was being a fool behind the wheel of a car and killed a motorcyclist, there might be more of a case for a prison term of some length (length is debatable).

Our legal and penal systems in the US are all kinds of screwed up. But there’s a good portion of society that doesn’t have to interact with the criminal justice system, so when there are problems (i.e. in this case, the incentive for prosecutors to rack up numbers of convictions rather than pursue justice for all), they don’t tend to be addressed.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 11/20/2015 at 14:13

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It will get him off the road while he spends some time in jail. And maybe it will cause him to turn in his licence.

One would only hope...

450X_FTW > Rico 11/20/2015 at 14:19

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I want to see a change in laws, require everyone to retake their drivers test every 5 years, or every time you renew your license. To keep people like him off the road

sadfasdf > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/24/2015 at 22:37

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In AZ, they have to take a vision test every 5 years; that’s it. I’m pretty sure they do this to keep attracting snowbirds. As long as we let states each do their own thing in the US, there’ll always be someone willing to license virtually anyone.

sadfasdf > Speed 11/24/2015 at 22:38

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Half the time I see someone in a car doing something questionable it’s someone old as the hills.

And the other half, it’s a teenager. The other half, it’s some suit in a BMW. The other half, it’s some dudebro in a brotruck.

Declan Hackett > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/25/2015 at 08:49

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Why I’m not a biker. My uncle nearly died when I was younger in an almost identical scenario; ass-hat overtook him and immediately turned left without indicating, took out his front wheel, left him smeared across the road and disappeared.

Took my uncle 30 years to get back on two wheels on a Honda 90. And this was from a guy with 20-odd years on bikes and more metal in him than a Terminator.

As you say, be careful out there and RIP Adrian…

Jorsher > HammerheadFistpunch 11/25/2015 at 08:57

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It’s a valid excuse that gets abused sometimes. Part of the thrill for me is the inherent danger of it, which coincides with my preference for supersports — at least until I’m too old to comfortably ride them.

Fortunately, my mistakes were learned on a 250cc and were typically at low enough speeds I would have survived. However, my closest brushes with serious injury or death were always at the hands of an inattentive driver. A few have apologized profusely (which wouldn’t help me if I was dead), and some have become more aggressive feeling like I was somehow at fault...

I mostly stick with limited access highways and less-trafficked roads now.

Ev G > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 11/25/2015 at 11:45

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I’ve been riding only for a couple years now, but put about 6k on my bike over the summer alone since moving to the Bay Area... Recently sold the bike on a whim and my roommate was like “what the hell is wrong with you?! Who am I gonna ride with now?”

What was wrong with me is I got home from work one day and just didn’t feel right. No recent close calls, but I reflected back on the ones I’d had and just couldn’t get past the idea that you’ve described here; that I could be laughing with my girlfriend over coffee one morning, out the door and then dead or seriously hurt a couple minutes later due to someone’s inattentiveness.

Riding was great fun and I’m not here to advocate against it at all. I also recognize that risk comes in all shapes and sizes, but that day it just hit me that I wasn’t okay with the risk I was taking on during my commute every day. My heart goes out to this guy’s family and loved ones, as well those of anyone else who went out for a ride one day and never made it home.

That said, if I can ever afford to get a bike strictly for weekend track days I probably would. Take away the mailboxes, trees, texting drivers and crappy surface quality and it becomes a much more acceptable risk in my mind.