That car may turn in front of you......

[PeteSC]

It seems to be one of the more common causes of motorcycle accidents....

 Here's two riders it killed..........
(Third rider in the article was running from cops....)

Motorcycle wreck kills Forsyth man

By MATT STEWART
The Times

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

A third Forsyth County man was killed in as many weeks while driving a motorcycle, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said.

Jamison Edward Hansard, 26, of Cumming died Friday after his 2004 Ducati S4R motorcycle collided with a 1990 Chevrolet Astro van on Dr. Bramblett Road in Cumming around 3:34 p.m., according to Sheriff's Office Investigator Phillip Alexander.

Alexander said Hansard was traveling southbound when the van, driven by Doris Revis, 50, of Cumming turned into his path while attempting to enter a private driveway. Revis was uninjured in the collision and told authorities she did not see the sport bike, Alexander said.

Hansard was taken to North Fulton Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, Alexander said.

There also was no indication that alcohol was a factor in the wreck, he added, and no charges have been filed.

Friday's wreck was the third fatality involving a Forsyth County man on a motorcycle in the last three weeks.

On May 26, James Reuben Smith, 40, of Cumming died when the Harley Davidson he was driving hit a sport utility vehicle on Ga. 9 near Hamby Road.

In that incident, the Chevrolet Blazer driven by Chandler Ethen Mays, 20, Alpharetta, also turned in front of the motorcycle and Mays told authorities he did not see the bike.

Three days prior to that accident, James Alfred Moore, 39, Cumming, was killed while he was trying to elude Forsyth deputies during a chase on Ga. 20. Moore wrecked just inside the Gwinnett County line and seriously injured his passenger, Kimberly Tanaka, 24, Roswell.

Tanaka was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital's intensive care unit, but has since been moved to the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta where she will remain for five to nine more weeks, according to a family member.

 


  Advice on how to avoid this?

  (stuff I sometimes follow.....)  

   Every car can kill you.   Treat them this way.

  People don't    for stop signs!   You probably do some rendition of
 'slow to roll, and go' yourself.  How much time is there when you do this to really check for what's coming?  

   Every intersection, store entrance, or driveway is a danger zone.

   Try to make eye contact with the drivers of vehicles you suspect are going to do something stupid.  Slow down, beep your horn...get ready.
Make an obscene gesture, if you want.  Maybe they'll 'see' you, then!

  The ones 'you don't see' are probably the ones that are most dangerous.
  Cars pulling out from behind parked cars, or obscured driveways.
  In my neighborhood, there are a lot of intersections with overgrown bushes on the corners.  I know this, and that you have to creep slowly past the stopsigns to look to see if traffic is coming, but I still have a close call every once in a while!   (If you stop at the stopsign, look, and go.....you can only see 100 feet or so from the intersection.  Not far enough, since cars are usully going 45 or so in this 30 zone!)

   Expect that vehicle to do 'something stupid'.  Give them room to kill themselves without involving you.

      Make sure your headlight is working, and on.....also brake/tail lights.
  This should be a daily pre-ride check.

    If you ride/drive a lot in your area, you probably already know some areas/roads with high traffic, and with some particularily stupid driving practices.  One main drag in my area has a lot of stores, strip malls, and restaurants.....along with some fast moving, dense traffic.  People get frustrated when they can't re-enter the road from the store they pulled into, and take some real stupid risks.  Other traffic on the road is hauling arse....thinking it's 'Nascar time'.   You can expect somebody to cut you off, or pull into the road from a store in front of you.   I don't ride on this road!   If you ride your bike in town, try to pick a route that avoids these problem areas.

   When in doubt about the intentions of the other vehicle, slow down!

   Pick carefully where you'll risk your license and life, and push the 'envelope' a bit.  It's stupid to do it in congested areas...

  We've all had people pull out in front of us, or turn in front of us.   It can be a situation where you need to change your shorts.....or worse.