Punched my left turn ticket

[Bill Harris]

"I'm so sorry! I completely didn't see you!"

^^^ Payback. ^^^

--Bill

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by bunghole

As far as visibility, you could have been wearing a giant pink penis costume on the back of a chartreuse rhinoceros with blinking titties and I'm guessing the asshole still wouldn't have seen you.

Know where I can get one of those? Would love to roll up to church wearing that.

[Bobby Ginger]

Alright after reading a few of the tonight I am officially converted. Recently I have been riding ATGATT but it is time for a high vis jacket. Glad the OP is OK and hope the insurance works out for out. Off to the flea market.

[squonker]

Originally Posted by PT Rider

Half or more of the drivers will think that flashing high beams are you giving them permission to proceed.

This is what I immediately thought when reading about people flashing their headlights at cars waiting to turn. I would be very, very careful that your actions are not misinterpreted. (E.G. in the U.K., where I grew up and learned to drive, flashing your headlights at a vehicle that is about to turn does indeed mean, "Alright mate, I see you - go ahead and I'll make sure I leave you enough time/room to make your turn") You never know how someone else will interpret your signalling, far better to slow down a little and ride defensively in this situation, I would think.

[2aRover]

Hi-Viz isn't all that hi viz after dark. Once dusk settles in, it's not much better than gray and you're relying more on the retroreflective components. Riding to Portland one year, I was being followed by some friends who were trailering their bike. They noted that the hi-viz became nearly invisible after dark. My riding buddy was wearing a Sea-bak reflective vest and was infinitely more visible than I was.

I am suspicious about drivers seeing my 3M stuff from the front because of headlight glare. I use a Sea-bak vest after dark now, and I'd be surprised if it makes a different at all from the front.

[jtatknox]

Got a witness to contact the other guy's insurance. Starting to look like insurance might cave, but they are sending a guy out to time the lights at the intersection.

Here is my one regret: I didn't get the guy's current address off of his driver's license. If I had, I would feel it was very easy to sue the guy in small claims court. Right now it would be a pain to serve him process... I would need to call him and demand his address or that we meet in person to serve him or else ask for some kind of relief from the courts if he is evading process service.

[killme_quik]

Originally Posted by sparkymcgee

Some people just don't pay any fucking attention (as we all know).

As far as visibility, you could have been wearing a giant pink penis costume on the back of a chartreuse rhinoceros with blinking titties and I'm guessing the asshole still wouldn't have seen you.

I shall do this and post pics of the result.

[DavidBanner]

Originally Posted by sparkymcgee

Some people just don't pay any fucking attention (as we all know).

As far as visibility, you could have been wearing a giant pink penis costume on the back of a chartreuse rhinoceros with blinking titties and I'm guessing the asshole still wouldn't have seen you.

i mean...like...you say that...but how are we supposed to know it's true?

this needs to be scientifically tested.

[slartidbartfast]

Originally Posted by DiamondDan

I guess their position would be that the bike will stop quicker on its wheels than sliding, so if you slid and didn't hit him, then you could have stopped under control and not hit him...

They guy WAS wrong for turning left across a motorcyclist's path. His action contributed to the cause of the crash and would have earned him a "failure to yield" (or something like that) ticket if a cop had seen it. However, the OP lost control and crashed, when he SHOULD have been able to perform a quick stop. He might have also received a ticket for "failure to maintain control" had a cop witnessed the incident.

In this instance, as pointed out by another poster, the OP is only asking for part of the resulting cost. That seems reasonable as the car driver was partly to blame and the courts would probably see if that way. I imagine State Farm could be persuaded along the same lines although if the driver has any sense and is not impecunious, he will try to persuade State Farm that the incident never happened and just pay up from his own pocket - probably too late for that now.

To the OP: Think about how you could have made yourself more visible - not by brighter lights and colors but by where and how you ride, lane position, following distance, etc.; Practice your braking in a controlled environment; Keep wearing your safety gear; Oh yeah... and practice your braking - a lot!

[jtatknox]

Practicing braking is really good advice that everyone should take! I think if I had had more braking practice I could have potentially avoided locking up the front wheel. Then again, maybe not...

[Harry94025]

Hi All,

This is the classic case of "inattentive blindness". There was a book written about this and other "tricks" our minds play titled, "The Invisible Gorilla". Their website: http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/ Check out the videos and demos...

When I read this book, I was struck by the realization of why car drivers don't see us. The invisible gorilla test indicates that most car drivers are only looking for other cars or road signs/signals and may indeed not see a motorcycle rider in clear view. I see other riders mostly because I like motorcycles and want to know what they're riding, even when I'm in my car.

Regards,
Harry

[duke944]

State Farm is a terribly insurance company, they commonly try to worm their way out of paying legitimate claims.
You did 2 things wrong here; first, ALWAYS call the cops when an accident occurs. Before this Asshole had the chance to talk himself out of feeling bad for a shitty driving move that could have gotten you killed, he would have admitted to the cop at the scene what happened. This would have resulted in a ticket for failure to yield, giving State Farm less of an argument to worm out of paying (although there is no guarantee, we are talking about State Fucking Farm here).
Second, you should have gotten an estimate from the dealer for full repair and ask for nothing less than that. Submitting some arbitrary number based on your own work and used parts will never impress an insurance adjuster, it only makes him think you are easily blown off.

[middleview]

[Now I am thinking: brighter headlights? Modulator?]

This left-turn thing is my #1 nightmare. But, I've been riding with Skeen Designs Photon Blasters for the past 7 months and I'm sure they've alerted at least one or two drivers in a way even headlights won't. They're "strange" to oncoming drivers and seem to get noticed when headlights - all 3 of them - don't. Just sayin. Your experience with ATGATT is inspirational. Last summer my wife and I sweated through a week of 100+ days in the Balkans in full summer gear envying the locals in their t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops.... except that in Albania they don't post speed limits, you know where to slow down by the number of memorials erected for the dead along the roadway!

Thanks for posting!

[bwanajames]

After seeing an RT coming down the highway with a modulator and noticing how he really stood out from the surrounding traffic, I ran down to Kisan Electronics and installed one in my 1100RS. What a difference! I immediately noticed that people were a lot more polite and waited for me to pass when they otherwise would have just pulled out. Best insurance policy ever.

They come with a light sensor that only allows the modulator to function during daylight hours and only then when it's on high beam. Low beam turns it off in daylight. The sensor turns it off at night.

Some motorist find them a little annoying. But frankly, I find getting run over to be a bit annoying.

It could extend your life expectancy.

[Racersteve]

Sorry, I stopped reading after the two minor injuries. As IF we care how damaged the machine we ride is, if it saves us. You dressed, sorry, "geared up", for a potential crash, and it saved you. Your "iron horse" can be repaired, or sometimes not. While we all appreciate our bikes, sometimes they take one for the team. Very pleased for your outcome.