Sobering, hits close to home, and applys to you.

[FusLit]

http://www.fltimes.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=13043&SectionID=38&SubSectionID=121&S=1

If you get a chance stop for a moment and think about my friend's brother who was killed yesterday. and pray for his pass. who was riding with him.

Seneca County Sheriff's Accident Reconstruction Team investigated the accident. Although the investigation is ongoing, deputies believe Falkner did not see Vanderwall's motorcycle.

to those that have them, Please be careful drive agressivly and always remember people cannot see you until it's to late.

As fun as they look, this is why I will never buy a motorcycle

-Todd

[lotar_6]

jeez... right up the road. very very sad. :( I know the risks associated w/ motorcycles, which is probably why I haven't been too eager to get mine going again. And not to detract from the horrible impact this had on you, Todd, but it happens every day somewhere. I also think there might be something to say about the diligence the state should be taking to insure drivers, such as the 78 year old woman that turned in front of the motorcycle, are mentally and physically capable of driving safely.

[USOPHUNKE]

very sad..... this is number 3 person killed that is somehow connected to this club alone....and since things only happen in 3's I am good now....

I really dont think that kicking the old people off the street will help much...the guy on 31 was hit buy a 17 year old female teenager.... we need to just kick all women who dont drive dubs off the road....

I know after my sobering exp. this year...I have slowed down and ridden alot less crowded areas and alot less often.........

so sadddddd!!!!

[FusLit]

I don’t have the answers kids, just want the discussion

<rant & ramble>
As Brent says, it's not about age. I liked to think that I was an alert driver. But I was involved in something similar (and this IS NOT my proudest moment by any means. Because of that fact, I haven’t really told many people but it is something that I think I want you to know… don’t hold it against me :()

It's a long story where I was involved in a similar situation earlier this summer, And while there was no vehicular contact the guy still went away in an ambulance (but alive thank god!)

Basically long story short I didn't see him until I looked twice... it was morning, I was going north and was at an intersection going to drive across. I looked east into the sun, then look west and didn't see anyone. I started to go, moved about a foot and looked again that’s when I saw him coming from the west and stopped (I wasn't in the intersection) but he didn't think I was going to stop (judging from the rest of the drivers on the road who can say) and laid the bike (well motor scooter) down... he got road rash and thank got he had his helmet on cause it got scraped to hell. So, Anyway imagine how tweaked out I am about this crap. :(

It's something that if I had been 2 seconds earlier or later would not have happened. I’ve gone through the scenario in my head many many times to see if I could have done something different. In a large part this occurred because of chance, god, karma, his and my driving skills (take your pick or make a combination.)

Unless you take cars/rigs/trucks off the road or have designated bike roads there will always be this risk/chance/possibility that it could/will happen to you. I don’t care how defensive you drive, it’s a matter of physics, inertia, and mass. Chance, god, and inevitability are what will get you in the end.

My cousin holds the idea that when your time is up, it’s up. I hold a similar view but I think you can avoid risk to a certain extent. (Brent, not to point out the obvious, but you’re family would lose a great person and loving dad.)
</rant & ramble>

:(

I’m not saying live in a plastic bubble by any means but just wanted to let people know I think it sucks to lose someone when it could have been avoided. Ahh well, now that I’ve solved this problem it’s on to world poverty and global warming…

-Todd

[RichB]

Todd, I feel your pain/worry. I have been driving about 25 years now and there is one thing you come to realize: As much as you try to drive alertly with care and attention to what is going on around you, you make mistakes. It is part of being human.... you cannot be perfectly attentive to driving 100% of the time. And if should something happen, you can only hope your learned experience, skills, and reflexes will save you and/or someone else's ass.

Fortunately, you, (like most of us here) really do care about how we drive and take pride in it. So, when we do make a mistake, we take it to heart and bang our heads against the wall to make sure we learn from those mistakes and try to drive better/smarter because of it.