PSA: Avoid making a left turn in front of an oncoming motorcycle, or give PLENTY of space

[Anonymous]

Last year, two people died in Bethesda in the same way -- riding a motorcycle and someone turned left in front of them. Afterward, I saw this valuable information in a DCUM thread:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/510577.page#7829006


Something like 2/3's of motorcycle-car accidents are where the motorcycle is driving straight (with the green light) and the auto driver approaching from the opposite directions makes a left turn in front of the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist has no chance at all to stop or swerve.

The automobile driver nearly always says "I did not see the motorcyclist." What they really mean is that they were not paying close attention to the road - usually distracted by a coffee, kids, the radio, a phone, or simply stressed & in a rush - and now someone is dead due to their negligence.

Drivers: please be hyper-aware when you're making a left turn. Motorcyclists are essentially sitting ducks.

-Daily DCUM Motorcycle Commuter

To me this was a revelation -- I am not a motorcycle rider, and I had no idea about this problem. Motorcyclists simply can't maneuver as quickly as a car in a safe manner. This is a preventable cause of death, which has occurred again. I'm hoping that this PSA will help someone.

http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2016/11/motorcyclist-dies-crash-intersection-old-columbia-pike/

[Anonymous]

+1000000

I am a motorcycle rider and this is a huge problem. As is merging into me. Which is even more annoying when you are looking me straight in the face right next you you . . .Washington Flyer cab this morning on 66 and black Lincoln driver on the TR Bridge!

[Anonymous]

The accident last night was tragic, but the driver may not have seen the bike. It was a dirt bike so not street legal and had no lights on it. He should not have been riding it on a road in traffic in the dark.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing this. I lost my friend two weeks ago to this exact scenario. He was riding straight on his motorcycle and someone made an unprotected left in front of him. He left behind his bride of one year.

Please take the time to look twice and you could save someone's life, and spare their family and friends the pain we have been experiencing.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. Terrible. It makes me glad my DH is selling his motorcycle.

[Anonymous]

Why anyone would ride a motorcycle is beyond me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why anyone would ride a motorcycle is beyond me.

This. You can be paying attention and still have trouble seeing a motorcycle. Small, fast moving, hard to see, easily hidden in your blind spot, and most people are not expecting them.

[Anonymous]

This happened to my sister several years ago. She was the driver of the car making the left turn. Changed the life of the motorcyclist forever- he will never be able to work again. And she was found at fault so it changed her life forever, as well.

[Anonymous]

This is also true for bicycles. Drivers - please pay attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why anyone would ride a motorcycle is beyond me.

Why anyone would ride in anything less than a fully armored tank is beyond you too?

[Anonymous]

Riding a motorcycle in this area as a death wish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Riding a motorcycle in this area as a death wish.

Evidence?

[Anonymous]

Saw this exact thing happen when I was a new driver. The car in front of me made the left turn - motorcycle guy did nothing wrong. He went down, probably broke his arm from what I could tell, but fortunately wasn't killed. I've been uncomfortable about motorcycles ever since.

[Anonymous]

I once bummed a ride home with a friend on his motorcycle. I was amazed by how the other drivers on the road essentially ignored him. He said he drove the bike with the assumption that no one else could see him, and made all decisions accordingly. It was a walkable community in another state, and it was crazy easy things: like pulling up to a four way stop-sign stop. Cars at each of the three other parts of the intersection. And us at the fourth. And it was like we weren't there at all. Really scary. I've tried to be very consciousious of motorcycles ever since.

That said, I walk my son to school every day in logan circle, and the cyclists on R street heading westbound through 15th street (which is one-way northbound) - every day I see ten bikes ride against their red light and bike along R street through 15th street, looking leftbound to make sure the 15th street traffic isn't coming. But they never look right to see if pedestrians are crossing the street right in front of them. Like three times a week, we have to step back or stop in our tracks to not get hit from a bike illegally crossing in our path. Just venting....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why anyone would ride a motorcycle is beyond me.

This. You can be paying attention and still have trouble seeing a motorcycle. Small, fast moving, hard to see, easily hidden in your blind spot, and most people are not expecting them.

It's good that you know this and I am sure your self awareness compels you to be 100x more careful.

I ride. I am hard to see? I wear hi-viz gear and look like a neon lemon yet this still happens too often. Drivers are just to busy to pay attention. From their perspective, worst case is a fender bender.