William Shatner Motorcycle Crash Story
by Steve
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Starpulse published a story about William Shatner crashing his motorcycle in sunny Southern California some years ago (probably decades ago)...
"One time, I was driving along and the bike slide from under me, and I skidded across the two lane highway.
"I grabbed the bike hauled it up and got back on. I had to get to Los Angeles. I had a doll to take to my grandchild."
"I got back on the bike and my clothes are shredded. I realized I'm bleeding."
Unfortunately for Shatner, the image of him bloody and bruised riding a motorcycle almost naked, attracted unwanted attention from other motorists.
He adds, "People are driving up and college kids are yelling at me.
"Finally they uttered the ultimate insult, 'Beam me up Scotty,' so I gave them the finger."
Back in the 1980s, before the helmet law was here in California, that's the way I rode my motorcycle, just a t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and sandals. No helmet, no gloves.
It's not that we were stupid, it's that that's how a lot of people rode their motorcycles. We all had helmets, but helmets was something you only wore when the weather was bad.
I mean, we all know that smoking is bad for us, but there was a time when everyone smoked and didn't think much about it. People didn't really put much thought into lung cancer. But our thoughts on smoking has changed dramatically over the decades.
The perspective of motorcycle safety has changed over the years too. I'll bet you that 20 years from now, our perspective on motorcycle safety will change yet again.
Source:
StarPulse via
Canyon ChasersLabels: Motorcycle Crashes, William Shatner
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Utah Attorney General Crashes Bike
by Steve
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Utah's State Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff, crashed his motorcycle yesterday while preparing for a benefit ride that was scheduled for today.
He survived the crash, but broke his leg in FOUR places.
As reported by The Post Chronicle, he hit some gravel and lost control of his motorcycle.
I suppose as motorcycling becomes more popular, we'll be seeing more big names laying it down.
Source: The Post Chronicle
Labels: Motorcycle Crashes
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Naked Biker Crashes
by Steve
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
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Color is Why Cagers Can't See Bikers
by Steve
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Cognitive Daily, a blog focusing on the science of awareness, offers an interesting article and video trying to explain why cagers often claim that "I just didn't see him" when they strike a motorcycle...
http://scienceblogs.com/..../when_the_color_of_your_vehicle.php
The article offers a couple of video tests offering an explanation that the color of a motorcycle and his/her riding gear, combined with inadequate attention, is why many cagers don't see a motorcycle coming.
Labels: Driver Distraction, Motorcycle Crashes
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Two-Thirds of Motorcycle Accidents are Cagers' Fault
by Steve
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
News Channel 15, the ABC affiliate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, publishes a statement from the Highway Patrol providing support that accidents involving cars and motorcycles are usually the car's fault...Highway Patrol says two-thirds of the time, motorcycle crashes are the car driver's fault because they fail to yield to the right-of-way. State Trooper Sonny Collins remind drivers to pay more attention to intersections and driveways, and look twice before you pull out into traffic.
Read the rest of the article here...
http://www.wpde.com/news/viewarticle.asp?view=4914
The report was published in response to Myrtle Beach Bike Week.
Labels: Motorcycle Crashes, South Carolina
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Indian Larry Wannabe
by Steve
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Watch this idiot eat some asphalt while showing off to a buddy with a camcorder...
http://vids.myspace.com....videoid=1516598730
You have to wonder that if he's such a dork for practicing this without safety gear, if he had enough brains to place notes containing his contact info on the cars he jacked up.
If you're going to practice this stuff, do it where you're not going to crash into someone's property.
Labels: Motorcycle Crashes
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Requiem for a Biker
by Steve
Monday, April 02, 2007
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Microcars Are As Dangerous As Motorcycles
by Steve
Friday, March 30, 2007
Just take a look at this photograph and you can see that these "microcars" or "city cars" are dangerous to drive.
The motorcycle that crashed into it makes this look as if the driver of the car didn't survive.
When you think of term, "cage" you think of something that protects you. This obviously is not a "cage".
At least on a motorcycle, you're propelled off when you collide with something. In one of these cars, you just get smushed like a bug.
Now think of the social conflicts that arise from this. You have the motorcycle-haters who want to adopt more anti-motorcycle laws, under the name of safety. Then you have the Al Gore Kool-Aid drinkers who want us to drive more cars like these, under the name of global warming. I'm curious to know how many people fall into both camps.
Labels: Motorcycle Crashes
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Left Turn Accidents Should Become Criminal Acts
by Steve
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Today I read another case of a cager making a left-hand turn into the path of an oncoming motorcycle. In this case, the rider survived, so far anyways, but suffered massive injuries...The man was traveling south on Mesa Drive when a 19-year-old female northbound made a left turn on Southern Avenue. As the female turned left, the motorcycle struck the left front end of her 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser, police records show. Police have not cited either driver and the investigation is ongoing.
Read the full story here
This scenario is occuring with such greater frequency it seems. Or at least, the media is reporting on them with greater frequency. Either way, I'll admit to you that everytime I see a car waiting to make a left turn, while I am approaching on my motorcycle, I get nervous.
In the case above, the woman in the car struck the motorcycle with the LEFT-FRONT of the car. If you can imagine that scenario in your mind, the motorcycle had to have been right in front of her as she began the turn. Therefore, even if the motorcyclist could have erred for any reason, it was still the cager's fault for not yielding the right of way.
This kind of negligence cannot be written off as just a simple oversight. Even if it is just an oversight, it cannot be let go.
The fact that the rider survived prevents this from becoming a case of involuntary manslaughter, provided the District Attorney would even consider such a charge. But there ought be a criminal charge for this kind of negligent behavior that carries the same weight as manslaughter. This rider's injuries are severe, and he may never fully recover. What's worse, is that these scenarios are playing out with greater frequency.
I don't advise creating any new traffic laws to deal with this. Rather, I advise getting tougher on the people who cause these accidents. Cagers need to have some fear in them. I know that riders can seek remedies through civil lawsuits, but that doesn't help when the rider is dead. We need criminal action as well, whether they kill or maim.
I would hope that we could get to a point where each time this type of accident occurs, the world becomes a little more safer and smarter. But that isn't happening. These dead riders are going to waste.
Labels: Arizona Motorcycle Deaths, Motorcycle Crashes
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Ouch!
by Steve
Friday, March 16, 2007
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Five-Motorcycle Crash Pile Up
by Steve
Monday, October 23, 2006
Perhaps a lesson in group riding...New Mexico State police tell ABC-7 a group of about 25 bikers were driving up the highway when a red light at the intersection split them into two groups.
According to police some of the bikers in the first group pulled off to the side of the road to wait for the others.
Apparently one of those bikers tried to get back onto the highway but instead crashed into one of his friends and was killed.
Read the full article here.
Not knowing the specifics of what happened, and what the circumstances were, you can't really opine on what went wrong.
But with 25 bikes in a group, they shouldn't have all been riding together. It would have been better to split them into three groups, with each group about 1 or 2 minutes apart.
Labels: Group Riding, Motorcycle Crashes
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Car Wipes Out Four Harleys At Once
by Steve
Thursday, January 12, 2006
In Denver, Colorado last Tuesday, riders on four Harley Davidson motorcycles were taken out simultaneously by a woman driving a black Lexus.
The riders had been stopped at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green. When the green light came, they all entered the intersection. Seemingly out of nowhere, the woman in the Lexus came careening down the cross street, unaware of the red light she had, and plowed into all four bikes.
Only one rider remains hospitalized in critical condition. Miraculously the other three suffered only minor injuries. Even more surprising is that none of the riders suffered any head injuries, considering they weren't wearing helmets.
There was a fifth motorcycle in the group that was far behind, and witnessed the entire event. The guy is now unsure if he wants to ride again.
Labels: Motorcycle Crashes
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Arnold Schwarzenegger Crashes his Bike
by Steve
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Arnold the Governator cut open his lip today after being involved in a motorcycle accident.
He was riding his Harley, with his 12 year old son in a sidecar, when he stuck a car. The car was backing out of a driveway and into the street that Schwarzenegger was riding along.
Apparently he couldn't avoid the car, and hit it. He got 15 stitches.
Labels: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Motorcycle Crashes
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