A pretty hard hitting video (released by his family and Norfolk Police) but maybe essential viewing for every driver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq2xStb0R-c

The increasing size of the windscreen pillar (containing airbag) almost caught me out the other day as it completely obliterated sight of a pedestrian crossing diagonally from the side. Just shows that a quick glance is not enough.

Shocking indeed though I like many know of someone who has had the same thing happen. You have just got to be so careful on a bike. Yes someone pulled out right in front of him but he was going at a crazy speed........ As his Mum says though I hope it stops it happening to someone else. I'm sure it will be with the driver for the rest of their life as well....... Probably one of the most powerful advertisements though for driver/rider safety but with a terrible price.

I could feel my heart beating watching that.

I think everyone needs to be more aware on the roads. Bikers especially.

I agree.

Bikers need to realise that it takes more than a split second to see them approaching at over 80/100+ mph.

I consider myself to be very aware on the roads and usually see bikers approaching, but I have been caught out a few times and my heart's gone in my mouth when one is suddenly at the side of me and I haven't seen or heard it approaching

It's not just the #thinkbike# campaign that should be pushed at car drivers, there should be a #thinkcar# campaign aimed at bikers too.

I have respect for the bikers that have respect for the car drivers and if I see one approaching, I'll move over so they can pass safely/safer.

A while ago, there were two motorcyclists killed in Hemel - very similar circumstances. The car driver was charged (wrongly I believe) and found not at fault. I don't understand how you can prepare for something so small going so fast relative to other traffic?

The accident in hemel took place at a junction where there's around 3 seconds visibility @ 50mph and the biker was doing nearly a ton - what do they think will happen??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8584006.stm

http://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/more-news/ton-up-to-tragedy-1-2847731

wonder what the driver was prosecuted for and the punishment received?

Yes, too fast. But driver did fail to look properly. The bike will have had twin lights permanently illuminated, so he would have been visible even at speed. Unfortunately, some drivers seem not to notice bikes because they are expecting to see a car.

Both parties to blame. The biker should have been more prepared for the junction, expected the driver to pull out and slowed down. At least he'd have had more time to react then.

Hard hitting video. I'll be taking the lessons with me on my next ride. I've watched it a few times, and it looks like the deceleration forces must have done for him. Again, if his speed had been 20 mph slower, he might have lived.

Poor sod.

yes both culpable...driver of car would/should be Vehicle 1 and carry greater blame as turning across path of oncoming vehicle. Having ridden bikes for 23yrs I struggle to understand what the m/c was doing at such speed through junctions....his speed was continously high for the duration of his journey with almost inevitable consequences.

Motor cyclist too fast, I assume car driver being ignorant. Poor driving from both, in a car it hurts on a bike, well we can see the consequences.
By speeding the car driver can't be put at fault as at the correct speed the bike wouldn't have been there.
Think bike - should be bikers: think.

That's not quite how it works; dealing with the survivor: for both a road traffic prosecution and the expectations the law has of that driver, the driver fails to meet those expectations by undertaking such a manoeuvre. It will be contributory negligence in Tort or civil law. The driver of the car is blameworthy the Court/s would obviouly decide to what extent.

riders fault at 96mph there is no hope for him or the driver of the car .

Yes biker was going too fast, but the driver had a clear view and should have seen him. Both at fault IMO.

As the bike passes that last car before the junction, the headlights on that car could have disguised the bikes headlamps.
I've seen what looks like a car with one headlamp brighter than the other coming towards me and it turns out to be a bike overtaking.

The driver who turned would have seen the cars headlights and the bikes lights and possibly confused the two.
Seen how far the pair of lights were in the distance, calculated it as safe and carried out their turn, then at the last split second that bike has closed the gap twice as fast and it's too late.

not at that speed , the bike was a dot when they first looked .

Is there a component of "reasonable expectation"? Even with a margin of safety built in, I'd say it isn't reasonable to expect a vehicle to be approaching at that speed, therefore the car driver would be within his/her rights not to anticipate the situation.
There may be a very slender proportion of responsibility attached to the car driver, but I'd say it is almost negligible.
I agree about the headlights thing; I've seen odd headlights on more than one occasion that turn out to be a bike overtaking a car. The time your brain takes to interpret what it's seeing could be crucial.

this guy is traveling 43 meters a second so it doesn't give you a lot of time to think ! I ride a bike every day and there are arseholes out there that don't see bikes even when I'm doing 30mph but I don't ride around 96mph , he was a ticking timebomb .

You don't what?! Sorry, I'm not sure which bit you disagree with Nismo?

I agree that the biker takes the main proportion of the blame. Probably 80%. I'm just saying that the driver should have done a final check before turning right, as per the highway code 159.

It is a straight section of road. So in the real world, you should expect traffic to be travelling at speed. On the motorway, you expect pillocks to be flying past you at 90+mph, so you take account of that when you plan your manoeuvers.

Just MHO.

But on a motorway the situation is different; you're moving at a much lower differential speed to the pillock doing 90 and you're also aware (if you're doing it right) of the size, speed, and position of the the spaces and how big or small they're getting.

On a turn out to a road, your effective speed is zero.

Though of course there is always a requirement to ensure that the road is clear before you pull out, but even on a straight road it is not reasonable to expect something to be coming at pushing twice the limit.

The motorway analogy was just one example of how we are told to "expect the unexpected." It was not intended to mirror the same circumstances as Davids accident.

I think we may have to agree to disagree on this one. "Twice the limit" would be 120mph, for one thing, which he wasn't doing.

Yes it was too fast. Yes, he was at fault for speeding and for not anticipating the danger of the junction. That being said, I still think the driver would have had time to do a final check before pulling out. Clearly, they didn't or they would have seen him.

The driver has already admitted causing death by careless driving. Do we really need to debate that aspect at all?

I don't think there's a great deal to be gained by debating who's at fault in this particular incident. But we can learn from it, which is what I think his family want by sharing the shocking footage.

"Try to be more observant and take your time" is the message I take from this. If you ride a motorcycle, you're likely to come off worse in an accident, so perhaps you should be more vigilant than anyone.

Precisely.

Totally agree. I think his mum showed tremendous courage posting this, as it was always going to spark "he was riding like a " comments. She didn't excuse it.

The most moving moment for me was the "oh" when he realised what was going to happen.

FWIW it's made me think more about the way I ride rather than drive. Luckily a Harley won't go that quick.

I don't ride a motorbike but I ride my pushbike on the assumption that everyone, including other cyclists and pedestrians, is out to kill me. Helps concentrate the mind and i have to accept the fact that in any collision I am likely to come off second best.

Having a fast car or bike can tend to bring out the speed demon in us. We all like a thrill sometimes. But having a few close shaves on my fast bikes made me reconsider. So I now have a bike with 60hp instead of 100+

I wonder if that's why I don't have a 20VT as well !

Ps I got my first speeding ticket in 20years of driving within months of buying my latest Coupe .... And it's only an NA.

how did you manage to get a speeding ticket in an N/A ?

I'm guessing it was in a 30mph zone.