Nearly knocked off

[mikesaa309]

Hi all. Was out on my GSX 14 today going down the A14 dual carriageway here in the UK when this happened: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1qqqMfJ3TU76gbrg6

I've always had the mindset that most accidents can be avoided by all parties involved, obviously there are situations where it's 100% one persons fault but most of the ttime accidents can be avoided with good anticipation. I feel I fucked up in this situation due to my lack of anticipation, luckily my reactions were quick enough that I avoided collision but I should have seen that red mini trying to merge in from the services, seen that the Audi driver wasn't gonna speed up or slow down to allow the mini to merge and the mini driver wasn't going to adjust their speed either and for some dumb reason the Dacia driver thought this would be a great time to over take and for some reason not thinking that the Audi driver will surely move over into the middle lane and there's no way the Dacia driver would have seen me in their mirrors due to the car coming across at an angle. Luckily I was on a bike and not in a car so I for one had power to open the throttle and get out of the way and secondly had room to move to the right more and avoid collision. I most likely wouldn't have survived the crash at 70+ mph especially if I were to hit that metal crash barrier or the lamppost.

As you can see I've blurred out the speedo and the cars reg plate, I'm not looking to get the driver prosecuted and I didn't want people taking speed into account as it's irrelevant in this situation. Yes the situation could have been avoided by going slower but I can argue that I could have voided the situation by going much faster and getting past the danger before it even happened so don't jump on the "you were going too fast". I always do a speed that I know I can safely control the vehicle in and when passing cars I ride about 10-20 mph faster than the vehicle I'm over taking as I don't wanna be near them too long and at the same time it's a slow enough rate of overtaking when passing a que of traffic if someone was to suddenly pull out that I could slow down safely. For that reason speed is irrelevant because if the other cars were doing 50-60 mph and I overtook at 70 then I'd potentially be in the same situation. Speed becomes a major issue when you crash, the faster you go the more it hurts and the more damage there is. I can ramble all day about speeding so I'll leave it there.

[Speedy1959]

Ive had something VERY similar happen to me (Black Audi A3)..
Pity there wasn't a rear facing camera on your bike.. I bet he/she would have Sh*t themselves..
Well done for avoiding it..

[mikesaa309]

Ive had something VERY similar happen to me (Black Audi A3)..
Pity there wasn't a rear facing camera on your bike.. I bet he/she would have Sh*t themselves..
Well done for avoiding it..

I know I sh*t myself lol. As far as I was aware the right most lane was safe or me to open the throttle a little bit, middle lane was clear so cars in left most lane could overtake using middle lane, theoretically no reason for them to use right most lane. What's funny is, and you can't see it on the video I don't think, but I indicated to move into the middle lane but then noticed the Dacia was indicating right (at least he/she did that bit correctly) so I stayed in the right most lane as I assumed he/she was going to pull into the middle lane then all of a sudden they're coming into the lane I'm in.

[Notty]

Glad you're ok.I literally shit myself when driving my 14 - thankfully my colostomy bag didn't come off. I also shit myself at the till in Tescos Lol 

[Sweaty]

Don't be too hard on yourself Mike & good job avoiding the fool.
Glad to see you came out of it unscathed 

[mikesaa309]

Don't be too hard on yourself Mike & good job avoiding the fool.
Glad to see you came out of it unscathed 

Have had one "friend" tell me I'm at fault for going too fast Doesn't see that speed is somewhat irrelevant, though would have become an issue if he had hit me lol. Dacia and Audi could have both safely moved into middle lane allowing mini to merge into the left lane but instead Dacia driver decides to put foot down to overtake for some reason and then panics when Audi suddenly indicates although seems Audi driver actually checked mirrors because he didn't move over in the end. Also Dacia comes across at an angle so even if he checked mirrors he couldn't have seen me.

[Tony Nitrous]

One of my pet hates is folk doing double changes in one go,
no quick pause or hesitation before doing the 2nd lane change.

I can't argue that the car was in the wrong,
only thing you could have done is shut off or accelerate earlier as you could see him coming.

I've been in the same situation and I now make more effort to avoid it.
No use being in the right if your smeared up the highway.

Glad your OK.

[steve porter]

I'm certainly not trying to be holier than thou, as I speed whenever I can get away with it, and sometimes not , but speed differential, not speeding seems to me to be the problem here as the car driver ,although in the wrong had a lot of shit going on his-or her self and a millisecond glance in the mirror, even if they did see you they may not have registered your closing speed being a lot more than theirs

[froudy]

Nasty...I've had similar occur on many occasions while on the motorway commute over the last 7 years

As you said..Speed doesn't come into it. If the driver of the car makes a manoeuvre like that, it's down to luck and riding skill as to whether you survive or not.

[Mick_J]

Definitely the cars fault, he/she is in the wrong (driving without due care and attention) but being in the right is no compensation when lying in a hospital bed (or worse).  Something similar has happened to me a couple of times, it certainly put's up the heart rate.

Devils advocate viewpoint.
On the other hand a smart lawyer could claim that as their client was already speeding up to well over 70mph to avoid contact with the car coming from the service station they would not expect to see a faster vehicle appear in the right hand lane.

[grog]

Lucky escape mate. Happens to us all unfortunately. Thursday had similar, today 4 wd just slid thru roundabout in front of me. Neither even looked, i was onto both instances. This morning was stop, Thursday was accelerate. On guard all the time is the necessity.

[GSXKING]

I personally don't think it's "Lucky". Allow me to explain. 

I experience shit  driving a lot every day on our roads and it makes perfect sense to me that you reacted instinctively from obviously many previous times of collision avoidance. Almost like practicing a technique.  So to say it is "luck" seems irrelevant. We all ride in survival mode because, if as has been said "no point being in the right if you're banged up". 

I'm glad you took the time to share the video and glad you're here to do so, due to your vigilance whilst riding 

[grog]

GSX, everyone needs a touch of good luck in life.

[mikesaa309]

I personally don't think it's "Lucky". Allow me to explain. 

I experience shit  driving a lot every day on our roads and it makes perfect sense to me that you reacted instinctively from obviously many previous times of collision avoidance. Almost like practicing a technique.  So to say it is "luck" seems irrelevant. We all ride in survival mode because, if as has been said "no point being in the right if you're banged up". 

I'm glad you took the time to share the video and glad you're here to do so, due to your vigilance whilst riding 

Agreed not much luck in it if luck even is a thing lol that being said if I was in a car I'd have nowhere to go a bike is small enough to move over some more. Plus got the acceleration to get out of the way too. I don't know what the Dacia driver was thinking he should have maintained current speed and just moved over into the middle lane. Audi driver could have then also moved into middle lane holding current speed and then mini driver could have pulled onto the dual carriageway and I'm still safe-ishly go up the right most lane and whatever speed my bike wants to go. But instead Dacia driver thought he'll try to not only move over but overtake and put his foot down causing that situation to happen.

But I have done far too many miles riding bikes even though I've only ridden for about 8 years I did at least 40k miles on my CBF 125 which I had for 2 years, around the same if not more for my bandit 600 which I had for 3 years and then GSX is getting there I've had it 3 years I think but It had 7k when I brought it and it's now over 40k miles. So certainly got experience but doesn't make me immune to the idiot road users lol.