Getting T-boned on a Motorcycle

Well, today is my lucky day. I had a close call. Very close. I made a blog post about riding a motorcycle safely. I talked about defensive driving tactics to avoid accidents. 

For example, on my way to work there's a blind intersection. Even if I have a green light I ease off the throttle and look to make sure no cars are coming. Some might say that's paranoid. I call it cautious. One time just as I was approaching that intersection on a green light, a car came screaming through the Red light just ahead of me. I said to myself, see. That's why I slow down and check.

This morning I'm heading towards that same intersection very early on my way to work. It's dark out. I ease back on the throttle, look both ways and proceed. Then I get to the next light which is red for me and wait at the light. 

The light turns green I slowly proceed into the intersection to make a left turn. I look to my left and see a car screaming down the road towards me. I look at the car and say, he's not going to stop for the red. So I crack the throttle and finish the turn as he screams past me. He didn't stop. If I hadn't cracked the throttle, he would have smoked me.

Even if I was in a car, he would have broadsided the driver's door and I would have been seriously injured. Only I wasn't in a car I was on a motorcycle. If it wasn't fatal I would have been mangled and my bike would have been a write off. 

I've spoken with guys who have been t-boned on their motorcycle by a car running a red light. Usually that's a career ender. These guys have been seriously injured for a year. 

Usually when something like that happens, people decide to stop riding. A coworker had a really nice Vrod and a similar thing happened. An older man in a truck just about literally ran him over. He had young kids at the time and decided to sell his motorcycle. You can drive defensively on a motorcycle but sometimes it doesn't matter who you are, some accidents you just can't avoid. 

So on that note, choose wisely. Riding motorcycles isn't for everyone. Riding recklessly is foolish but even if you ride safely, some idiot can still wipe you out. 

So today I'm going to thank my lucky stars and be even more cautious starting off on a green light as well as going through blind intersections. Be safe yo. Life is short. Don't miss it.