i ride motorcycles and ebikes and have adopted a defensive approach in traffic and use a formal scan to try and identify risks. i travel on my Triumph Sprint ST1050 with headlight on, wear a Hit-Air inflating, air bag jacket and work at being as conspicuous as possible. Same on my Yamaha WR250. On my Rize I ride with strobes front and rear and wear fluorescent helmet and vest.
Recently, was the victim of a distracted driver in our 1995 VW Westfalia. Texting driver failed to negotiate a corner and fully came into our lane. I swerved into oncoming lane and prepared to drive into Orchard to miss. At last second he swerved violently back into his lane. I trird to head into the orchard But he hit our right front on passenger side. Nothing more I could have done.
My wife and I ended up with broken ribs from seatbelts and lots of soft tissue damage. He was shaken but uninjured and found 100% to blame and charged. If the impact was less glancing and more directly head on, we would be dead.
It’s been hard getting back to highway driving, let alone back on my motorcycle and Rize. But I have. I am hyper aware of distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians. I have to accept that there is no defence against them. You might get lucky and have time for evasive action. Maybe. All you can do is be aware and take what enjoyment you can from these activities. If you chose to drive, ride in traffic you must realize they are out there.
Oh, the 24 year old driver was fined $685, his insurance bears the costs of our injuries and vehicle. We, on the other hand have lost our irreplaceable, dream retirement vehicle and a good portion of our summer, pain, suffering and have to cope with the residual fears. But we are thankful as it could have been so much worse.
The AquaVan in happier days and it’s indignity of being placed nose to nose, at the towing compound, with the asshole that killed her.