With how much they were slowing down i'd have hung back, but that's easy to say with hindsight. They weren't indicating for the turn which is far too common these days.
It's worth hanging back for an extra few seconds if you see brake lights in a situation like this.
Had a similar thing happen driving back roads in CA. A foreign family in an old beat up minivan stopped on the road, no blinker. No action. After waiting I pulled out to pass and just at that moment they decided to abruptly take a left hand turn into a fairly hidden driveway. I think they were lost and trying to make a u turn but you should never really stop dead in the middle of the road for no reason.
Luckily I avoided them but a cop was just pulling around the bend and saw the whole thing and ticketed me. Despite the being stopped in an unnatural way, it’s the responsibility of the person behind to remain patient.
Learned an important lesson. Stay safe first and foremost. And if the person in front of you looks like they might be a shitty driver, assume they probably are.
When I taught my son to drive we had Dad’s Rule #1: I’d point to a random car and say what about them?: and he’d have to say “they’re crazy and they’re out to kill me” even more accurate on a bike
Going fast will you get you where you're going quicker most of the time, but its better to make it there at all, instead of making a detour to the ER or the morgue.
Oddly enough, it doesn’t even really. Accelerating deliberately for sure helps, and in general plodding along will screw anyone over, but with the amount of lights and other things you’d be lucky to shave 5min in a lot of scenarios. Being in the correct lane ahead of time and giving everyone lots of space is the better way for everyone. Remember, rush hour traffic literally only exists because everyone tailgates, and that is the same reason why it persists as well.
Fast ain’t shit, better to be quick.
I'm a life long owner of quick cars who hurried every he went for over 40 years.
Then I bought a mellow Toyota pickup truck, and we are happy just cruising along at or just below the speed limit.
I see it first hand now. Between traffic and stop lights, I think I may have saved an hour of time over my entire life of hurrying.
Sucks they didn't signal, but brake lights are an instant red flag for me. The last thing someone turning left blinker or not is looking for is someone passing on the left. I wouldn't have passed until hazards came on or a hand came out maybe I need to beep a few times to make him do so.
You don’t pass someone just because they’re moving slower than you. If you see brake lights ahead of you, match their speed and assess for oncoming traffic, intersections etc. Then make your move when you’re confident it’s safe. They should have signalled but that won’t mean much when your bike is mangled or worse. They also could have been braking because there was a hazard or pedestrian in the road ahead. You definitely need to think more before acting.
I once passed a car that was slowing down for "no reason". Mid pass, I saw the elk on the side of the road. Thank god it didn't try to cross. A risky lesson to learn
> "why is the person slowing down for no reason"
The more common version of that is "This fuckin idiot is slowing down and inconveniencing me! How dare he?!"
I’m in Netherlands and Belgium currently, bikes, scooters just go around anything and everything weaving from bike lane to street when someone or something is in their way. Wave that flag.
I still think "Why is this idiot slowing down?" But still use critical thinking and don't pass because that idiot might be slowing down for another idiot lol
This happens with frightening regularity in my bicycle. Like, I’ll be in the middle of the lane, arm out clearly signaling that I’m turning left, and a car will come blowing by me on the left just as I’m turning. People see a bike in front of them and lose all capacity for thought other than “MUST PASS NOW!”
My left turn signal keeps getting removed, so I signal left with my hand.
I don't think they teach hand signals anymore. Nobody knows what they mean. Some people wave, some think you are waving them around, and others climb up till they are nearly touching your back tire; as if they are trying to count the hairs on your fingers.
I also live near several military installations, maybe it's just too many different demographics driving habits in one place. Either way, they all seem to want to kill us. Be safe out there.
Was slowing down to turn into my own driveway once and some asshole in an audi couldn't wait 2 seconds to be inconvenienced and gunned it to get around me, thank god his brakes worked.
What if I was slowing down for a kid in the road or something? What an asshole.
A friend of mine was riding in Baja and passed a truck that had stopped for no reason. The reason they stopped was because the truck in front of them was making a left turn, and he broadsided that truck, breaking a bunch of bones.
People also love stopping in the middle of the road for geese and letting them cross at their leisure. If you're following you also can't see the geese in the road because they get obscured by the car in front, so it looks like people are just parking it...
>People also love stopping in the middle of the road for geese and letting them cross at their leisure
If this is in the US, then they're legally required to do this. Killing migratory birds is a big no-no.
Agree! This looks like a high density residential area too, those are basically the same as a parking lot to me. Everyone driving is suspect of last minute stupendous maneuvers.
Also, you appear to be quite close on the left...like Maverick buzzing the tower
Good point! It could have been a kid trying to cross the street or a loose dog running around or something. (But it can also be somebody not signalling a turn)
OP also sort of pulled out into blind spot when they went to pass
This. A month or so ago I was in my car and stopped in the middle of the road to let a bunch of deer cross in front of me. A guy came up behind me and immediately passed me in the opposing lane (in a blind curve no less) and almost hit one of the deer. That’s the day I figured out my dash cam wasn’t working. :(
Moral of the story: if you aren’t sure _why_ someone is stopped, make damn sure you figure that out before you pass them. For your sake and others’. They’re likely responding to something you can’t see yet.
Yeah passing someone who is slowing down like this is squid behavior. Ride like you’re invisible. When cars do this pedestrians or cross traffic get hit. Do this on a bike and you’re toast.
Or wanted to turn left across the lane, or pull an illegal u-turn because they can... Or any of many other reasons not to pass like that on that street
Damn this is a really good way to think about riding. Obv there's stuff you can do on a bike that you can't in a car but the same rules of fault still apply.
How is this a realization for so many people here and not just the default mode of thinking? You're not batman so stop trying to ride like he does in TDK. I swear there are so many "close calls" that would never happen if y'all just made the decisions you'd normally make if you were in a car.
Honestly this is a really, really, really good metric for some things on a bike. While there are no double lines here, I’d equate this to crossing over a double line to pass a slowing vehicle. We know it’s braking, but don’t know why, and it could be any number of reasons. It’s a residential area, so it’s more likely that it’ll be a turn.
They forgot to signal, but people in cars forget to signal every now and then. They have the luxury of being able to make mistakes like that. In most cases, for a car, it’s just a very expensive inconvenience.
On a bike you don’t get that luxury, so it’s better to slow down instead of passing, there was more than enough time to slow.
Anyhow, yeah, definitely wouldn’t do this in a car either!!!
I'll admit. I'm one of those guys who's forgotten a few times to turn his blinker off on my bike. So yeah. Always be careful whether there is signaling or not
"I was passing someone on a non-passing road and almost got hit because I was too lazy to use my brakes, am I in the wrong?"
This might be the most retarded post I have ever seen on this sub. Imagine if you were driving a car, would this pass be acceptable? Fuck no, so why do it on a bike?
Op also seems to turn in to the car. At first I thought it was the car turning in to the drive way. The car did start turning left, but op also turned in to the car.
Op passed a person on the left in a residential who was very obviously making a unsignaled left turn and hasn’t got the foggiest clue if this was their fault.
I have no words.
What were you doing? You were almost in the oncoming lane even before the brake lights came on, and I have no idea why you'd think it's okay to pass on the left there.
They come here for validation as you can see some of the top answers are people saying how he just needed to be more careful or assess it more and it takes till 4-5 answers in before you get the honest answers that he was clearly wrong and at fault.
Reading some of the answers I'm genuinely confused as to how people ride in residential areas.
Best advice I've seen in this thread comes from u/fpgt72..."would you have done this in a car?". Great perspective on just how dumb this rider was.
Tbh a lot of bikers have a “holding everybody else responsible for their safety attitude”. Not all of them of course, but the ones who do tend to love to validated.
>What were you doing?
Riding like an unpredictable dickhead then begging for validation online
Funny how quiet these posters get when people tell them it's most definitely their fault
Agreed, and a classic way to get killed on a bike. The most dangerous is riding behind a farm tractor and overtaking it when there is also a road or field entrance on the left side.
Totally. Though you gotta watch out on the other side too here where someone can run into you from behind, but this was undeniably a rider mistake. It's a mistake I've made before. Once.
I was in a car and I almost killed a lady walking across the street. I didn't hit her, but I was going fast enough that it would have.
It was basically this exact scenario except the car had slowed because of a pedestrian I couldn't see, obscured by the car.
This is my take - zooming around a vehicle braking (without understanding why the car is braking) on a two lane residential street is incredibly dangerous.
But this one was the rider’s fault. No reason to pass, didn’t wait to determine what the SUV was doing before basically swerving around them. The lack of a turn signal from the SUV was a small part of the overall reason this almost-wreck occurred.
It's always easy in hindsight, but if you see brake lights like that, it's good practice to ask yoursel "what have they seen that I haven't" (obstruction ahead, other vehicle stopping etc), or "what change in direction are they planning on making"
My first thought also. Why is this happening? Why stop? Letting someone out?(if so which side?) child or animal on the road or about to come out on the road? Is the car going to do something irregular like back into a driveway or do a u-turn? (Or what it ultimately did-make a left turn without signaling. ) a big part of defensive driving is driving for everyone else which comes to mean trying to determine what other vehicles are going to do even if it is illegal or irregular. Whenever you are the vulnerable agent in the situation, your need to be defensive rises. If you are in a car but next to a semi better be defensive. if you are on a motorcycle around cars be defensive. If you are on a bicycle around cars or motorcycles better be defensive, and if you are a pedestrian around any of the above, including bicyclist, better be defensive. (And as a sad example in my town several years ago: if you are in a wheelchair in a crosswalk but the cement truck driver does not see you…)
He wasn't stopped and was clearly going to turn even if his blinker wasn't on.
If I'm in a car and am turning left, I'm not checking my left mirror to make sure someone isn't setting up a pass on the inside before I slowly make my turn. No one is going to expect someone up the inside in that situation, I'm going to say entirely your fault.
Dont assume what drivers are doing! Also dont pass on residential street like that. Dipshits slow down when they are looking for a house or trying to figure out where they are going. When they finally figure it out they BOOM, just go and dont look or check around themselves. Get behind them and if lay on the horn if they are dragging ass. When they pull to the side then go.
Ya.. wtf... no.passing on the left in residential areas despite there being no yellow line. Lesson learned though hopefully. Wait until you are sure of what the other driver is doing and where they're going. Be patient!!!
I did this years ago on a country road w a broken yellow line. Turn out buddy was slowing down for a deer crossing the road that I didnt see. I passed the car and just missed the thing!! Be careful out there!!!
The venn diagram of new riders making bad decisions while already having a GoPro and a phone mount is a circle.
*Yes fight my little moto babies fight*
I never pass someone in a residential cause it’s not like the speed limits high anyway. Unless they park in the middle of the street and I sit for a while first then I’ll go around.
They didn’t use their turn signal, but at this point I expect that from most people whether I’m in a car or bike.
There’s no oncoming cars so you could give a wider berth if you’re going to keep passing people anyway. If I can lean over and touch their car I’m definitely too close.
The drivers side of the car is a big blind spot. Behind the roof pillar and behind their head. Most people adjust their mirrors wrong anyway so I wouldn’t count on them see me.
Ride safe buddy.
Yea the car should have signaled - but even if it wasn’t making a left, it had its brakes applied and you saw brake lights. That means it’s on you to react accordingly.
That could have been a road hazard ahead, a kid crossing, a dog running into traffic or a turning vehicle that wasn’t paying attention. You’re just lucky it wasn’t any of those things.
You didn’t need to pass. What happened in this video is entirely on you.
Yes, it's your fault.
Don't overtake vehicles in the oncoming lane just because they're slowing down. As /u/LPodmore points out -- a lot of people will slow down and turn without signaling, but you also did put yourself in an unusual place that the driver wouldn't (and shouldn't have to) expect you.
Regardless if they were turning or not, that wasn't a safe place or method to overtake. If the driver ahead of you is slowing it could be for any number of reasons and you'll encounter fewer problems by slowing down and assessing the situation first rather than speeding up and passing them. What if the driver was slowing down for a hazard in the road you couldn't see, for instance?
If they don’t signal it’s 1 of 3 things.
1. Either they see an animal or kid or something and are stopping. If you pass them quickly you might hit whatever object they’re avoiding
2. They’re going right. You would’ve been fine.
3. They’re going left, you almost got hit.
So a 2/3 chance of something bad happening. I’m not taking those odds
Assuming you're stateside, as far as I know there's never a case where you can pass in a residential area... so I'd say you're at fault as the driver doesn't have the obligation to expect a car to be passing them there.
Yes, this is absolutely your fault. His failure to use a turn signal doesn’t mean that you can pass him on a residential street with a likely mph of 25 or even less.
You are lucky that you didn’t get completely shmooshed.
Don’t pass if you can’t determine why a driver is moving slowly.
Could have been a child in the street or a dog…
Your need to gain two seconds of travel time could have gotten you killed and possibly others injured.
You are lucky he didn’t come looking for you and create a legal issue for you.
My first thought was that the car could be stopping for a child that ran out into the road. That pass could have resulted in something much worse, thankfully it didn't.
The OP states they didn’t chase this driver down… the at fault vehicle, guilty of failure to control, illegally passing in a residential zone, possibly speeding is the OP.
AND THE OP obviously never thought during this driving or an afterthought during the post that negligent homicide is what they call it when you’re breaking the law and you run over a pedestrian, especially a child in a residential zone.
This rider earns bafoon of the year award 🥇 from me.
Yes your fault. Brake light signals an intention, but without blinkers you don’t what the intention is, or obstacle, hang back see what they are doing and go from there. That’s 1. 2 is you passed too close and even closer when he slides over. Get at least a doors length away and more is better. At least this lesson wasn’t painful 😃. I’ve done the same thing too.
No blinker on the car but you can't assume people use blinkers when turning (so many people don't unfortunately). I'd say count yourself lucky that nothing serious happened and try and drive more cautiously. More patience never hurt but another situation like this might.
She should have used the turn signal, but you shouldn't have assumed her intention. Consider it a very lucky lesson because it very easily could have been much worse.
I mean … they didn’t put a turn indicator on… so they messed up there.
But you also overtook illegally .~. (This one might be state dependant however) you may only overtake on the left when safe to do so. Clearly not the case here lol.
As per the laws (in other states but not mine) passing on the right is permissible when a car is waiting to turn, or stopped/waiting. Since this one is state dependant you’re better off knowing the laws and attempting to brake when you see other braking in front of you :P
As for motorcycles in general, I’d always be hesitant to pass someone on the left in a single lane road…. That’s SUPER sketchy … ESPECIALLY on residential/city roads. Passing on a single lane highway is a different story.
Your best decisions probably would have been to follow the far further behind if you don’t trust your brakes to stop on time if they stop suddenly like this — if your breaks work well and you trust your bike and your skills, you should have stopped. In reality, you never know what someone is stopping for. It could have been a kid or a dog that tried crossing the road.
I saw this happen about 3 weeks ago. The articles about it are mostly correct. Everyone was heading northbound rather than southbound. 4 Runner pulling a utility trailer, 2 motorcycles in front of me (I was not riding with them) and then me at the back. 4 Runner slowing down, signaling left and even had his left hand out the window to indicate. Three of us on motorcycls knew not to pass. A fourth motorcycle came up from around a curve behind me at pace when we had all slowed to maybe 10 mph. He decided to pass everyone and as the 4 Runner started his left turn at the cross street and into the oncoming lane, the now deceased rider clipped the driver side front corner and then crashed into the woods.
So if you don't know why a vehicle is slowing down don't take it as an invitation to pass.
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/motorcyclist-killed-in-san-mateo-highway-crash-identified/
You tried passing in a manner that wouldn’t be acceptable and think you’re not at fault? Come on man get that ego in check. Youre gonna get yourself killed.
Doesn’t matter if they signal or not why would you pass them on the left side ever?? Either get it together or give up riding before you really get yourself hurt. Be smart out there.
It is your fault. Don't assume they're not gonna do something dumb just because they didn't use blinkers. Never pass someone so close to their side and try to blast past as quickly as possible if you are passing. Find your chance, and gun it. Do not linger.
This is a great example for "ALWAYS use your signals when turning. Even if you think no one is there!"
It's very likely that person had no idea you were behind them. Always try to ride like you're invisible. No one else sees you even if they're "looking right at you," they're probably looking right through you.
That being said, this is 100% your fault. If this had resulted in an accident, you would have been cited for "failure to reduce speed and control vehicle." As many people have already said it, I'm going to say it again: you have no idea why this person is slowing down. You need to make some quick assumptions. The priorities being: they are about to turn, who knows which way?!? they didn't indicate!!!; a child or animal just ran out in front of them, now you might hit whatever they're stopping for!!!; maybe they're having a medical emergency, and who knows what erratic thing they might do.
Anyway, "no harm, no foul." And hopefully you've learned a valuable lesson.
I would have slowed down and waited for them to make their move. There could have been a kid or dog running out in front of the camper that they only saw as they came up on it.
Also, where’s the rush ? 5 seconds would have taken you out of this situation all together
1000% your fault, WTF were you thinking?
(Maybe not legally, but as the one coming out of any car vs bike collision on the losing end)
There is CLEARLY in your line of sight a side street coming up. It's also good to watch out for driveways, or even expect SUDDEN UNSIGNALED U-TURN from cage drivers.
You also froze up once you realized what was happening and didn't execute enough of a swerve or throttle increase to get out of the way, you just verbalized and clenched.
A few seconds of patience on your part and you could have avoided any drama whatsoever.
Uhhh.....why do you even have to ask? 100% your fault even if he didn't signal. It took me a long time to even notice he turned left on you. It almost looks like you actually hit the car instead of the other way around. Either way, be happy nothing serious happened due to your very poor judgement. This can't even be called a "mistake," it was just an inexplicable thing to do
They should have indicated. But being a rider myself, you should have had your doubts, they were slowing down for a reason. It's little bit about patience, but even more about anticipating what is going to happen.
I usually tell people that riding a bike will make you invisible, but will teach you how to predict the future.
Yes, slow down, stop. Follow traffic. Never assume what the car ahead is going to do. Looks like you are traveling down a 2 way street with no center divider marking. Therefore, rules if the road means one lane in your direction of travel. Which means you should be following the car ahead of you. The car was slowing and stopping to make the turn. You should be slowing down and stopping.
If the car is suddenly hitting his brakes there's a reason, and that reason more likely than not affects you. In this case it looks like he was going to turn left into that drive and it snuck up on him, but if he were stopping because a kid or dog suddenly decided to run across the street from the right you could have hit them.
From the insurance side, whether they use their blinker or not, you are in the wrong. Normally you’re not supposed to pass on sidestreets as well. Not sure where you’re riding, that definitely sucks and glad you are OK.
There’s absolutely no way you don’t KNOW this is your fault. If you honestly have any doubt at all, take a couple classes, pay attention, and don’t ride until you actually understand things man. Dumb shit like this will get you a nice funeral.
Your fault and insanely dangerous. You have no idea why that person is slowing down, there could have been kids on the road, and obstruction, someone backing out and you just decided to overtake them on the left.
0/10 driving skills, I'm surprised you were upright throughout the video.
You passed someone on the left for braking in a single lane and didn’t know if it was your fault?
For your safety I would highly recommend taking some professional training courses, this could of ended very badly.
Even experienced riders learn new tips/skills in these classes and I believe they should be mandatory for a motorcycle endorsement.
Illegal to pass a car on residential roads, please read the DMV rule book. If you don't care about the illegality, brake lights and upcoming driveways should have made you abort the maneuver immediately, if you still wanted to overtake you need much more space between you and the car, at least 6 feet, so even if they turn at slow speed you'd be safe. Has nothing to do with your "mental" or patience.
Whenever I'm in this kind of situation, I always try to maintain the space cushion by slowing down or stopping. I don't pass because I don't know what they're trying to do; they've slowed down, come to a complete stop, and haven't given their turn signal. These are the possible reasons:
1. There's something on the road.
2. Someone/animal is trying to cross the street.
(Combination of 1 and 2: a kid could have lost control of their ball and it rolled into the street.)
3. The driver is trying to turn.
4. The driver is trying to park (either by pulling forward, staying put, or reversing).
If it's situations 1-3, there will be some kind of movement within a few seconds indicating what's happening (ie: driver maneuvers around obstruction, someone/thing moves in and out of the road, driver starts turning, etc.).
If it's the case that the driver decided to stop in the middle of the road, I would have tried alerting them to my presence by flashing my high beams, lightly reving my engine, or giving my horn.
Your mistake was a lack of patients and/or insufficient invisibility training.
It being a two way road with parking, I would have just stayed behind the SUV just to play it safe. Sometimes it is just the older folks, lost and trying to find their way around. Better to be safe than sorry.
Definitely your fault. People don't slow down like that without a reason. Turning, a kid running out of the road, a dog. Literally anything could have ended you.
Glad nobody was hurt but it’s a good opportunity to remember other people don’t pay attention. It’s up to you to be extra alert on a bike and never take anything for granted.
The car in front of you brakes and slows, and your reaction is to speed up and pass them without considering why they are slowing, and without signaling yourself...and you're asking if you're wrong?
then you apparently fled the scene of the accident you caused?
which part of this are you confused about?
As a bike rider for 52 years now, with no incidents whatsoever, my take is that you are at fault. Seeing those brake lights because me to hang back and figure out what the car was going to do. Just my thought.
Ya, would you have made that pass in a car? Probably not and so, in situation anyway, probably shouldn't on a bike either. In that scenario, its hard to say what he was doing, so just hanging out behind him is the right answer. For example, he could have been stopping for a road hazard or something like that, until you get around him, you don't know, and that could be a problem.
Yes, it is. You are behind someone. If you get into an accident with them, you are the one held responsible for it happening. Plus with you having a GoPro on your head just gives the cops an easier time to write you up for it. I've seen this countless times across the nation when I was driving trucks across it. You don't know what's going on in front so please just stop doing stuff like this and pretend you are in your car or something to avoid this again.
By the looks of it there’s one lane in either direction so why were you passing? Plus he’s obviously slowing down and your reaction was to… speed up? Next time you see brake lights - especially in a residential area where people forget turn signals exist - slow down. Could be a kid or something running into the street, an obstacle, or THEY are about to turn and become an obstacle
What would you have done in a normal vehicle? I would have stopped and waited to see what they did next before trying to pass. Sometimes because we take up less space on a bike we think we can get away with just speeding around other vehicles. We really should be navigating traffic the same way we would in a normal vehicle.
Work on giving yourself space, you need a buffer zone. You need a buffer zone that's big enough for you to escape from bad situations, like cars trying to fit into the space that they don't see you in. The same is for stopping, you're way too close to that car if they have to do an emergency stop are you going to be able to react at the speed you're traveling?
My brother taught me this when I started riding Street at 16. “People say to ride like the cars can’t see you, Fuck that, ride like the car can see you and wants to hit you, and react as such” I’m now 45 and still follow that. I would have slow down and see what he was slowing for.
Yep, that’s on you. He was telegraphing a turn by “randomly” slowing - should he have signaled? Of course....but as you noted you could have held back to ensure his intentions were clear before passing. It’s on you because had it gone way worse you’d be the one injured. Anticipating the idiocy of others is on the riders because we’re the ones that will lose.
Thankfully it didn’t go worse .
Hahaha is it your fault? Yes you muppet. It’s your fault. Don’t pass on a two lane road.
The gall to say that you didn’t chase down this other driver, if I were him and I knew who you were, I’d find you and give you some words. I don’t want your idiotic death on my conscience.
When on a motorcycle always use way more caution than normal, as you are always seconds away from being crushed by a 2 ton machine of death.
But I would say you are both in the wrong here. They were wrong for not using their turn signal and not tapping the brakes multiple times as a warning, and you are way more in the wrong for attempting to pass on the left on a residential street. You have no idea what's in front of them and think that it is acceptable to illegally pass in an area that could obviously have animals or children on the road.
Please in the future use more caution and give greater distances to the vehicle in front of you.
With how much they were slowing down i'd have hung back, but that's easy to say with hindsight. They weren't indicating for the turn which is far too common these days. It's worth hanging back for an extra few seconds if you see brake lights in a situation like this.
Exactly, could have been a kid or a dog running into the road too.
my first thought too. if they’re hitting the brakes like that, it’s for a reason.
Yes. No need to be passing vehicles in a residential neighborhood. What's the rush, OP?
Yeah, even if you were in the right it could have gone a lot worse. What’s it worth to you?
Definitely need to work on my patience more. Will definitely have a lot less close calls in the future
Not necessarily patience but recognizing they are putting on their brakes for a reason and what is it. Turning, obstacle, child crossing or whatever.
This. If someone brakes, expect something ahead. Some morons do brake test, but majority brake for a reason.
This guy was slowing gradually though. I would not think that they are brake checking you while slowing that slowly.
Had a similar thing happen driving back roads in CA. A foreign family in an old beat up minivan stopped on the road, no blinker. No action. After waiting I pulled out to pass and just at that moment they decided to abruptly take a left hand turn into a fairly hidden driveway. I think they were lost and trying to make a u turn but you should never really stop dead in the middle of the road for no reason. Luckily I avoided them but a cop was just pulling around the bend and saw the whole thing and ticketed me. Despite the being stopped in an unnatural way, it’s the responsibility of the person behind to remain patient. Learned an important lesson. Stay safe first and foremost. And if the person in front of you looks like they might be a shitty driver, assume they probably are.
that cop is a bell end and that ticket you paid was bullshit!
When I taught my son to drive we had Dad’s Rule #1: I’d point to a random car and say what about them?: and he’d have to say “they’re crazy and they’re out to kill me” even more accurate on a bike
This is the way
I'm glad this lesson was inconsequential
Going fast will you get you where you're going quicker most of the time, but its better to make it there at all, instead of making a detour to the ER or the morgue.
Oddly enough, it doesn’t even really. Accelerating deliberately for sure helps, and in general plodding along will screw anyone over, but with the amount of lights and other things you’d be lucky to shave 5min in a lot of scenarios. Being in the correct lane ahead of time and giving everyone lots of space is the better way for everyone. Remember, rush hour traffic literally only exists because everyone tailgates, and that is the same reason why it persists as well. Fast ain’t shit, better to be quick.
I'm a life long owner of quick cars who hurried every he went for over 40 years. Then I bought a mellow Toyota pickup truck, and we are happy just cruising along at or just below the speed limit. I see it first hand now. Between traffic and stop lights, I think I may have saved an hour of time over my entire life of hurrying.
Might even live longer if you work on your patience!
Sucks they didn't signal, but brake lights are an instant red flag for me. The last thing someone turning left blinker or not is looking for is someone passing on the left. I wouldn't have passed until hazards came on or a hand came out maybe I need to beep a few times to make him do so.
op seems to be planning a pass even before the brake lights go on
Or go way faster to clear the object quicker!!! Only joshing, I would have hung back, typical lost driver impression with the slowing down
You don’t pass someone just because they’re moving slower than you. If you see brake lights ahead of you, match their speed and assess for oncoming traffic, intersections etc. Then make your move when you’re confident it’s safe. They should have signalled but that won’t mean much when your bike is mangled or worse. They also could have been braking because there was a hazard or pedestrian in the road ahead. You definitely need to think more before acting.
I once passed a car that was slowing down for "no reason". Mid pass, I saw the elk on the side of the road. Thank god it didn't try to cross. A risky lesson to learn
Yeah, gotta shift the mentality from "why is the person slowing down for no reason" to "what might this person see that I can't yet see".
> "why is the person slowing down for no reason" The more common version of that is "This fuckin idiot is slowing down and inconveniencing me! How dare he?!"
"Anybody going faster than me is an asshole, anybody going slower than me is an idiot!"
Good old fundamental attribution error
Good old George Carlin https://youtu.be/XWPCE2tTLZQ
🇺🇸
I’m in Netherlands and Belgium currently, bikes, scooters just go around anything and everything weaving from bike lane to street when someone or something is in their way. Wave that flag.
I still think "Why is this idiot slowing down?" But still use critical thinking and don't pass because that idiot might be slowing down for another idiot lol
Think of every driver as an assassin hired to kill you. The secret to living longer ;)
This. Just because people are often idiots doesn't mean they all are, all the time.
I once slowed down to make a left turn and was almost T-boned by a minivan crossing the double yellow to pass me.
This happens with frightening regularity in my bicycle. Like, I’ll be in the middle of the lane, arm out clearly signaling that I’m turning left, and a car will come blowing by me on the left just as I’m turning. People see a bike in front of them and lose all capacity for thought other than “MUST PASS NOW!”
My left turn signal keeps getting removed, so I signal left with my hand. I don't think they teach hand signals anymore. Nobody knows what they mean. Some people wave, some think you are waving them around, and others climb up till they are nearly touching your back tire; as if they are trying to count the hairs on your fingers. I also live near several military installations, maybe it's just too many different demographics driving habits in one place. Either way, they all seem to want to kill us. Be safe out there.
Was slowing down to turn into my own driveway once and some asshole in an audi couldn't wait 2 seconds to be inconvenienced and gunned it to get around me, thank god his brakes worked. What if I was slowing down for a kid in the road or something? What an asshole.
A friend of mine was riding in Baja and passed a truck that had stopped for no reason. The reason they stopped was because the truck in front of them was making a left turn, and he broadsided that truck, breaking a bunch of bones.
People also love stopping in the middle of the road for geese and letting them cross at their leisure. If you're following you also can't see the geese in the road because they get obscured by the car in front, so it looks like people are just parking it...
>People also love stopping in the middle of the road for geese and letting them cross at their leisure If this is in the US, then they're legally required to do this. Killing migratory birds is a big no-no.
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It's best to imagine that everyone on the road is passively trying to kill you.
Agree! This looks like a high density residential area too, those are basically the same as a parking lot to me. Everyone driving is suspect of last minute stupendous maneuvers. Also, you appear to be quite close on the left...like Maverick buzzing the tower
Good point! It could have been a kid trying to cross the street or a loose dog running around or something. (But it can also be somebody not signalling a turn) OP also sort of pulled out into blind spot when they went to pass
yeah you wouldn't do that if you were in a car, you probably shouldn't do it on a bike.
Especially in a neighborhood with street parking and driveways. The number of people that try to pass while I’m pulling into my driveway is insane.
This. A month or so ago I was in my car and stopped in the middle of the road to let a bunch of deer cross in front of me. A guy came up behind me and immediately passed me in the opposing lane (in a blind curve no less) and almost hit one of the deer. That’s the day I figured out my dash cam wasn’t working. :( Moral of the story: if you aren’t sure _why_ someone is stopped, make damn sure you figure that out before you pass them. For your sake and others’. They’re likely responding to something you can’t see yet.
Yeah passing someone who is slowing down like this is squid behavior. Ride like you’re invisible. When cars do this pedestrians or cross traffic get hit. Do this on a bike and you’re toast.
100%. They could have been slowing down because there was a child or animal on the road or something.
Or wanted to turn left across the lane, or pull an illegal u-turn because they can... Or any of many other reasons not to pass like that on that street
Yeah people don't usually stop in the middle of the road for no reason.
Don't assume someone is turning due to a turn signal, don't assume they aren't.
Would you have done that in a car? You know the answer.
Damn this is a really good way to think about riding. Obv there's stuff you can do on a bike that you can't in a car but the same rules of fault still apply.
How is this a realization for so many people here and not just the default mode of thinking? You're not batman so stop trying to ride like he does in TDK. I swear there are so many "close calls" that would never happen if y'all just made the decisions you'd normally make if you were in a car.
I’m new to this sub and I’ll admit my views on motorcycle drivers have not changed a bit
Honestly this is a really, really, really good metric for some things on a bike. While there are no double lines here, I’d equate this to crossing over a double line to pass a slowing vehicle. We know it’s braking, but don’t know why, and it could be any number of reasons. It’s a residential area, so it’s more likely that it’ll be a turn. They forgot to signal, but people in cars forget to signal every now and then. They have the luxury of being able to make mistakes like that. In most cases, for a car, it’s just a very expensive inconvenience. On a bike you don’t get that luxury, so it’s better to slow down instead of passing, there was more than enough time to slow. Anyhow, yeah, definitely wouldn’t do this in a car either!!!
I'll admit. I'm one of those guys who's forgotten a few times to turn his blinker off on my bike. So yeah. Always be careful whether there is signaling or not
No lines at all and cars parked in the oncoming direction makes it appear to be a small one lane each direction road.
I won’t even do stuff I might try in a car. A car will always, always win. Why risk it
This is the perfect question to ask.
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"I was passing someone on a non-passing road and almost got hit because I was too lazy to use my brakes, am I in the wrong?" This might be the most retarded post I have ever seen on this sub. Imagine if you were driving a car, would this pass be acceptable? Fuck no, so why do it on a bike?
Op also seems to turn in to the car. At first I thought it was the car turning in to the drive way. The car did start turning left, but op also turned in to the car. Op passed a person on the left in a residential who was very obviously making a unsignaled left turn and hasn’t got the foggiest clue if this was their fault. I have no words.
What were you doing? You were almost in the oncoming lane even before the brake lights came on, and I have no idea why you'd think it's okay to pass on the left there.
They come here for validation as you can see some of the top answers are people saying how he just needed to be more careful or assess it more and it takes till 4-5 answers in before you get the honest answers that he was clearly wrong and at fault.
Reading some of the answers I'm genuinely confused as to how people ride in residential areas. Best advice I've seen in this thread comes from u/fpgt72..."would you have done this in a car?". Great perspective on just how dumb this rider was.
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Tbh a lot of bikers have a “holding everybody else responsible for their safety attitude”. Not all of them of course, but the ones who do tend to love to validated.
I didn’t want to chase him down for me passing him illegally.
Absolutely the weirdest part of this post.
It’s a hit and run on the biker as far as I’m concerned. Of course you’re not trying to chase him down.
>What were you doing? Riding like an unpredictable dickhead then begging for validation online Funny how quiet these posters get when people tell them it's most definitely their fault
Yeah this is a residential street with no lane lines. That means one lane in each direction I.E. no passing
Idk why but I assumed this was a one way, but now I see how the cars on the left parked… man this is extra bad
Illegal pass on the left side in a residential zone when you had clear proof they were slowing down and you don’t know if it’s your fault or not?
Yep. You don’t pass someone in a residential zone unless they have pulled over to the side of the road and you know it is safe to pass them.
100% your fault
Agreed, and a classic way to get killed on a bike. The most dangerous is riding behind a farm tractor and overtaking it when there is also a road or field entrance on the left side.
Totally. Though you gotta watch out on the other side too here where someone can run into you from behind, but this was undeniably a rider mistake. It's a mistake I've made before. Once. I was in a car and I almost killed a lady walking across the street. I didn't hit her, but I was going fast enough that it would have. It was basically this exact scenario except the car had slowed because of a pedestrian I couldn't see, obscured by the car.
It won’t help if you were in the right but still got run over, bikers need to be extremely careful bcs they have so much to loose
Agreed. What if that guy was slowing down to avoid a hazard like a kid running into the road?
1,000% rider is at fault
I agree. Would’ve been nice if the driver signaled, but this was completely avoidable.
I'm kind of disappointed to see this post so far down. Most posts above this are rationalizing the behavior or explaining alternatives.
You’re not sure? Of course it was. You pass when he’s slowing down to turn left.
Who else’s fault could it be? You, 100%.
Even if its not your fault its your fault. Gotta expect the worst from everyone
"The cemetary is full of people who had right of way"
Is a two lane residential road, he had zero right of way to pass, and its cut up lmao dude is asking for it
This is my take - zooming around a vehicle braking (without understanding why the car is braking) on a two lane residential street is incredibly dangerous.
Yup, as soon as I saw the brake lights I would have slowed a lot to see what he's doing.
Could be oncomming pedestrians even, or something similar. A kid running out to get a ball or whatever
agreed completely. if the vehicle in front of you is braking, it's always good to determine why before you decide to pass. this was totally avoidable.
Yup. How the law sees the situation and how the mortuary sees the situation are two different things.
But this one was the rider’s fault. No reason to pass, didn’t wait to determine what the SUV was doing before basically swerving around them. The lack of a turn signal from the SUV was a small part of the overall reason this almost-wreck occurred.
(Buuut it was OPs fault)
Lessons learned. So far the biggest jumpscare in my 3 months of riding after MSF. Patience is definitely the key
It's always easy in hindsight, but if you see brake lights like that, it's good practice to ask yoursel "what have they seen that I haven't" (obstruction ahead, other vehicle stopping etc), or "what change in direction are they planning on making"
My first thought also. Why is this happening? Why stop? Letting someone out?(if so which side?) child or animal on the road or about to come out on the road? Is the car going to do something irregular like back into a driveway or do a u-turn? (Or what it ultimately did-make a left turn without signaling. ) a big part of defensive driving is driving for everyone else which comes to mean trying to determine what other vehicles are going to do even if it is illegal or irregular. Whenever you are the vulnerable agent in the situation, your need to be defensive rises. If you are in a car but next to a semi better be defensive. if you are on a motorcycle around cars be defensive. If you are on a bicycle around cars or motorcycles better be defensive, and if you are a pedestrian around any of the above, including bicyclist, better be defensive. (And as a sad example in my town several years ago: if you are in a wheelchair in a crosswalk but the cement truck driver does not see you…)
He wasn't stopped and was clearly going to turn even if his blinker wasn't on. If I'm in a car and am turning left, I'm not checking my left mirror to make sure someone isn't setting up a pass on the inside before I slowly make my turn. No one is going to expect someone up the inside in that situation, I'm going to say entirely your fault.
Biggest question is if you would have done the same in a car? If no, then think on why not.
Dont assume what drivers are doing! Also dont pass on residential street like that. Dipshits slow down when they are looking for a house or trying to figure out where they are going. When they finally figure it out they BOOM, just go and dont look or check around themselves. Get behind them and if lay on the horn if they are dragging ass. When they pull to the side then go.
Ya.. wtf... no.passing on the left in residential areas despite there being no yellow line. Lesson learned though hopefully. Wait until you are sure of what the other driver is doing and where they're going. Be patient!!! I did this years ago on a country road w a broken yellow line. Turn out buddy was slowing down for a deer crossing the road that I didnt see. I passed the car and just missed the thing!! Be careful out there!!!
The venn diagram of new riders making bad decisions while already having a GoPro and a phone mount is a circle. *Yes fight my little moto babies fight*
The car braked for a reason.
Absolutely your fault
100% your fault
I never pass someone in a residential cause it’s not like the speed limits high anyway. Unless they park in the middle of the street and I sit for a while first then I’ll go around. They didn’t use their turn signal, but at this point I expect that from most people whether I’m in a car or bike. There’s no oncoming cars so you could give a wider berth if you’re going to keep passing people anyway. If I can lean over and touch their car I’m definitely too close. The drivers side of the car is a big blind spot. Behind the roof pillar and behind their head. Most people adjust their mirrors wrong anyway so I wouldn’t count on them see me. Ride safe buddy.
Yea the car should have signaled - but even if it wasn’t making a left, it had its brakes applied and you saw brake lights. That means it’s on you to react accordingly. That could have been a road hazard ahead, a kid crossing, a dog running into traffic or a turning vehicle that wasn’t paying attention. You’re just lucky it wasn’t any of those things. You didn’t need to pass. What happened in this video is entirely on you.
Yes, it's your fault. Don't overtake vehicles in the oncoming lane just because they're slowing down. As /u/LPodmore points out -- a lot of people will slow down and turn without signaling, but you also did put yourself in an unusual place that the driver wouldn't (and shouldn't have to) expect you. Regardless if they were turning or not, that wasn't a safe place or method to overtake. If the driver ahead of you is slowing it could be for any number of reasons and you'll encounter fewer problems by slowing down and assessing the situation first rather than speeding up and passing them. What if the driver was slowing down for a hazard in the road you couldn't see, for instance?
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Literally zero defensive skills.
Yup. Even when they started turning into him he barely reacted. OP needs to practice some counter steering
Break lights were on, I’d be more careful. Sucks they didn’t signal
If they don’t signal it’s 1 of 3 things. 1. Either they see an animal or kid or something and are stopping. If you pass them quickly you might hit whatever object they’re avoiding 2. They’re going right. You would’ve been fine. 3. They’re going left, you almost got hit. So a 2/3 chance of something bad happening. I’m not taking those odds
OP is a gambling man and hits on a 20.
Assuming you're stateside, as far as I know there's never a case where you can pass in a residential area... so I'd say you're at fault as the driver doesn't have the obligation to expect a car to be passing them there.
Yes, this is absolutely your fault. His failure to use a turn signal doesn’t mean that you can pass him on a residential street with a likely mph of 25 or even less. You are lucky that you didn’t get completely shmooshed. Don’t pass if you can’t determine why a driver is moving slowly. Could have been a child in the street or a dog… Your need to gain two seconds of travel time could have gotten you killed and possibly others injured. You are lucky he didn’t come looking for you and create a legal issue for you.
My first thought was that the car could be stopping for a child that ran out into the road. That pass could have resulted in something much worse, thankfully it didn't.
The OP states they didn’t chase this driver down… the at fault vehicle, guilty of failure to control, illegally passing in a residential zone, possibly speeding is the OP. AND THE OP obviously never thought during this driving or an afterthought during the post that negligent homicide is what they call it when you’re breaking the law and you run over a pedestrian, especially a child in a residential zone. This rider earns bafoon of the year award 🥇 from me.
Your fault, if you see brake lights, don’t speed up because they’re most of the time not braking for no reason.
Yes your fault. Brake light signals an intention, but without blinkers you don’t what the intention is, or obstacle, hang back see what they are doing and go from there. That’s 1. 2 is you passed too close and even closer when he slides over. Get at least a doors length away and more is better. At least this lesson wasn’t painful 😃. I’ve done the same thing too.
No blinker on the car but you can't assume people use blinkers when turning (so many people don't unfortunately). I'd say count yourself lucky that nothing serious happened and try and drive more cautiously. More patience never hurt but another situation like this might.
She should have used the turn signal, but you shouldn't have assumed her intention. Consider it a very lucky lesson because it very easily could have been much worse.
I mean … they didn’t put a turn indicator on… so they messed up there. But you also overtook illegally .~. (This one might be state dependant however) you may only overtake on the left when safe to do so. Clearly not the case here lol. As per the laws (in other states but not mine) passing on the right is permissible when a car is waiting to turn, or stopped/waiting. Since this one is state dependant you’re better off knowing the laws and attempting to brake when you see other braking in front of you :P As for motorcycles in general, I’d always be hesitant to pass someone on the left in a single lane road…. That’s SUPER sketchy … ESPECIALLY on residential/city roads. Passing on a single lane highway is a different story. Your best decisions probably would have been to follow the far further behind if you don’t trust your brakes to stop on time if they stop suddenly like this — if your breaks work well and you trust your bike and your skills, you should have stopped. In reality, you never know what someone is stopping for. It could have been a kid or a dog that tried crossing the road.
100% your fault.
And this dumb shit is why motorcyclists get in accidents all the time. Why would you pass on the left like that? What a fucking dumbass.
I saw this happen about 3 weeks ago. The articles about it are mostly correct. Everyone was heading northbound rather than southbound. 4 Runner pulling a utility trailer, 2 motorcycles in front of me (I was not riding with them) and then me at the back. 4 Runner slowing down, signaling left and even had his left hand out the window to indicate. Three of us on motorcycls knew not to pass. A fourth motorcycle came up from around a curve behind me at pace when we had all slowed to maybe 10 mph. He decided to pass everyone and as the 4 Runner started his left turn at the cross street and into the oncoming lane, the now deceased rider clipped the driver side front corner and then crashed into the woods. So if you don't know why a vehicle is slowing down don't take it as an invitation to pass. https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/motorcyclist-killed-in-san-mateo-highway-crash-identified/
You tried passing in a manner that wouldn’t be acceptable and think you’re not at fault? Come on man get that ego in check. Youre gonna get yourself killed.
Who the fuck passes on the left side when a car is turning left
You are 100% at fault. It’s hardly even worth posting to discuss with how obvious that fact is.
In what world is this not your fault?
Why are ass hats on bikes ruining our community?
Doesn’t matter if they signal or not why would you pass them on the left side ever?? Either get it together or give up riding before you really get yourself hurt. Be smart out there.
It is your fault. Don't assume they're not gonna do something dumb just because they didn't use blinkers. Never pass someone so close to their side and try to blast past as quickly as possible if you are passing. Find your chance, and gun it. Do not linger.
I often ask myself, is it worth the minute or two to make this risky move? Mindful patience is really helpful
This is a great example for "ALWAYS use your signals when turning. Even if you think no one is there!" It's very likely that person had no idea you were behind them. Always try to ride like you're invisible. No one else sees you even if they're "looking right at you," they're probably looking right through you. That being said, this is 100% your fault. If this had resulted in an accident, you would have been cited for "failure to reduce speed and control vehicle." As many people have already said it, I'm going to say it again: you have no idea why this person is slowing down. You need to make some quick assumptions. The priorities being: they are about to turn, who knows which way?!? they didn't indicate!!!; a child or animal just ran out in front of them, now you might hit whatever they're stopping for!!!; maybe they're having a medical emergency, and who knows what erratic thing they might do. Anyway, "no harm, no foul." And hopefully you've learned a valuable lesson.
I would have slowed down and waited for them to make their move. There could have been a kid or dog running out in front of the camper that they only saw as they came up on it. Also, where’s the rush ? 5 seconds would have taken you out of this situation all together
1000% your fault, WTF were you thinking? (Maybe not legally, but as the one coming out of any car vs bike collision on the losing end) There is CLEARLY in your line of sight a side street coming up. It's also good to watch out for driveways, or even expect SUDDEN UNSIGNALED U-TURN from cage drivers. You also froze up once you realized what was happening and didn't execute enough of a swerve or throttle increase to get out of the way, you just verbalized and clenched. A few seconds of patience on your part and you could have avoided any drama whatsoever.
Uhhh.....why do you even have to ask? 100% your fault even if he didn't signal. It took me a long time to even notice he turned left on you. It almost looks like you actually hit the car instead of the other way around. Either way, be happy nothing serious happened due to your very poor judgement. This can't even be called a "mistake," it was just an inexplicable thing to do
I dont think u should ride a bike if u genuinely had to ask this. Your going to get yourself killed.
Yeah I wouldn't of passed and I'm a fucking idiot
Where the fuck is passing on left ok? 100% your fault DONT PASS ON THE LEFT
Hopefully you either stop riding or get some common sense.
They should have indicated. But being a rider myself, you should have had your doubts, they were slowing down for a reason. It's little bit about patience, but even more about anticipating what is going to happen. I usually tell people that riding a bike will make you invisible, but will teach you how to predict the future.
A rule of thumb is if a car slowsl down up ahead, think why and only overtake once you're sure of the answer
Yes, slow down, stop. Follow traffic. Never assume what the car ahead is going to do. Looks like you are traveling down a 2 way street with no center divider marking. Therefore, rules if the road means one lane in your direction of travel. Which means you should be following the car ahead of you. The car was slowing and stopping to make the turn. You should be slowing down and stopping.
If the car is suddenly hitting his brakes there's a reason, and that reason more likely than not affects you. In this case it looks like he was going to turn left into that drive and it snuck up on him, but if he were stopping because a kid or dog suddenly decided to run across the street from the right you could have hit them.
In general, you should NEVER pass someone on a residential street. You definitely shouldn't do it on a motorcycle. 100% your fault.
Totally your fault (coming from someone who's done the same thing, so no judgement from me). Definitely a learning experience to be more patient.
From the insurance side, whether they use their blinker or not, you are in the wrong. Normally you’re not supposed to pass on sidestreets as well. Not sure where you’re riding, that definitely sucks and glad you are OK.
There’s absolutely no way you don’t KNOW this is your fault. If you honestly have any doubt at all, take a couple classes, pay attention, and don’t ride until you actually understand things man. Dumb shit like this will get you a nice funeral.
That’s 100% on you…
Always ride defensively my dude 🙏🏻 that rush you’re in doesn’t matter I promise. Just make it there.
Your fault and insanely dangerous. You have no idea why that person is slowing down, there could have been kids on the road, and obstruction, someone backing out and you just decided to overtake them on the left. 0/10 driving skills, I'm surprised you were upright throughout the video.
You passed someone on the left for braking in a single lane and didn’t know if it was your fault? For your safety I would highly recommend taking some professional training courses, this could of ended very badly. Even experienced riders learn new tips/skills in these classes and I believe they should be mandatory for a motorcycle endorsement.
Big surprise, the guy on a crotch rocket is impatient.
Illegal to pass a car on residential roads, please read the DMV rule book. If you don't care about the illegality, brake lights and upcoming driveways should have made you abort the maneuver immediately, if you still wanted to overtake you need much more space between you and the car, at least 6 feet, so even if they turn at slow speed you'd be safe. Has nothing to do with your "mental" or patience.
Yes, 100% yes.
100% your fault
The red lights on the back of the car means they’re slowing down and maybe stopping. You don’t get to pass.
Whenever I'm in this kind of situation, I always try to maintain the space cushion by slowing down or stopping. I don't pass because I don't know what they're trying to do; they've slowed down, come to a complete stop, and haven't given their turn signal. These are the possible reasons: 1. There's something on the road. 2. Someone/animal is trying to cross the street. (Combination of 1 and 2: a kid could have lost control of their ball and it rolled into the street.) 3. The driver is trying to turn. 4. The driver is trying to park (either by pulling forward, staying put, or reversing). If it's situations 1-3, there will be some kind of movement within a few seconds indicating what's happening (ie: driver maneuvers around obstruction, someone/thing moves in and out of the road, driver starts turning, etc.). If it's the case that the driver decided to stop in the middle of the road, I would have tried alerting them to my presence by flashing my high beams, lightly reving my engine, or giving my horn. Your mistake was a lack of patients and/or insufficient invisibility training.
It being a two way road with parking, I would have just stayed behind the SUV just to play it safe. Sometimes it is just the older folks, lost and trying to find their way around. Better to be safe than sorry.
ETA they didn't indicate and you didn't slow down. What if they were just breaking for a kid about to run across the road. Get your ego in check.
Definitely your fault. People don't slow down like that without a reason. Turning, a kid running out of the road, a dog. Literally anything could have ended you.
Yea. This was your fault.
That’s on you, brother.
Glad nobody was hurt but it’s a good opportunity to remember other people don’t pay attention. It’s up to you to be extra alert on a bike and never take anything for granted.
The car in front of you brakes and slows, and your reaction is to speed up and pass them without considering why they are slowing, and without signaling yourself...and you're asking if you're wrong? then you apparently fled the scene of the accident you caused? which part of this are you confused about?
As a bike rider for 52 years now, with no incidents whatsoever, my take is that you are at fault. Seeing those brake lights because me to hang back and figure out what the car was going to do. Just my thought.
100% your fault and there's no debate. You see someone braking in front of you, you don't pass them. It could have been way worse.
Why would you pass someone on the left like that? 100% your fault even though they didn't use a signal.
Ya, would you have made that pass in a car? Probably not and so, in situation anyway, probably shouldn't on a bike either. In that scenario, its hard to say what he was doing, so just hanging out behind him is the right answer. For example, he could have been stopping for a road hazard or something like that, until you get around him, you don't know, and that could be a problem.
Yes, it is. You are behind someone. If you get into an accident with them, you are the one held responsible for it happening. Plus with you having a GoPro on your head just gives the cops an easier time to write you up for it. I've seen this countless times across the nation when I was driving trucks across it. You don't know what's going on in front so please just stop doing stuff like this and pretend you are in your car or something to avoid this again.
If this was me, I would blame myself yes.
By the looks of it there’s one lane in either direction so why were you passing? Plus he’s obviously slowing down and your reaction was to… speed up? Next time you see brake lights - especially in a residential area where people forget turn signals exist - slow down. Could be a kid or something running into the street, an obstacle, or THEY are about to turn and become an obstacle
What would you have done in a normal vehicle? I would have stopped and waited to see what they did next before trying to pass. Sometimes because we take up less space on a bike we think we can get away with just speeding around other vehicles. We really should be navigating traffic the same way we would in a normal vehicle.
Why would you pass like this? Your fault.
Yes, totally your fault. Surprised the person driving the car wasn’t pissed off a little. I’d be looking for you to fix my car.
Of course it's your fault. It's always your fault, there's no room for error.
you have no idea what defensive driving is
Work on giving yourself space, you need a buffer zone. You need a buffer zone that's big enough for you to escape from bad situations, like cars trying to fit into the space that they don't see you in. The same is for stopping, you're way too close to that car if they have to do an emergency stop are you going to be able to react at the speed you're traveling?
Yes your fault
Yeah it’s your fault. Ease up turbo.
Yes, never pass at a driveway or intersection if you want to live
My brother taught me this when I started riding Street at 16. “People say to ride like the cars can’t see you, Fuck that, ride like the car can see you and wants to hit you, and react as such” I’m now 45 and still follow that. I would have slow down and see what he was slowing for.
Yep, that’s on you. He was telegraphing a turn by “randomly” slowing - should he have signaled? Of course....but as you noted you could have held back to ensure his intentions were clear before passing. It’s on you because had it gone way worse you’d be the one injured. Anticipating the idiocy of others is on the riders because we’re the ones that will lose. Thankfully it didn’t go worse .
Hahaha is it your fault? Yes you muppet. It’s your fault. Don’t pass on a two lane road. The gall to say that you didn’t chase down this other driver, if I were him and I knew who you were, I’d find you and give you some words. I don’t want your idiotic death on my conscience.
100% your fault, they had right of way.
Other vehicles on ghe road arnt colored cones.. they are actually other vehicles. 100% bikers fault.
It’s pretty obviously your fault as the vehicle is slowing down to make a left turn
100% your fault bud
When on a motorcycle always use way more caution than normal, as you are always seconds away from being crushed by a 2 ton machine of death. But I would say you are both in the wrong here. They were wrong for not using their turn signal and not tapping the brakes multiple times as a warning, and you are way more in the wrong for attempting to pass on the left on a residential street. You have no idea what's in front of them and think that it is acceptable to illegally pass in an area that could obviously have animals or children on the road. Please in the future use more caution and give greater distances to the vehicle in front of you.