FZ6R Down

[Spunky99]

i admire your spirit for the law but unfortunately i dont think it would make a difference, cagers always have the mentality that crashes happen to everyone else not them, so what ever law wont make a difference, hit and runs should be an extra 5-10 years though. I personally think to get your car license they should have to ride a bike for a period of time.

I've seen some of those cagers drive....Do you really want them on 2 wheels?
They get into an accident all by themselves...
I do agree there needs to be some sort of awareness/familarity training done to make it safer for us to ride.

 

[Roaddawg]

No reason to not stop. Totally unacceptable. Accidents happen all the time in this world, but to leave the scene, that just should never happen ever.

Hit and run accident happen everyday, everywhere, and a lot more than you'd think. Just here where I live, there is about 2-3 every day, on average (not fatal ones, but just hit and runs in general). People run for many reasons....no drivers license, no insurance, drunk or on drugs, warrants, just plain scared.....You and me, yeah, we'd stop, even if it was our fault, because we're responsible. But, believe me, there are way too many people out there that don't care about you...it's all about them.

I like ry-mac75's beer analogy...no matter how careful you are, someone is gonna bump into you and spill your beer. Like I always say...I ride like everyone is trying to kill me. It may seem a little paranoid, but it's worked so far.

 

[Spunky99]

I ride like everyone is trying to kill me. It may seem a little paranoid, but it's worked so far.

I approve of that school of thought!

 

[dart1963]

Like I always say...I ride like everyone is trying to kill me. It may seem a little paranoid, but it's worked so far.

There is a difference between riding "aware" and riding paranoid....

Aware = great defensive driving, paranoid and overreacting to everything that goes on around you = bad.

 

[toddjcruz]

Agree. One thing I have learned is 'screw the horn, just get out of the way'. I've see way too many 'that was almost ugle' situation where you honk because the car is coming over to your lane and the honk startles the driver, he makes a sharp adjustment and things get ugly. I'm a get out of their way person.

Funny story, I was riding and following my friend, in his car as we were both going to the same seminar. He knew I was riding with him and still, while going down the freeway, he changed lanes and pulled in front of me! Now, I didnt honk, just eased back on the throttle to slow a bit, moved over to the left side of the lane and then slid in behind him. Afer I pulled behind him, he saw me and realized what he did. He commented on it once we got there. He said he almost hit me and he didnt see me. I said, you didnt almost hit me, I knew you were going to cut me off the moment you pulled up beside me!

Go with the flow, easy moves, pay attention. Limit your exposure is the key. Someone is going to mess up at some point, you or them. The less situations you are in that can cause this the better.

 

[Roaddawg]

There is a difference between riding "aware" and riding paranoid....

Aware = great defensive driving, paranoid and overreacting to everything that goes on around you = bad.

Ok, maybe I should have said 'aware' then instead of paranoid. I just keep that space cushion around me and try to anticipate the movements of the cars around me before they make the move.

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

I am fully for a law that says in effect, If violating the vehicle code causes a death of the motorcyclist, there is a mandatory 5 year prison sentence. Add another 5 years to a hit and run.

I didn't get that part of what the cop said - if she had stopped it would have been a misdemeanor. That's crazy. She broke the law (failure to yield) and that resulted in the death. Sounds pretty non-misdemeanor to me..

 

[Spunky99]

I didn't get that part of what the cop said - if she had stopped it would have been a misdemeanor. That's crazy. She broke the law (failure to yield) and that resulted in the death. Sounds pretty non-misdemeanor to me..

If you fail to yield and kill a motorcyclist and stop and wait for the Police to come while the biker dies, it is a misdemeanor. Leaving the scene of an accident is a felony when there are injuries or deaths involved.
So since there was a death involved and the driver left the scene, it is felony manslaughter in addition to the misdemeanor charge of failure to yield.

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

If you fail to yield and kill a motorcyclist and stop and wait for the Police to come while the biker dies, it is a misdemeanor. Leaving the scene of an accident is a felony when there are injuries or deaths involved.
So since there was a death involved and the driver left the scene, it is felony manslaughter in addition to the misdemeanor charge of failure to yield.

A few years ago, a local deputy ran down two bicyclists and killed them. He said he had fallen asleep. As far as I know, he stayed at the scene and was ultimately charged with and found guilty of vehicular manslaughter

Wiki thinks so too, but you never really know what you can believe there.

Maybe there's some subtle thing I'm missing here. Maybe she "might have been charged with vehicular manslaughter, but because she fled she definitely will be charged" or something..

 

[Roaddawg]

A few years ago, a local deputy ran down two bicyclists and killed them. He said he had fallen asleep. As far as I know, he stayed at the scene and was ultimately charged with and found guilty of vehicular manslaughter

Wiki thinks so too, but you never really know what you can believe there.

Maybe there's some subtle thing I'm missing here. Maybe she "might have been charged with vehicular manslaughter, but because she fled she definitely will be charged" or something..

Just like Spunky said, but maybe this makes it more clear:

She stays at scene= Charge of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter at the most. The failure to yield is a infraction, not a misdemeanor.

She flees the scene = Felony Hit and run causing injuries/death (20001 CVC here in CA) PLUS, misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge as well.

 

[dannymac702]

update

driver arrested for vehicular manslaughter-leaving scene of accident-no license.

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

This was the part I didn't know:

misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter

Thanks for the clarification

 

[Roaddawg]

This was the part I didn't know:

misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter

Thanks for the clarification

No prob. And actually, vehicular manslaughter is what they call a "wobber" crime in California...meaning it can be charged as a misdemeanor OR a felony, depending on the severity of the crime. This lady would probably be charged with only a misdemeanor unless they could show she had malice to injury the biker or she was drunk, etc...