Safe Speed Forums

From my own experience and from those I know who have been in an accident, 99 times out of 100 that is usually what comes up when someone has caused an accident or near accident. But I don’t think that should ever be a valid reason or excuse. Either you are blind, distracted or stupid if that’s the best excuse you can come up with IMO. Which ever way you cut it the onus is on you to correct your behaviour instead of going through life saying you just didn’t see things.

On my way home from work yesterday this is exactly what happened to me, again. Someone pulling out from a junction and stops right in front of me forcing me to drop the anchors. (That’s three times now at that same damn junction). Fortunately, most bikers and good drivers are more attuned to these things and almost have a sixth sense to foresee it. But what goes through the head of these bad drivers when they "didn't see you"?

It seems to me you can use it like some kind of magic trump card ‘oh you didn’t see me did you?. Well that’s all right then. Let’s just put a claim in on the insurance or I’ll just change my underwear when I get home after the near miss thank you very much’.

I think when that feeble pathetic excuse is used they should be done for DWDC. Surely that is what it is, by definition, driving without due care and attention? If you didn’t see me because your eyesight is poor you shouldn’t be on the road. If by “didn’t see me” you mean you looked and just pulled out anyway, you should set a retest. You don’t pull out unless, and until, you know what you are about to do is safe.

The one and only time I can think of in my whole life where I have done it is quite recently in fact when I underestimated the speed of a car entering an island from my right from under a flyover and he sounded his horn. That was not long after I got some stupid specs with large French-like side bits which blinker you. I’ve learned from it and it hasn’t happened since. I also intend to buy some new specs just as soon as I can without the stupid large sides, (taking responsibility for my own actions), but I don’t think that’s too bad after 36 years on the road and I don’t believe these bad drivers can all claim that is the reason why they do it, so I don’t know exactly what is happening out there..

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Surely the common use of this phrase is an implication that it isn't an acceptable excuse.

However, it is a fact of life that very many collisions result from a "looked but failed to see" scenario. Cause and blame are not the same thing.

If I consider the (small) number of at-fault collisions I have had during my driving career, in each case I didn't spot something I should really have seen.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Strangely nobody has ever pulled out in front of my red noisy bike, but my blue quiet bike sometimes seems to have a cloak of invisibility and gets pulled out in front of pretty regularly.



That was the "excuse" used by the lady that caused my one and only collision with another vehicle, she was turning right from the left hand lane on a roundabout on a dual carriageway and just drove into my nearside After the collision she drove off immediately, I had to give chase to make her stop .... thereby losing all the witnesses When she filled in the insurance claim form she lied and said I changed lane on exiting the roundabout and cut in front of her (completely untrue) and as no witnesses could be found ended up knock for knock .... I lost about 10 years of no claims (only other claim was for theft) because of an idiot and liar.

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You only need two tools - WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. :0)

I’m not sure about that Peter; on the occasions it’s happened to me it’s said as though I’m wearing Zippo’s cloak of invisibility implying I should share the blame in some way.

I think it may be the only thing someone can say after acting stupidly but they can’t bring themselves to say “I’m stupid” so use the alternative. When pushed on the reason why they didn’t see you it’s a shrug of the shoulders with further excuses like “I don’t know why” or my other favourite “you appeared from nowhere” as if I defied the laws of physics. I can see how that might appear to be the case if I’m speeding like a maniac but that’s not the case.

Agreed, but therefore shouldn’t the driver take responsibility for their inadequacies by looking for longer or ‘think twice’ and look twice rather than accept it as just the way things are; the way they are?

You must have analysed those small numbers, what conclusion did you arrive at if I may be so cheeky? As I said, when I was at fault I was honest with myself and changed my style - and soon my specs.

Tell me about it! When I had the original exhausts on it happened far more often. Loud pipes save lives an' all that, it's true!

I have to admit there is another reason for my OP as well as my close encounter.. I went on a MAG run at the weekend and one of the topics we are trying to oppose is the compulsory wearing of Hi-Viz jackets that the Eurozone is trying to foist upon us. I know I’ve mentioned this before but my argument is that all modern bikes already have no off switch for the lights so if drivers can’t see that then I think it raises the question of what is it exactly that drivers do not see when they 'look'? But this isn't just about motorbikes but bicycles and cars too. What the hec are they looking at when they pull out in front of you?

Sorry to hear your story Zipps, let's hope that what comes around goes around and bites her on the arris.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

TBH I'm not sure what it is makes the difference, I've run the red bike with both noisy and quiet pipes and it doesn't get pulled out on with either, could be the colour scheme has something to do with it too??


A lesson learned ... if you are involved in an accident even minor with no injuries, instantly feign injury to make sure police have to attend and record details!

Water under the bridge now Tone, expensive water though, increased premiums over the following years probably just about paid for the repairs ..... back up to 11 years NCB now though

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You only need two tools - WD40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. :0)

That's easy, just claim whiplash like everyone else and get a fat payout

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I think MAG had a campaign some years ago (when AWoL, the best motorbike magazine int he world EVER was still in print).

It was called "I'm sorry mate I didn't see you isn't good enough". Catchy eh?

But get this, in their piece on the campaign, the jolly bods at AWoL decided to have a play around with legal language and had a moment of brilliance that was practical rather than the usuall surreal.

"I'm sorry mate" (an admission of fault or guilt) becomes "It was my fault".

"I didn't see you" (an explaination of what they did wrong) becomes "I wasn't looking".

So, if ever you are unfortunate enough to be in such an accident, you will be quite correct to say in any statement to the Police, Insurance company or Court something along the lines of "The driver of the vehicle that knocked me off immediately admitted that it was their fault and that they had not been driving with due care and attention".

I rest my case.

Sadly I allowed the smidsy.co.uk domain to lapse but I see that South Gloucester Council has taken it over and is using it for SMIDSY and bikes which is good at least.

The website page is here : http://www.safespeed.org.uk/smidsy.html

Whilst the problem stems from attention and lack of care when travelling we can all be thinking elsewhere and as we 'look' we have failed to see as our brain is not really thinking or asking as we glance.
The pillars in vehicles and other blind spots that can aid the blocked vision too, is the main cause of failing to see. The failing to observe is different and may not stem from the blocked vision. People fail to move their heads a few inches to see around the pillars and a serious lack of promotion of this never even makes them consider it.
I recommended that you drilled several holes in the blinker glass frames as that should help ...
Paul was making some headway with Specsavers to get them to advise people with a certain frame criteria if they drove - I ought to try and chase this up and start again!

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

I guess our brains are all wired differently but I still don’t quite get why these drivers don’t learn from their mistakes, near misses or accidents. If you miss something from a glance that should tell you that you need more than a glance, assuming most people don’t ever actually want to be involved in any sort of accident. I'm sure if they burned themselves handling a hot kettle they'd learn from it and use a glove in future, so I'm not sure why the same doesn't seem to apply with their driving. Maybe if they claim SMIDSY we burn their hands? (I feel a spike/wheel analogy coming on )

Agreed, but again then you would think they would learn from it. If you know it’s difficult or restrictive you shouldn’t just accept it and carry on regardless. Move your head, look twice or edge out very slowly to see what’s going on. That's what I do. Don't just pull out and frighten the $h1t out of me and say opps or shrug your shoulders. What the hec is that about? Exercise your trapeziums on your own time!

Yes, sadly. They don’t take pride in their own driving. But they’re the first to call others a for behaving the way they do themselves.

Yes thanks for that, but on closer inspection it wouldn’t work. I meant to tell you this sorry. Unfortunately, where I would need to drill, and need the peep hole most, is right where the metal hinge bit is buried into the plastic for what feels like and inch - from feeling how and where it flexes. So I’ve been using up my contact lenses and another pair of prescription sunglasses until I get a good pair for driving.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.