Safe Speed Forums

Following my previous motorcycling near miss with a car joining on the M54 and lunging up from my left, I thought I'd learned my lesson. Suspend overtaking whilst passing junctions, remain observant both right and left, all the good stuff. So how the heck did I nearly get nailed again
I'm on the M61 heading to Manchester, light to medium traffic (a few HGVs in L1, a van ahead in L2 and a couple of small cars behind in L2) and we're just passing a junction. Spot a vehicle joining the motorway so move to L2 just in case, and we're catching the van at about 75mph anyway. Clear the junction and pass the now joined car and a lorry in L1, closing on van looking to pass in L3.
Mirrors, both sides and shoulder check. Nothing, I repeat nothing but am aware that the just joined car is moving to L2 behind me to pass the lorry.
Final shoulder check, signal, begin to move right towards L3, glance right to the lane alongside me as I do and SHIT THE BED, WHERE DID HE COME FROM?
A Mercedes Exocete missile comes hurtling past at about Mach 1 (this wasn't the car that I saw join) and hoons off up L3, I'd guess he was +50 over my speed easily.
I can only surmise that the Merc must have joined the motorway at high speed behind me and crossed straight to L3 but was out of my sight as I looked over my right shoulder back down L3.
I couldn't believe I'd allowed myself to get surprised again and actually thought twice about posting this here Spoiled an otherwise nice days riding

Think you are right. Sounds like he joined at speed and made straight to L3.

Golden rule to me on joining any fast road is to use the slip road to look ahead to gaps in which to join and to match the speed to traffic in L1 so as to blend in without causing any annoyance (perceived or otherwise ) - then overtake as and when I want to.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

The bit I can't figure out is why you didn't see him moving across in the mirrors. Clearly you were observing, because you told us about the new joiner changing lanes behind you.

Is the motorway curved at that point? And if so, which way?

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

It's possible the Merc was hidden the whole time by the car he did see.

I agree it's possible. But that doesn't feel like the right explanation to me. For a start it would suddenly appear to the right of the car behind at some point - and that would quite likely draw attention to the mirrors.

I'm looking for something else - but I don't know if it's there or not.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

J8 has been the scene of many an accident lately. I'm not sure if this one or the one which leads to Reebok - also a blackspot zone on this motorway.

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

It was here....



As you can see, fairly straight with just a hint of a curve to the left.

From my recollection of the incident (I'm not going to invent stuff I can't recall trust me) I can only surmise that the Merc passed from left to right behind me as my attention was divided between my left and right mirrors, my right shoulder and looking ahead.
Basically, he made it much more difficult for me to spot him than I believe was reasonable. Not only was he travelling with a high speed differential, but he must also have been tracking across behind me.
Yes of course I have to look out for myself, and its in my own interest as a vulnerable road user to maintain a constant observation regime. But I also have to place some trust in other road users by giving me a chance to spot them in time to take appropriate decisions. I believe this individual was driving much too fast for the conditions and was behaving inappropriately.

Rigpig - I don't know what you were riding, but the mirrors on my GPZ500 are all but useless at speeds over about 65mph due to vibration. I also find that they aren't much more use at lower speeds because they're so bloody small. Just a thought.

_________________
Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Its a VFR750 Sixy. The mirrors aren't too bad, but the field of view is certainly smaller and more restricted than in a car.

agreed. 2 separate manouvres and should be treated as such. join the motorway, then think about overtaking

_________________
Richie

SSAFA supporter
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126025031585

Ah a fellow VFR rider are you a particpant on the vfr forum by any chance

_________________
Former Military Police Officer and accident investigator