I hate semi's

[foreda]

Trucks

Every semi on the road should be required to have rear mounted cameras that would eliminate blind spots.

[Pat Kelly]

The blind spot on my truck that is used the most is by my right front wheel. I move my truck to the left before the lane I'm in (the right-hand lane) ends. This way I am not shoving my way into traffic on my left. Nearly every time 3, 4, 5 cars (or the occasional motorcyle) tried to zoom past on the right (don't want to be stuck behind the stupd, slow truck that's delivering the food I eat). They are not in range of any of my mirrors and their car is too small to be seen over my hood.
Driving on a public road takes co operation on everyones part. The only thing that keeps everyone from dying is agreeing to stay on your side of the centerline.

You may be the best driver in the world, but you're on the road with the worst.

I have ridden bikes much longer than I have driven trucks. Maybe you want someone to take a more aggressive tact.... If you couldn't get out of the way of a huge, slow moving truck..... I'll stop there.

[tw1980]

Sorry Meteor,but I'm glad you're going to be ok.The bike can be fixed or replaced,you however are harder to fix and imposable to replace.Wish you a speedy recovery and please post parts you need for repair.NOTE to everyone else WATCHOUT FOR TRUCKSWe can see them but they can't always see us.Ride like you're invisible. Terry

[Kronk]

The blind spot on my truck that is used the most is by my right front wheel. I move my truck to the left before the lane I'm in (the right-hand lane) ends. This way I am not shoving my way into traffic on my left. Nearly every time 3, 4, 5 cars (or the occasional motorcyle) tried to zoom past on the right (don't want to be stuck behind the stupd, slow truck that's delivering the food I eat). They are not in range of any of my mirrors and their car is too small to be seen over my hood.

Never thought of that as a blind spot until I was swamping on a vac truck, and we were pulling out of the shop. Driver parked his personal truck outside the shop door on the right side. Backed outn in the vac truck, cranked 'er to the left, front end swings right, bumper imbeds in the drivers door so far we have to chain the pickup to one of the big yellow cement bumper poles, and drive (rip) the bumper out... took half the door with it.

After that, all the trucks in the fleet got those little convex mirrors bolted to the front right of the hood. Like on busses. (Oh, and the ''NO PARKING'' sign beside the bay doors was cleaned off...because he must not have seen it... or some crap...)

But those mirrors worked great! you can see your own fender, front bumper, and diesel tanks aswell as the whole next lane over.

[Pat Kelly]

ut-oh, I misspelled 'stupid'.

The point I was trying to make is that it's the person holding the wheel, not the type of vehicle that creates a safe or unsafe environment on the road. How many 'cagers' hate all motorcycles because they saw one doing something stupid? How many on this site hate "the Harley attitude"?
Blame the person, not the object.

[geobiker]

Fatigue?

First, sorry to hear you lost your bike, but the main thing is that you are alive to ride again another day!!

As someone who has driven/ridden big trucks, cars, motorcycles, etc., for many years, I feel compelled to state that there are some inherently good drivers and bad drivers. Sometimes, good drivers can have bad days and mistakes happen. I have been in my car, when a big truck on the highway has tried to run over me in the passing lane. By the same token, many times a car has passed my truck, cut in front of me and slammed on their brakes just to make an exit, that they should have known was coming a mile back. Can't tell you either how many times I see drivers texting, doing makeup, reading the paper, etc. I have also seen many a biker zipping through traffic, making rapid and erratic lane changes with no regard for their personal safety. (Oh yeah, lets not forget "wheelies" in heavy traffic).

There is often enough blame to go around, but in the end, we all share the road. Lets forget this "us" against "them" mentality.

Most trucks have lots of mirrors, so if the driver is attentive and has a good visual scan going, there is no true "blind spot" other then directly behind the trailer or immediately in front of the hood. I have noticed with motorcyles, because they are small, you really have to be scanning the mirrors vigilantly to see them. Also a dark bike, a rider with dark-colored clothing, and in any low visibility conditions, becomes very hard to see even when I'm looking. I always drive with my window slightly down, because in traffic I hear most bikes coming (One real advantage to a Harley!). Dealing with fatigue is also a real factor that truck drivers must contend with. The driver may have been fatigued, momentarily nodded off, and drifted into your lane.

Now, I am not making excuses for the truck driver as it would appear, based on what you said, that he (she?) was at fault.

Based on my experience I would offer the following safety advice when anyone is operating around a tractor-trailer:

Always ride with your headlight(s) on. Be as visible as possible. (This is important any time you're on the road)

Avoid riding along side a truck for any period of time. The biggest reason is that when tires blow, they do so with a lot of force and that rubber tread that comes snaking off can do a lot of damage. When it comes time to pass, pass!

Look in the truck's mirrors to see if the driver is glancing back at you. If they are, they are most likely aware of your position.

To avoid a road hazard that may suddenly present itself (for example a truck in front blows a tire) drivers are taught to manuever around the problem because there may not be enough room to stop. In heavy traffic, any potential problem on the road could result in the liklihood of an accident When on the highway, with my bike, I try to avoid "packs" of vehicles because the potential for an accident is greater

Never ride too closely behind a truck for the reason stated above, that tire might blow. Also, riding in this manner blocks you view of what is happening ahead on the road.

Always expect the unexpected, and try to give yourself an escape route in any traffic situation.

I think that driving a truck has made me a safer biker and vice versa!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[BA80]

I think that driving a truck has made me a safer biker and vice versa!

+1 geo. I've seen 2 bike wrecks in front of the shop where I work just this week. I'm 2 blocks from a Harley dealership. Both were caused by people pulling out of the same Quiktrip lot right in front of bikes going 40 on a main street.

People just don't look sometimes and YOU as a rider stand to be damaged more that a cage driver. Be VERY aware of what's going on around you especially when your near a particularly busy lot.

Back to meteor's mishap, I've nearly been run off the road several times this summer. I've been lucky because I always EXPECT drivers near me to do something stupid.........and they do.