Highway Heads-up...

[JeffD]

Well I just had an interesting experience this morning on my weekly Interstate commute.

So I'm sitting in the middle lane (3 lanes) doing 80+ crusing with traffic and out of the corner of my eye I see a "for sale" sign get picked up by the truck next to me and started flying right at my head,  I ducked and it had to of passed less than a foot above my head.  I dont want to know what could have happend if it hit me somewhere else (neck).  :dunno:

Anyway just wanted say Keep your head up (or down) and eyes open, EVERYWHERE!!!!.

[scratch]

Wow! Yeah, ladders in the road, recliners, and those truck tire aligators that try crossing the road at night. Try to avoid open back pick-up trucks, too. All kinds of stuff flies out of those.

Glad you're allright.

[Kerry]

My dad told me once about crossing a bridge into Little Rock.  He had been behind a semi, and seomthing told him to change lanes.  He did, and the next thing he knew the semi passed over an empty pallet that was sitting right in the middle of the lane he had just gotten out of.  Whew!

I don't know how you can prevent things like that, short of NEVER following a semi (or anything else that you can't see around or through).

[scratch]

Allow a two second following distance. I used to ride up everybody's tail and never realized what danger I was putting myself into. Nowadays if some one wants to get in front of I just let them, and back off. Everybody has to get home sometime, I prefer arriving late and in one piece, than not at all.

[snapper]

I was riding on the higway and had a pickup truck in front of me with a sheet over the bed.  Ok I know you know what it was doing.  It was like a friggin sail!  Puffed up and huge!  

Yeah I moved away- far away from that.  The thought of getting wrapped in a sheet at 80 scared the crap out of me!

[Ed_in_Az]

Another thing about Semi Trucks that's still amazes me is their ability to throw rocks quite a distance. I'm sure most everyone has had a rock flung at them by the tire of a Semi when following one. I was approaching one coming towards me once in my truck and it threw a rock forward at me!  Half as big as a fist, headed right for my windshield about where I sat. I jerked the wheel to the right and it crashed through the plastic ventshade I have on my door through the open window into my arm and onto the floor.  I'll bet a helmet's faceshield wouldn't have stopped it if that ventshade didn't. Watch out for Semis even if they're coming towards you.

[dorian chapman]

any of you guys had a bee fly into your helmet ?
I was at a set of lights the other day, and a bee started flying around near my helmet, and I quickly took off when the light went green. But after i thought of what if it had of flew up under and into my helmet.  Or gone through the bottom of my visor (as it's not shut fully for air flow).

I used to work for Discount Car and Truck Rental in Toronto and a lady rapped a honda civic around a tree driving over to montreal on the 401 when a bee flew in the car and she lost control and crashed.

[gitarman]

I think the car safety course recommends a 4 second following distance, and that is exactly why. I second the vote for staying away from open bed trucks; in my car I almost got nailed by a whole bed liner that flew out of an open truck. Imagine if that had hit me on a bike???

[Hi-T]

I took a rock to the face shield once- It was an invisible clunk that probably would have knocked me out...  Why do we wear helmets again?

[b1k3r 3li+3]

if im near a truck or semi or by the side of one, if enuff room, i drop down 1 gear and hammer down, i try not stay behind big rig or side of them i try to be out in front in a hurry.

[JLKasper]

My close call with road obstacles was when I was on a six-lane highway in the left lane on July 4 about 15 years ago, mounted on my KZ550.  A truck hauling a ChrisCraft was 100 yds ahead in the far right lane.  Suddenly, a doughnut-shaped ski tube, which was merely wedged between the seats, flew out and began bounding across the highway-- right at me.  I didn't know whether to flip or fly, so I hit the brakes and hoped for the best.  I had nearly come to a complete stop when the tube fell over and was directly in front of me.  I wasn't thinking, or else I would have whipped out my pocketknife and stabbed it to death.  Instead, I wheeled around it, and showed the irresponsible cager who was number one.

[scratch]

Did he know why he was no. 1?

[oldsport]

We were riding in the Sierra Mts. in Calif. going through a series of tight switch-backs (quickly) when at the apex of a right hander, a deer came off the banking over my head. The hoofs passed from right to left about 2 ft. in front of my helmet and he crashed into a pile off to my left.  

I yelled so loudly inside my helmet that the guy on the bike 20 or 30 ft. in front of me (both 4 cyl. with headers on full boil) heard it and turned around to see what happened.

I also hit a Bobcat doing about 85 mph once. (I was going 85, not the Bobcat).  Not pretty.  It took his head off.  Hardly made the BMW wiggle.

I also hit a cow that was standing in the middle of the road but only a glancing blow.  Neither of us were hurt.

I got a bee, wasp, spider or something inside my jacket once and was stung in the center of my chest.  It hurt so bad that I felt like I was going to pass out before I could get to a stop.

There's been a bunch of times when a squirrel would run out and under my bike. I was always surprised to look back and see that he made it safely through and out the other side.  Crafty little guys.

Then there was the time I bumped into those aliens.......

OS

[Sportbilly]

any of you guys had a bee fly into your helmet ?

Yep, a couple of times, wasn't much fun for me, but I bet it was amusing for the cagers.

Picture a guy on a bike making a desparate dash for the side of the road, stop, whip off the helmet, and hold it facing away from while trying to see inside it.

Was stung once in the belly while riding two up, hurt like a mofo, but I'm kinda used to 'em.  Imiagine the same amusing scene described above, but add a jacket, and subtract the helmet.

[matt86to]

Well on my last big ride I Hit a small bird on the side of my helmet at a 100k poor bird    It must have been going at lest 80k's+ when it hit my helmet Well it's was going very fast :mrgreen:

all the best matt:) your friend

[shundaroni]

The recommended 2-4 second following distance ain't no joke.

While out on my usual Saturday morning jaunt, I was caught behind a cage going 45 in a 55. I was irritated, not just because of his speed, but because I couldn't find a good opportunity to pass. Despite my agitation, however, I didn't ride his ass. Good thing, too. Out of no where, an entire muffler showed up out of the shadow of his car. Even riding a safe distance back, I was a bit shocked and had to swerve pretty quickly. If I'd been any closer, I'd have had a little trouble with traction...namely, loss of contact with pavement due to aluminum canister.

[Eightmarky]

It might be worth slowing down a little too.  80 mph makes it hard to survive the smallest mishap.

[juggernaught]

Personally at that speed i prefer 5-6 seconds at least..!!!!!!!!!!      

[slimmyreed]

the didstance is a very good thing to bare in mind.  Take your time, no need to rush.

Do impatient drivers get where they want to go any faster??




sure they do!! by 30 seconds.  You be the sensible driver and leave 30 seconds earlier.

[yamahonkawazuki]

that kinda stuff is why i wear my helmet, (in case i cant avoid a collision