How many folks have had a motorbike accident

[watgate]

After being involved in my first motorbike accident it got me wondering how many folks have been involved in a motorbike accident and what were the circumstances leading up to the accident. Also, what injuries did you sustain due to the motorbike accident.

     I never had ridden a motorbike until I came to Thailand so am pretty much a greenhorn. I had just finished some exercise and hopped on my bike to go back to my house. I had a lot on my mind due to building a house plus a problem with getting a Tax ID # for my wife which has been dragging on for more then 8 months. Nevertheless I lost focus when I was on the bike and when I looked up I knew I was in a heap of trouble since I was too far over on the shoulder and was heading for the downsloping embankment. I tried to compensate by accelerating and swerving to the right away from the embankment and the next thing I knew I had done a face plant on the pavement. 

     All things considered it could have been much worse. Luckily I did not break or fracture anything and had some nasty lacerations on both arm and my knee. I loosened at least one tooth and will have to go see a dentist to get an assessment how bad it is and if I might be needing an implant. It was a traumatic experience and one I will not soon forget. I am thinking, and maybe the experts can advise me if I am wrong, that what I should have done when I realized I was in a precarious situation on the bike that I should have let go of the accelerator and evenly as possible squeeze both brake levers hard to slow down. I am thinking had I done that I probably still would have crashed but I would have been going much slower and would not have been banged up so much.

     I told my wife after we finish building the house I will looking to get a 3 wheeled bike. I don't feel comfortable anymore on a 2 wheel conventional motorbike and I would feel more safe on a 3 wheeled bike. I really would only use the bike to go to the store or go to the mountain in the morning to park my bike at the bottom and climb up the mountain to get some exercise. Life in Thailand is never dull.

[Crossy]

Not in Thailand, but the one serious accident I had was on the A4 heading in to Bath at the A46 junction.

 

Going down the outside of the traffic as you do, a 3.5L Rover (yes, it was a while back) pulled out of his drive having been let out by the traffic. Hit him on the front wing, caught my leg on my, now bent, crash bar on the way over the top.

 

Bounced down the road nearly being flattened by a bus coming the other way, busted leg needed a pin.

 

Doc told me I would pay in later life. Now 40++ years on he's proving right, weather dependant aches and pains along with arthritis in that ankle.

 

 

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Doc told me I would pay in later life. Now 40++ years on he's proving right, weather dependant aches and pains along with arthritis in that ankle.

Smoking cannabis really helps with that joint pain.

So a friend tells me.

[BritManToo]

18 minutes ago, watgate said:

I told my wife after we finish building the house I will looking to get a 3 wheeled bike. I don't feel comfortable anymore on a 2 wheel conventional motorbike and I would feel more safe on a 3 wheeled bike. I really would only use the bike to go to the store or go to the mountain in the morning to park my bike at the bottom and climb up the mountain to get some exercise. Life in Thailand is never dull.

Speed kills, drive slower, wear a full face helmet, and you are unlikely to have any problems.

Drive to the local stores at 30Km/hr and you'll probably never have a problem.

[Blue Muton]

I had a few minor ones in the UK in my youth, I guess I was lucky to get away with the way I rode and the condition that I often rode in. The closest call I had was when a doddery old fart jumped a red light and hit me side on, missing my leg by millimetres. I was thrown off and landed safely some distance away. To add insult to injury a bent cop pretended not to hear the guy's wife when she said that her husband couldn't see what colour the light was because the sun was in his eyes.

In Thailand I ride very cautiously and see potential "issues" everywhere.

[Crossy]

28 minutes ago, watgate said:

 I told my wife after we finish building the house I will looking to get a 3 wheeled bike.

 

Here you go, should do you just fine.

 

 

[sanuk711]

[OneMoreFarang]

Over the last 20 years I had several bikes in Bangkok. I live in the middle of Sukhumvit.

Until now i had three accidents, all at very low speed < 10km/h. And never anything broken or even bruised.

What I learned over the years to always expect the unexpected. One of my accidents was when I slowly steered my bike to the left to the side of the road. Another bike decided to squeeze between me and the side. I didn't expect that one.

Now I seldom ride fast. If I ride relative fast (maybe 100 - 120 km/h) then only in areas where nothing can come from left or right. I.e. on an elevated street (mostly illegal for bikes).

I also look constantly in the mirrors and turn my head if I change the lane.

All this helps but obviously it's no guarantee that one day one idiot will hit me.

 

41 minutes ago, watgate said:

I don't feel comfortable anymore on a 2 wheel conventional motorbike and I would feel more safe on a 3 wheeled bike.

I don't think that will make a difference to your concentration and riding style. If you are too fast you are too fast - with any kind of bike.

[mahtin]

Appropriately enough was forced off the road by a sewage disposal lorry, the POS driver employing the bigger than you priority rule when emerging from a side road. Over the handlebars, headbutted the road. Had helmet. Got a broken shoulder. Lucky.

[pgrahmm]

Rode for many years in the US, everything from Hondas to  Gold Wing to Ducati....Went down a couple of times....

After watching the riders + corresponding drivers + road maintenance; & seeing the statistics. =.  I don't ride here....

[billd766]

I came off my Yamaha scooter making a legal U turn in the village. There had been no rain for a while and halfway around the turn I opened the throttle wide, the back wheel slid away and down I went. My fault entirely and my ear hurt for a week (yes I was wearing a helmet) from my wife lecturing me about the slight damage to the scooter.

 

About 5 years ago I was riding my Honda Phantom in Nakhon Sawan and I was at a traffic light. the lights went green in my favour and I pulled away to go straight across. Just over halfway across I got T-boned when an old lady ran the red light to my left and hit me under the pillion seat.

 

Luckily there was a police box at the crossroads and a cop was outside and saw it happen. The old lady stopped up the road and we both had to go to the main police station where it was sorted out in my favour and the old lady's family paid up for the damage.

 

I had a bent wrist, some gravel rash and a hatred for stupid old ladies driving old pickup trucks.

 

[BritManToo]

Just now, billd766 said:

I had a bent wrist, some gravel rash and a hatred for stupid old ladies driving old pickup trucks.

In time we will all become that stupid old lady.

[jvs]

Three accidents here so far,the first one because i was stupid.

Some one needed to go somewhere and asked to borrow my new bike,ok.

Took a long time to come back and i needed to go some where and decided to take te old bike.

Not a smart move.

I was carrying something and i went over a small ridge on the road,the  whole bike started vibrating and then the second ridge came.

Lots of road rash and a few stiches in the head,no idea why,i was wearing a helmet(smart move)

Second one,dog crossed the road and decided to go back again,i hit him straight on.

Damage to the bike but because i did not break but opened the gas i did not fall.

Dog dead.

Third one,nearly same accident but this time a monkey,lots of damage to me and the bike,monkey got away.

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

I only ever managed 1 pig, and even then I had problems.

 

[Kwasaki]

38 minutes ago, watgate said:

 

  I never had ridden a motorbike until I came to Thailand

 

 what I should have done when I realized I was in a precarious situation on the bike that I should have let go of the accelerator and evenly as possible squeeze both brake levers hard to slow down. I am thinking had I done that I probably still would have crashed

 

I would feel more safe on a 3 wheeled bike. 

Riding a motorcycle anywhere requires full awareness and practice skills such as emergency braking and speed judgement.

 

Having not ridden before is something many coming to Thailand go ahead and do here. 

Could be be fatal in a busy town area. 

 

What you post is what you should of done throttle off and applied emergency breaking, yeah you can still go down depends on the situation. 

 

You will not be any safer on a trike just a bigger target. ????

[richard_smith237]

None... which has surprised me... 

 

The closest I’ve come...   riding down a 3 lane road, the car in front just abruptly stopped in the middle lane, I was behind him and shoulder checked before moving into the right lane, a car was coming so I couldn’t change lanes, I turned my head back and the car in front was ‘full-on’ on the brakes  !!!... I stopped in time, but it gave me a scare. 

 

Another, riding down the main road (3 lane road - Pattanakarn Rd in Bangkok)... I was about to turn left in about 80m, I was covering the inside of my lane (to prevent motorcyclists screaming up the inside of me as I turned left) - A family 3 up (father - child - mother) rode along the pavement, then swung out off the pavement straight towards me (I only saw them as they swung out into the road towards me)... it was either hit them or swerve, no cars coming up behind me. 

 

Another, riding down smaller soi (normal road 1 lane in each direction), I motorcyclist turned right, from my right from a side soi right in front of me - unbelievable close to side swiping me - dumb girl gave me a look as if it was my fault !

 

Its a matter of time... I ride kitted up whenever out of my Soi; full face helmet, Riding jacket with back protector, riding pants or kevlar riding jeans, gloves, boots - its hot, but thats the compromise I’ve chosen when taking the risk to ride a bike in Thailand.

 

Hopefully, when the next idiot does something completely unexpected it’ll be a minor scuff rather than something more serious... 

 

So far I’ve had a lot more injuries playing sports, some of them fairly serious (at the time).

 

 

[GreasyFingers]

Simple rule: if you ride a bike you will have an accident. Had many over the years but fortunately nothing serious apart from a few stitches in the knee when a dog thought he had right of way but was too slow crossing the road.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, watgate said:

..... I loosened at least one tooth and will have to go see a dentist to get an assessment how bad it is and if I might be needing an implant. It was a traumatic experience and one I will not soon forget. I am thinking, and maybe the experts can advise me if I am wrong, that what I should have done when I realized I was in a precarious situation on the bike that I should have let go of the accelerator and evenly as possible squeeze both brake levers hard to slow down. I am thinking had I done that I probably still would have crashed but I would have been going much slower and would not have been banged up so much....

 

Advice: Always wear a full-face helmet, always wear gloves, solid boots (as a very bare minimum) - always wear a riding jacket...  (I also always wear riding pants).

 

Ride a bike with ABS !!! - I reckon ABS has saved me from dropping the bike when braking very hard (someone pulls out etc).

 

Riding itself...  predicting the unpredictable is impossible, when you are already thinking what is the dumbest thing that could possibly unfold in front of and still get surprised it makes things tricky...  Slow for cars and bikes which approach the side of the road, never change lanes quickly, never be the first off the lights, if first at the lights stop at the side of the road (not in the middle), slow down in areas with dogs etc or busier market areas etc... the list is endless. 

 

 

[tifino]

Accident hit By a motorcycle, when on a treddlie:

 

mine was actually below the border, 26 years ago... On an outer CBD 6 lane carriageway in the Left Lane straight going through a T Intersection. 

I recall I was doing 29kmh, when a malaysian m'cyclist whacked me from my rear right quarter. Apparently he had decided at the last moment he'd really wanted to take the Left bend of the Intersection, and the last glance I'd had of him in morror was he had been in the Right Lane immediately prior... 

 

This fella should have been a submarine commander for his high speed offset torpedo hit on me was successful in sinking moi!  

I reckon he either had totally ignored my presence, or had no inkling I was doing the same speed as the other 4 wheel traffic spread around us?

Anyway I headfirst in a three point landing, in that it was a combined smashed helmet, smashed right shoulder and smashed right knee. The head hit did in my C2, C3 yet amazingly I kept the use of my arms and legs!!

Any aussie would know the history of Warnie our cricketer, and his magnificent shoulder destroying catch&landing of  decades ago? - he was operated on in 12 days... my same injured shoulder was not until 37 months later, cut open to attempt corrections to the near totally mangled AC joint (2 operations and a Clavical now 22mm shorter) and still suffering skeletal and nerve damage effects even today... 

Knee was boogered when the kneecap took a direct hit on the asphalt... the relatively stronger kneecap near destroying the meniscus beneath

 

Did my 24 yrs Military career in... 

 

anyways, back to the accident itself... I was conscious throghpout, and recalled seeing the m'cyclist go down too. In some magical combined single action I somehow got to me feet, lifting the b'cycle to ride up to catch him... Only then did I notice the bikes chain was off and wheels/steering all out of whack... The m'cyclist scraped himself up and sped off... straddling himself along his seat (these days you'd recognise the image of him,  as 'planking' 

Another RAAFie cyclist came up behind me but had not seen the prang itself. Being unable to myself, he realigned the bike frame/wheels and restored the chain, and somehow I got on and he's now following me at near walking pace only to hospital. Within 10 seconds I almost came off again, because I leant down to move up to 2nd gear... only then finding out my now dead R arm wasn't able to lift itself properly off the handlebar ( sadly I had already loosened my grip to let that hand down to try to change the gears) but luckily at only walking pace no extra damage occured!

I still have the torn to shreds lycra top... blood'n'all still onit... 

 

When I eventually evacuated back to OZ, I contacted Rosebank Helmets - and true to their advertised word, gave me a new helmet for surviving a Rosebank prang  

 

[scubascuba3]

I had an accident 20 years ago in the UK, someone did a right turn at traffic lights in front of my path when the lights were green for me. 100% his fault. I did a decent dive summersault over the bonnet and the bike went under the front of the car. No injuries except was nervous for 6 months after which is understandable. 

 

A few years ago i relooked at the accident and decided I was probably going too fast considering it was dark and the junction. Now If I make any mistakes on the motorbike I try to see what I did wrong, what to do next time, learning all the time 

[UncleMhee]

3 hours ago, watgate said:

I had a lot on my mind due to building a house plus a problem with getting a Tax ID # for my wife which has been dragging on for more then 8 months. Nevertheless I lost focus when I was on the bike and when I looked up I knew I was in a heap of trouble since I was too far over on the shoulder and was heading for the downsloping embankment. I tried to compensate by accelerating and swerving to the right away from the embankment and the next thing I knew I had done a face plant on the pavement. 

Had a few over the years, many near misses. Collarbone being most major..... .....surprisingly it happened in similar circumstances to the OP. When riding motorcycles, the only thing that should be on your mind, is the task at hand.

[dddave]

I was a passenger on a moto-taxi; Sukhumvit 71.  The traffic police had blocked the soi on the right that we wanted to enter with traffic cones linked together by rope.

Rather than go down the road and make a U-turn, my driver elected to make a hairpin turn around the cones.  He  was going too slowly and the lean angle was too steep....the footpeg dug into the road, the bike lost headway and we fell over, right into the path of the oncoming #133 bus.

Bystanders expressed admiration at how fast this then 74 year old wide-body could roll to the curb and clamor over it.  Kind of surprised myself, actually.

The motorbike was jammed under the bus and both drivers were heatedly discussing culpability.  I figured that it would only be a matter of time before they decided the solution was to blame the farang so I quickly departed the scene.

[Moonlover]

You would think that after 3 years of dicing with the crazy city traffic in Udon Thani I would have learned all the lessons and was ready for the unexpected. 

 

Well that's what I thought, so moving to the countryside and being able to really enjoy my rides without constant threats around me may have made me drop my guard a bit. So I'm bowling home from the Tesco Express store along a lovely country lane. Beautiful weather, good visibility and no threats around me. No dogs, no bovines, just a little old lady pottering along on her smoky old 2 stroke. 

 

So I pulled out to pass her and that little old lady hung a U turn on me! No warning, no glance over the shoulder, just swung into it.

 

My instinct has always told me never to pass in front of crossing traffic, I had to go behind her, but the gap was, in my mind, opening far too slowly so I had to hit the brakes hard, very hard! It was the first full on emergency braking I've done in many years and the last one, in Cyprus sent me flying over the handle bars.

 

But this time it worked perfectly and I held on long enough for the gap to open up enough to allow me through with just a little flick left and right. I missed her rear wheel by around a foot. It was all over in around 4 to 5 sec.

 

Thank heaven's for modern braking, especially ABS. The bike was under full control throughout.

 

What surprised me was that I wasn't shaken in the least. I just rode on down the road as if nothing had happened. Nerves of steel it seems. In fact I was slightly elated to know that, at 75 yrs, I still had the reflex's to respond to this emergency the way I did.

 

But lesson learned. Never drop your guard. Expect the unexpected. I'm not generally in the habit of using my horn, but from now on everyone I overtake will get a warning blast before I do so. 

 

Stay safe out there.

[ThailandRyan]

To ride here you need to ride both Offensively and defensively.  When there is traffic even defensively doesn't keep you from getting pinched when someone in a car decides the lane your in is theirs and they squeeze play you.  When you can not see that far ahead and your visual horizon is impaired because of the buses, trucks, and semis, it is time to just relax and be defensive, of course I have said plenty of offensive words while yelling at the cars, thankfully my full face helmet keeps the sound inside.  When there is little traffic and you can see far ahead as well as what's coming out from the side streets without them looking as they pull out, or those fools who just decide they must make a U-turn on their own terms without caring for approaching traffic, well then there is another reason to drive defensively.  But, you always need to ride it like you stole it, and make it safely from A to Z.  Been down twice, once when I was bounced by a taxi who decided he wanted to merge into the side of me, the other was my fault in a roundabout in the rain when I slid the back wheel out from under me.  In the US I was hit three times. I only ride at Daytime here and try and ride when its an off peak time in Bangkok.

[dbrenn]

Soi Ekkamai, late one night around 30 years ago. I was drunk, and riding my Honda CB1 400cc bike far too fast. Some idiot pulled out in front of me and I lost control trying to get around the back of him. I landed on my <deleted> and the bike skidded on ahead, pushing in the back of a parked taxi.

 

Things took a bizarre twist when I was negotiating reparations with the taxi driver - a (extremely drunk and incoherent) cop pulled up on his bike and started waving his gun at the taxi driver, having taken offence at something written on a sicker on the back window of his taxi.

 

I paid the taxi driver 2,000 Baht and left. I've no idea what happened after that.

 

[shy coconut]

5 hours ago, watgate said:

After being involved in my first motorbike accident it got me wondering how many folks have been involved in a motorbike accident and what were the circumstances leading up to the accident. Also, what injuries did you sustain due to the motorbike accident.

     I never had ridden a motorbike until I came to Thailand so am pretty much a greenhorn. I had just finished some exercise and hopped on my bike to go back to my house. I had a lot on my mind due to building a house plus a problem with getting a Tax ID # for my wife which has been dragging on for more then 8 months. Nevertheless I lost focus when I was on the bike and when I looked up I knew I was in a heap of trouble since I was too far over on the shoulder and was heading for the downsloping embankment. I tried to compensate by accelerating and swerving to the right away from the embankment and the next thing I knew I had done a face plant on the pavement. 

     All things considered it could have been much worse. Luckily I did not break or fracture anything and had some nasty lacerations on both arm and my knee. I loosened at least one tooth and will have to go see a dentist to get an assessment how bad it is and if I might be needing an implant. It was a traumatic experience and one I will not soon forget. I am thinking, and maybe the experts can advise me if I am wrong, that what I should have done when I realized I was in a precarious situation on the bike that I should have let go of the accelerator and evenly as possible squeeze both brake levers hard to slow down. I am thinking had I done that I probably still would have crashed but I would have been going much slower and would not have been banged up so much.

     I told my wife after we finish building the house I will looking to get a 3 wheeled bike. I don't feel comfortable anymore on a 2 wheel conventional motorbike and I would feel more safe on a 3 wheeled bike. I really would only use the bike to go to the store or go to the mountain in the morning to park my bike at the bottom and climb up the mountain to get some exercise. Life in Thailand is never dull.

It may well be less likely you fall off of your tricycle, but if you drive any vehicle and go off course 

because you are concentrating on something else, then it is not going to end well, and being in a 

larger vehicle may well lead to someone else getting hurt.

[richard_smith237]

50 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

Soi Ekkamai, late one night around 30 years ago. I was drunk, and riding my Honda CB1 400cc bike far too fast. Some idiot pulled out in front of me and I lost control trying to get around the back of him. I landed on my <deleted> and the bike skidded on ahead, pushing in the back of a parked taxi.

 

Things took a bizarre twist when I was negotiating reparations with the taxi driver - a (extremely drunk and incoherent) cop pulled up on his bike and started waving his gun at the taxi driver, having taken offence at something written on a sicker on the back window of his taxi.

 

I paid the taxi driver 2,000 Baht and left. I've no idea what happened after that.

 

 

You’re not allowed to post stories like that on this forum.... You’ll have people believing that the farang is not always taken to the cleaners in these situations... 

[bojo]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

To ride here you need to ride both Offensively and defensively.  When there is traffic even defensively doesn't keep you from getting pinched when someone in a car decides the lane your in is theirs and they squeeze play you.  When you can not see that far ahead and your visual horizon is impaired because of the buses, trucks, and semis, it is time to just relax and be defensive, of course I have said plenty of offensive words while yelling at the cars, thankfully my full face helmet keeps the sound inside.  When there is little traffic and you can see far ahead as well as what's coming out from the side streets without them looking as they pull out, or those fools who just decide they must make a U-turn on their own terms without caring for approaching traffic, well then there is another reason to drive defensively.  But, you always need to ride it like you stole it, and make it safely from A to Z.  Been down twice, once when I was bounced by a taxi who decided he wanted to merge into the side of me, the other was my fault in a roundabout in the rain when I slid the back wheel out from under me.  In the US I was hit three times. I only ride at Daytime here and try and ride when its an off peak time in Bangkok.

Some interesting tips and observations there......especially the 'drive it like you stole it'......for me, giving the impression that you haven't spotted a potential threat by avoiding eye contact and appearing to focus elsewhere with other drivers or pedestrians stops them from pulling out or taking liberties. Once they know that you've spotted their move, they gonna continue doing so, happens all the time, coz in their minds, the blame lies with you then.........................................................................In these scenarios you gotta know when to stop 'playing chicken' so to speak, be completely aware of what is around you in the periphery and behind especially, together with having a range of evasive plans up your sleeve and obviously being considerate to others.This works for me as I'm always nipping around consider myself experienced, but I wouldn't recommend to a novice, just drive slowly is always best.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, watgate said:

 I told my wife after we finish building the house I will looking to get a 3 wheeled bike. I don't feel comfortable anymore on a 2 wheel conventional motorbike and I would feel more safe on a 3 wheeled bike.

That won't stop someone driving into you, as happened to me when I was virtually stationary- guy wasn't looking where he was going. Legs scraped badly needing daily dressings at outpatients and broken hand needing pins. Luckily I had insurance, though that didn't cover damage to bike.

Every trip in LOS is a gamble IMO.

[Orton Rd]

In a country where somebody is killed on one every 30 minutes, no thank you