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I lost a young friend a few weeks ago in a similar situation to what happened near you. It's inspired me to work with young riders and create some kind of mentorship program to help get their skills to a place where they stand a better chance on the road. I'm not quire sure what a mentorship program should look like, but I'm tired of doing memorial rides for kids under 20... it's heartbreaking to hear the parents crying in pain about the loss of their sons (and daughter in one case). Would you be open to helping create a program specifically for young riders?
Motorcycle journalist at its finest. A very tactful analysis. Thank you, Kevin. Someone else wrote in the comments that if a motorcycle rider can see their own shadow in front of them, expect all the drivers coming at them to not see the motorcycle rider. May lives be saved by this tragedy. Oh Lord help his wife and children.
I'll save every life that listens to my advice. STOP RIDING A MOTORCYLCE. You're welcome. Crash fatality rates are 26x higher for motorcycles than passenger cars, and crash incident rates are 6x higher for a motorcycle than a car. I see this as a basic intelligence survival test. Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
@@stephenausmus4850Traumatic brain injury. I do wonder why this commenter is here, though. This channel is for motorcycle enthusiasts who want to ride more effectively, efficiently and safely. Sure, it's obvious that the safest course is not to ride at all. However he said something very illuminating: "I tried it, hated it." Most of us here tried it and at least liked it a lot, if not loved it. So yeah, be really safe - don't ever leave the house. Of course, then you could fall getting in or out of the bathtub, hit your head and sustain a TBI, or break your neck going up or down stairs . . . Choose where you take your risks and do what you can to mitigate those risks, and live your life.
@@raymonddehaan7627 thank u for your response and im actually looking at getting a bike soon something small i have no experience on a motorcycle but i ride an ebike that goes 20 mph so it gives me the feel of it a bit having a thumb throttle
Retired accident investigator here and I have seen my share of fatal motorcycle accidents. At high speeds it did not matter if you had a helmet on due to severe torso injuries. At lower speeds those with helmets fared better than those without.
What’s the speed limit there I wonder? If he was on the brakes, he was still moving pretty fast and, deceleration-wise, not obvious there was a lot happening.. Just a lot of things wrong all added up. So sad to lose folks and affect so many people going forward. The coulda shoulda woulda stuff is annoying but it’s important to sort through like a formal NTSB review of an airplane crash. Pilot error is a thing.
You can see that the bus driver had the sun in his/her eyes. This is something I always keep in mind when riding. If I see my shadow in front of me while riding, I slow down because I know oncoming drivers are being blinded by the sun.
I learned this tip a few years ago and have always kept it in mind, saved me from a wreck last weekend. Two lane country highway, late afternoon sun was behind me, speed limit was 60, I saw an oncoming car slow to turn into their driveway and slowed just to be safe. Old lady ended up turning in front of me and then braked in the middle of the road when she saw me. Anyways all was good and she was really sorry, but if I hadn't slowed down it woulda been ugly.
There's certain times of the day depending on the season where I'll get out on the road and realize the sun is at the place in the sky where it's blinding anyone going toward it. I'll either be extra careful or I'll decide not to ride the bike if I don't have to.
I was rollerblading on a Service road.. In IL not much traffic .. 3 or 4 cars moved over for me. The road was not wide and the shoulder dropped off a bit to gravel. A City Bus came straight at me. The driver was wearing a mask and stared straight at me. No Traffic in the other Lane, I had to hit the Ditch in order to avoid getting hit head on by the Bus..
Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
Sadly that rider was going far too quick for the area (at least double the speed of the cars going the opposite way), I also suspect he was one of those rear brake only riders, judging from how the rear has locked up and is sliding out just before the impact and that the front forks are not compressed. A motorcycle is not like a car, it takes far more practice and training. Practice emergency braking and emergency swerves, and be mindful of your speed.
Absolutely a reminder that riding skills matter. You should be able to haul your bike from 60 mph to a stop in under 3 seconds and 150 feet. And if you can't, then practice it because it can save your life. I'll steal another MCRider comment and say "We should all focus on perfecting our emergency skills, and developing the road strategy so that we never need them." I hate blaming riders for crashes when we're all just doing the thing that we enjoy in the best way we know how, but this one was avoidable with better (front) braking technique, and the awareness of the situations that put riders in danger.
@@jmacknet2 Better make that stopping time 4 seconds not 3 seconds. It takes 1/2 second to realize you need to stop and 1/2 second to apply your brakes.. Thus you have already traveled 60 feet before your start applying your brakes. I saw smoke rolling off from his rear tire,, so I assumed he was using his back brake only.. I will look for compressed forks.
Yup.... going a LOT faster than all the other traffic, rear brake only, and no helmet. Reaction time for an ALERT rider is more on the order of 1/4 second. With proper technique he may have still hit the bus, but would have just about been stopped before impact.
It seems like a lot of people have been taught to never use the front brake, told that to do so will cause an immediate crash. So they don't have the reaction to reach for it or the skill to use it safely, so they go into an accident with only about 20 percent of their potential braking power. People need to get trained and practice skills.
That's exactly what I noticed. Comparing the speed of the traffic going in the opposite direction his speed was at least 20 to 25 mph faster. At that speed I doubt that wearing full gear would have saved him but I agree that everyone should always wear full gear no matter what. Obviously the bus driver was not expecting a vehicle to be traveling at that speed before committing to a turn with a 45 foot long bus. And hitting the bus at almost the very tail end shows that the bus was probably within 1 to 1and a half seconds of completing his turn. High speed on local street is a recipe for disaster. The length of the skid marks should be an indicator of his speed he was traveling.
A good friend of mine, who lived in a helmet state, moved to Texas, where there was no helmet law. He was very excited to not be in a state that had “a stupid helmet law.” Rounding a corner, one day, his front wheel washed out on some leaves at 25/30 mph. He died on the scene. His doctor told his dad that if he had been wearing a helmet, he would’ve limped away with a broken big toe. Let that sink in………. I never ride without my gear.
people don't ever consider the torque between the top of the bike falling over from a stand still... say your seat is 32 inches tall. thats 400+ lbs pulling you by your natural pivot point your hips... now image how much taller your head sits.. sorry about your friend, I also was hit at slow speeds and broke my big toe... I guess the difference is I'm a weenie and wear my gear in a non-gear required state. FL-
Yeah. I always wear gear and it doesn’t seem like an inconvenience for whatever reason. I actually like gear, weird maybe. But over the years I have also seen some bad stuff. It’s infrequent thankfully but, man, it’s seriously disturbing and sad when somebody crashes hard. It is the world before with them and then after without them in a mostly unremarkable snap of the fingers. Hard to get your head around.
So sorry about your friend... In Arizona, we do NOT have a "stupid helmet law".... Have to say I'm an "ATGATT" guy. I never ride without my gear. Even if I don't feel like "gearing up" - then I won't ride. "PERIOD".... Your comment is more profound than I think you realize....
So true. I had an SUV left turn in front of me back in 2003- the driver was distracted and chatting with someone in the back seat (I could see him looking back at the person in their mirror). Thankfully my Aerositch suit and my quality helmet - as well as weekly panic stopping drills on an empty stretch of road on my commute home - saved my life. The poor Honda Super Hawk was trashed, but after an ambulance ride to the ER and full check, I was released the same afternoon. I had aches and pains for a good 6 months afterward, but I am still here to tell the tale. I see most riders here in NH not riding with a helmet (especially the H-D folks), and I just shake my head.... Condolences to this poor guys family.
Nowhere near as harrowing, but I've provided similar stories to people as well. Slow speed tipover at the end of my driveway(off camber and on a hill, typical NH stuff) and my calf grazed the exhaust on my way down. Had I not been wearing riding pants, that would've easily been a 3rd degree burn. Instead I was out a pair of riding pants and had a nice superficial burn that I could nurse on my own for a couple weeks. Riding gear, all of it, is so incredibly important.
The bus starts turning at 7:57:02am and the motorcycle crashes into the back section behind the rear tire at 7:57:05am. 3 seconds the difference between life or death. Yeah, strategy and street smarts really do matter. Thanks MCRider.
It typically takes less time to decelerate from 50-mph to 0-mph than it does to accelerate from 0-mph to 50-mph. (Our brakes are rated at much higher Brake HP than our motors.) Lots of bikes can accelerate to 50-mph in 3 seconds or less and can stop from that speed much faster, so if there was 3 seconds before impact he was either speeding and/or not anticipating or noticing the bus turning in front of him in time to stop. It is possible the bus driver misjudged the bike's speed, and had he been moving at the same speed as the traffic, it could be the bus would have cleared the intersection before the bike got there. The problem with many of the on-line training sites is they emphasize how to sharpen your riding skills, even promoting lane splitting, but often don't say enough about how such things as high speed in traffic and in corners is inherently more dangerous.
@@garymaclean6903 It takes 1 second to decide you need to use your brakes and to apply them. In that one second you bike can travel 40'-80' feet before you even start to apply your brakes. The Bus either Misjudged the bikes speed or did not even see the Motorycle. Did you notice the Motorcycles rear wheel smoking? He may not even have applied the front brake which is 70% of your stopping Power. Many Models of Harley Davidsons are know for having poor brakes and some have very skinny front tires that don't stop as well as normal width tires do . The Biker could have even gone to the left of the bus in a escape lane had he not of had his rear wheel locked up and thus poor control of the bike.
What would have been even smarter is not to be riding in rush hr traffic. Most likely he was commuting. I see far too many "seasoned" riders take far too many risks in rush hr traffic, usually not allowing for enough stopping distance.
@@spartanx169x I had not ridden a street bike for years.. When I started riding again in 2017 most of the times cars gave me some room. That is until I got in Morning Rush Hour Traffic in Detroit. I also drive an 18 wheeler. In an 18 Wheeler I don't let cars bully me.
If he was attentive, he had plenty of time to slow down substantially, such that he may not have been killed. Three seconds is actually quite a bit of time.
Was going to comment the same. Sadly, besides not wearing a helmet, he seemed to be riding too fast. So sorry to his loved ones, for their loss. So tragic. 😞
I'll do one better. I'll save every life that listens to my advice. STOP RIDING A MOTORCYLCE. You're welcome. Crash fatality rates are 26x higher for motorcycles than passenger cars, and crash incident rates are 6x higher for a motorcycle than a car. I see this as a basic intelligence survival test. Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
RIP brother. I still watch your clips all the time. But my riding days are over. I'm going to be 75 this year, my reflexes aren't as good as they used to be. AND the drivers in the cars, trucks, and buses don't see us on 2-wheels. Loved the 50+ years I've been riding but it's just time for me to hang up my helmet for the last time. LOVE all you do to help us be safe on 2 wheels.
When I was around 19, I witnessed a collision that turned a 16-year old kid into a drooling cauliflower through a traumatic brain injury. 😱😨 I was on my Honda SL350K1, coming up behind a slow-moving utility company truck on a long, straight residential street. Even though I'd only been driving a few years, it was obvious to me that the truck driver was looking for a house address. Two kids on a dirt bike (no helmets) came up behind us at perhaps 45 MPH and pulled into the oncoming lane to pass us both, when the truck made a left turn into a driveway. I still recall locking eyes with the passenger as they passed me, and 2 seconds later his life changed forever. I don't know which kid had the TBI, but he would never be the same. That was 50 years ago and I still remember it vividly. There are many lessons here, including reckless speed and emergency braking skills, but part of road strategy involves an awareness of the causes behind other driver's behavior. The big takeaway to me is to think before you go charging into a situation that seems "slightly" unusual because there will probably be more there than meets the eye. "Fools rush in where others fear to tread..."
Hey Sir, thank you for sharing this difficult video. June 04, 2023 I was riding a new motorcycle; I'd bought it 3 weeks previous, but had been riding for 3 years... still a new rider. I was at a stop light, it turned green, I checked traffic in both directions and then accelerated through the intersection. A couple seconds later I was struck from behind by a speeding driver. The driver fled, leaving me in the road like a piece of trash. Some time in the hospital, and now 8 months later, I've mostly recovered. I have some rough looking scars, my back has hurt every day since, I still wake up having nightmares, but I'm alive! The paramedics and trauma doctors, even my insurance company and attorney, all said the same thing, "Thank God you were wearing a helmet!" That one factor probably saved my life. The helmet hangs in my garage; a reminder that gear matters. As we roll into another riding season here in Detroit, I'm shopping for a better helmet, riding jacket, and pants. I'm also following channels like yours, hoping to learn from the experience and wisdom of others. Thanks again for sharing. Be well! -Tim
Thanks for sharing. Hopefully it will help someone else prevent getting into a similar accident. After 25 years and 450,000 miles of nearly accident free riding I consider myself lucky. Yesterday I bought a Tech-Air 5 airbag jacket to increase my chances in case I run out of luck. I also added extra daytime running lights to my motorcycle to get noticed more. Wearing a helmet and full gear is a no-brainer for me.
in addition to all the noted conditions: lack of gear, excessive speed, braking/swerving skills, late afternoon sun, the higher, larger, slower traffic on the road at the "school bus time of day" (6 kids...💔)... both he and the bike are quite dark, if not totally black. Very sad made sadder by the possible alternatives that were not. I'm wishing strength and peace to all who love him.
White full-face, high-quality helmet, hi-viz jacket, LED lights, and I ride as if I was invisible. This was a great video. I obviously feel terrible for the loss of fellow rider, Kevin's point is eloquently made.
@@AJTStuff All that stuff you mention is great, but what's even better is rider training and practice. But if you're the type to ride helmetless you probably don't bother with such "uncool" things.
@@kingkrimson8771 that guy on another channel is who helped me really understand the fundamentals more than any other training/refresher course I’ve taken (before I found this channel). This channel is another, but I watch primarily for the analysis and mental techniques. Self analysis (debriefing) and physical skills training are two of my four moto-mottos (the others are being seen, and assuming I’m invisible).
But. It was a really important fun bike ride, so there's that... In reality, I'll save every life that listens to my advice. STOP RIDING A MOTORCYLCE. You're welcome. Crash fatality rates are 26x higher for motorcycles than passenger cars, and crash incident rates are 6x higher for a motorcycle than a car. I see this as a basic intelligence survival test. Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
I'm not 100% sure it was avoidable but had he been paying attention and stopped much sooner and harder including using his front brake he could have survived.. Also he could have escaped by going to the left curb.. Also his rear wheel was locked up it could see tire smoke..
My question is, how did he not see that giant yellow bus far enough away to use both breaks to attempt to stop? He might have still impacted at that speed, but it would have only broke a few bones. But with no helmet, I don't even know. Never a good idea!!!
That one was a hard one, for you to produce and for us to watch. I lost my oldest son in 2006 from a cycle accident, he was 22, he would have been 40 this year. I still ride, in the past 10 months I have logged over 27,000 miles on my BMW K 1600 GTL, it's the 1st tour bike I've owned. Even though I have many miles of experience on various bikes I knew when I bought this one I began with the basics of low speed control and practiced, practiced, practiced various skills most every time I rode. This beemer is the funnest most versatile I've ever owned. I just met a young man last week who just bought his first road bike, I wrote down your name along with a few others on RU-vid and encouraged him to dedicate himself to learning and practicing skills specific to road riding. I told him that a skill like counter steering wasn't something he learned in the dirt. Thank you for your dedication to the riding community.
I'll save every life that listens to my advice. STOP RIDING A MOTORCYLCE. You're welcome. Crash fatality rates are 26x higher for motorcycles than passenger cars, and crash incident rates are 6x higher for a motorcycle than a car. I see this as a basic intelligence survival test. Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
You truly did an excellent job with this video. I believe you were very respectful and sensitive to the family, and I believe we all appreciated the gentle nudge for us to do our part in protecting ourselves with the right kit when riding and finally always be aware of our surroundings and current conditions.
I think it's an important lesson for the "My right of way!" crowd. Looks like it was totally the bus at fault, but the bus needs some panel work and the rider isn't going home tonight. Being right does not make you safe. Make smart choices and listen to Kevin's advice.
Back in the late 1960’s there was a TV commercial that pointed out that having the “right of way” and acting like it is a bad recipe’. The commercial showed a driver continuing on their way with a car entering the road from the right with a stop sign on the right entrance only. The closing statement of the commercial was: You were right……DEAD RIGHT.
@@Old-n-slo-locked-n-leaned I know a Guy who was given a Jeep.. His buddy typed up a fake Insurnace Policy for it. He was pulling out of a Trailer Park on a 5 lane road 50 MPH speed Limit.. He pulled out in front of a Truck that was doing 60 MPH and got broad sided. He said it was the Trucks fault because he was speeding .. I asked him if he would rather be right or Dead. I said If you don't want to die don't pull out in front of trucks going 50 MPH it's not that hard to figure out .
I feel sorry for the young man and his family, nobody deserves this regardless of their actions. Sadly, consequences don't care. They just happen. I predict the bus driver will be found totally faultless, and rightly so. He or she had more than enough time and space so that oncoming traffic at road speed was not even in the frame when the bus passed the intersection. Items so far beyond that point that reacted in time to leave a trail of braking smoke and still cross the distance from frame to buss in less than half the time of traffic flowing the other way are not in view of the bus when the turn is committed. The rider had to be at least two to three times further away than the bus driver needed to look while also checking that no pedestrians were crossing the other street. The bus driver is responsible to do everything possible to avoid a collision as soon they recognize a possible threat. By the time this threat was visible the bus was too far into the turn for any swerving or braking to help give space.
@@2K_Unlimited My Guess is the Biker was daydreaming and only used his rear brake .. The front brake is 70% of your stopping Power.. The Bus may be 70% at fault but the biker appeared to be going way over the speed limit.. Many Harley models have very poor brakes and stopping distances..
I don’t think it was the bus drivers fault. The motorcycle is moving at almost twice the speed of the other cars on that road and he hit pretty well behind the rear wheel. If he’d been traveling at a safe speed, the bus would’ve cleared him and he maybe would’ve just had to roll off a bit. I totally get it, but if you’re gonna ride faster than the traffic around you, you have to take 100% responsibility for who might not see you coming or expect you to be on them as quickly as you are. Right now… you’re being the “right of way crowd”.
Left turning vehicles are my biggest red flag out there. I keep an eye on every intersection where this is a possibility. Of course there are other dangers out there as well. Too many to count, but that will not deter me from enjoying my passion of riding.
Kevin - This video is more profound than I think you realize. I watch them all. "Respectfully" done as well. I'm 62 - been riding since I was 5..... I take this very seriously.
My daughter, 18 years old, took the MSF safety training class last year. She received her endorsement/license and is looking forward to riding again this spring. Seeing this video is so frightening. As a father, I still question if her riding is the right thing. I'm signing her up again for the same safety training class. It's important to me that she goes through it again.
@tz1592, I hope you know and she might follow through with not just the MSF course, but the many other learning and training opportunities out there. Books, other awesome RU-vid instructors, online like Champschool, and more advanced in person courses. And she's given you twice a year (birthdays and Christmas!) to help her with training expenses and the best gear possible. Be well, all the best to her.
That is one of the best comments I have read so far. The MSF will cover all the risks of and really impress upon the importance of all the gear. But the longer we are away from the class the more the memory of all the topics covered slowly decays and any bad habits formed during the year after can start to take hold. An annual gift each year in those early years will help reinforce and bring back memories of all the topics in the course that may have become dormant over time. You get peace of mind and she gains a better advantage education wise over any rider who takes the course once and never again. A win for both of you for such a minimal cost. As she progresses you could gift some intermediate to advanced courses as an idea.
Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
Yes, if she took the basic course, look instead for the intermediate course. She can use her own bike there and get used to the exact locations of controls in a safe environment. Maybe the advanced course a few months later. MSF does all three pretty well.
Thank you, Kevin. This must’ve been a very (emotionally) difficult video to make, especially since it happened while preparing last week’s video on things we can do to prevent such accidents. RIP Travis and many prayers for your family and loved ones.
Heartbreaking accident. Theres a lot we can learn from it and thank you for the safety videos you produce, I think you truly make a difference. We need to be in prayer for not only the rider’s loved ones but the bus driver and the kids who saw something that may impact them for years to come.
Simple take-away. Do NOT ride a motorcycle and all of these problems are solved. I'll save every life that listens to my advice. STOP RIDING A MOTORCYLCE. You're welcome. Crash fatality rates are 26x higher for motorcycles than passenger cars, and crash incident rates are 6x higher for a motorcycle than a car. I see this as a basic intelligence survival test. Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
This is such a sad story. It's easy to let your guard down and to think it can't happen to you. It can. In an instant. Wear the gear. Have a plan. Count on that school bus turning in front of you. I hope your warning here saves a life.
Blacked out = invisible. Also lacking the 6th sense that someone is slowing down (to turn left) rather than the bus simply going down the road. When an oncoming vehicle SLOWS that is a cue that they are going to do something. Expect stupid. Expect they don't see you (small frontal area - you don't have a hood and fenders).
This one was truly hard to watch. But I felt it necessary for my own personal safety to watch it. Thanks for presenting the accident with clarity and compassion, as well as providing a sobering heads up to all of us fellow riders.
Kevin I thought twice about thumbs up but the thumbs up is for your posting with the intent to help the MC community. Heart wrenching for me and brings back memories. But stories like this should be shared it’s reality. God rest his soul may god bless our fellow riders 🙏
There are always many factors, and here is one that is always overlooked. If the bus driver had used a signal, then it would have given the rider several more seconds to respond, and he would likely be alive today. (yes, I know there are other factors, but those are already mentioned in other comments). It's really tragic to hear something like this.
Had that MC not been traveling at the speed it appeared to be going, it appears there should have been plenty of time to avoid that school bus, or a the very least a LOT slower crash. That 50 foot long school bus was nearly thru the turn when the bike appeared in the frame at a high rate of speed. Both are at fault here. I have been riding a motorcycle for 62 of my 70 years both off road racing and tens of thousands of miles on the road, I can venture to say that more often than not, in a crash, single or another vehicle involved, it is the fault of the motorcyclists either going too fast, not paying attention or out of position for others to see it. Sad situation all around in this one.
I lost a friend. A retired Sheriff deputy. He was a great guy. New relationship, future looking great.....and yet....a woman turned left as he was going through an intersection.... He died quickly. ...I'm still stunned after.all these years. As far as riding....I always do a.headlight shake to let oncoming vehicles see me. It HAS worked.
Back in september, I was riding on the interstate when traffic came to a slowdown of 35 MPH. Sun was in MY eyes and I could see just fine on my bike but the idoit behind me going 70 with his GMC2500 still slammed into me claiming the sun. Impact was so hard it ripped the helmet off, knocked me out, sent me 170 feet, and made my bike slam into the car in front. I was in full motorcycle gear and had my Condor Assault backpack (issued) on. I only had one broken bone from that crash. Kevin, the Gopro footage would give you a clip or half to use on your channel..
This is a tragedy that happens all too often. Every time I hear news such as this, a piece of my heart goes away. I say this because after riding for 50 years, right or wrong, I have become hardened to bad news associated with motorcycles. Someone very close to me was in a bad accident not long ago. He was busted up bad. What saved him was a full face helmet and safety gear. Now he has recovered, he rides without a helmet or safety gear. I have talked to him many times without getting anywhere. He also rides hard. Everytime I talk to him, I feel I may be talking to him for the last time. This fellow didn't have a helmet on when he crashed. Someone had to have had a chat with him at some point about not wearing a helmet. Safety equipment doesn't come with a guarantee but statistics clearly show wearing gear definitely helps. A family is now heartbroken and probably in dire need of help. There's no reset button. Sad!
As a school bus driver myself and a rider, this story really spoke to me. So many incredibly simple things that could have changed the outcome of this tragedy. Instead we're left to wonder what might have been. I feel for the family of the rider, his kids, the driver of the bus who will forever question their actions and decisions; likely blaming themselves. And of course let's not forget about the innocent kids riding the bus that morning whose lives have also been changed forever. The ripples of the decisions we make enjoying the ride go far beyond what we imagine. I weep and pray for all involved here and hope all of us will consider these "ripples" the next time we ride!!
Anticipating the action of others is why driving is like playing chess. Perhaps daytime flickering of headlights on motorcycles should be mandated to increase visibility by other drivers. Watching your channel has made me a much better rider and driver. Keep up the great education.
"Like playing chess..." except you are 6x more likely to be in an accident and 26x more likely to die, than in a passenger car. Doesn't matter who is at fault if you're dead.
Gotta be hard to prepare this video knowing your intent is to help others avoid this but also worrying it will be taken as "I told you so." I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it's important to analyze failure to prevent future incidents. Unlike the TV news people who interviewed friends and family for their thoughts - what good comes of that? Ratings? There is so much to learn to help stay safe while riding. Thank you for continuing to share that knowledge. Stay safe, everyone.
I'll save every life that listens to my advice. STOP RIDING A MOTORCYLCE. You're welcome. Crash fatality rates are 26x higher for motorcycles than passenger cars, and crash incident rates are 6x higher for a motorcycle than a car. I see this as a basic intelligence survival test. Motorcycles are modern Darwinism, self selection intelligence tests for survival; far more dangerous than probably any other activity Americans regularly do. More dangerous than war, being a cop, fisherman, lumberjack, anything. An accident on a motorcycle is almost guaranteed being an amputee, and a very very high chance of TBI or death. Why do people ride, I have no idea. I tried it, hated it. Known or were in circles of people killed, amputees, seriously injured, TBIs, cripples, etc. Risk/reward assessment not worth it.
I see many school bus drivers do careless things. At times it seems all they care about is keeping their route time. Slower speed on the MC would help. Watch those turning vehicles! Thank you Kevin for constantly promoting safety in a clear and fun way.
I have been watching your tubes for many years. I have learnt a lot and try to look, learn and listen. I am just happy that conditions in my country help safe riding.
Speed kills for (at least) 3 reasons: 1) it is likely that other drivers will misjudge your approach speed and turn in front of the fast-moving vehicle without realizing the shortened time for the approaching vehicle to get there; 2) there is much less time for the fast-moving rider to take evasive action to avoid a collision; and 3) the injury is much greater at higher speeds. Thanks for this sobering reminder!
4) It is very difficult to judge the speed of an oncoming vehicle. Your eyes and brain can judge it somewhat because of the distance between the headlights of a car or truck, but a motorcycle with one headlight is nearly impossible to judge. So sad. That bus driver mad a bad mistake he will be haunted by for the rest of his life, and the kids in the bus are surely traumatized as well.
Wear a white full-face helmet to make yourself easier to spot in traffic, ride a bike with anti-lock brakes, know how to swerve with counter-steering, and SLOW DOWN IN TOWN.
Kevin you covered this tastefully and with respect as it applies to underscoring points you made in your earlier video. The bus driver is going to have to live with this for the rest of his or her life, and the family is going to grieve the loss of a husband and father for a long time to come. I fully support your safety emphasis on the right gear and techniques, but in this case, I don't think a helmet would have much mattered given the impact area on the rear of the bus. Three seconds was all he had, but I have to wonder if he'd been scanning further down the road, saw the sun glaring off the bus windows, and the slow right to left movement of the bus front end if he wouldn't have had more time to react, slow, and swerve. We'll never know, of course. Thanks for your grace and respect in producing this one.
I am only human and therefore, fallible but I try to ride like everyone out there is about to make the worst move concerning my direction and speed. I will aim to practice more thanks to this video. Thank you. May the brother rider RIP.....
Very very sad. Condolences to his family. Undecided about showing this crash, A young man died, A family will never be the same again. The bus driver and the kids will never forget. Like all accidents, it was avoidable, The choice of gear and speed, probably contributed. It was aired on local TV. I guess we can learn from this, unfortunately, the riders who would benefit most probably don’t watch this kind of channel.
Without having read any of the comments, I see three things the rider was doing wrong, without even counting not wearing a helmet. 1) He obviously wasn't paying attention. The bus had already been turned into his lane for a full three seconds before the rider collided, which was a relative eternity worth of opportunity to take evasive action. But the rider drove straight into the bus. 2) The rider was speeding. Even in slow-motion video playback the rider was traveling faster than regular traffic at real-time video speed. 3) The rider wasn't using his brakes to anywhere near maximum effectiveness, because his back brake was locked up and his front brake didn't appear to be working at all. In such a situation there is very little braking action taking place. In short, this accident was 100% preventable. Peace to the family.
I watched the previous video, comforted myself that I wear protective gear, don't ride impaired, and don't ride too fast or recklessly, but also resolved to do even better. I'm sorry there was a fatal motorcycle crash so close to you to emphasize your point. I school bus pulled out in front of me recently and I was forced to emergency brake to avoid hitting the bus. There was a long line of cars in heavy traffic and I was maintaining a little more braking distance than they were and the bus driver took that as an invitation to turn in front of me, forcing me to brake aggressively. Fortunately, the car behind me was quick on the brakes. It's extremely unlikely the bus driver didn't see me, because he had to see the cars behind me. He decided to poke the nose of the bus into my braking distance and force me and the line of cars behind me to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the bus. It was stupid and reckless. I called the bus garage and left a voice mail for the manager but he never called me back. I guess if there's not a crash, there's not a problem? I just finished 3D printing mounting brackets for the 19,000 lumen amber LED conspicuity lights for my motorcycle and was assembling them as this video was playing. I intend to avoid the SMIDSY (sorry mate, I didn't see you).
Of all the “tragedy review” type videos I’ve seen, yours by far is the most respectful and tastefully done. We can all learn from the circumstances of others, even if those circumstances have grim consequences. If someone could learn from my mistakes or misjudgment, i would encourage others to use it for the betterment of others. I would just hope it would be done as sensitively and respectfully as you have presented. Thank you. And may our brother rest in peace.
That puff of smoke from the bike's rear tyre starts when the bike is only about 20 feet from the bus. This suggests the rider did not realise the danger until the last moment, then stood on his rear brake. Looking at the motorcycle's speed immediately before impact, I doubt that a helmet would have changed the outcome. This is a tragedy. Condolences to the widow and six children. RIP Travis.
Probably a DEI hire for the school bus. Motorcycles riders have got to be extra careful these days. I never saw the motorcycle is not a viable excuse. When truth is told I"m bigger so I went first is the reason. Prayers for the family. PS Hitting a school bus with or without a helmet is deadly no matter what. Don't hit school buses. The problem is we as rider kinda expect bus drivers to be professional drivers. Sadly most are DEI hires.
This is the reason why we shouldn't travel at highway speeds on local roads: hazards abound Other vehicles pulling onto or off the road in front of us, kids running into the street without looking, animals darting across the street, leaves or grass clippings on the street, wet spots due to lawn watering or car washing, you name it. SLOW DOWN!!!
Biker carrying too much speed. Perhaps he was being a little inattentive. The shear size of the school bus and him making impact at speed. Tragic but most likely avoidable. Him being without a helmet may not have mattered. Maybe it would have. I'm 66 years old and have been riding on the street since I was 14.. I've never wrapped my head around the idea of riding without a helmet and I won't ride with anyone who doesn't.
wife and I were on a weekend loop ride, and I stopped at an observation area looking over Diablo Lake. There was a wildlife across the lake from lightning. i parked my harley, and my wife dismounted, I put down the kickstand, I swung a leg over the bike. The bike came with me. my head slams into asphalt momentarily, knocking me out. my very first thought? looking at my wife, i say, sure glad i still had my helment on. usually its the first thing I take off after stopping.
A sad and typical This exact same thing happened to an acquaintance of mine driving her minivan after picking her kids up from school. She was turning left on a straight country road at the bottom of a slight rise in the road where she had no chance of seeing a speeding vehicle approaching. It was determined that the driver was traveling way too fast (after impact, his body had skidded over 150 feet), there were also low sun conditions for the motorcyclist, minimal gear and an ashtray helmet. etc.... After the extensive investigation she was not found 100% not at fault. They even used a similar van with a similar sized person sitting in the drivers seat to see how far away they could possibly see down the road. The acquaintance, was never the same after that accident. It was sad for everyone involved.
It's truly a tragedy that this rider lost his life, but I have seen a number of videos like this. The thought always occurs to me, "Why is he plunging full speed ahead into this deadly situation?" There is a tell-tale sign of what could be a big part of the problem in the video. As the bike is about to enter the intersection, smoke starts coming from the rear tire but the bike doesn't visibly slow down. It appears that this rider may have been a believer in the myth of "Don't touch that front brake, it'll kill you." Handled properly, this should have been an eminently survivable situation.
I remember vividly riding my Gold Wing one day on a long city road when a youngster pulled up beside me and nodded to me for some reason. He then took off at high speed which I took at the time as some sort of childish challenge...his crotch rocket against my Wing. Well, to make a long story short, I came up on him a mile and two minutes later after he ploughed into the rear drivers side door of an SUV driven by a little old lady that had pulled out from a side street. His bike was buried inside the car and he flew through the air for about 100 yards and lay on the road dead as a doornail. I estimate he must have hit the car doing well over 80 mph (in a 30 mph zone). The poor old lady was beside herself with grief. My conclusion, too much testosterone, too little maturity and a general disregard for common sense rules of the road. That incident has stuck by me with 68 years of biking under my belt....
I ride with the mindset that ALL other drivers either don't see me or are trying to kill me. This has kept me alert, and I've avoided many potentially deadly wrecks because of it. My safety is 100% my responsibility.
70% to 80% of all accidents can be avoided by a very alert and skilled motorcycle operator. Yes it was the busses fault for turning in front of the motorcycle. The Motorycle was going too fast and I can see his rear tire smoking. 70? of your stopping power is in the front brake. The Motorcycle had an escape route to the left of the bust too. This accident is on the borderline of avoidable and not avoidable. I helped a Bus Driver out the back door of a bus one time. She had laid the bus on it's side in a deep ditch after going around a curve on a windy day. She reeked of Marijuana. I knew some one on the School Board of Climax Schools in MI.. There were no passengers on the bus. She had dropped off the last kid before the accident. The bus was laying on it's right side where the front door is .
I don’t think at that speed a helmet wouldn’t have changed the out come. The bus driver was clearly at fault. Maybe the county could install a left turn arrow at that intersection. I’ve been riding 60 years and have had only one accident that put me in the hospital for 3 months. Unfortunately sometimes you are just unable to stop what’s ordained to happen. RIP to him and his family.
I teach motorcycle awareness to Drivers Education Classes for ABATE of Iowa. It is a requirement by Law in the State of Iowa to include our presentations as part of the curriculum. Studies show that intersections are the most deadly part of any roadway and a vehicle turning left in front of a motorcycle is the number one cause of fatal accidents to the motorcyclists. I can't stress this enough during my presentation. Thank you for your content it is always helpfull and greatly appreciated.
I am a biker and drove school bus for 19 years. Visability in school buses is not good. Windshield glare is terrible. If the driver pulls down the sunshield that can be worse because they can actually reduce the area of viability, not to say you have a load of children who could be a handful too. Don't know if speeding or lack of attention was involved but riding my bike let. Me feel free and in control. Driving a school bus made me doubly alert at what was going on around me. Bus driver probably should have waited for the biker. Many school buses has cameras recording the road in several directions. So sorry to see a biker in this situation. So sorry that school bus driver gas to live with this incident. Many times they quit driving even if they were not at fault.
The irony here is sad, and underscores the points your previous video. You just want to be angry when you see riders doing the wrong thing, and it's even more infuriating when they are doing multiple things wrong. But there is no satisfaction in "I told you so" at times like this. At the end of the day, he had the right of way and the school bus should have waited to make the turn. Regardless of the fault of the driver, to your points, the rider left himself no room for error and paid the price for someone else's mistake. He couldn't control the bus driver's actions, but a helmet and lower speeds might have bought him those percentage points that are the difference between a close call, an accident with serious injuries, or the ultimate end of story.
I live in Australia and i have never in my 47 yrs understood why some Americans don't wear helmets. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Rip to the young man
The motorcyclist , was traveling considerably faster than the traffic in the opposing lane .. 2 seconds after the bus began the turn. Riding way too fast for the conditions. It's hard to anticipate what happens ahead when after a short second you are already upon it.
A full faced helmet has saved my life three times while crashing my motorcycle. I will never ride a motorcycle unless I wear a full faced helmet. I know my luck. And it's always bad. I'll wear the helmet.
A helmet would not have saved that dude but i agree you should wear one...Motorcycle riding is a roll of the dice every time you go out for a ride, I had way too many close calls over 27 years of riding and finally gave it up two years ago and to be honest I have not missed it near as much as i thought i would
Rider didn't seen to be taking attention of the bus. He hit the back so there were a few seconds to realise the bus wasn't stopping. I'm not sure a helmet would have saved him as he seemed to be going pretty quick.
Good advice, we lost a couple last season and only one wasn't the car drivers fault. One was a car on the wrong side of the road on a blind hill another was a car turning on to the wrong side of the road, driver was from Greece here on holiday, he forgot that here in the UK we drive on the opposite side of the road. Always expect the unexpected. Ride safe boys and girls. 👍
NO Helmet Bro - you're a Father ? What a price to pay for "cool image". Too bad your widow & orphaned kids will pay for many years. I pray for them & you. I've been a 40 year rider, helmeted the whole time. Last summer a deer blindsided me at 50 mph - hot summer night - wearing shorts & tech sport shirt - but helmet, hiking shoes & gloves. Deer impact sheared off front fairing, windscreen & gauges, threw me to pavement & into curb gutter. All in a flash of 1-2 seconds then blackout. ER doc saw large side / chin scar on Helmet & said: "That helmet saved your life ! Don't ever stop wearing it " I NEVER crashed before that, but knew it COULD happen. I literally CRINGE at every helmetless rider I see - they are clueless as to how their head will crush beyond repair with even a minor impact with any object it hits. A wise man once said: "If you can't be an example, at least be a WARNING."
well said, i just got my motorcycle and have been telling my friends I have a lot of time scheduled at the local high school parking lot honing skills that went dormant over 20 years ago, most people don't realize the skill involved in driving safely AND being on alert for other drivers, thanks for your video today.
Speed = Time Time = recognition/analysis/reaction When we Speed, we reduce the Time we have to recognize potential dangers, analyze the situation, and then reACT. The old saying “Speed Kills” was true back in the day. And it’s just as true today. Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of this rider.
I live near a school, and I see several school busses all around my area. I often think to myself, those school bus drivers are careless, and drive too fast.
My friend just lost his mate, died instantly hitting a guard rail, the friend lost another mate from a lady been on the wrong side of the road, that particular one apparently and no doubt would horrible to watch as he severed his main artery in his neck, and to make things worse that same friend lost his wife in a motorcycle accident. Now the common thing with all those accidents is speed
One (of many) strategy that was helpful for me was to expect that everyone else on the road is trying to kill me. I know that isn't true and it's extreme, however while it was always in the back of my mind it was a reminder to practise and (on the road) always expect the unexpected. Cheers and best wishes.
I don’t know if you did a frame by frame analysis of the video to determine speed and deceleration, but it certainly looks to me as though there are several things to glean from this tragedy. 1. It clearly was the bus driver’s fault. No ifs, ands or buts. 2. It doesn’t matter that it was the bus driver’s fault, the rider is still the one who died, even though he clearly had the ROW. 3. It appears the motorcycle was traveling at a high rate of speed for that road. 4. It appears the rider did not know how to brake well as I did not see much deceleration during the time the bike was in view until the impact. It looks like the rear tire was sliding and smoking, but I suspect not much front brake was in play. I believe this was the major determining factor in this being a fatality rather than a serious injury. 5. Lack of proper gear may have been a factor, but given the speed of impact, I suspect this is a case where ATGATT probably would not have changed the outcome.
Point 1 and point 3 seem to contradict each other. Seems there are some buts. High rate of speeding motorcycle makes it CLEARLY the bus driver's fault huh. NO. 100% motorcycles fault. Maybe if he had louder pipes the bus driver coulda heard him.
@@michaeltrivette1728 You better brush up on the law. Turning in front of oncoming traffic is your fault period. It matters not how fast the other vehicle is going, how loud their pipes are or what color their eyes are. You are wrong. Ask any cop or attorney.
Yes the actions or lack there of is a death sentence. But the mind set that leads to those actions is entirely on the rider. It's over confidence, the illusion that nothing bad can happen because of skill/experience. Leads to the worse accidents. Always respect the ride.
After riding for years, it is easy to become complacent. I've been riding for 60 years but 8 years ago, I was following him on a "crotch rocket" and I was on my duel sport. My ego said I could keep up with him in a tight turn. I had too much speed, went off the mountain road, broke my shoulder blade, collarbone, six ribs, and bruised a lung. 10 days in the hospital an d a lesson learned. But....because I was fully dressed, with helmet, I actually came out alright. It was a little comical that the EMT's, cops, doctors, kept mentioning that, "Well, the good thing is he was fully geared up." I fact, I told them in the ER to NOT cut my pants, but take my boots off and they should get them off without a problem. Glad to still be riding at 80. Sorry for this fellow's accident. I survived my mistake.
"Came out alright." LOL. A joy ride that resulted in serious injuries, near death experience, off a mountain road, wrecked bike, insurance costs/losses, and probably $250-500,000 in medical bills for a ER visit, surgeries, and 10 days in the hospital. SMH
The bus was driving slowly and initiated its turn to the left slowly. It is also hard to judge the motorcycle. I cannot tell if the bus was using its left turn signal; if the turn signal was being used, I cannot see it in the video. It is hard to judge the speed of the motorcycle. It is impossible to see the speed of the motorcycle when the bus initiated its turn. How fast was the motorcycle going when it started braking? I do not see a dive from heavy breaking. What I do see is heavy application to the rear brake. The back tire was smoking. If the motorcycle had used heavy front braking, that back tire would most likely not be smoking. Much of the danger of motorcycles is in the way we ride them.
That motorcycle had 3 seconds to react to the turn. Judging from his high speed, even with his rear tire locked up, he flew into the bus at well over the speed limit, meaning he was WAY too fast, and the bus misjudged the speed.
This was and my heart goes out to this rider and his family and to the people on the bus. It certainly underscores why you do what you do, and I am grateful to you for that.
Poor Travis and his family, those poor kids. This is horrendous, but thanks for highlighting the reality in a respectful way. Poor Travis may still be alive had he made slightly different choices. Riding without a helmet is just insane, I do NOT understand how or why anyone would do that. RIP.
There is only one mindset you should adopt when riding on public roads. And that’s “Now I have that magic cape on! Nobody can see or hear me. I am completely invisible…!” Riding with that mindset dramatically improves you chances to return home that day…
