I don't know how anyone else feels but it seems to me that dispite the adverts that were on television (Look once, look twice, think Bike) and more and more riders wearing Hi Viz jackets, that car drivers etc still seem to be getting away with not being prosecuted for hitting riders when they pull out of somewhere into the riders path!   If anyone knows any different or feels the same, get it off your chest here!   It just seems to me that they can get away with damaging both rider and bike by just saying "Sorry, I didn't see you!"                                                                                                                                                                             

di i agree totaly with what ya saying, they always say BUT I DIDNT SEE YOU!!!!! what a load of bollx. My son was going to see his girlfriend and a car pulled out infront of him and he went straight into the side of it. His front wheel shattered,front forks snapped off at the frame, the front bit of the bike was embeded in the car he went up in the air and then the rest of the bike followed him. I was findind bits of the bike deep in the woods and all the bloody guy could say was SORRY I DIDNT SEE HIM!!!! how the hell can you not see a bike headlights on and a viserable jacket for feck sake. My son had 8 months off work and the doctors dont know how he survived with his injuries, and all that W**KER got was drivin with undu care and attention and had to go on one of those stupid courses that the police put idiots on. I brought his bike home in bin bags. HOW shit is that. I think that they should bring a new law out that when you learn how to drive that there should be another part of the test off road wich includes bikes and car drivers. It seems to be that if you drive a car as well as ride a bike ya more cautious and more aware of bikers. RANT OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 well said broomski and di. x

Hi broomski hope your son recovered and is well now. The last time i got knocked off i thought it was another s.m.i.d.s.y but in court the driver said "she saw me but thought she could make it" ie she gambled that she could dive across a roundabout before i arrived.She wrote my bike off,broke my leg,3 months of work and was fined £100 plus £50 court costs... When i was sorting my kit out to pick up my new fazer i discovered one of my jacket pockets had bits of broken glass still in it from the impact-made me shudder. I used to always have black lids-i wear a bright white arai now.                                                                                                                                                                             

I can see bikes a MILE off!  This is because I ACTUALLY use my mirrors and look all around me!  I cannot see how the hell anyone can give that excuse!    Well said everyone...in agreement with Witchiest x                                                                                                                                                                             

Yep, same here bc. The first time I went out on my own I nearly hit the deck as a woman reversed out of her drive. Luckily I stopped and she said the same! "Sorry I didn't see you" My reply basically was "That's because you didn't look properly" or words to that effect!!                                                                                                                                                                              

I reckon the driving test should be changed to include compulsary CBT,would def do more good than the theory part!!!!                                                                                                                                                                              

Yes I agree with you all.   I think CBT on a driving test would be brill...or at least a section dedicated to Motorcyclist/Cyclist/Horse Rider etc Awareness.   Another thing that gets to  me,  is queueing traffic hugging the white line, trying to see whats going on ahead?  WHY??  It ain't gonna get you moving any quicker, but it might prevent the biker from being able to pass!!   I have a 'Think Bike' sticker in my rear window.. if it makes just one person think to check their mirrors more often and be a bit more considerate to bikers, then its well worth the couple of quid i paid for it !                                                                                                                                                                             

Have to agree Karey, would be good to see that within the car test. Maybe that's the way to go.                                                                                                                                                                             

I totally agree with all of you, only the other day, i was in car, bike behind me, i pulls up to turn right, bike started to pass on left, then this stupid cow decided to pull out not just infront of me, but the bike..... what gave her the right to pull out anyway??? i hadn't flashed her,she never saw the bike, errrr.. head lights and his jacket gave it away... he wasn't up me arse either... i knew the bike was going to pass on my left, thankfully no accident, but i'd seen the bike behind me for a while,  then stupid cows face of horror when she saw the bike, sent shudders down me spine.......... I always look for bikes - i'm more cautious when at junctions/roundabouts etc, mainly as i ride a bike, and know how it feels to be pulled out on, not to the extent of impact, but every one who drives a car should do a cbt, or some kind of bike course to make them aware or should i say more carefull and to look properly, and look for bikes........etc..                                                                                                                                                                               

When anybody takes there car test they should be made to get on the back of a bike in a busy built up area and be made totally aware of how vulnerable bikers can be.  This will hopefully when in the future, when driving around in their little cages they will be totally aware of any motorcycle around them.   A very grateful and useful tip i was given as a biker more than 20 years ago was expect anything and everything to happen and treat everybody around you, car driver, pedestrian and even other bikers, as there are some, as idiots.   If you see a child 100 feet down the road on the grass verge, slow down in anticipation that that child is going to step out.   Watch out for cats under cars   Dont watch the driver in the car, watch the wheels   Always expect the worse to happen if it doesnt great, but if it does you have prepared yourself for it, and can stop in time.                                                                                                                                                                             

lcotgrave - "Dont watch the driver in the car, watch the wheels"   Has anyone seen those spinning discs on some cars - I was approaching a junction the first time I saw some and I thought the guy was moving out on me - should be banned                                                                                                                                                                             

When i was given that advice steve no such thing as spinning discs   But good point                                                                                                                                                                             

Quite right. A certain (now ex-) Liverpool footballer who used to park his bloody great Lincoln Navigator across two spaces in the local Tesco always had the things whizzing round. Most confusing. Registration D10 UFY. Presumably hogging the streets of Bolton now.                                                                                                                                                                             

Few years back had a car pull across the front of me I swerved and missed them but they paniced and hit a parked car so police were called. Same thing sorry officer I didnt see him.   But I wasnt on my bike I was drivin a 60 FOOT ARTIC. Google can see it from Space.   So what chance do we have on a tiny little Bike.   See ALL trust NO ONE    CBT great idea convince the Government they can make money from it and it will be straight in.                                                                                                                                                                             

Heres a variation on s.m.i.d.s.y,-I was touring on a Sprint RS [bright orange,lights on] and following behind a car for some miles as I overtook it the car without indicating turned right forcing me/bike/partner into a wall.The bike was a write off [again] I broke my collar bone and partner was knocked out. It was a mistake on my part to overtake near a petrol station [thats were the car was going] but how can you make progress if you always avoid overtakes if theres a slight chance of a car turning right without indicating? Ah well-have to get a Rocket 3,then smidsy,s going to know about it as 320kg of heavy metal comes through his side door.                                                                                                                                                                             

Hi Iggy I very nearly did same on sat morning. lucky i was going slow enough to stop. abs great idea missed by inches.                                                                                                                                                                              

Don't know how long this link will be open for but jeeze!!!!   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/new...ge_id=1770                                                                                                                                                                             

now thats what u call a bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol                                                                                                                                                                              

I have had 2 smidsy in under a year, one November 2005 and one September 2006, both pulling out from a side street on my left, both of them were unavoidable on my part as the car drivers didnt slow for the junctions and i didnt have braking time and i didnt have anywhere to go to avoid them.   the 2nd one i ws ridng the ZZR it wasnt light and the bike headlights were on, and i was wearing a high viz vest, the little toe rag then doctored the scene of the accident and denied all responsibility.  His insurance company have finally admitted liability last week, they couldnt deny it in the face of an independant witness.  but he has got away without even an expensive driving course!   the 1st one ........ stupid b*tch was driving a BMW, didnt stop for a junction, didnt wear a seat belt, didnt see the bus (yes i was driving a 30' bus, in white livery with a neon destination sign and all the interior lights on inside and head lights) and didnt get prosecuted. The CPS thought that punting a public transport vehicle 30' sideways was not in the public interests to prosecute and she had suffered enough as she hit her head hard on the steering wheel as she wasnt wearing a seatbelt and did herself an injury!