spyder - Details of my accident: It was a beautiful sunshining day & I had ridden from Atlanta to Nashville. Got there just before rush hour 4:30 or so was heading north on I24 heading into downtown where 24 & 40 merge. Where they merge the freeway goes from 3 lanes each (24 & 40) to 6 total - none of the lanes merge togeather. I was in the third lane form the left which after the merge would have put me in one of the center lane. Just as the two lanes merged the traffic from I40 was on my right and an SOB in a red honda accod came from the other center lane without warring, turn signal or any other indication into my lane (again the lanes did not merge). I have a split second to react & with traffic on my left & right (again heavy traffic, friday afternoon, almost rush hour, but still moving at 60+mph) I could have let him hit me but instead hit both brakes. Locked up both tires, bike was doing weird things especiall when it hit the oily portion of the lane. Next thing I know is the bike is going down to the right but I was going so fast that when the crash bars hit it flipped the bike back to the left & threw me off of the bike. I remember my face heading toward the pavment & stuck my arm out to cushion the initial impact. I had so mush momentuim, I began to roll & tumble accross the lanes & remember thinking I hope the cars dont hit me. After several tumbles I ended up on my back on the grassy medium between the north & south bound lanes (which was a blessing as I had just cleared an over pass with concreate sides that I would have slamed against). As I was rolling & fliping accross the lanes I saw the traffic heading towards me & the next thing I saw was my bike sliding down the road & I saw it several times in stop & go motion as I tumbled. All of the cars avoided me & my bike was easily 100 feet or sow further down the road in a pile and somking.
I know the MSF people say every acident can be avoided and perhaps I should have better aticipated this guy comming over into my lane but there was no indication & when I realized he was comming over it was too late. The lesson learned reflecting back was that I should have left myself a way out incase someone comes over on you like that & be more defensive in anticipating that type of thing ie assume he is comming over.
After an asisted ride to the hospital & short stay came out relitively ok. While in the emergency room doctor determined it was ok to remove my 3/4 helmet (EMTs left it on & taped me to a board for the trip) & later showed me the gashes in it including accross where my face was. Ironicly, my sunglases & the helmet had scraped the pavment but there was not a scratch on my face!! Was down for the next few days, then on crutches for several weeks & several more rhabing (still have lots of scars & pains though). I think it was in September when I met a couple of my buddies in Nashville (where the bike was repaired) & rode the bike home with my full face helment on!!
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Topic: Full Face Helmets (Read 13579 times)