Biker down.
Responded to an auto accident today. While responding to the scene, got an update from a Chief who happened to be in the area reporting a motorcycle down in the road.
I got to the scene and saw the ass end of a bike hanging out from underneath a minivan. My first thought of course was ‘Is the rider still under there?’. As I was stepping out of the Ambulance to check out the scene, I saw the rider come walking toward me from across the parking lot.
Apparently, he saw he was going to collide with the minivan, so he ditched the bike. The bike slid under the ass end of the minivan while he slid off to the side. My man was totally fine. We convinced him to goto the ER to get checked out due to the speeds involved, but I firmly believe he went home an hour later down a bike. Sucks to be missing a bike man, but you’ve still got your life, eh?
How is it that he had time to identify the hazard, determine that he couldn’t avoid it, and ditch the bike in time for it to slide up under the van while he slid off to the side, but he didn’t have time to STEER AROUND THE HAZARD.
yeah, sure, there are situations where you’d be better off ditching the bike. In general, you’ve surrendered your fate to the gods of inertia once you ditch the bike.
Nigga. I am just reporting the events as they were relayed to me.
Here is the thing though. The energy that exists on impact has to do with the speed at which you are traveling, and the mass of the object. The object being you+bike or just you if you have left the bike. I believe that the amount of ‘energy’ I have when rolling at 50mph down the road is less than me+bike.
Now, I agree that by staying on the bike you are more likely to be able to avoid the impact, but at the point of impact I think I want the least mass+speed possible.
Take a styrofoam peanut and throw it. Next attach a rock to the same peanut. Throw it. See the difference?
Slide them both across the ground. See which goes farther and delivers more energy on impact. What say you?