Comments on: The Motorcycle Accident - Analytical Redux http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/ Ruminations on Life, Korea, the Universe and Everything. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:25:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Matt http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-48904 Matt Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:12:13 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-48904 Hi Jeff, I'm from the Korea Herald. I would like to use a quote from your account in a story I'm writing on motorcycle safety. Please e-mail me at matt.lamers@gmail.com or call me at 010-2740-1967 to confirm if this is OK. I would need the OK before noon on June 5th. Regards, Matt Hi Jeff, I’m from the Korea Herald.

I would like to use a quote from your account in a story I’m writing on motorcycle safety.

Please e-mail me at matt.lamers@gmail.com or call me at 010-2740-1967 to confirm if this is OK. I would need the OK before noon on June 5th.

Regards,

Matt

]]> By: fencerider (aka dg611) http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-30802 fencerider (aka dg611) Wed, 25 Apr 2007 05:42:35 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-30802 I'm responding to this and a few other newer posts. First of all, it is good to see you are back on the hog again. A lot of people would have hung it up after an accident like that. I was involved in an accident that was nowhere as serious as yours and I never got on a bike again (not because i didn't want to but because my wife says "no" and i'm just henpecked that way, not to mention that i have 2 kids to worry about) Second, its great to analyze the accident to see where you went wrong. In ANY accident involving movement, the operator ALWAYS did something wrong or could have done something different to avoid the accident given the benefit of hindsight. The fact is that you are hurtling down the road totally exposed to the elements and anything or combination of things that go wrong, whether your fault or not, can either end in disaster or a only a scrape on the knees and there is nothing you can do about that except try to stay out of that complacency zone that riders get into (myself included). I too have analyzed the accident that I was involved in and even though it was basically another driver's fault, there are still things that I could have done to aviod it and to make it less damaging than it was. BTW...I was about 600meters from home on a road that I drove everyday for about 3 years. happy riding:) I’m responding to this and a few other newer posts. First of all, it is good to see you are back on the hog again. A lot of people would have hung it up after an accident like that. I was involved in an accident that was nowhere as serious as yours and I never got on a bike again (not because i didn’t want to but because my wife says “no” and i’m just henpecked that way, not to mention that i have 2 kids to worry about)
Second, its great to analyze the accident to see where you went wrong. In ANY accident involving movement, the operator ALWAYS did something wrong or could have done something different to avoid the accident given the benefit of hindsight. The fact is that you are hurtling down the road totally exposed to the elements and anything or combination of things that go wrong, whether your fault or not, can either end in disaster or a only a scrape on the knees and there is nothing you can do about that except try to stay out of that complacency zone that riders get into (myself included). I too have analyzed the accident that I was involved in and even though it was basically another driver’s fault, there are still things that I could have done to aviod it and to make it less damaging than it was. BTW…I was about 600meters from home on a road that I drove everyday for about 3 years.

happy riding:)

]]> By: James - Whybike.com http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-23049 James - Whybike.com Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:52:55 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-23049 Good analysis. A lot of people like to blame others, the road design, etc. when in an accident. Those people are doomed to repeat their mistakes. Good for you that you can take the accident at face value and learn from it. Good analysis. A lot of people like to blame others, the road design, etc. when in an accident. Those people are doomed to repeat their mistakes. Good for you that you can take the accident at face value and learn from it.

]]> By: Jeff in Korea http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22563 Jeff in Korea Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:01:50 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22563 Gaijin, I didn't really have a choice. One day, a short while after the accident, I started thinking. I knew I hadn't done everyting perfectly, because no one does. So I started thinking about what I could have done wrong. The more I thought, the more pieces started falling into place. Things that didn't add up before suddenly made sense. Unknowns became known. It would have been intellectually dishonest not to have cleared things up. Plus, it's always good to give other riders some real insight into what can go wrong if you aren't always careful. The main thing that has come out of the accident, as far as my riding is concerned, is HUMILITY. I am a much more humble rider than I was 6 months ago. Gaijin,

I didn’t really have a choice. One day, a short while after the accident, I started thinking. I knew I hadn’t done everyting perfectly, because no one does. So I started thinking about what I could have done wrong. The more I thought, the more pieces started falling into place. Things that didn’t add up before suddenly made sense. Unknowns became known.

It would have been intellectually dishonest not to have cleared things up. Plus, it’s always good to give other riders some real insight into what can go wrong if you aren’t always careful.

The main thing that has come out of the accident, as far as my riding is concerned, is HUMILITY. I am a much more humble rider than I was 6 months ago.

]]> By: Jeff in Korea http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22561 Jeff in Korea Fri, 23 Mar 2007 09:51:57 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22561 Max, That's really it, isn't. We get too comfortable with what we are doing. Then our mind starts to focus on other things. When you are riding on a clear day with the wind on your face and nature all around you, it's very easy to forget that your are riding on top got 850 pounds of chrome, metal, iron, and burning hot steel with chains, scalding oil, and flammable gas in it. And that can lead to disaster. Max,

That’s really it, isn’t. We get too comfortable with what we are doing. Then our mind starts to focus on other things.

When you are riding on a clear day with the wind on your face and nature all around you, it’s very easy to forget that your are riding on top got 850 pounds of chrome, metal, iron, and burning hot steel with chains, scalding oil, and flammable gas in it. And that can lead to disaster.

]]> By: Gaijin Biker http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22491 Gaijin Biker Fri, 23 Mar 2007 04:39:24 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22491 I'm proud of you, Jeff. Some people would still be blaming the bike, the pole, anything but rider error. It takes a big man to decide he made a mistake and carefully analyze what it was. Congratulations, you'll be a better rider for it. Here's hoping the rest of your recovery is smooth, --GB I’m proud of you, Jeff. Some people would still be blaming the bike, the pole, anything but rider error. It takes a big man to decide he made a mistake and carefully analyze what it was. Congratulations, you’ll be a better rider for it.

Here’s hoping the rest of your recovery is smooth,
–GB

]]> By: Max http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22266 Max Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:52:50 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-22266 Jeff, Thanks for that thoughtful piece of writing on the dangers of complacency. I too, having been a taxi driver, consider myself a pretty darn experienced and skillful driver. Nevertheless, I sometimes find myself taking unnecessary risks while driving. A few minutes after making one of those "mistakes" (which fortunately had no ill consequences), I kick myself for having been careless or hasty. As you put it, we get complacent. Which reminds me how much of a lottery life on the road really is. You could be a perfect driver for years and years and have your life taken from you at any moment by a drunk crossing the center line. Well, I hope you heal up quickly and all the best in the future. --Max Jeff,

Thanks for that thoughtful piece of writing on the dangers of complacency. I too, having been a taxi driver, consider myself a pretty darn experienced and skillful driver.

Nevertheless, I sometimes find myself taking unnecessary risks while driving. A few minutes after making one of those “mistakes” (which fortunately had no ill consequences), I kick myself for having been careless or hasty. As you put it, we get complacent.

Which reminds me how much of a lottery life on the road really is. You could be a perfect driver for years and years and have your life taken from you at any moment by a drunk crossing the center line.

Well, I hope you heal up quickly and all the best in the future.

–Max

]]> By: Jeff in Korea http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-21032 Jeff in Korea Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:26:05 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-21032 As I have alluded to, for quite a while after the accident, it seemed to me that it was simply a matter of fate and that there was nothing that I could have done to make the situation any different. However, after turning that same tiny piece of time over and over and over again in my mind, things fell into place and I realized that I had made several important mistakes. As I have alluded to, for quite a while after the accident, it seemed to me that it was simply a matter of fate and that there was nothing that I could have done to make the situation any different. However, after turning that same tiny piece of time over and over and over again in my mind, things fell into place and I realized that I had made several important mistakes.

]]> By: jtb http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-20878 jtb Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:02:29 +0000 http://www.jsharrison.com/korea/2007/03/17/the-motorcycle-accident-analytical-redux/#comment-20878 We're happy that you realize your mistakes and proud of your decision to share them; but we're just thankful that you are around to write about anything... Get well soon! We’re happy that you realize your mistakes and proud of your decision to share them; but we’re just thankful that you are around to write about anything…

Get well soon!

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