Maine Biker Network
" Maine Bikers Helping Maine Bikers "
More Enforcement?
Do we need more enforcement? I'm not talking about loud pipes, or inspection stickers, any anything involving motorcycles being in the wrong. We hear enough about that. Laws and enforcement designed to restrict motorcycles in some shape or form is part of daily life for most of us these days.
But this time I am talking about when motorcycles are in the right, and cagers are in the wrong. Have you ever been cut off while riding your bike? Of course you have. And sometimes it may have even been on purpose. Sometimes it's not just an annoyance. Sometimes it causes accidents. Damaged bikes and even damaged bodies.
The question I have for everyone is how often are the cagers getting away with it? I have been hearing stories lately where cars have cut off motorcycles, caused accidents and were not charged with anything by law enforcement. If this happening, why?
Are vehicle operators being let off the hook because it was Just a Motorcycle? Are the LEO's that are responding to these situations just being lazy? Or are the laws we currently have not enough to make cagers accountable for dangerous driving?
Do we need better laws?
Do we need better law enforcement?
Or is this not even a problem.
Please keep in mind this discussion is not a Biker vs LEO discussion. Many police officers ride themselves. But I have been asked about this more than once and think we as a motorcycle community should discuss it. And see if any action should be taken.
What do you think?
Views: 456
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dan williams on
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"more laws" is never the answer, holding folks accountable for their actions is.
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Permalink Reply by Mr Phil on
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Maine needs NO MORE laws. The problem is, anyone can run down a biker, or turn left in front of them, and all they have to say is the standard reply . . . "I didn't see them". Gerry is correct that we as riders need to ever aware ( I think most of us are already) but to say we are partly at fault for not avoiding it . . . "Any rider who fails to defend against the possibility of a predictable crash, is at fault for not protecting their own life and property." . . . is absurd, hell it borders on ignorant in my opinion !!
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline on -
Dan and Mr. Phil, I couldn't agree with you more - NO MORE LAWS!!!
Another thing that frustrates (keeping it clean here) me is that the newspapers always portray accidents as the motorcyclist fault. The statements: "A man riding a motorcycle ...collided with an 18-wheeler", "when ... motorcycle struck the side of a pickup truck", "when ... car was hit by a man on a motorcycle" - not once does the automobile's driver cut off, pull out in front of nor turn in front of a motorcyclist. My heart goes out to the people and families involved in these accidents. I wish editors would recognize how defensively we have to drive and that sometimes even that isn't enough. As to what to do about it...I agree, hold them accountable.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Elliott on -
Jacqueline, we need to call them out when they report like that. I have many times. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I got MPBN to change an online report about the recent death in Turner due to a RoW infraction. They still had to mention that she wasn't wearing a helmet but at least the rewritten article placed blame where it should have.
https://www.facebook.com/DefendingRoW
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline on
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Thank you for the link - I will do my part.
Mark Elliott said:Jacqueline, we need to call them out when they report like that. I have many times. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I got MPBN to change an online report about the recent death in Turner due to a RoW infraction. They still had to mention that she wasn't wearing a helmet but at least the rewritten article placed blame where it should have.
https://www.facebook.com/DefendingRoW
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Permalink Reply by Michael F. Whalen on
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Yeah and you'll be the one charged with road rage.
The Duc said:Frankly I got cut off, pulled in front of and narrowly avoided several potentially serious accidents both in my car and on the bike this past weekend. My motorcycle awareness saved me once in my car (habit of always checking the rearview). The drivers either were not paying attention or shouldn't have a license as they are not capable of driving safely or driving at all for that matter. I followed two of the "drivers" after a couple serious incidents and confronted them and quickly realized they didn't have the brains of a gnat. I don't like doing that cause you never know what they'll do but sometimes I can't help myself. Seems to me if you have been issued a drivers license and can speak you should at least be able to construct coherent sentences. They were barely able to complete a sentence and obviously didn't give a crap that they had nearly caused a potential fatal accident. I'm thinking we just need to get the current laws, especially the distracted driving one (both serious incidents because of cellphone use) enforced and throw the habitual offenders in jail and loose the key.
Can you say never going to happen...
At least it's good to vent.
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absolutely ...
Michael F. Whalen said:Yeah and you'll be the one charged with road rage.
The Duc said:Frankly I got cut off, pulled in front of and narrowly avoided several potentially serious accidents both in my car and on the bike this past weekend. My motorcycle awareness saved me once in my car (habit of always checking the rearview). The drivers either were not paying attention or shouldn't have a license as they are not capable of driving safely or driving at all for that matter. I followed two of the "drivers" after a couple serious incidents and confronted them and quickly realized they didn't have the brains of a gnat. I don't like doing that cause you never know what they'll do but sometimes I can't help myself. Seems to me if you have been issued a drivers license and can speak you should at least be able to construct coherent sentences. They were barely able to complete a sentence and obviously didn't give a crap that they had nearly caused a potential fatal accident. I'm thinking we just need to get the current laws, especially the distracted driving one (both serious incidents because of cellphone use) enforced and throw the habitual offenders in jail and loose the key.
Can you say never going to happen...
At least it's good to vent.
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