The image is for illustrative purposes only.
What the hell happened on the right curve?
There has been another spate of fatal motorcycle accidents on previous months.
On Sunday afternoon, June 14, a motorcycle accident occurred on Route 393 in Otaru City, Hokkaido, in the vicinity of the Kenashi Pass, and the woman, 47, who was riding the motorcycle died at a hospital. It is believed that the woman was touring and crashed into a guard rope on the side of the road, striking her whole body hard. The scene was a single-lane curve and the road surface was dry. The police are investigating the cause of the accident as they believe the rider was driving erratically, the first report said.
News footage shows that the scene was a gentle right-hand curve and the motorcycle that caused the accident was a large super sport model. The left side of the vehicle was badly damaged, and it appears that the rider was unable to make the right-hand curve and went over the shoulder of the road, hitting a guard rope, and then was flipped into the opposite lane. Remains, including a full-face helmet and chest protector, suggested that he was a highly safety-conscious rider.
Based on the comments on the article online, it seems that the scene of the accident had been the site of many accidents in the past, where there was a parking lot to turn right from the opposite lane of traffic. There was a lot of speculation that the driver may have been trying to avoid the right turn, while some drivers who said they were near the scene of the accident said, "It looked like a touring group of drivers who were driving very fast", which caused a lot of confusion.
Was it caused by a hole a few centimeters deep in the road?
Just as we were looking for the truth about what had happened, a report came in.
According to STV Sapporo TV, the woman who died was touring with about a dozen of her friends. A man who was riding right after her said, "The woman's front wheel got stuck in a hole in the road and it looked like the handlebars were caught. From there, the steering wheel seemed to wander and lose control. There were two holes a few centimeters deep in the road surface. The woman had a lot of experience in touring and the scene seemed to be a familiar road. Police are still investigating the connection between the holes in the road and the accident. Source: STV Sapporo Television
We need a drive recorder for our motorcycles.
It must have been very disappointing for him to learn that a touring trip that should have been fun ended in such a tragic way. As a rider myself, I feel a deep sense of sorrow and frustration, and at the same time, I feel a chill in my heart at the horror of a car accident that strikes without warning.
What can be done to prevent these tragic accidents from happening again?
In retrospect, there are several lessons to be learned from this accident. First, drivers should be banned from turning right into the parking lot from oncoming traffic at corners with poor visibility. Signage and road markings, and a soft plastic pole on the center line to prevent right turns would be all that is needed.
Also, if there are holes in the road or other surfaces that make it unsafe for two-wheelers to drive on, they should be repaired immediately, as even flaking, uneven, gravelly or uneven asphalt can be fatal to two-wheelers.
Furthermore, at the time of the first report, when the cause of this accident is still unclear, there are many cases of fatal motorcycle accidents where the "dead don't talk" and many people have suggested that motorcycles need to have drive recorders as well to prevent this from happening.
Considering the recent increase in damage caused by "driving under the influence", a drive recorder is now a must, and if possible, it would be even better if it were standard equipment at the factory or available as an option in stores. It's not technically difficult to install, and few riders would complain about the cost of such a device. I think it's necessary to determine the facts of the case, such as whether it was a self-inflicted accident where the rider was driving wrong, or whether there were secondary factors involving other vehicles, pedestrians, animals, etc.
The most important thing is self-control and risk anticipation.
The most important thing is about self-control and hazard anticipation. Even if there is a tight right turn or a rough road surface, if you anticipate the dangers there and slow down sufficiently, accidents are likely to be avoided, and even if they do occur, you will be able to minimize the damage.
As of June 19, all inter-prefectural border travel has been lifted. We urge you to drive safely and with extreme caution.
