Motorbike rider killed after being hit from behind by car

Helmet? Full riding gear?

Damn trucks again, it is way past time these trucks drivers were clamped down on hard by the cops. How about they have a blitz on trucks and their drivers, take the tvs out of the cabs, no newspapers or manga, no texting, and even go so far as to drug test them. It is common knowledge lots of them are using speed to stay awake.

A yearly driving test or refresher course might go some way to keeping them aware of their responsibility too.

The truckers here are a careless bunch of a holes, with no regard for anyone's safety or the rules of the road, time they were given a Wake Up call.

This is exactly why as motorcyclist you should never, ever stop directly behind a car. Always to the side and check your rearview mirror. I always do this. You really have to ride defensively. Very sad story. RIP.

I've had the same predicament ie come to a complete stop and risk being rear ended or keep some momentum and risk being pulled over by a money leeching cop. Follow the rules and get killed? Time to change the rules.....!

Why are we blaming the truck driver? Has the article been changed since it was originally posted? It says the motorcycle rider was hit by the car not the truck. The truck probably rear-ended the car cos the car had stopped suddenlly after it hit the biker.

oikawa

http://www.fnn-news.com/news/headlines/articles/CONN00279632.html

You're correct. The car (actually a minivan) rear-ended the scooter first and then the truck rear-ended the car. The rider's death was caused by the driver of the car and had nothing to do with the truck driver. Not sure why people are jumping the gun and assuming that the truck driver is responsible.

The scooter was stopped, but was the brake light on? Did the rider have the bike out of gear and not holding the brakes? Was the driver of the car not paying attention? Was the car driver elderly or texting or intoxicated?

So little information in the article.

The car may have hit the bike rider first, but that does not mean that is what killed him. The first hit might have been a bump. Then the truck careens into the car, which sends the car hard into the bike rider and that kills him, ergo, the death of the bike rider might actually be totally on the truck driver.

And that seems more likely. If a car hit the bike rider so hard it killed him, its unlikely the car would have stopped right away. The truck driver should have had plenty of time and distance to stop or swerve in a such a case.

But that assumes the truck was not seriously speeding and also that there was not a car in front of the biker. There just are not enough details here to be sure of much of anything.

I would also like to know why the biker stopped and if he stopped suddenly. I know the law does not think it matters, but I do. Following distance is important, but I don't think its reasonable to expect so much that anybody can stop suddenly for no reason and the car behind cannot hit. Rush hour would last until midnight if everybody did that.

Guaranteed the driver of the car was using his/her mobile phone. Looked up at the last moment, saw the stopped scooter / bike but couldn't stop in time.

In many countries, hitting another vehicle from behind is automatically the fault of the driver who hit the car in front no matter the situation. There are only very, very rare exceptions.

Is there a similar law in Japan?

And here I was thinking a scooter would be grand way to jet around Tokyo.

Is there a similar law in Japan?

Accident blame is assigned proportionally, not 100% (usually). So, it depends.

With scooter/car collisions the car is almost always at fault. I actually saw the aftermath of such a collision in Chiba yesterday - looked like a car tried to turn in front of a scooter, and the scooter hit the passenger door of the car full on. Big mess.

Car drivers really need to watch very carefully for smaller vehicles. They can be very hard to see, especially these scooters....

The truck probably rear-ended the car cos the car had stopped suddenlly after it hit the biker.

If you can stop for a car that stops ahead of you, you're following too close and/or not paying enough attention.

@Nessie I take it that you meant "can't stop", and in that case I agree.

I drive a car and also ride a motorcycle, and have done both here for decades. I also occasionally ride a scooter, maybe four or five times a month, from home to the station and back if I'm taking the train. Whatever I'm driving, I'm always conscious (wary, really) of the vehicles behind me, since tailgating is so prevalent here.

I always leave plenty of space between my vehicle and that in front of me while moving. This can be very difficult on the highways, since other drivers tend to rush into the opened space, regardless of speeds and stopping distances.

Even when stopped at a light, I try to leave enough space between my vehicle and the one in front, just in case some oblivious driver hits me from behind: I want to avoid being pushed into the car in front if possible. I've seen too many multiple-vehicle accidents caused by a combination of tailgating and inattention, and don't want to end up as the filling in a vehicle sandwich.

There are advantages to riding a motorbike, but one of the disadvantages is that if you get hit, it's you, not a metal box, that takes the impact, at least initially, and while pretty much everyone here wears a helmet, that won't necessarily save your life.

RIP for the scooter rider.

I would also like to know why the biker stopped and if he stopped suddenly. I know the law does not think it matters, but I do. Following distance is important, but I don't think its reasonable to expect so much that anybody can stop suddenly for no reason and the car behind cannot hit.

He was stopped at an intersection. Hardly for no reason.

Only 1 driver is at fault!! And it's NOT the motorcycle driver!! If you slow down and STOP at a RED LIGHT but the idiot fool behind you ASSUMES you are gonna blow the red light?? It's totally 100% the car driver's fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!