The driver of a car who stopped to let
ducks cross the road could face charges in the deaths of two
motorcycle riders, police say.
A middle-aged man and his teenaged
daughter, who was a passenger on his motorcycle, were killed when
they slammed into the stopped car. The girl’s mother, on another
motorcycle, also hit the car and was seriously injured.
The collisions happened early on Sunday
evening near Candiac, Quebec. The car driver had stopped in the road
to let some ducks get by, police said. They added that the
motorcyclists did not have time to react. The father was killed
immediately, but the daughter survived for a while and died that
night.
Police pointed out that it’s illegal to
stop in the middle of a highway except for an "extreme emergency."
Ducks, police said, do not qualify as an emergency, and a driver who
stops in the roadway for them could be charged with commission of an
offence.
[Quote Costa]This happened to me when someone stopped in the left lane of a three-lane highway to look at a car that had flipped over on the opposite side of the road. I just barely had time to swerve back into my lane, missing the rear of the van by about a foot. [/quote]
There’s just not enough room to write a proper reply to this comment. I can only shake my head at yet another ‘victim’ story… That sounds like something a person who has become far too complacent about riding would say. Maybe a basic rider skills course would help with observation techniques – seriously.
I’m a professional driver, all day long on the road for living and a motorcyclist with 25 years of experience in Europe and in North America. Can we agree for a moment that we are humans, so we cannot simply be 100% aware all the time? Yesterday I missed to hit with a fully charged bus, on a secondary road, another lady who stopped her car in the middle with no apparent reason… RIP for the victims.
I’m sitting the fence on this one. An experienced rider, if they were close enough to not stop in time should have been able to see the ducks as well and possibly take some precautions before the driver put on her brakes. I’m always scanning the road in front of me. Even if there is several cars ahead of me. Then I can try and anticipate how the drivers might react and put myself in the best situation possible if the worst scenario plays out.
On the other hand. Stopping in the left lane on a highway is creating a dangerous situation for everyone.
Two people died no matter how I look at it.
Have to agree I live in the area, if your traveling west at that time of day its hard to see with the sun set,,, cars are merging in from the 15 and merging out to the 15 its a very busy section of the road. Short of a Moose or Deer or a child you would have to be retarded to stop there given the 100km/hr speed limit. Its a two lane divided one direction highway… hello the left lane is the fast lane the right lane for slower moving traffic and the shoulder can be used in emergencies to stop, she is 20 during her time driving lessons were not manditory … and it shows!!![b][/b]
The car driver parked her car in the left-hand lane, got out, and started shooing the ducks across the road — forcing all traffic to stop.
That’s the criminal negligence part. If she had put on her hazard lights, she might be considered a bit more responsible.
Stopped in the left lane of a 3-lane highway? It had better be a body (human) lying across the road.
What if the driver had to stop for a moose? Would it still have been his fault? If you are riding a motorcycle you need to be prepared for anything, anytime, anywhere. Tragic but preventable.
Bottom line……..As a motorcyclist, I’ve learned to ride as a “what if” situatiion. If a car slams on his brakes, and “I don’t care what his reason is or was”, or what damn lane he is in, If I can’t stop in reasonable safety or countersteer around the obstacle then the fault falls on me, for following too close and or not paying enough attention, and no one else, and if I’m carrying a passenger, I am made even more aware of safety, if that is possible, because I now have an added responsiblility, for the safety of my passenger.
“then Costa mentioned a divided 3 lane highway”
The three-lane highway was in my situation, the crash in question happened on Highway 30, which is a divided highway with two lanes in each direction. Bottom line: you should not be stopping in a traffic lane on a highway unless your life is in danger, or you put your life and the life of others in danger, as this incident proved.
I was all but ready to fully agree with Chet…then Costa mentioned a divided 3 lane highway.
Thats nuts to slam on the brakes for ducks in that situation regardless of traffic.
Dick McNomirrors should have his licence revoked for good!
Facts(based on the write up): Driver of car was stopped on the highway to let the ducks pass by. The motorcycles were not able to stop in time to avoid the car.
What I know/think: Bikes stop faster than cars. It appears that the motorcyclists were not paying attention or riding too fast. Sad that it happened, but I don’t think I would have been running over the ducks if I could stop in time. As a motorcyclist you have to be aware all the time and be prepared to react to the cagers turning, stopping, cutting in front at all times.
What if the car had been turning left instead?
Another case of drivers not checking their mirrors at appropriate/occasional times. I have been driving for over 5 years with no accidents/tickets (young driver) and just recently by motorcycle, but I am just astounded and somewhat outraged at the lack of care taken into looking at the 3 mirrors we are given for a reason on cars. We are taught also to look behind ourselves on motorcycles when we must stop quickly as to not be rear ended or pushed. Car drivers shouldn’t forget this either. Sad loss.
And if the cage driver would of hit the ducks and some bleeding heart would of seen it, they would called a local TV station, the cops, PETA, WWE and whoever else would listen and the driver would of been nailed to the cross. They couldn’t win. And 2 people died, sad.
It’s easy to automatically blame the driver behind but it’s safe to assume the police have a better grasp of the situation than we do. When you look past the car in front of you and see no reason for them to stop, and then they suddenly slam on the brakes, that is an ambush and of course you amy be unprepared. The driver should have checked her mirror at a minimum before stopping for the ducks. Driving without due care and attention….
Chet,
Kind of quick to pass judgement not being there, don’t you think? The car was stopped in the left lane on a divided highway. The riders may not have been following the car. They may have moved into the left lane to pass another car and came up on it with no time to react. This happened to me when someone stopped in the left lane of a three-lane highway to look at a car that had flipped over on the opposite side of the road. I just barely had time to swerve back into my lane, missing the rear of the van by about a foot. Just another tragic loss of life due to stupidity behind the wheel.
It is a tragedy. But let’s be realistic… Even if the car in front of them made a smoking tire screeching stop, they should have been far enough back to stop in time. Not all accidents can be blamed on car drivers. It doesn’t matter what the car stopped for – it could have been a child chasing a ball, or a downed biker or anything. They were not following at a safe distance.