Rider Films His Buddy's Flip Crash in Romania

Several experienced riders we showed the video to agreed on the fact that this crash could have been avoided, had the rider paid a little more attention to his surroundings, and had he braked better.

We watched the video several times and listened to a lot of opinions. In the end, we'd call it a common fault. Of course, the Fiat driver has a great deal of blame for this crash. The video and street-level Google Maps photos reveal that he had a give way sign displayed at a short distance before the intersection, whereas the riders had none. This sort of thing gives the riders the right to pass first in the intersection.

There is always a but...

But there's always a but, even if in this particular scenario, it has more to deal with riding experience and personal safety from the riders. The driver obviously didn't look out for incoming traffic when he decided to cross the intersection, and only stopped when he spotted the camera bike.

Unfortunately, he did so exactly in front of the Suzuki rider, blocking his way. Even so, a more experienced rider should have assessed the hazard factor way before reaching the junction. If a car has entered the intersection, both laws and common sense tell that we should wait for it to pass, even though the entry is barely legal...or downright illegal.

We recently saw a somewhat similar scenario, with a car stopped in the middle of the intersection, but it was the rider's stubborn stupidity that caused that crash. Either way, suffice to say that it's better to let a car pass than risk slamming into it.

Finally, target fixation might have also played a role in this crash. The rider looks like he panicked and deathgripped the front brake, causing the front flip. He was not traveling at a high speed, so a more progressive and firm braking maneuver might have had chances to reduce the speed in a more safely manner.

This crash could serve as a great demonstration of how useful ABS brakes can be in times of need. The fellow was lucky to have been missed by the tumbling bike and looks like he will be alright to tell the story and remember the lesson.