Improper maneuvers when overtaking are among the main errors that cause accidents, and adding alcohol to the mix is probably the shortest way to a catastrophic result. We don’t have police evidence for this case but the uploader of this video says that the rider was under the influence.
The accident takes place in Vyborg, a city near Sankt Petersburg in Russia, so we just can't rule out the alcohol thing, and we don't want to sound stereotypical. It's just the fact that we get to see so many people riding or driving while being tipsy in Russia... Even so, this video has a very good educational purpose because it shows how easily people can become severely injured or even get killed in a dumb crash.
Booze or no booze, this fellow’s riding style is what we’d call a suicidal one. Sudden maneuvers in traffic can cake other road users by surprise, and this type of surprises is in no way a good one. The biggest problem is the lack of time to react; basically, when somebody makes a move nobody expected, it’s hard to even hope that something good can come out of this.
With almost everything reduced to each individual’s luck, the only thing that can save the day is a skilled driver (or rider, for what’s worth) who is aware of what’s happening and has stellar instincts.
The driver in the camera car is such a guy, and it’s because of his reaction that the scene did not turn into a gory one. He manages to brake and steer to the left, avoiding running both rider and passenger over. The motorcycle hits his car, but the chap keeps cool and also avoids colliding with other cars.
What is truly baffling is learning that the rider was also not alone. That is, it maybe is somehow understandable to act like an idiot when riding alone, but once a pillion passenger gets on the bike, the rider takes absolute responsibility for the safety of the passenger. At least, provided that the passenger isn’t a complete moron and does something incredibly stupid.
Likewise, passengers are supposed to entrust their safety to the person operating the bike because there aren’t too many things they can or are expected to do, anyway. Thanks to this driver, the two people on the bike escaped what looked like certain death, and live to tell the story.
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