Do not necessarily agree with all that is written here but they are good starting points for further discussion.

(edited to remove link that was no longer working)

I would say that the article pretty well covers the most common accidents. It just pays to be extremely conscious of your environment at all times and pretty much act like you are invisible to all other traffic. Of course there are the occasional freak accidents like Lucky and Laura had so even the most careful rider can have an accident. Accidents are without a doubt horrendous but man, is it great to ride or what? Ride and be safe my Cyclefish friends.

Regardless of the type of accident that may occur, I find that bike placement is an important key. Being in the wrong spot can be the "killer spot". Darn good article I thought. And while an accident may not have been MY fault, I'm going to blame myself if it happens. I'm suppose to know better. I'm a biker. I'm suppose to be on top of things and in control. Yeah, I know it doesn't work that way but it's just how I feel about myself. Since my wife was killed a few years back I've gone over and over that night a thousand times and there's has always been, "I should of.................."

Peace

For some reason the link didnt work ..?

Agree with above and also would confirm the importance of lane location,
and where the rider is at a given point,as a strategy of defensive - offensive riding
Being proactive can help to a degree.Tho in some situations,like last nite for example
pulling to red light,hear sirens screaming here comes a small coupe with 3 young men
tearing ass coming up the other side,roar past me w/two cars in hot pursuit,I basically froze up
meanwhile 3 support units come blazing upto this massive intersection 6 lane wide 4 way,n folks
are driving thru the green like nothing is happening,not even listening I guess??
Watched a couple near misses,till another car came n blocked the intersection.I could have been hit any given point in the whole encounter,by any number of vehicles.
Sometimes there just isnt any options,and crap happens.

GDAY KIDS..MY THEORY IS I RIDE LIKE A PARANOID STONER. NEVER JUST THINK THAT SOMEONE HAS SEEN YOU. WE RIDE IN THE CITY ALOT AND HAVE SHIT LOADS OF CLOSE CALLS DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AND PROXIMITY OF THE CARS,HE OUR BIGGEST WORRY IS TRAFFIC TURNING RIGHT INFRONT OF US(LIKE YOUR LEFT TURNS) AND LANE CHANGES WITH LOOKING.BE BLOODY CAREFUL OUT THERE,,
CHEERS BOOF

Good reading.  And it is a fact that the most common car/motorcycle collision is when a car turns left in front of an oncoming motorcycle (or right for those in countries where they drive on the wrong side of the street - Boof :-)

From what I have read the reasons are...

first it can bee hard to see motorcycles coming at you depending on the lighting and the background

second people only tend to see what they are looking for.  Tests have proven that when someone is scanning the road for an oncoming car, they may miss seeing an obvious motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian.

Not looking for motorcycles is a tough one and I know lots of the MROs and MC Safety organizations are working real hard to get the message out "Watch for Motorcycles"

However for both the above (and many other situations) a good solution is a modulating headlight.  It is almost impossible not to notice a modulating headlight whether it is coming at you or in the rear view.  There is one friend I ride with that has one and when we ride in a pack his bike stands way out in my rear view no matter what.  I know they can be expensive, but if it just helps one driver see you, it is worth it.

And before you ask if they are legal in your state... yes they are legal in ALL 50 states... http://www.cyclefish.com/forum/Bikers039-Topics/Legal-Issues/Modulating-Headlights-on-Motorcycles-116832-1.html />

I believe it's necessary to take a moment, while putting on helmet, to walk around the bike and reflect, for at least a brief period, that you are about to engage in an activity that is not the same as driving your car. I really try to do that even if it is just a jaunt to a friend's house a few blocks away. As indicated above; ya can't ride a bike with the same attitude/awareness/defensiveness as we can get away with in a car. I really do feel that my little "Zen" moment better prepares me for the street. Also doesn't hurt to glance at the tires while making that lap around the machine.

Good info. Of course I try to stay alert at all times, but it is good to know which situations you need to even give more attention to.. Ride Safe Everyone!

I click on the site and it says it has been removed.

Yep, page is gone so I removed the link. That kind of sucks because it was interesting reading.