QuestionLast March while entering a traffic circle with my car I was passed by a 2000 HD Softail Night Train already in the circle, the driver having taken evasive action. A few car-lengths ahead the HD could not negotiate the curve and rebounded off the guardrail, where both driver and passenger fell off. I reported this as I just did here.
The police report follows the account of the HD driver: my car got in his way making it necessary for him to lay the HD over and slide to stop, damaging the protective leather chaps worn by him and his passenger.
Was it to the HD driver's advantage to report a laydown that never happened? Is it worse for my reputation as a driver that I am on record as having forced a laydown?
AnswerI am not entirely sure what your question is here, but let me try to help clarify some terms.
"Laying it down" is a troublesome thing. Don't let the term or who said it confuse you.
Due to years and years of overuse, the term "laying it down" is oftentimes used instead of the term "lost control" or "crashed," especially on crash reports. For law enforcement officers, it's just a familiar term used out of habit.
When riders use it, however, it's ignorance. Any motorcycle expert will tell you that "laying it down" is not a strategy, it's an excuse. "I had to lay the bike down" is the same thing as saying "I don't know how to control my bike, so I crashed on purpose."
Riders who "lay it down" rarely do so on purpose, they only say they do to make themselves feel (and look) better. They are kidding themselves.
But--if a person pulls out in front of a motorcyclist, and the rider had to swerve to avoid a collision, but then lost control and crashed, it doesn't really matter what term the rider used. Both drivers are equally responsible for the crash, even if the vehicles never collided.
I hope that makes sense.
Pat
