"Driving with wheels off the roadway"

[bcp]

Motorcycle crash:
Amboy couple crash motorcycle into ditch on state Highway 12 | The Columbian

"Troopers determined the cause of the crash was wheels off the roadway. Samuel Brock was charged with driving with wheels off the roadway, the crash memo states."

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Seems like in WA, if they don't know why someone ran off the road and crashed, the cause and charge is "driving with wheels off the roadway." I see it about once a month.

That seems to be in the same category as "the plane crash was caused by hitting the ground."

Just doesn't seem right to me.

Bruce

 

[Wagtail]

Nah, the twits 'pop a wheelie'... I see it all the time on the 100kph road in front of my house as they come back from trail riding in the State Forest.

The young are 'indestructible'.

 

[LouNY]

A 50 year old on a Harley most likely wasn't doing a wheelie,
it sounds like a strange charge, wheels off the highway.
Around here it's parking on the shoulder, but that's what a lot of speeding tickets get plead down to.
To me that's just a catch all charge to generate revenue.

 

[oosik]

I've ridden motorcycles for over 55 years and I will guarantee - if your wheels venture off the pavement into the roadside gravel - you best be prepared. I had it happen once and had no damage to anything other than my ego. Had to get assistance to tug my Harley up and out of the roadside ditch.

However - I have NEVER heard of the term - "driving with wheels off the roadway" - - much less that it was any form of motor vehicle infraction.

I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to what they are talking about.

Fortunately - my travels around WA state have not been in that neck of the woods.

 

[Deere Dude]

I was looking for a larger bike but realized the roads around me in TN suck for riding. Many state roads are very curvy and narrow and have 1'-3' drop offs right at the white line at the shoulder. There is no forgiveness in our ditches. There is no self correcting on those ditches, you just plow into trees. Not much riding on these shoulders for sure.

 

[oosik]

You are certainly correct there - Deere Dude. I figure if I go beyond the magic "white line" - - its probably going to be a LOT more exciting than I need. I've only experienced "ditch riding" once and that was more than sufficient. I and my Harley came out undamaged - I was way beyond extremely lucky.

 

[Jstpssng]

RCWs > Title 46 > Chapter 46.61 > Section 46.61.670



46.61.665 << 46.61.670 >> 46.61.672







RCW 46.61.670



Driving with wheels off roadway.


It shall be unlawful to operate or drive any vehicle or combination of vehicles over or along any pavement or gravel or crushed rock surface on a public highway with one wheel or all of the wheels off the roadway thereof, except as permitted by RCW 46.61.428 or for the purpose of stopping off such roadway, or having stopped thereat, for proceeding back onto the pavement, gravel or crushed rock surface thereof.

[ 1977 ex.s. c 39 § 2; 1961 c 12 § 46.56.130. Prior: 1937 c 189 § 96; RRS § 6360-96. Formerly RCW 46.56.130.]RCW 46.61.67: Driving with wheels off roadway.

Which still doesn't make sense, as nobody is going to intentionally run their bike on the gravel shoulder.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Not a motorcycle rider, but "failing to negotiate a left turn" while driving with wheels off the roadway, if we're talking a motorcycle on loose gravel, says disaster to me.

 

[kcflhrc]

He certainly wasn't doing wheelies on a Dyna riding 2 up. That was obviously the only charge that fit the situation. Riding beyond his skill level may have been a better statement.

 

[Jstpssng]

Not a motorcycle rider, but "failing to negotiate a left turn" while driving with wheels off the roadway, if we're talking a motorcycle on loose gravel, says disaster to me.

I agree, but since when did losing control of you vehicle constitute a summonsible offense?

 

[MossRoad]

I got forced off a city street by oncoming traffic in my lane, on a sweeping curve to my left. I managed to slip into a driveway entrance on my right instead of hitting the curb, bumped over the little shallow rise on the far edge of the driveway, across the tree lawn, across the sidewalk, back into the lawns, and across three yards before being able to steer back towards the sidewalk, down the sidewalk, back through a driveway and out onto the road and continued on my way....TA DAAA!! .......... scared the crap out of me! :laughing:

I hit gravel on the right shoulder once on a curve to my left.... ended up about 50 yards into a corn field of waist high corn. Just fortunate that I slipped right down a row and didn't have to go across the grain of the planting. That was fun. Yikes.

 

[MossRoad]

I agree, but since when did losing control of you vehicle constitute a summonsible offense?

It's always your fault. Unless there are other forces, like someone else forcing you off the road, a deer running out in front of you, etc... it's always your fault. Snow on the road. That's your fault. Rain. Your fault. Just like pilot error.... your error was getting out of bed that day. It's always your fault.

Making a turn and running off the side of the road, that means you made the turn in an unsafe manner. Should have gone slower. Or payed attention better, etc...

If there was nothing wrong, and the cop thought the guy just messed up, he probably wouldn't have written a ticket. 9 times out of 10, though, I'd guess the driver did or said something he shouldn't have, so he got a ticket. It's all about attitude towards the officer. I've gotten out of several tickets by just admitting to the officer that I was wrong. Honesty is amazing.

 

[oosik]

I just had a strange thought - "driving with wheels off the roadway" - - something Evel Knivel might have been guilty of...........

 

[D2Cat]

Maybe when the officer got there the bike was laying on it's side!!

 

[bcp]

A search of the local paper. Look down past the ads.

Search | The Columbian

Bruce

 

[gemutlich]

I'm a Shovelhead guy, 70's vintage bikes.

I can tell you that some things just ain't as they seem, and one of those things is that if for some reason (broken spring for example) the side stand / jiffy stand / kickstand whatever you want to call it were to drop and lock, man there ain't no way on earth you're gonna make a left turn.

Another factor is the rider (passenger). If they ain't leaning with you and the bike into the turn, and sit upright instead, man they'll take the turn right out of a bike.

The article didn't mention equipment failure, though it didn't mention rider experience either. Plenty of 50 year-old first time ever riding a motorcycle people getting on the road every day. Worse than chinese women behind the wheel those first time riders are. Like kids, at 50 they seem to know everything...

Glad to see no mention of injuries.

 

[TheMan419]

A 50 year old on a Harley most likely wasn't doing a wheelie,
it sounds like a strange charge, wheels off the highway.
Around here it's parking on the shoulder, but that's what a lot of speeding tickets get plead down to.
To me that's just a catch all charge to generate revenue.

Probably pleaded to that bc it has no effect on your insurance rates. Around here we plead to not having your license physically in your posession when you were stopped.

 

[Streetcar]

In Ohio , the charge is failure to maintain control

 

[Ritothebull]

so the guy blew the turn went into a ditch and flipped the bike, the cop should have ticked him for careless driving or something like that.

 

[3930dave]

There are some bikes, and a few riders (an ex motocross racer for one) that can handle gravel well, but modern HDs are not one I'd want to try that on.....

Moss gave examples - emergencies do come up - if I had to dodge a deer and the only place open was a gravel shoulder and a 2' ditch, I'd give it a go on a street bike. Mid-sized Dual-sport MC with appropriate tires, would be my preference.

Rider skill and attention..... yep, there are some middle aged+ new to MC riders who can quickly get over their head..... but there is also the category of the former riders who are now back on a bike decades later.....

A bit younger than 50, that was me..... hadn't riden since early college days, decided it was time to go back.

Esp. that first year back I worked hard at reminding myself, every time I went out:

1) It's been a really long time, your skills are very rusty.

2) Traffic is faster now, and higher density in many areas.

3) Probably the most important (and hardest to admit), while I'm still capable - Reflexes have slowed down with time.

It's easy and relatively safe today being a sloppy car/truck driver. Anybody that wants to keep riding a MC (or just living, for that matter), can't afford even a second or 2 of inattention on the road. Just something as simple as a closing radius curve can cause the thread title accident.

Even riders with some experience tend to forget how often a heavy motorcycle can work against you..... esp. as you age, you may not have the muscle ergs to quickly correct certain situations. One of the toughest things to do is ride a heavy motorcycle slowly, with accurate control - gravel or other non-pavement situations amps up that problem.

1000cc or so adventure bikes are popular today. You can see many examples on advrider and elsewhere of people trashing themselves and the bikes trying to do anything serious off-road with something that heavy. Unless you've done the intensive PT needed for something like Dakkar, you're not going to last long bashing around off road on a heavy bike.

Physics wins. Always.

Rgds, D.