Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. You’ve got rider error, road hazards, and worst of all, awful drivers in large vehicles. So much so that a shrewd motorcycle rider will do their best to expect the unexpected. But even an experienced biker isn’t likely to anticipate getting hit by their mom at an intersection moments after saying bye.  

A biker’s mom told him to ‘watch out for idiots’ just before hitting him with her car

A social media video shows a biker using a helmet cam before heading out on his Harley-Davidson Sportster 48. The rider is saying bye to his mother before she drives off in her silver Hyundai SUV. “Drive safe,” she said to the biker as he sauntered over to the waiting Sportster. “Watch out for idiots!” What a line. 

Soon after, the video shows the motorcycle rider approaching an intersection. A yield sign stands to the right of a dedicated right turn lane. The biker pulls up to the lane and comes to a halt. Boom. The silver SUV crashes into the stationary Harley-Davidson. “I’m so sorry, oh my God!” she yelled, realizing she had just hit her son with her car. “Oh my God, Jacob!” Fortunately, it wasn’t much of a hit, and it’s unlikely that Jacob was injured. 

In her defense, the right turn was a yield-signed part of the intersection, not a stoplight or stop sign. His video also confirms that he had more than enough time and space to make the turn before oncoming traffic. In short, the biker shouldn’t have stopped. Especially with inattentive drivers out in force. Jacob more than likely wasn’t a very experienced rider at the time. 

That said, the mom should have been paying attention at a safe following distance behind the biker. As a rule of thumb, if you are so close to the vehicle ahead that you can’t panic stop in an emergency, you’re practicing poor driving skills. Never expect the driver ahead to follow the rules. 

It’s a solid case for the three-second rule. Pick a feature on the road, shoulder, or side of the road. Note when the vehicle ahead reaches that point or passes the marker. It should take around three seconds for you to pass that same point at your speed. After all, it takes time to bring a 3,200-lb car to a halt.

Check out the social video of the mom-versus-biker accident below!