OK, so the title may be a LITTLE misleading.....

I had just finished [safely] overtaking a car today on a 2 lane hwy, and was probably going about 70 IMPH when I pulled back into my lane. And 2 large trucks (semi, and asphalt truck) pass in the opposite direction shortly thereafter. For about 1/2 a second I see what looked like a hunk of solid asphalt flying off the truck toward my face. It looked about 2/3rd the size of a golf ball and nailed me right at the base of my neck... ouch! Fortunately it happened so fast I didn't have time to flinch, yet wasn't serious enough to do more than leave a red mark (I was covered by leather at that spot).

So I don't know if my math and physics are right, but I figure if I was going 60-70mph, the opposing truck was probably going 50-60mph, the "rock" flew directly into my neck, without deflecting off the ground first.... so it hit me at about 100mph?

:shocked: OUCH!

I don't know about the math or physics part but damn that must have hurt like hell. :eek:

OUCH! Yeah, the neck is a vulnerable spot. Imagine if it was your face though. People who wear skull caps and goggles are crazy enough... the people who do less in states that allow less are flippin' insane!

OUCH! Yeah, the neck is a vulnerable spot. Imagine if it was your face though. People who wear skull caps and goggles are crazy enough... the people who do less in states that allow less are flippin' insane!

I couldn't agree more! Just the occassional bug splattering on my helmet is enough to make me wonder about those other people......:eek:

Wow that must have been scary. Glad you are ok.

OUCH! Yeah, the neck is a vulnerable spot. Imagine if it was your face though. People who wear skull caps and goggles are crazy enough... the people who do less in states that allow less are flippin' insane!

Seriously, I went down to Indiana for a short trip and everyone there had no helmets and just tshirt and jeans. I find it ridiculous how some states let you get away with so little. Its so dangerous...

Thank god for gear.

I've got some DEEP scratches on my visor from **** like that. I can only imagine getting hit on bare skin. :eek:

O O O U C H !
I've gotten hit in the neck by a tiny pebble picked up from a car and it hurt like heck. I believe you add your speed + the other driver's speed but the actual debris wasn't traveling at his speed.

Yeah, it was one of those things that stung for a moment, but quickly went away. I checked 3-4 hrs later and the mark wasn't even there anymore. It isn't super thick leather, but I'm sure it did a lot. Since it was likely asphalt, it would have taken some of the sharpness out of it too.

You are probably right about the object not going as fast as the truck - it probably would be decelerating as soon as it left the truck.

It would not have decelerated much when it struck you so it was still traveling quite fast. Either way if you did not have your gear on it realy would have hurt.

It depends on the angle of the traveling rock as well as how much it slowed due to wind resistance before it hit you. Velocity of an object can be described in vectors, so if you know you remember you trig and now the velocity and direction of which the rock was traveling, you can figure out how fast it hit you at.

If you know the mass of the rock, you can figure out how much force it exerted on you too. ;)

Glad you are ok though! I've had a decent size rock hit my visor that made a rather large noise...noise = energy so...ouch if it hit my eye!

Once when riding a rented bike in Australia, a bird about the size of a small crow flew across my path and smashed into my right foot. The impact knocked my foot so hard it kicked back off the peg, and of course my foot went completely numb with the impact. I couldn't feel anything in my foot and I kept my knee bent so my foot wouldn't drag on the ground - I couldn't feel my foot back onto the footpeg. I pulled over and hoped around on my left foot for about 20 minutes before I felt well enough to start riding again.

I was wearing a heavy leather boot - I can't imagine what it would have been like if I'd been wearing sneakers or flip-flops as I see on some riders.

Doc, If you were doing 70 and the oncoming vehicle was doing a conservative 60---that rock nailed you at 130mph. You are a lucky man. All the more reason for ATATT. Glad you are OK.