I almost got run over again....

lance99

When will it ever end? Hey im sorry but I just have to tell someone(other than the wifey) She thinks Im nuts anyway...(another thread) Ive had two close calls in the past week. I mean ..its not like I really expect it to end. Why do auto drivers over take a cyclist and then immediatly take a right hander? Usually its a turn with no indication of such. Like todays near miss. Im leaning into it up a short climb (18 mph) and I see it coming of course but this ones gonna be close. I'm talking to myself in a low tone " don't do it " But the guy does it anyway. Now Im sceaming because im braking right into his back bumper. (Big dualie work truck) So the guy straightens it out a bit at the last second for me to squeeze by. NO WAY. Im unclipped walking around the drivers side now livid. I must be pretty good at avoiding these idiots because I haven't been hit. But the more miles I put in the more I can't help but think my luck will run out.

ej

oh yeah....two town folk got nailed in a crosswalk the other day

__________________
Giant OCR

SEAcarlessTTLE

Ugh, such a frustrating situtation...and so common. There's one spot on my commute where I try to avoid that by creeping out away from the curb (and well into the right lane) before I get to a popular right-turn spot (which might or might not be the case for the particular corner where you had your close call). Taking the lane makes it impossible for cars to sneak past without crossing into the next lane over, which most are loath to do. I worry sometimes about pissing off drivers, but not too much, since I scoot back to the right after the intersection.

Must be cold out in Westerly...used to live in Providence years ago, though I wasn't a cycling nut then. (: Stay warm, and safe riding to you.

bigpedaler

don't know about your state, but mine says i have the right to take the lane for my safety...so i do when i feel the need, like with upcoming blind curves (cussed once for that 5 years ago).

one good one -- did it last winter, and had an off-duty cop try to tell me to get on the sidewalk (which was ice-covered w/ mounds of plowed snow). he threatened to jail me for talking back to him when i told him, "same right to the road as you!" while the police chief did nothing about it officially (my word vs. his), i'll bet that cop caught a reprimand. i'll stand up for my right to the road vs. anybody, unless they're pointing a gun.

__________________
"you may only be one person in the world -- but you may just be THE WORLD to one person."

Don Shipp

You seem to be developing the instincts, skills and attitude needed to survive in a world of truck-driving morons.

__________________
"Boudreaux pissed me off, what should I do?"
"Nothing, just shut up and take his advice."

jfellrath

I actually printed out a copy of our city's bike code and I carry it around with me when I'm commuting. Ours (Columbus, OH) says that 1) it's illegal for bikes to be on the sidewalk and 2) that we should stay as close to the right of the road as is practicable - in other words, as close as possible while not endangering yourself. I'd say that defensive cycling as you've described by getting out into the lane more is "practicable."

bigpedaler

i check and re-check our codes pretty regularly, as i don't trust the powers-that-be. there's no prohibition from the state about sidewalks, and only limited areas by the city (business district, strictly defined as 500+ feet of storefront only per block). the "as far to the right as practicable" condition only keeps riders from hogging a wide lane; it's not practicable to skim parked cars or curbs, and there is an exception for us that says we can take the lane in certain areas to keep drivers from squeezing us while passing. (they try it, anyway). the wording is sufficiently ambiguous to allow us to follow the basic tenets of expert cyclists' suggestions.

__________________
"you may only be one person in the world -- but you may just be THE WORLD to one person."

BornInZion

I was zooming down a hill at dusk today, and the signal light turned green just right so I didn't have to slow for it all. The car coming in the opposite direction decided he could beat me through the intersection on his left turn- so he gunned it!

I was traveling around 30 mph, and It was a collision for sure! I could see that I would impact his right front fender... my life flashed before my eyes...but it has been such a boring life I fell asleep before it was even a third of the way through!

Screeching tires woke me up to see that he had stomped his brakes at the last second. We avoided hitting each other, barely. On reflection, I am surprised at how few options I had in that situation to avoid that car.

I thought I had cars overtaking me, but apparently not. I will be a bit more mindful of this in the future!

Tailwinds!

__________________
Some people say the world is round, and others say the world is flat. But I say it is mostly uphill!

Red1

A boring life that s funny...... Yeah thats a dangerous one you survived. Im mostly in the woods these days theres less traffic in there! raining in the northestern US today... no outdoor riding today

ej

chasey

Well I actually did get run over... after having a couple of close calls the weeks before the incident.

Turns out, a Van coming in the opposite direction, simply turned into my path and took me on the windshield, when I was travelling at speed during my daily commute. There was little I could do, it came as a complete surprise to me.

It was ugly. I spent 10 days in the spinal unit at the hospital, and what's more the bike was totaled too.

It's an omen of things to come... sad to say.

motorex259

almost got run over? SAME HERE! always avoid roads that have ppl with tinted windows that talk on the phone while driving.......

__________________
LET MY PEOPLE RIDE, AND GET FREE STUFF!!!!

bigpedaler

had another one yesterday....

almost hit by a car -- took the lane, then moved to the left of the lane to turn left, & WAS QUICKLY/CLOSELY PASSED, THEN SHE TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME, CUTTING ME OFF!!! she had the nerve to try & tell me i was in the wrong because i wasn't on the right....

ohhhhh.....kayyyyyyy....is turning left not allowed for bikes anymore?

think i'm going to quit telling these JAMs the law, and apply a little cleat-to-the-paint-job justice.

__________________
"you may only be one person in the world -- but you may just be THE WORLD to one person."

sogood

Being a driver, I would say,

1) Lack of experience with these situations.
2) Unable to precisely judge the speed of the cyclist relative to the car.
3) Reflex when blocked by a slow moving vehicle.

When you come up behind a cyclist with a speed differential of over 40-50kph, the impression to the driver is that the bike is almost stationary. But only when the car slows down and gets close to the cyclist's speed would one realise it's actually faster than one's impression.

I'd say that driver education is the overriding issue here.

__________________
Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

Laterider1958

Similar happened to me this week. Older male driver (in 4 wheel drive towing a caravan) pulled out from a service station. I was watching and getting prepared to stop and he was even looking my way.....but beyond me. I stopped 10 feet from his door, and he stopped with the bonnet nearly at the dividing white line in the middle of the road when he eventually realised I was there.

Next day I had a female driver do a left hand turn in front of me as she overtook me 10 feet from an intersection.

Today was uneventful. Took alternative routes and am riding extremely defensively. I look each driver in the face and try to read their intentions. I find I begin to slow and get ready to stop. It's amazing how invisible you are on a bike when you are actually higher than most of the vehicles.