Happy to be ok - this is why helmet cams are helpful.

[maydog]

This happened on my commute home yesterday, I rubbed handlebars with a car:

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My description in Youtube says it all. I am fortunate to ride away with no injuries or significant damage to my bike. I sent this all in to the sherrif's department, no word back. Likely nothing will happen.

Stay safe.

 

[Corzhens]

I am actually planning to buy a helmet camera. It's just that I'm so busy lately and besides I am somewhat hesitating because my husband is teasing me that I would look like a miner. And even in our car, I'm also planning to install a car camera. You don't know what you would see when you are on the road and sometimes there are interesting scenes to capture aside from accidents and mishaps.

 

[Uawadall]

Were you signaling to merge in the lane at the beginning? I don't know where you live, but this can be a dangerous action due to ignorant drivers. Some drivers don't even know what various hand signals mean and aren't very good at paying attention. On some roads, I stay in the lane enough that I can merge faster and be noticed more. If not that, I'l slow some until I can only see oncoming cars in the distance.You were at the other side of the white line and the driver wasn't paying attention or didn't understand your merging signal. It may sound messed up, but we cyclist need 2 rule books. #1 is actual driving law and #2 is keep my ass safe no matter what, drivers are stupid law.

 

[Mr. Beanz]

Wow what a major ass hat!

On another note, I know you did everything that you were supposed to do but it has come to the point where I take extra precautions to keep myself alive. When making a turn knowing there is a car back I slow my pace half a step and let them pass. I figure I can wait another 10 seconds it it means staying alive. Like I said, you used proper procedure but I just don't trust anybody anymore!

A popular thought by cyclists is, it's my right or why should I interrupt my ride for a driver? Your video has my answer. It doesn't matter who is right when you are the one in a wheelchair.

 

[SkerleeWerg]

The biggest problem with riding is the sheer number of people that are terrible drivers anyways. The idea that drivers are dangerous stems from the fact that people are dangerous, let alone while in command of an accelerating pile of metal and plastic and rubber.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I'm glad you lived through that one, Maydog. That was way too close.

 

[maydog]

The Youtube comments are telling.

The video does not show all I could see. I saw the car far back. I started my turn early just so that I could be clear by the time it reached the intersection and not impede it. I figure the driver must have accelerated.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

The YouTube comments are retarded. Typical.

 

[maydog]

I've watched and rewatched the video. My judgement of the situation was off. There were vehicles going in both directions and I couldn't pay 100% attention to either. At some level you have to trust the system to work and drivers to play by the rules or you would never get on the road.

Going frame by frame on the original high quality version, I notice that when the car first comes into view the wheels are pointed right, my direction. I figure it could have played out like this: fast travelling car in behind the cyclist sees cyclist take lane, driver figures that they can quickly pass with a little acceleration and moves left, looks beyond cyclist and sees oncoming car a bigger threat to them and forgets about cyclist and starts right again.

Or maybe they had a really important text.

Passing a left turning vehicle on the left in a huge no-no whatever the situation.

I've moved on, perhaps a bit wiser, and had a rather wet 80 miler today. A tight schedule and back to back flats stopped me from hitting the Century mark.

https://www.facebook.com/minnesotaironmanbicycleride

 

[sharkantropo]

That was a close call. Glad no accident happened. But I can't see the retarded driver serial.

 

[GemmaRowlands]

I am so glad that you are okay. I strongly believe that, where possible, we should all ride with this type of equipment as it could help us a lot in the future. I think that all cars should have dash cams as well as it can really help if there is an incident and we need to be able to prove that we were not the ones in the wrong! It is great that these things exist, as they should be able to improve our safety in the future.

 

[cycle93]

Yes, helmets are so important.

Once I will have kids and teaching them to bike, the most important things are gonna be helmets. Many road cycler or city biker not even using them while they can really save your life.

 

[pwarbi]

Helmet cams are fast becoming an important piece of equipment when cycling these days, and just off this one video alone we can see why.

I think that as the roads get more and more busier with traffic, bikes are going to be involved more in situations like this and having things recorded as a back up in case you need it is starting to become vital.

 

[Shark425]

Wow, that was close!! What a moron that guy (or lady) was!! I have had similar experiences, but nothing as close as that.

 

[pwarbi]

Sadly I think that experiences such as that are becoming all too common for a lot of cyclists these days, and now we can take our life into our own hands when cycling through a city centre.

You can be the safest rider in the world, but you can't compensate for the idiocy of others unfortunately, so all we can do is ride as safe as we can, and hope for the best.

 

[maydog]

Update,

I spoke with the deputy today. I clearly laid out the situation and showed the video. Luckily I had the right county deputy, had I been on the other side of the yellow line I would have to deal with another department. He was not familiar with cycling law/rights, so I filled him in. He opened a case and said that he would get back to me.

Just now, he called. He said he found someone admitting to driving the car at that time - though they had no recollection of the incident. He told me that he would cite the driver for failure to yield if I was willing to witness if the citation was challenged in court.

I said yes.

 

[Uawadall]

Update,

I spoke with the deputy today. I clearly laid out the situation and showed the video. Luckily I had the right county deputy, had I been on the other side of the yellow line I would have to deal with another department. He was not familiar with cycling law/rights, so I filled him in. He opened a case and said that he would get back to me.

Just now, he called. He said he found someone admitting to driving the car at that time - though they had no recollection of the incident. He told me that he would cite the driver for failure to yield if I was willing to witness if the citation was challenged in court.

I said yes.

You should do this 100% even though I'm not sure if filing claims make cyclist any safer. People are very vindictive and this will probably cause the driver to hate all cyclist. He nearly hit you on accident, I'd hate to be the next cyclist who he crosses paths with.

 

[ZXD22]

You were so lucky that you didn't take the turn earlier or else you would have been plowed! Could have sued them for good money too but wouldn't have ended up very pretty at all...

 

[pwarbi]

I think your doing the right thing by going ahead,,even though it might bit make cycling in general any safer, it will at least make this driver in particular stop and think.

If he alone takes more care from now on then that might very well save another cyclist from having to go through what you have.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

He told me that he would cite the driver for failure to yield if I was willing to witness if the citation was challenged in court.

I said yes.

<Grumpy Cat> Good! Kick his (her) ass, Seabass!

Maydog, I'm more the 'track the asshole down and set him on fire' type of person, but at the very least this driver needs one hellova fine and points on his license for damned near killing you.

And yes, you bet this could have resulted in your death. A friend of mine was hit from behind and the impact tore his aorta from his heart. He drowned in his own blood in a matter of minutes.

Please let us know the age and gender of the driver if you find out that information as the case proceeds.