Originally Posted by Helmet Head
Wow. Well, this is the crux of where we differ. Right hooks and left hooks are caused by driver behavior? Driver behavior that you think could be solved by motorist education? Do you really think it is or should be the responsibility of turning drivers to look for through cyclists passing them on the right as they are turning right? .
HH, Some right hooks are 100% the driver fault. I have never once been right hooked by a vehicle from the same lane as I use dynamic lane positioning to prevent it, but I have been right hooked twice, the second time just this morning:
I was heading down a multilane 45mph road, light ahead was red, a couple cars stopped in the right most lane. I positioned myself in the left side of lane and started slowing from my cruising speed of 25mph to stop behind the line of cars. As I was slowing a truck behind me accelerated hard, went most of the way into the lane to my left and then suddenly and unexpectedly right hooked me across my entire lane into a driveway that was about 10 yards before first car in line. The driver turned very hard and squealed tires and overshot driveway entrance and went up over curb, while I braked very hard and swerved into the lane to my left to just barely clear his rear bumper.
This was 100% driver behavior and I know nothing I could have done to prevent this agressive and dangerous behavior. But the fact I was not riding to the far right did help me avoid a collision as I imagine the driver would have still done the right hook.
The other time was a similar case of me going straight in center of lane at 28mph and a driver turned right into a side street from the lane that was to me left (i.e. the center lane of a three same lane direction road)
Al