Coming down a long hill this morning at the end of my wakeup ride. doing 35-40mph about exactly the same as the two cars ahead of me, 5 car lengths back in the middle of the lane, and some total ******bag in an SUV turns left in front of me into a driveway! I grabbed the brakes, and the rear skidded out from under me which worked out well, because the skid pushed me left, and I made it around the back of the car screaming obscenities as I went.
The only thing I can think is either they didn't see me, or assumed I must not be going as fast as the cars, because if they'd done that in front of another car coming down the hill at the same speed I was going, they would have been lunch meat, which was why they waited for the two cars to pass.
I'm not sure what I could have done to avoid it. Given my speed I think I was right where I needed to be in terms of being visible. Had I followed the cars closer, I would have been invisible to the left turner, and at risk of rear ending someone although it's much easier to get around a car that stops suddenly than one that turns in front of me. Maybe I need to run a blinkie light in broad daylight.
The BikeForums Team
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I know what you mean... I've been in that same situation a few times... lucky for me - I didn't fall !!!
I'm sure you have read that most bicycle accidents happen when cars make left turns in front of us......
Watch out !!!!!
San Rensho
Left hook is one of the biggest causes of bike/car collissions and its always the car's fault. Sometimes people don't see you, but with me, the majority of people see me and just don't give a sh@t if they hit me or not.
I can tell if they saw me or honestly didn't, because I scream at the top of my lungs at them. The ones that really didn't see me will startle, look over at me and instinctively take their foot off the gas abd slow down.
The ones that saw me and try to kill me don't startle, because they know I'm there, won't look at me and keep accelerating. Nice world we live in, eh?
mattface
This time I didn't look into the car I was too busy trying to get around in one piece, but I was lucky they didn't slow down because it was easier to get around back.
Monoborracho
Glad you are alright. It sounds like the driver just simply did not see you, for whatever reason, or misjudged your speed which is a common thing we must all be aware of. Maybe there was just an honest mistake. Also, early light/low light is actually some of the poorest visibility so maybe that contributed.
What were you wearing? If not high-viz or bright colors it is very easy to miss a bicycle in traffic (else we wouldn't have accidents).
Its easy to get mad at the car which was obviously in the wrong. However, it is up to us to drive defensively. You never want to be dead right and dead and in the right.
As to how to avoid it, you could have been traveling slower, but that is your call. I would never drive that fast in traffic following cars. No time to react, and you are not going to make a controlled stop in 5 car lengths at 40 mph on a bicycle. While you certainly have the right to do it, I'm just saying I would not do it.
UmneyDurak
You know exact same thing happens to me while I'm driving. I think people are just frustrated that they can't turn left after sitting in that lane for a while, see smallest of openings and just go for it. It happens to cyclists, it happens to drivers who are then force to slam on the breaks.
Jay H
5 car lengths back in the middle of the lane
When I am at speed, especially behind any vehicles, I will try to ride as close to the left of my lane as possible, one to be more visible to oncoming cars and also to be more visible to cars pulling out of the right (driveways, roads, etc). Other than that, the white blinking LED light is a good idea. Anything after that is luck. HOPEFULLY, the cars signal so you have at least an attempt at eye contact. Without a signal, it's blind luck.
Jay
maddyfish
I think a lot of the time cars see a bike, and think SLOW. So they assume you are going slowly, and don't realize that even an average rider can make 25-35 mph on a flat road.
John Wilke
... I grabbed the brakes, and the rear skidded out from under me which worked out well, because the skid pushed me left, and I made it around the back of the car screaming obscenities as I went.
If you had time to respond with obscenities, then it could have been closer. :o
Glad you're alive.
jw
ghettocruiser
This sort of thing happen to me periodically regardless of where I am in the lane.
It's why I cant understand how people honestly think a central lane position significantly decreases chances of being cut off.
Keith99
I tend to go with misjudging speed. Many drivers assume bikes all go at the speed of cruisers. Of course since you were taking the lane the driver in this case should have known better. After all if you were going slow the cars would have been backed up behind you.
mattface
If you had time to respond with obscenities, then it could have been closer. :o
Glad you're alive.
jw
When he turned I just saw myself smashing into the passenger side, then grabbed a handful of brake and held on. That took less than a second, by the time I was shouting I was slipping behind the car and I knew I was gonna make it. I had the luxury of being pissed at that point, but mostly I wanted to be sure they knew I was there. Bikes come down that hill at 35+ all the time. If they don't think bikes go that fast they should know better. hopefully now they do.
OH306
So when you gathered yourself did you go up the driveway and grab the driver by the throat?
Zinn-X
you should have *****ed the guy out when he got out of his car
mattface
So when you gathered yourself did you go up the driveway and grab the driver by the throat?
No I just kept rolling. In hindsight I wish I had gone back to make sure they knew what happened. I'm sure it was a mistake, but I'd like to be sure they knew they made a mistake. We both got off easy this time. I'll learn from the experience, I hope the car driver will to.
The Human Car
You know exact same thing happens to me while I'm driving. I think people are just frustrated that they can't turn left after sitting in that lane for a while, see smallest of openings and just go for it. It happens to cyclists, it happens to drivers who are then force to slam on the breaks.
I concur, the stupid stuff drivers do around each other also happens to VC cyclists and there is no real good way to avoid that.
JohnBrooking
Glad you're okay! It's always sobering when these things happen, you're doing everything right and still have a close call. :eek:
Reminds me of something else that just happened to me tonight, not quite as bad as yours. I was just about to ride past on interstate onramp, maintaining a straight line, and this car passes me on the left then zooms in front of me to enter the onramp on the right. It was just dark, but I had a rear blinky, sidebag with reflective material on the back as well, and a bright yellow jersey, plus there were streetlights, so it's hard to believe he didn't see me. It wasn't quite as close as your incident, I didn't actually have to brake, but I almost did. As with you, I wonder if he misjudged my speed, or maybe he calculated he had just enough time and went for it. I'm glad I was being vigilant, or I might have startled. As it was, I actually had an inkling that it was about to happen and yelled "Don't do it!" After he did it anyway, I yelled after him "You could have waited!!"
The only thing I might have done differently was maybe ride out a little bit farther into the road to prevent him passing. I wasn't hugging the side, but maybe I should have taken the lane there. Although who knows what might have happened had he been even more PO'd than he apparently already was.
Sorry to hikack, I guess I had to vent. We now return you to the OP's regularly scheduled thread. Again, glad you're okay!
Flamingmb
the only worse thing that could have happened (other than being hit) was if the guy looked you right in the eyes and still made the turn. That is what pisses me off, they look you right in the eyes as you are coming at them and they still decide to go for it to save that extra two seconds.
tomg
the last 3 left hooks (2 w/in this past week) each driver, when confronted, stated "i'm sorry. i did not see you" bs. there legally is nothing i can do. could tell them to check their eye-sight but haven't yet. i deal (cope) by going to my "happy place", riding some more (harder). this too will pass!
be safe!
The Human Car
That is what pisses me off, they look you right in the eyes as you are coming at them and they still decide to go for it to save that extra two seconds.
FWIW I have observed (especially in areas were j-walking is prevalent) that motorist interpret eye contact from a pedestrian in the roadway (which unfortunately cyclists are often unofficially classified as) as “I see you and I will yield to your car.” This makes a lot of sense in terms of dealing with j-walkers but not cyclists. The moral of the story is don’t make eye contact.
JohnBrooking
FWIW I have observed (especially in areas were j-walking is prevalent) that motorist interpret eye contact from a pedestrian in the roadway (which unfortunately cyclists are often unofficially classified as) as “I see you and I will yield to your car.” This makes a lot of sense in terms of dealing with j-walkers but not cyclists. The moral of the story is don’t make eye contact.
I disagree. Maybe making eye contact while slowing or (in the case of a pedestrian) standing still might convey that impression, but my experience is that making eye contact while continuing at the same rate of speed, not making any appearance of braking, conveys the opposite. I've also tried to develop a questioning but assertive sort of look, as if saying "You're not REALLY going to do that, are you?" While also planning an escape route, of course, in case they really do.
Obviously (I hope), only do this if you really do have the legal right-of-way.
Yeah, it's still scary. But I think that not making eye contact is scarier. It's amazing how good humans are at reading subtle facial expressions in a split second. (Which is why I use a very intentional look.) Plus, if you're at least trying to make eye contact, you can tell whether or not they're even looking at you, which is obviously important to know!
ken cummings
When I was young and foolish ;) I had a near Death experience much like to the OPs' coming down a darkly sgady and twisted part of Silverado Canyon in Orange County, California. I was definately outrunning my safe sight distance. The car left-hooked into a driveway without signalling. I turned so sharply to the left I felt the bike start to go over sideways. Reflex sharp right and I snapped upright again and on down the road too quickly to see if the car had seen me. Now I tend to wear out more brake pads. I miss some of the roads in Colorado where you could open it up and descend at 30-40-50 MPH for mile after mile.