Do cars purposely speed up to chase down bikes?

[San Rensho]

Maybe I'm mispercieving this, but lately, I've noticed that cars will purposely speed up to tailgate me and many times honk, when otherwise, they would be going at the same speed as me.

My ride to work is on a residential, narrow, two lane street with many intersections. Posted speed limit 30mph, but because of the narrowness of the street and intersecting traffic, cars will go a little slower than the speed limit. I've verified this while driving.

I've also noticed that when there are one or two cars in front of me, that don't see me behind them, the cars are in no hurry and I can usually easily keep up with them.

Now, when I go that same speed with no cars in front of me, invariably I will hear someone revving their car hard, and then tailgate me.

Anyone have a similar experience?

[Cyclepath]

I never got tailgated because i was riding on or slightly within the painted shoulder. (i now ride only on side streets with little traffic). But, other kinds of harrassment are routine & of course there is no recourse, it just goes with cycling, at least in the US. The kids may be charged up over the war & want to bully someone, or they're mad at their boss, i don't know, it''s always the under-30 male.

[fordfasterr]

.....The kids may be charged up over the war & want to bully someone.........


care to explain this to me ? LOL

[chipcom]

care to explain this to me ? LOL

Maybe he's commuting wearing a tablecloth on his head? :eek:

[Az B]

It's not just bikes. Crossing the ring road that circles our local mall, a Corvette driving idiot decided to speed up when he saw me and my daughter walking across in front of him. He was determined to point out that I was slowing him down by hammering the throttle and passing us very fast and very close.

The punch line is that the speed limit was 15mph and he was doing at least 55-60 when he passed us.

So it's not just bikes. It's simply that cars are the king of the road, and many drivers are determined to prove it every chance they get. Even at Christmastime.

Az

[WriteABike]

I love it when they gun the engine to pass me after we both leave a stoplight. It's like they're drag racing against a bike. And I can still beat them through the intersection, and often farther. I always wonder what they're thinking.

I know what I'm thinking. I like to chase cars. (woof)

[banerjek]

... it''s always the under-30 male.
My experience is that cars do chase you down and that drivers of both genders and all ages are guilty of this. If you are on 2 wheels, you are perceived as slow regardless of how fast you are going, so they feel a need to get past you.

This treatment isn't exclusively reserved against bicycles. You can see a similar dynamic on any highway when a number of people perceive each other as slow. Even though there is plenty of space on the road, drivers will stay in these tight knots where all the vehicles are constantly jostling for position.

[chipcom]

My experience is that cars do chase you down and that drivers of both genders and all ages are guilty of this. If you are on 2 wheels, you are perceived as slow regardless of how fast you are going, so they feel a need to get past you.

This treatment isn't exclusively reserved against bicycles. You can see a similar dynamic on any highway when a number of people perceive each other as slow. Even though there is plenty of space on the road, drivers will stay in these tight knots where all the vehicles are constantly jostling for position.

Drivers are always speeding up to get around trucks as well, no matter how fast the truck is actually moving. It's the need to get around something that could potentially get in your way or slow you down...or in more plain terms, impatience.

[genec]

My experience is that cars do chase you down and that drivers of both genders and all ages are guilty of this. If you are on 2 wheels, you are perceived as slow regardless of how fast you are going, so they feel a need to get past you.

This treatment isn't exclusively reserved against bicycles. You can see a similar dynamic on any highway when a number of people perceive each other as slow. Even though there is plenty of space on the road, drivers will stay in these tight knots where all the vehicles are constantly jostling for position.

Tend to agree all around. It is as if motorists are in competition... and against bikes, they believe they should win at all costs.

[sgtsmile]

Tend to agree all around. It is as if motorists are in competition... and against bikes, they believe they should win at all costs.

However, to run the risk of being accurate, this extends to all people. It is as if people are in competition....

I would point out folks, the car is a great equalizer. Anyone, no matter how fat or lazy or whatever can WIN in a car.... at least by some definitions of win.

Personally, I tend to think that people win if they are happy. Looking at how miserable a lot of people are - on bikes, in cars, walking, using transit, or whatever - I would argue that very few people really win.

[joejack951]

Two examples I have, one that I seem to experience every day. Leaving work, after crossing the first big intersection, there's a decent downhill stretch with a 25mph speed limit. The road is narrow and the edges are crumbling away making it difficult for two SUVs to pass without one dropping two wheels off the road in some sections. No problem on a bike and I can usually go at or slightly above the speed limit for the entire stretch of this road. Some days I'll get people who just gotta get around me so off they go blasting by me only to have to slam on their brakes because they can't take the turn any faster than 25mph. I've also seen cars almost go out of control after dropping tires off the road trying to maintain their faster-than-the-cyclist speed down the hill if they are in front of me.

We had a couple days recently with heavy fog in the morning and night. One night was particularly bad and motorists were definitely going slower. In the 25mph sections, I was almost keeping up going between 15 and 20. At the 35 to 45 mph sections, motorists of course couldn't stand to be behind me so off they go blasting by me, again only to slam on their brakes once they realized that they couldn't see a d@mn thing. At 20mph, I felt like I was over-running my 13 watt HID so I can only imagine how scary it would be to try and go 40mph on the same road. Nevertheless, they did continue on faster. I'm glad everyone that I saw at least managed to do so without any collisions.

[CrosseyedCrickt]

Do cars purposely speed up to chase down bikes?
Of course they do, and it's all the driver can do to keep them from doing it.

[donnamb]

Have any of you heard of that study of people who will take longer getting their cars out of a parking space if they know someone is waiting for it? Do you think it's related to that kind of primate territorial instinct? I wonder because it seems that not all motorists who do this are jerks per se, they just can't stand to have anyone ahead of them. My dad was like that.

[2manybikes]

Drivers are always speeding up to get around trucks as well, no matter how fast the truck is actually moving. It's the need to get around something that could potentially get in your way or slow you down...or in more plain terms, impatience.

:beer:

[wheel]

narrowness of the street
Good luck.
Think about how much your saving him in oil demand.
Or how your helping him breath better by not polluting.

[CrosseyedCrickt]

Drivers are always speeding up to get around trucks as well, no matter how fast the truck is actually moving. It's the need to get around something that could potentially get in your way or slow you down...or in more plain terms, impatience.
:beer:

or....
they might just want to get ahead of something that is blocking them from having a better view of the road without them having to slow down by 15% of their current speed in order to give distance

[randya]

I always walk slower in the cross walk when there is an anxious motorist waiting to turn. I never understood why some pedestrians will run across the street in the same situation, as if they are apologizing to the motorist for being in their way...

[roccobike]

No, when I'm road biking I've never had that happen.

[Bikepacker67]

It's the need to get around something that could potentially get in your way or slow you down...or in more plain terms, impatience.

"Hey man, you're fu<kin' up my Zoom Zoom"

[ken cummings]

A: Around here it is common for a car full of youths to scream in my ear as they go by. Male, female, whatever.

B: Guilty as charged. This very AM I sped up on my bike and right-hooked in front of a pedestrian just before they entered a cross-walk so I would not have to slow down.

[Roughstuff]

I never got tailgated because i was riding on or slightly within the painted shoulder. (i now ride only on side streets with little traffic). But, other kinds of harrassment are routine & of course there is no recourse, it just goes with cycling, at least in the US. The kids may be charged up over the war & want to bully someone, or they're mad at their boss, i don't know, it''s always the under-30 male.


Maybe they are just angry at folks who make inane generalizations. Kids charged up over the war? Gee maybe they don't like FASB rule 123R either. Or no no! I know what it is...they are despondent over the demise of superstring theory! Thats it....

I very often am delighted when cars speed up as they pass by me...the sooner they get by me, the better.

roughstuff

[buzzman]

cars purposely speed up to chase down other cars as well. If you occasionally drive you'll notice this or just watch them interact with other cars. We tend to notice the cars that give us grief but I think auto drivers are even worse to other drivers than they are to bicyclists.

[Viper]

I do. I want to see who the rider is and what he/she is riding!

[DCCommuter]

My non-bike vehicle is a minivan, and I notice the same thing. People will try to pass in all kinds of crazy places where a second of rational thought would tell them it's not doing them any good.

Oh, and don't get me started about that FASB 123R...

[Wino Ryder]

Anyone have a similar experience?



Sorry, I have "0" tolerance for that. Meaning I dont put up with it. I dont lay party to it, and I dont entertain it. You've got to be a "freaking idiot" to do that to anyone on a bike,........f'ckin case closed!!!!!

I ride my bike safely, with the best interests of myself and the cars around me constantly on my mind. I'm not going to do anything to jeapordise that, or cause danger to the motoring public.

Sooo,..........I "fully expect" everyone else to do the same. A motor vehicle is nothing to screw around with, and the antics you describe of some of these idiots is one of the fastest ways to make me 'lock-em up' and come off the bike.

[CommuterRun]

Yeah, I've seen cagers do this. When they do it to me, they get the slow/stop signal and wait until the on-coming lane is clear to pass. I'm not moving to the right for them. Not on these NOL roads. They can wait. If they're in a hurry, they should have left earlier. Not my problem.

[banerjek]

However, to run the risk of being accurate, this extends to all people....

...Personally, I tend to think that people win if they are happy....I would argue that very few people really win.
Fair enough. I'm actually a much mellower driver than I am a cyclist. In town, I sometimes ride faster than I really want to just to prevent cars from pulling in front of me. I take the lane, and if I am on road with multiple lanes in the same direction, I almost also always pass cars if I can. It's my way of dispelling the notion that bicycles are slow.

I agree people win if they are happy. Any day I ride is a good day. That makes me happy. Any day I get to pass drivers when they already think they're going the fastest and most efficient way, well that's an even better day (and there are many of them). And on the occasions when traffic is just snarled for miles and I blow more cars than I could ever hope to count, now that's a great day.

People are just jerks, what can I say..... :D

[San Rensho]

Do you think it's related to that kind of primate territorial instinct?

You could be on to something. Maybe its a lower animal instinct coming out, like a dog whose chase instinct is triggered by a running animal.

[Bekologist]

i speed up on my bike to chase down cars on multi lane arterials like Banarjek describes. showing of Vehicular parity and my buff calves :) while passing them on the left and smiling in at the drivers.

Many women smile back, most men take it as a threat to their manhood.

[PsySal]

My experience is that cars do chase you down and that drivers of both genders and all ages are guilty of this. If you are on 2 wheels, you are perceived as slow regardless of how fast you are going, so they feel a need to get past you.

I dunno, actually I tend to find it's the under-30 males as well that are disproportionately rude and dangerous. I've had something thrown at me and I've had a car honk at me nonstop for like 10 or 15 seconds (on a two-lane street where I was almost moving at the speed limit anyhow), and both times it was under-30 males. A lot of the time when I get yelled at the situation is the same. I've also seen under-30 males drop stuff onto the head of a cyclist passing under an overpass.

Safest drivers around? Seem to be truck drivers. I'm not sure why, but the over-30 males in big trucks are overall the safest, most courteous drivers around. The under-30 males in crappy little cars are the most dangerous. I think a (somewhat distant) second for dangerous drivers would be single women driving SUVs.

You can say it's all just a stereotype but where I ride, these categories seem to just get confirmed over and over for me.

[Eatadonut]

There's a street right outside campus with a short, steep uphill followed by a mile-long downhill. I routinely hit 40 on the downhill part - the speed limit is 25, and more than once I've had cars pull out behind me from a side street, speed way up to pass me, realize they're doing almost twice the speed limit, and slam on the brakes. I, having no such respect for speed limits, am forced to pass them on the left, while throwing up any number of indignant or obscene gestures.

I hope it at least makes them think about what they do when they drive, but I doubt it.

And living in a college town, the guys aren't the problem. They seem to keep it to racing other cars, and only when it makes sense (late at night on a long straightaway). Sorority girls in Jeeps are the big problem, they're the dumbest people on the road - I never thought there was anything to that "women can't drive" thing until I got to college. Now I see where the stereotype arose.

[Carusoswi]

I'd have to say my experience varies and does not lend itself to generalization about age or gender of the drivers I encounter. One of my homebound commuter routes takes me along a wide, four-lane boulevard that includes an elevated, curb surrounded grassy median. At the time of evening when I travel that route, I may encounter two or three overtaking autos along its two mile stretch.

Three times this week, I eyed approaching cars bearing down on me (in my handy-dandy third eye mirror!!). As they approached, I could observe via sight and sound that they were slowing up for me (it is totally dark at this hour, and the road is poorly lit).

They each slowed to match my speed as they got closer, followed me for 100 feet or so, then, signaled to move to the left lane, passed without incident, and we both continued on our way. I don't know what you call that - I think they may have been puzzled by the slow moving taillight up ahead and slowed to see just what was going on. Having satisfied their curiosity that I was a bike moving along at a bike's normal speed (and not, perhaps, some under the influence motorist in an old car with a missing taillight), they moved on.

I used to take umbrage at any motorist who gunned his/her car as they passed me. I think I'm more mellow these days and tend to give the driver the benefit of the doubt. If a car slows down to show me some respect, there is no way for the driver to then resume speed except to accelerate. What probably sounds like normal acceleration inside that car may sound like some disrespectful gunning of the engine to a cyclist being passed.

I saw some really close calls this year - was clobbered by a rear view mirror from behind, was right-hooked once and had to be driven to the hospital for treatment, saw one truck clobber its mirror on an oncoming truck as the former was in the process of passing me.

All three of these close calls involved drivers who fit into dissimilar classifications. The truck driver was a "pro" probably in his thirties, the right-hooker was a middle-aged lady who simply had no clue before or after the accident - she probably still has no clue to this day. The mirror incident - well, I don't know much about that driver - it was dark, he/she was flying, and I couldn't get a look at either the driver or the car.

The bottom line for me is that I try to make certain that I don't allow my own attitude about motorists to pre-color my view of their underlying intentions as we encounter each other on the road. I find that my cycling experience has improved as a result - and the number of incidents where I would formerly have been PO'd by some motorists has declined markedly.

Each to his/her own, however.

Caruso

[buzzman]

And living in a college town, the guys aren't the problem. They seem to keep it to racing other cars, and only when it makes sense (late at night on a long straightaway). Sorority girls in Jeeps are the big problem, they're the dumbest people on the road - I never thought there was anything to that "women can't drive" thing until I got to college. Now I see where the stereotype arose.


In 2000, NHTSA reported that the fatal crash rate per 100,000 persons was almost 3 times as high for male drivers than as for female drivers. Males accounted for 68% of all traffic fatalities, 68% of all pedestrian fatalities and 89% of all pedalcyclist fatalities in 2000. Young female drivers, under age 50 have a lower fatality rate than their male counterparts on a per mile driven basis.


stereotype (noun)- received idea, cliche, hackneyed idea... yup.

[lyeinyoureye]

0wn3d

[cyclezealot]

Must have happended to me at least three times out in California. Once some *** hole actually tried to force me off the road. A friend expereinced it; said no reason, the bike path was wide; no where near auto traffic. The guy just wanted to see if he could perform a likely hit and run.

[cudak888]

Safest drivers around? Seem to be truck drivers. I'm not sure why, but the over-30 males in big trucks are overall the safest, most courteous drivers around.

Not around here. They chalk themselves right up there with punk ricer-wannabes in Honda Civics, and the little women in Ford Explorers and VW Jettas.

Hell, I even remember witnessing a race of sorts between an 18-wheeler and another vehicle that he was pissed off at - he'd speed up to prevent that vehicle from passing him. Reckless driving at 70mph or so on a 45mph highway.

Also recall one time in where another 18-wheeler played "you pass me, I pass you" on I-95 once. Nearly took out the entire HOV lane during one of his passes.

These of course, are a bit extreme for the norm - usually, low speed cut-offs in town are more likely.

-Kurt

[sbhikes]

I live on a 25 mph street with traffic calming speed bumps and a school zone. I'm near the top of a hill so when I leave my house I can easily exceed the speed limit and maintain my speed all the way to the school zone. And yet quite often there will be someone who just has to pass me no matter what.

Same thing happens when I go down Ortega Hill road, which is very curvy and steep. I can go faster than most cars by about the middle of the hill but people will still risk their lives (and mine) passing in the oncoming lane around a blind curve to get ahead of me, something they would NEVER do if I was driving a car or even my Vespa.

And I ride in the center of the lane (or even in the left tire track) in both these cases.

I think there's something about a car that flips a little switch in the brain of otherwise nice people and turns them into selfish jackasses.

[genec]

I live on a 25 mph street with traffic calming speed bumps and a school zone. I'm near the top of a hill so when I leave my house I can easily exceed the speed limit and maintain my speed all the way to the school zone. And yet quite often there will be someone who just has to pass me no matter what.

Same thing happens when I go down Ortega Hill road, which is very curvy and steep. I can go faster than most cars by about the middle of the hill but people will still risk their lives (and mine) passing in the oncoming lane around a blind curve to get ahead of me, something they would NEVER do if I was driving a car or even my Vespa.

And I ride in the center of the lane (or even in the left tire track) in both these cases.

I think there's something about a car that flips a little switch in the brain of otherwise nice people and turns them into selfish jackasses.


I too have experienced similar actions in very similar situations... more than once I have been aggressively passed on a 25MPH NOL near a school zone with speed bumps... (after the speed bumps of course) it is almost as if the speed bumps coupled with the sight of a cyclist, drive motorists beyond the limit. This area by the way is where I experienced the "the Notion... explained." (search BF).

[sbhikes]

By the way, how many of you guys have sped up to chase down bikes -- on your bike, of course!

[cudak888]

By the way, how many of you guys have sped up to chase down bikes -- on your bike, of course!

^
+1, if I see something vintage on the road.

-Kurt

[TRaffic Jammer]

Yes yes and yes, been there seen it all. Drivers in this city seem to have some sort of melt down when you pass their vehicles on a bike. It's like you have somehow completely negated the existence of their god or something, and by threatening you with power seems to be the typical response to make them feel better. For me the funnest thing to do is to move over let them be, catch up at the next light and then verrrry deliberately ride soooo slow in front of them, taking the lane as I'm allowed to do when I don't feel safe. When they honk I point to the other lane going in their direction that they have access to. Just keep smiling, as you mutter under your breath. :lol: There has got to be a charge for that tailgating, engine revving behavior, as it's beyond aggressive driving, but falls short of attempted murder. Though if you were to fall with a car pulling that stunt less than a foot from the back wheel the reasonable expectation would be that the biker would be killed, so maybe some sort of attempted charge isn't that far off. Unfortunately it'll have to happen to a police officer who's commuting on their bike. I've often day dreamed of the drivers face when they pull a I'm-so-powerful routine in their cars only the have the rider pulls his badge from his pocket and say pull over or phone ahead for back-up.

Just the other day some jackass was flooring his SUV on my little residential because he was upset with having to wait for a few seconds before being able to pass a cyclist on my one way street.

[xequar]

Commuting by bike in the Motor City is always its own beautiful unique snowflake, as this is a city that is built around the automobile and has managed to crush just about every other form of transportation in favor of the automobile...

The best one was this summer on my way to work (ironically, I work at a car company). I was on a 25 mph two-way neighborhood street stopped at a traffic light. This fat woman that I can guarantee works at the same company pulls up behind me and lays on the horn not once, but twice. The light was still VERY red at this point, so I flipped her off. Of course, as the light turned green, I got over to the right, so this woman floored the gas and tried to run me into the curb. The worst part was that not more than one block later, she had to floor the brakes to stop for the stop sign, and the cop watching for people running that stop sign didn't see a damn thing.

[CliftonGK1]

Two days ago I had someone riding my backside in traffic, honking their horn and yelling, and I was keeping perfect pace with the TANDEM BUS in front of me. It's a tandem bus... it takes up the whole lane and it's 12 feet tall if it's an inch. There's no way that the driver behind me could have gone anywhere faster, if only I'd have gotten the heck out of his way. I turned around, smiled and waved at each stop light/sign we came to.

[TRaffic Jammer]

Because we all know he needed to be behind that bus so much more than you. He must have been peaking. :lol: I love the look-I'm-STILL-in-front-of-you glance one can give a driver.

[AndrewP]

Cyclists do it too. I always speed up when I see another bike in fornt of me. However, as I get older, I am not able to pass as many. When bike fly past me, they often slow down when they are 50 yds ahead of me so I can then keep pace with them.

[Eatadonut]

In 2000, NHTSA reported that the fatal crash rate per 100,000 persons was almost 3 times as high for male drivers than as for female drivers. Males accounted for 68% of all traffic fatalities, 68% of all pedestrian fatalities and 89% of all pedalcyclist fatalities in 2000. Young female drivers, under age 50 have a lower fatality rate than their male counterparts on a per mile driven basis.


stereotype (noun)- received idea, cliche, hackneyed idea... yup.

Thank you for providing irrelevant info from the NATIONAL HIGHWAY traffic safety administration.

Please now provide me with relevant info from the City of Norman traffic administration. I'm dealing with a VERY specific subset of the American population, the driving patterns in a college town filled with two-lane no-shoulder roads is absurdly different from the national standard.

Also, we're not talking about only fatal accidents. I consider it an incident even if I survive the accident.

ALSO, we're not talking about accidents, just aggressiveness. And again, I say that I am dealing with a very specific subset, and providing very specialized information that might not apply to anyone except for me and the people I ride with. So thank you for calling me hackneyed - I even mentioned that my previous experience was that there was nothing to the stereotype, indicating that I believed it only applied to the set of people I have encountered on campus, but you chose to ignore that.

Stereotypes don't come from nowhere - they're all true in some way, and they spread from there. I found a situation in which the stereotype stands - get over it.

[galen_52657]

I always walk slower in the cross walk when there is an anxious motorist waiting to turn. I never understood why some pedestrians will run across the street in the same situation, as if they are apologizing to the motorist for being in their way...

HA! I am the same way. I work in town and walk to lunch all the time. If a car is coming towards me at a crosswalk but can easily stop, I step out and cross the road. I basically dare them to hit me. We have a traffic circle in the middle of town and I just make eye contact with the driver and step into the crosswalk. Of course, I don't step right in front of a car, but if nobody is yielding I just start working my way out and make them stop.

[noisebeam]

To those who don't have the perception that other drivers don't speed up and tailgate you when driving your motor vehicle probably don't spend much time driving at the speed limit or less.

Al

[joejack951]

Please now provide me with relevant info from the City of Norman traffic administration. I'm dealing with a VERY specific subset of the American population, the driving patterns in a college town filled with two-lane no-shoulder roads is absurdly different from the national standard.


You act like these conditions only exist where you live. I can sit hear and mouth off about how much worse the snotty uber-rich German (pick your high-end manufacturer) SUV driving soccer moms are than the people who live in so and so's town but I'd be ignorant to think that those types of people don't exist all over the country. And two-lane no-shoulder roads are the norm here, and in many other parts of the country too. I have yet to cycle anywhere that one group of people stood out as significantly better or worse than another group. If I did, it only took a little more time in the saddle before I realized they were just like everyone else.

[Artkansas]

Maybe I'm mispercieving this, but lately, I've noticed that cars will purposely speed up to tailgate me and many times honk, when otherwise, they would be going at the same speed as me. Anyone have a similar experience?

It use to happen when I was riding a motorcycle as well. Often times, if you accelerated to open up some space, the driver tailgating you would accelerate as well and still tailgate. That's one reason I won't ride a motorcycle that can't out-accelerate 99.5 % of the cars on the road. It's not safe to have a slow motorcycle.