Advocacy & Safety - Run off the road...

Has this ever happened to you?

If so, I guess you felt you were about to be hit from behind (if about to be hit head-on OMG!). What made you think that? Do you have a rear view mirror?

I read and hear this phrase a lot. I've never been run off the road by a car or truck. Does this really happen? If so, how and why?

Has this ever happened to you?

Not for a long, long time. There was a time when it happened to me quite regularly - this was before I became assertive about claiming as much of the road as I felt I needed. I was one who learned the hard way that drivers will only give you as much space as you give yourself. Now that I have changed my riding style, it generally never happens.

"OLD DRIVERS". Those are the ones who have most frequently almost taken me out from behind. Some of them drive large "Yank Tanks" (easier to get into), they have no concept of where the shoulder side of their car is, and they are terrified of crossing the middle line. Compound those facts with slow reactions and poor eyesight and you have at least three near misses for me here in central Illinois. Everyone else usually gives me plenty of room here in the rural back roads of corn and soybean land.

Yes, I use a mirror which mounts to my glasses. So far I have been surprised by these sneaky devils each time. Probably a good thing, because if I did see them, I'd probably have taken the old Aegis into the ditch and that wouldn't have been good for either one of us. :rolleyes:

The "head on" type of accident has nearly claimed me 3 times in the past year. All were on country roads, all during full sunlight with good visibility. Two of them were in 100kph zones and the other in an 80kph zone. Each time I had to a stop on the side of the road or become a windshield bug. I have seriously thought about stopping and grabbing my water bottle and holding it as if to throw it. I would never actually throw it, but if the driver stopped at least it would give me the chance to get his details and call the police. I don't appologise for thinking such actions. I would be holding a 1 litre water bottle, he is in a 1500kg car. Not much else you can do. It is a life threatening situation.

CHEERS.

Mark

Has this ever happened to you?

If so, I guess you felt you were about to be hit from behind (if about to be hit head-on OMG!). What made you think that? Do you have a rear view mirror?

I read and hear this phrase a lot. I've never been run off the road by a car or truck. Does this really happen? If so, how and why?
I was run off the road once.

I was coming home late in the evening when the roads were desolate. Passing through a nearby town, an approaching motorist began to cross the center line. I thought, "He'll correct himself any moment," but he never did. He veered fully into my lane as if he had fallen asleep. I ditched into somebody's yard.

Too bad for that person's yard--I was driving a car.

In a good many years of riding, I have only been run off the road once. About five years ago I was riding on a much curved hilly road between Glendale and Pasadena California named Chevy Chase. I had a very good rear view mirror on that old style of components. I heard a car coming from behind and checked it out in my mirror. It was a red Toyota pick up truck. To my horror there was a young man hanging out the window on the passenger side up to his waste with his arm raised. It was obvious that he was intent on striking me. I immediately ran off the road onto the dirt shoulder out of his way. He slapped the side of the truck as he passed by; I suppose to frighten me since I had moved out of his reach. I am a great advocate of the use of good mirrors. However with the newer Shimano gear it is hard to find a real good mirror that will fit anywhere on the handlebar. When I approach an intersection I always check for traffic behind me and if there is a car signaling for a right turn I always move to the left to give them a space to make the right turn unencumbered. It is common courtesy. I do not find the one eyed mirrors that attach to your helmet or glasses satisfactory.

In a good many years of riding, I have only been run off the road once...I heard a car coming from behind and checked it out in my mirror. It was a red Toyota pick up truck. To my horror there was a young man hanging out the window on the passenger side up to his waste with his arm raised. It was obvious that he was intent on striking me.
Funny how I never thought of this possibility, even though my worst crash was caused by a pedestrian who did exactly the same thing, causing me to lose control and go over the bars onto my face/head.

Since I broke my last helmet-mounted mirror in a minor spill, I've been mirror-free and happy. But I guess it's time to re-think the mirror.

Thanks for the heads-up, Mr. Gardner.

I'm an advocate for helmet mounted mirrors. Mine works great (the Reflex from Cycleaware). I couldn't imagine riding without one (I mean I could, I used too), but I feel much safer with one. I compare it to driving a car. Don't we all check our rear and side view mirrors regularly to check for traffic and such? I know I do. Why should it be any different on a bicycle. I remember constantly turning my neck and shoulders to look behind me when I was learning to drive a car, until someone taught me how to properly use my mirrors. In fact, my driver instructor and exam moderator both required me to use my mirrors. Why should it be any less expected of a bicyclist? I also by the way, do turn my head to doublecheck for traffic when I am merging, turning left, etc. Maybe this is more of an issue as a commuter in an urban environment vs. road biking long distances on singular roads, but I would still I think what to know what is behind me. Who often doesn't wish they could have eyes in the back of thier heads :p

In a good many years of riding, I have only been run off the road once. About five years ago I was riding on a much curved hilly road between Glendale and Pasadena California named Chevy Chase. I had a very good rear view mirror on that old style of components. I heard a car coming from behind and checked it out in my mirror. It was a red Toyota pick up truck. To my horror there was a young man hanging out the window on the passenger side up to his waste with his arm raised. It was obvious that he was intent on striking me. I immediately ran off the road onto the dirt shoulder out of his way. He slapped the side of the truck as he passed by; I suppose to frighten me since I had moved out of his reach. I am a great advocate of the use of good mirrors. However with the newer Shimano gear it is hard to find a real good mirror that will fit anywhere on the handlebar. When I approach an intersection I always check for traffic behind me and if there is a car signaling for a right turn I always move to the left to give them a space to make the right turn unencumbered. It is common courtesy. I do not find the one eyed mirrors that attach to your helmet or glasses satisfactory.


A car load of young rednecks, leaning on the horn behind me, scared me off the road once, but just on the gravel shoulder.

An elderly couple, driving a friggin' looooooong black car (musta been a caddy) slowly approached me from behind and slowly passed me. Ma was sittin in the passenger seat with boht and on her purse which was in her lap, pa had the 2 fisted white knuckled grip on the wheel. Thing is, he did not move over, but since he was going so slowly that I had no need to move off the road. But I was able to reach out with my left arm and bang the top of the car right in the centre.

Well, both of em jumped, Ma let out a squeel, they looked all around, still didn't see me on their right and slightly behind them. They musta thought a bird hit the top of the car (friggin big bird then!) Siighhhh, I slowed down a tad and let the poor ol' feller go, veerrryyyy slowwwly.

As for mirrors I have one that mountes on the bar end (where you would put a bar end shifter). Thing doesn't vibrate at all. Similar to this one (see bottom of page, mirror on the right) http://www.3rd-eye.com/(09).htm OR http://www.lickbike.com/i3235050.htm.

Those that mount on top of the brake hood are hopeless. They move every time you shift (using STI).

Digger

I have been run off the road twice in my life. The first time was when I was in Jr High 36 years ago. The last time was by a taxi driver who had decide that I didn't belong on the road but that was more than 10 years ago. I have found that with a mirror (I perfer the ones that mount to my goggles) if I see someone coming up on me too closely I move into the center of the lane and it forces them to change lanes in order to pass me. Much safer for everyone involved.

Curb-hugging indeed invites motorists to run you off the road, and gives you very little emergency maneuvering room.

...if I see someone coming up on me too closely I move into the center of the lane and it forces them to change lanes in order to pass me. Much safer for everyone involved.

I use this technique as well. I'm not super-sure it will work on some of these really elderly drivers tho... I shudder to think! :eek:

I haven't used a mirror in years. They really are not that useful. Thing is how can you tell who is going to hit you by watching them in the rearview mirror? I put in a pile of miles per year and if this really happened with any regularity, I would have been dead a long time ago.

Now I have had large trucks blast their horns at me while bearing down on me. I pulled off the road once on a climb in Colorado to avoid a lumbertruck doing just that. It was easy to do and I did not feel like playing chicken.

Another time in Michigan, I had an interesting experience. I had descended a short ridge. I was going about 23 mph. The road was flat and straight and climbed another ridge about .5 mile away and turned. This was not a main road by any stretch of the imagination. The road was flat and elevated with no shoulders and about a 10' drop into marshy grassland. A truck came up on me and started to pass and a car came down the ridge up ahead. The truck and car leaned on their horns. I refused to move over and ride off the road and crash at that speed. I figured the truck and the car could negotiate for the left lane of if the truck driver wanted to he could come over and hit me but I wasn't going to voluntarily crash because of his stupid driving. Both vehicles did manage to slow down and the truck dropped in behind me. My turn was just up ahead anyway. This was an organized ride. After the ride, I discovered that I had been reported killed by several riders. I guess it was like Mark Twain, reports of my death were greatly exaggerated. At least I have that in common with Samuel Clemens :D .

I haven't used a mirror in years. They really are not that useful. Thing is how can you tell who is going to hit you by watching them in the rearview mirror? .

I can easily see a driver move in toward the center line and away from the side of the road where my riding line is while using my mirror. Even so, I still have to use it (look) or I end up being surprised as I have been on occasion by those mentioned in my earlier post.

if I see someone coming up on me too closely I move into the center of the lane and it forces them to change lanes in order to pass me. Much safer for everyone involved.

I do the same thing. It forces the ignorant, offensive, (and offending) driver to make a move and get out of my hair.