Sawtooth

After over 5,000 miles without a car-bike incident, my number finally came up last night and I was face to face (or face to window) with the right sweep. The worst part is that I could have avoided the accident (and usually do just that). It was one moment when I was not paying attention. Here is what happened.

I was filtering (yeah, I know) up a long line of cars to a stop light in the rain. I was somewhat focused on the rain and staying upright instead of watching the cars and taking the lane in the intersection. As I approached the intersection, I stupidly ended up on the right hand side of a mini-van that was not signaling. Next thing I know, the van is right in my space and before I can do a thing about it I nailed the passenger side mirror with my arm. I tried to coast like I would on a geared bike and just roll with it to the right but my fixed gear transmission threw me up and over the hood of the mini van. Next thing I know I was sliding in the rain in the middle of the road looking backward to ensure that the right turning mini-van was not about to run me over. Thankfully she did not miss the huge object clipped to a bike flying over her hood and was able to come to a stop before running me over.

I got up quickly (as one is inclined to do upon finding himself laying down in traffic) and was preparing for a strong verbal exchange. Instead, she totally took the wind out of my sails by showing very real concern for my safety and saying asking if she could HUG ME!!!!! Her teenage daughter was clearly traumatized by the whole thing and I think she set an amazing example on taking responsibility and caring for others. It was impossible to stay mad after that and to tell you the truth, I kind of felt like a hug. So believe it or not, there we were in the road hugging. I still crack up about it. We can all give all kinds of advice on what to do after an accident, but the shock and reality of the situation really changes things.

Except for some bruising, I am OK. The bike is OK. Just a really scary situation that could have been much worse. I was doing about 20 mph when she hit me. Had I gone under the van......well, I don't like to think about it.

Legally, she may have been wrong. But I know better than to filter at speed (if at all) and payed for it last night. Every time I learn a lesson and am preserved long enough to put it to use, I just have to thank my maker and move on.

The lesson here is clear: you are asking for trouble if you are on the right hand side of a vehicle through an intersection!

fillthecup

That's both really scary, and paints an awesome picture at the same time. Two people in the road hugging after a near fatal mistake. I could see needing a hug after that. Wish I could have that sort of interaction with motorists who almost kill me rather than the heated kind.

Glad you're alright Sawtooth.

Sawtooth

Hey thanks fillthecup. Good to be hear today.

Heraclitus

That is awesome. What a great idea. People really need to give more hugs in busy intersections in the rain. And I am glad your okay.

LilSprocket

Dude! you're making me cry!

Glad you're ok

DrCycleMrDrive

I'm glad you are okay. That's absolutely the most important thing.

Now, a question: You wrote "Legally she may have been wrong." ...and that's true, she did not signal. But weren't you also legally wrong in that you were passing on the right? I see that you wrote that you knew it was unwise, but isn't it also illegal too? If I'm misreading your post and have the scenario wrong, all apologies. I'll confess, I don't filter forward, but mostly out of cowardice. I fear what you just encountered.

Also, just wondering if you are staying hard-core fixie or if you think a free wheel might have helped you in emergency maneuvers?

Thanks. I hope you are back riding quickly.

rykoala

Wow, that's an amazing story. I had a near death experience last week around midnight as I was riding in to work for a late shift. A car coming from the opposite direction decided to make a left turn in the intersection I was about to go through. They didn't see me, or didn't care. In retrospect I could have slammed on my brake (fixed gear) and I MIGHT have stopped short of the intersection. Instead I powered through it and beat them, but just barely by a few inches. I *definitely* needed a hug after that. And a clean pair of shorts.

cooker

When I hear of "filtering", I think of people riding between two lanes of stalled traffic, but it sounds like you were filtering on hte right side of the road along the curb...is that correct?

Can I ask if the lane she was in was a right turn lane?

DanO220

Were you really 'filtering' up to the intersection on the right side of traffic at 20 mph?... in the rain? That's the stuff NY messenger videos are made of man! I mean it's great she reacted with such compassion. It's too bad more traffic conflicts aren't resolved that way. But with that said, you're lucky some big, hairy biker didn't step out of the van and start stomping on your bike while you lay there. I am in no way, shape or form one of those preachin' VC'ers... but, man.

DanO

Sawtooth

I am not really sure as to the legality of filtering to the right in this state. I just know that almost all cyclists do it here. I certainly could have been legally in the wrong as well.

I do believe that the fixed gear contributed to my crashing as a freewheel may have allowed me to recover from hitting the mirror and to turn right with the vehicle. Once I forgot to keep pedaling, I was going over the top regardless of the car being involved.

On the other hand, I will probably keep commuting on it for now. It is just too much fun and the chances of another incident like this happening any time soon are pretty low. I will alter my behavior before I alter my choice of bike in this case.

Sawtooth

Yes, I was on the right side of the road. There is a 3-4 foot shoulder without a curb that I was in on the other side of the white line on the right side of the right lane. It was not a right turn lane, there were two lanes heading straight and the one on the right had an option to turn right. I call the between the cars "lane splitting".

Sawtooth

Glad to hear you lived through it. I bet you won't do that again. It is all about being able to analyze the situation and learn from it.

Sawtooth

Yeah, I have to admit I was. I think the 3-4 foot shoulder without a curb made me feel a little more confident. And really, it was being on the right side of the vehicle in an intersection that got me, not filtering past the cars, right? Other than a car moving off the side of the road for an emergency or something, I really don't see filtering as that dangerous of a move (given you are clear of doors). Now if you are ever on the right hand side of a vehicle when it has an opportunity to turn right into a parking lot or onto another road.....THAT is unsafe.

Dahon.Steve

I don't know if you were legally right when filtering. The law varies and in certain states, you may have been held responsible for the accident. I would never filter at 20 mph and more like 3 mph because there are too many risks involved like car doors opening. You were lucky.

AggieWheeler08

Alright, so I'm curious. If you're "line splitting" as sawtooth called it, how exactly do you move back into the flow of traffic once it starts moving again without irritating the car that you will inevitably cut-off?

Sawtooth

I see lane splitting as a very controversial issue. On the one hand, it is nothing more than the reverse of a faster car passing you to the left because there is room to do it safely. On the other hand, I don't believe many drivers see it that way and instead see you as showboating or simply being unsafe (even though lane splitting through stalled traffic is way safer than filtering on the right). I just don't believe that motorists believe you have the right to go faster than them....period.

Now to answer your question.....if you are lane splitting, you are necessarily going faster than the cars you are passing. So when they begin to come up to speed, I simply signal and move into the inevitable gap between the car that just accelerated and the one behind it that has yet to accelerate (don't forget to signal). Then I simply yeild the lane to the car coming up to speed. I have never had the car immediately behind me comment in any way (unless I was slow and cut him off to get over). But you had better expect all kinds of comments in general when lane splitting. It seems to really irritate some drivers that you can pass them that way.

Sawtooth

I agree (see post # 10).

cooker

Sawtooth - thanks for the details.

Whether filtering is legal or not, it is probably a common and usually reasonably safe practise where there's the wide shoulder and no curb like you describe.

However, I see two concerns in this case: Firstly, you were going fast enough that if a car suddenly let off a passenger mid-block (which sometimes happens - they may abruptly pull over to the right, or even open the right side door without pulling over) you'd be caught off guard; and, obviously, passing on the right at an intersection is unsafe.

Sawtooth

Both good points Cooker. I certainly agree with the 2nd. I don't really see the first as a concern along my commute. I am not sure what Toronto looks like, but in this case, it is up to a mile between intersections, not an urban block. And it is too rural (fast paced) to allow for people letting off passengers in this particular section. Moreover, there really is nothing in that area to let them out for (unless they just needed to see some farmland waiting to become a subdivision). I suppose it could happen, but it would be very very unlikely here.

I will definitely filter at a slower rate of speed from now on, though. You just never know what could happen. It seems like whenever I get cocky and fire it up a bit, I end up paying for it.

jyossarian

Whatever the details, I'm glad you're OK and that you got some in the middle of an interesection in the pouring rain while her daughter looked on.

uberleet

Glad to hear you're all right, Sawtooth. Out of curiosity, where in Boise did this happen?

eaglevii

Glad to hear you're OK... that fixie feeling of the bike throwing you around sucks (although I've never had it toss me over a car!)

I see nothing wrong with "filtering" on the right. On a road with a bike lane, that lane should be just like another lane of traffic, with the cars required to yield to it if crossing. In that case, passing cars slower than you (while you are in the bike lane) is not filtering, it's just normal traffic flow. On the other hand, no matter what the bike lane situation, I follow two rules when filtering:

1) If the traffic is stopped when I start filtering, and it starts to move before I get to the intersection, I will slow down to ride in front of the last car I passed. Therefore I stay behind a car (and have a chance to see signals or avoid a turn) and never "appear out of nowhere" to a driver.
2) Similarly, if passing slow moving cars, I will always ride into an intersection alongside the hood of a car, optimizing the chances of them seeing me and me seeing their wheel turn and hood move if they start an unsignaled turn late in the intersection.

So basically, never filter while entering or in an intersection, only before the intersection. On a related note, here the bike lines often end at intersections, and start again right after. In this case I try to claim some of the right lane of the road, so that cars can still pass me in the intersection but I increase my chances of someone turning right *from behind me* noticing me. I buy into the idea of the invisible cyclist, but you can't always ensure you see and react to things behind you. Of course, it sounds like Sawtooth knows what he's doing, he was just distracted; happens to the best of us.

SingingSabre 

I'm glad to hear you're alright! I feel that I can certainly learn from your error, and I hope that others do, too. Thanks for sharing it.

On another note: I think I'm going to start saying "How about a hug?" when cagers get angry and yell at me. We'll see how long that goes on before I get shot by a guy in a pickup...

Jarery

Was she hot ?

the beef

Awesome, glad you're all right. And what a great motorist.