If a motorist does not over look a cyclist completely, they can totally misjudge a cyclist's speed, or the amount of space they may have in their trying to share a lane. In the OP's situation, using a strobe headlight was helpful, but if the OP's headlight is too focused, as to increase it's forward lighting capabilities, it may not have had the lumen capability to be seen by motorists pulling out from the far side of the intersection, so excessive light spillage can be a good thing at certain times.