Originally Posted by
Slaninar
Since the car started pulling in, before the contact, whole 2 seconds I counted. The car is at fault, especially for running away (bastard), but biker didn't even try to slow down when he saw the problem starting. That was not wise.
I've had cars pull out in front of me, several crashes, so know what I'm talking about.
One learns from one's mistakes if they live...
Yea. Even when the motorist is at fault, that doesn't relieve us of the obligation to drive defensively. Was his light bright enough? I don't know. I used to run a little (2xAAA) Cateye. A couple of close calls later I invested in a NiteRider. Our fault or not, learing from it is always desireable. I don't often ride at night, though this time of year I ride into work in morning dark. I try to be hyper vigilant. I never tear through parking lots at full speed, etc.
Originally Posted by
DiegoFrogs
In a previous lifetime I was a civil engineer who mostly designed bridges and other transportation related infrastructure. Vertical curves on highways are typically designed based on certain parameters regarding headlight beams, speed and reaction time in addition to the normal high school physics you would expect regarding friction and such. . .
I've worked in project planning too, (archetectural engineerng) and there is a definite evolution in roadway design over the years. In spite of the "sharrows" this roadway is aparently an older design. (In fact, sharrows are a concesion to the inpracticality of widening some older roadways to accomodate bikes) The sightlines appeared to comply with modern codes, but the total lack of shoulder would not meet specs for newer developments here in California for a primary or secondary thoroughfare like that.