Originally Posted by Helmet Head
Good story!
If you're right, I think he didn't fully understand what happened, and "didn't see you" was really the best way he could explain it. I suspect he ignored you subconsciously, because his subconscious didn't realize you were a threat/hazard, and, so, consciously, it was honest of him to say he "didn't see you". So I wouldn't call it a lie.
Quite correct, Serge. I didn't think about it this way.
Originally Posted by Helmet Head
To your list of lessons I would add:
When approaching any intersection where right turns are authorized (and/or from which traffic can emerge),
look back over your left shoulder and consider merging left, especially if there is no same direction behind you, and there is traffic from the right. Doing so accomplishes all of the following:
- The movement left can be attention grabbing.
- The movement left puts you further into the driver's "zone of attention'.
- The sight lines to and from you are improved.
- Your buffer zone is increased (in particular, if he does go, you are further from him and so have more time/space to evade).
Moving left buys you all of the above, at a negligible cost. You can move right as soon as you cross the intersection, or, if you're confortable monitoring to the rear using a mirror, stay in the lane-controlling situation (which is arguably more conspicuous) while monitoring to the rear with the mirror, until faster same direction traffic approaches from behind.
I agree. A couple of reasons why I don't normally move left for this particular intersection are, the maneuver that the driver pulled in this incident is very rare for drivers in this area, normally they will stop and wait even if they do have room to pull out safely, and the sight lines when approaching this intersection from the direction that he was, are wide open to the left for hundreds of feet back and down to the left. That corner is occupied by an unpaved, grassy, church parking lot.
But I agree with your points about why generally shifting left is a good idea at intersections.