Originally Posted by Helmet Head
What do you mean by, "I would like to think I could confirm that I have been seen in such situation". I mean, can you, or not? I, for one, expect a motorist to pull out of these driveway, take a quick glance, and go. The way I verify that they did notice me is that they don't do that... they glance, and stop, staring at me. Perhaps they look away, and then look back at me, making it obvious that they're waiting for me to go by. Absent that kind of confirmation, I do what I have to do. I'm probably already in a conspicuous centerish position, but I might merge further left into the left tire track (or even into the far left lane if there is no other same direction traffic). But the main thing is, per Chipcom's advice, to be mentally prepared. If there is no way to avoid having my safety depend on their noticing me before I can verify that they have noticed me, without slowing down, then I will slow down. Perhaps that's all they need to notice to cut out in front of me... So what? Let 'em go. That rarely happens to me. I can't remember the last time I actually had to slow down and someone took advantage of that like that.
I just don't see what the issue is.
Why? Why can't you observe them and note that they are behaving in a way that is peculiar to having noticed you? Sure, if you can't make that kind of confirmation, then you're crazy to proceed into space where you're vulnerable to get hit by them.
I believe this situation, of motorists not even hesitating, is perhaps what killed the young woman, mentioned earlier here on BF.
The lack of hesitation is exactly that lack of verification that I'm talking about. Hestiation that is peculiar to noticing me is exactly what I'm looking for: confirmation that I'm seen. If they don't hesitate, they just go... so what? You shouldn't be somewhere we're you'll be hit by them when the do that since you were not yet able to confirm that they noticed you. That's the whole point.[/QUOTE]
Hey I wasn't hit in any of these situations... so clearly I can judge that drivers are being bad.
My issue is that the motorists I mention are not even trying. At higher speeds the driver just cruising a stop sign or doing a quick glance might be moving so fast that a cyclist moving at say 35MPH on an intersecting course doesn't even see the car until they make contact. Yet again it comes down to cyclists having to CYA due to motorists that chose to not even try.
In the case of two of these drivers, they zoomed out in such a way that I could not see them until I was right in their path... due to other obstructions (cars, houses, bushes) and a narrow road.
Yeah I avoided them all, but not everyone can... as evidenced by a recent death.