Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
The only prevention for this problem is to stay as far away from the right curb as possible when crossing the intersection if there is no vehicular traffic next to you or closely behind you. That way, if the car inches out a few feet you don't get clobbered immediately. Better if you NEVER ride far right out of habit - only necessity. Yes, I know what the law states.
+1. Many drivers simply don't look far enough down the street. Even when I'm driving, at some intersections I need to be forward fairly far just to see around the cars -- often SUVs -- parked by the curb. On my bike, my "default" lane positioning is toward the left, where I can better see and be seen.
Another question for the OP -- were you running a headlight at the time?