Part of my commute is prone to similar issues. I'm *always* watching the cars around me. And co workers think I am crazy for riding with 50 mph traffic on a limited access road with a bike like wide enough for a car.

Another dangerous situation is passing cars waiting at a red light and then the light turns green. People don't look for bikes and can easily end up cutting you off. If every driver used blinkers, cyclists could be more proactive.