Let's watch some trucks turning right.
 

Two videos have been brought to my attention - there is no death or injury - but they do perhaps comically and violently point out the fault in the idea that people could "just move out of the way" if a truck starts turning right in front of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=34&v=Gbs90yoZD44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=80&v=jPZuWAjMLcI

Also note neither driver sticks around after destroying property, even the guy who seems to have stopped because he knows he's just smashed a ton of stuff. :twitchy:

You can see that if you were on the sidewalk, you have little time decide to run around the corner, jump the fence, or what. Forget about saving your bike too if you're on one. Either way you can count on the trucker not stopping.

Both on the same corner. I think if I owned that corner lot, I might be inclined to sink a 6 foot long, 8 inch diameter steel pole filled with concrete and paint it some nice refreshing color.

A few years back I was the passenger in a car waiting at the light in the right turn lane at a ramp to get on the expressway. In the lane to the left was a semi truck. When the light changed, the truck proceeded to take the right turn, and as he did, the rear wheels of the trailer ran over the front of the car I was in. There was this terrifying moment when we realized that the truck was going to hit us and there was nothing we could do. In my opinion there was no way the driver didn't know what just happened; he just kept going though. I jumped out of the car and chased the truck down the ramp a bit trying to get his attention and/or a license plate.

Cyclosaurus, did you get the license plate? Did the twit get fired? Don't leave us hanging!

One has to wounded why OTR trucks would even be in that location. As a professional driver I find such stupid, careless incidents embarrassing on many levels.

Why do semi truck drivers even go down the street they are not allowed to.

Something like this? Didn't work last time.

-mr. bill

I think you can see that getting bent over in one of the videos. I don't think it's a solid, concrete filled steel post. Heck, the sheet metal on the side of the truck bent it.

I've seen 8 inch diameter heavy wall steel pipe throw speeding snow trucks a few feet to the side, I don't think they'd bend like that.

Lost, unfamiliar with an area, made a wrong turn, bad directions, following GPS directions, poorly posted construction detour, ill considered shortcut, lots of reasons, but not an excuse to just run stuff over. Stop, figure a safe way out, do the right thing.

The only thing I don't understand is what's the cycling content of this thread. Anyone who couldn't avoid such a slow motion event hasn't a hope, and shouldn't be on a bike.

In the first link. I presume you are referring to the truck pulling the flatbed trailer with the wind turbine on it. That got stuck on an unlevel road?

In the second video, that was just plain stupid of the truck driver. The design of that neighborhood is not meant for 18-wheelers.

You gave me another reason to say 'take the lane', and don't ride on the sidewalk.
I couldn't believe the truck driver made the right turn into the residential neighborhood. When it was even impossible to do a wide-right turn, without going over the curb.

I would definitely plant a bollard right there on the corner, truck drivers would spend some time figuring out how to get out of the neighborhood safely then

I was in the moving and storage business for many years taking trucks that size into such neighborhoods, its not that hard if one puts any effort into it.

Inspired by a comment in another thread about why a cyclist who was run over and killed by a truck turning right didn't just get out of the way. As the videos show, by the time it becomes clear the wheels are going to run over the sidewalk, you'd either have to jump the fence or run backwards. If you took even a split second to consider saving your bike you'd be smashed to death. People seriously underestimate the time it takes to react and move - in real life it happens a lot faster than it seems on video.

Anything possible, there's an endless supply of u-tube videos not involving cyclists that could fall into the "what if" category, do we really need to go through them all?

Many thanks for posting the videos. Helps me to remember both to avoid being near a large truck and the fact that sidewalks are not necessarily safe.

If they were timely and we had had discussions about particular situations - such as trucks turning right - I don't know that they would be inappropriate.

You can add city buses to the list. Just as dangerous and the drivers do not seem overly concerned about bicycle lanes and cyclist. If it is at a bus stop on a street with a bicycle lane I don't pass it. I can sit and wait.

Yes. I'm interested in any discussion that may keep me just a little bit safer. No matter how many times it's been repeated or how hypothetical it is.

Feel free to not participate if it bothers you; and since I don't see a red star by your name I'm going to go ahead and assume nobody here has appointed you as Sole Arbiter of Good Taste. All you're doing is making extra noise for no good reason.

Help me out here. The victims here thankfully were just Adirondack Chairs. Just how could they have avoided such a slow motion event?


You find these operators "embarrassing." Yet you scold their victims for not getting out of their way.

-mr. bill

I hope that isn't a problem in your city. If you feel it is so bad that you have to wait behind buses, take some PREEMPTIVE action.

*YOU* *CAN* *FIX* *THIS*. Several cities have training programs for bus operators that have made *HUGE* differences, such as this effort. These days, when I use Write to the Top it's for a commendation of fantastic behavior. I can't remember the last time I had trouble with a public transit bus.

Until then, transit buses are among the most predictable vehicles on the road. They have a finite number of places where they stop. They have a fixed route. Learn both of those and make yourself visible to them. Stay out of their no zone. And if an operator puts *you* into their no zone and pulls to the curb, it's a teachable moment. Report the incident.


During heavy automobile traffic, I'll usually pass several buses - but each one only *ONCE.* Bicycles are often the fastest vehicles during heavy automobile traffic, transit buses with their frequent stops often the slowest.


-mr. bill

Thanks for an excellent suggestion. I am car free and reluctantly use the OCTA buses to augment my bike. Most of the stops are random when no riders are waiting and someone requests a stop to disembark. That is when I have encountered the bus making a closer pass than comfortable to make the stop. Approaching a stopped bus I have always acted as if it is going to make a rapid move into traffic.

I'll contact OCTA

You got me,
I'm prejudiced against Adirondack chairs, they're lazy and don't do anything to improve their situation, expecting others to take care of all their needs.

I saw a U-tube video of a ski boat that went out of control, left the water, crossed a path hitting some lawn chairs. I think I should post it as they could have been cyclists instead of lawn chairs. We could learn so much...............

Its my opinion that posting such things has no value as it lacks any actual cycling content, and is nothing more than fear mongering.

Feel free to not participate if it bothers you; and since I don't see a red star by your name I'm going to go ahead and assume nobody here has appointed you as Sole Arbiter of Good Taste. All you're doing is making extra noise for no good reason.

No he got too far away for me to get the plate. No happy ending.

red star means "obsolete upgraded member." Purple stars mean moderator or admin