vol

Warning: the video after 0:08 is extremely disturbing, so some may not want to watch past that.

Anyway, this is a very common risk. How could one avoid it? To avoid being in the situation in the first place, mirrors would be helpful. I try to avoid being close to large trucks as much as possible, so if I saw in the mirror the big truck coming up from behind, I'd probably immediately move to the right to keep distance, and may slow down to let it pass, so even if I didn't know it's going to make right turn (driver's turn signal started very late), it may help. But what if you didn't see it until it starts turning next you? Jump off the bike if you are quick enough?

One lesson from this tragedy may be, if you are crossing an intersection while a vehicle is next to you, always consider the possibility that it may make turn toward you. Another lesson is the driver really may not see you.

10 Wheels

Same with Busses.

vol

I had a very close call with a bus at a bulbout. I got off the bike instantly and landed on the curb.

northernlights

We have our Darwin Award winner of the day.

- Didn't bother to look to her left and right before attempting to cross the street.
- Rode straight into the truck's blind spot without first checking to see if it was going to turn on her.

canklecat

Negligent driver. Nothing complicated.

The only deterrent is better training, enforcement and more appropriate adjudication.

Vehicle licensing should include psychological testing to identify drivers with greater risk potential for careless or aggressive tendencies. Most employment applications and tests for retail and warehouse jobs already use tests that are cleverly designed to identify potential thieves. The same testing can be adapted to vehicle operator licensing.

Enforcement methods should mandate re-education of reckless drivers, including those who haven't actually caused an accident but committed moving violations that indicate potentially greater risk.

Punishment and jail/prison time aren't necessarily appropriate for negligent homicide. Hard time in prison is itself cruel and unusual punishment and tends to create alienated and angry ex-cons. Mandatory financial compensation to victims and survivors would be more appropriate. Even if it takes a lifetime of repayment.

canklecat

Did you watch the video? It appears the cyclists had the right of way. The truck overtook them from behind and clearly should have seen the cyclists.

The only problem I see is that video confirms the inherent flaw with dedicated cycling lanes where vehicles are permitted to turn across the cycling lane. It's a design flaw.

northernlights

I did watch the video did you?

The cyclist was in the truck's blind spot the whole time. Do you expect the driver to have eyes in the back of his head when you're cycling in his blind spot? You really expect him to see you? Are you old enough to drive a motor vehicle? Because you don't seem to understand what a blind spot is.

vol

She didn't ride straight into the truck's blind spot. The truck came from behind, caught up with the bike resulting the bike in the blind spot. Even with a mirror and you see a truck coming from behind, how could you avoid being in its blind spot? The driver should have been educated about blind spots and be more careful. Actually in the last few seconds the woman may be visible in the truck's rear view mirror. Maybe the driver didn't check the mirror.

What would you do in that case, northernlights?

northernlights

You're confused. There were two cyclists. The first cyclist who I will call A that appears in the video was not the same cyclist B who was hit by the truck. Cyclist A made it across the street and was not overtaken by the truck. Cyclist B was in the truck's blind spot for the duration of the video and is the one who got hit.

Regardless of who has the right of way, the driver has to know you are there if the driver can't see you then he cannot give you the right of way. As far as the truck driver was concerned he saw cyclist A safely making it across the street and assumed he was clear to make the right turn, but didn't realize there was a second cyclist because she was riding in his blind spot the whole time.

CB HI

You being the video expert, should have notice the convex mirror on the truck which is designed to prevent this type of collision. The mirror is likely mandated by law, but this driver chooses not to use it.

CB HI

Stop trying to slam others when you cannot see what is happening in the video. What you are calling cyclist A, is a person on a moped.

wrldtraveller

I used to work as a commercial driver driving a large box vehicle delivering packages. I also am passionate about cycling. My comments about this is its an sad tragedy that happened. All I can say is, assume that the driver did not see you, act accordingly. anytime you are cycling, always cycle defensively and attentively. I once had to brake hard and i tumbled off my cycle because a vehicle cut me off intending to turn. He never turned on the signal light.

Stay safe, watch always, assume they did not see you.

W

randomgear

You are such a !@###@$%#$^$ jerk to blame the victim!

northernlights

Correction: there are two cyclist who first appear and both make it across the street. The third one did not.


Could be, but its hard to tell. But it doesn't matter. Whatever they were riding they made it across the street.

Chris0516

Take the lane

CB HI

Of the 4 vehicles near the truck, the first is a moped with 2 people on it, the second is a moped with 1 rider, the third is the cyclist that got hit and the fourth is a moped with 1 rider on it. time 0:16 is perfectly clear the first is a moped with 2 people on it, time 0:19 is perfectly clear in the difference between a cyclist and the fourth vehicle being a moped; but you come back to argue.

CB HI

China - Likely illegal with harsh penalty, even all the mopeds are in the side lane. For US you are correct, but likely get a ticket in NYC.

northernlights

So you wouldn't do anything differently than the woman who got run over? Well if you want to assume very driver on the road is always going to do the right thing every time that's your choice. Unless you are a psychic how would you know the truck driver isn't distracted, drunk, half-asleep, talking or texting on his phone?

That's exactly right. I was taught to always drive defensively while in my car or on my motorcycle, and I do the same thing when on a bicycle. For some reason cyclists too often assume none of the things they learned in driver ed. about defensive driving applies when they are on a bicycle. But in reality defensive driving is much more critical on a bicycle which is much harder for drivers to notice than other traffic. A bicycle is not as easily seen, and is completely silent. A motorcycle has the advantage of being very loud and easily heard. But a bicycle is totally silent.

CB HI

So now that you have been proven wrong, while claiming others are wrong; you pull a strawman out of your ass.

northernlights

Where was I proven wrong? Wow, you found out the first two riders in the video were on a moped, and somehow that is a huge deal to you. Congrats! Even though I corrected that in a previous post. But how is it relevant in any way shape or form? Talk about a strawman. Is that all you got?

Again, would you have done anything differently than the woman who got run over? You might consider taking a course or two in proper riding technique where you can learn all about defensive riding, since you prefer to believe in blind luck. You're going to need it.

CB HI

Your prior post was far from a correction, since your 'correction' still calls them cyclist.

Your strawman made claims on how I would ride. Now you properly ask the point in a question, but then you improperly throw out another strawman.

If you were able to read post 17, it is reasonably clear that I agree with Chris0516 in taking the lane.

For someone who never bicycles on the road, you are pretty rude in telling others how they ride or what classes they need. Having bicycled for over 350,000 miles on the road, most of them during rush hour commutes, I think I have the knowledge of how to safely cycle on the road. But you, who never cycles on the road, calls those who do crazy or insane for riding on functional roads for us.

I pushed the point of you being wrong for your rudeness in insisting others in this thread were wrong or confused.

njkayaker

Not likely at all.

njkayaker

The truck passed the cyclist much earlier in the block. The cyclist, almost certainly, the truck was there (and knew for a while). The issue is that the cyclist expected the truck was going straight.

vol

The moped 'A' that made it across the street should exactly be a reminder to the truck driver that it may not be safe to make right turn, since 'A' had been through the blind spot about where the woman was relative to the truck. If the truck driver saw 'A' emerging in front of it, it must be clear to him where they had been, and should not assume he was clear to make the right turn, since apparently the right side of the road was used by cyclists and mopeds. If the truck was on the very edge of the street with no room for cyclist/mopeds, it would be different.

That's why even if I think it's going straight, I would still move away from it. With big trucks, the slightest unpredicable move (on either the truck or the bike) could result in horrible end.

njkayaker

Do you ride in big cities? You might not get very far in some places if you moved away from every truck/van.