Cyclist killed in Seattle
02-06-09, 07:07 PM
#51
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“When the light turned green he was passing cars in the bike lane, and the van pulled away from the curb where the bus stop is. He swung wide to the left to go around the van. I think he thought the van was just pulling out into traffic, but when he realized the van was making a U-turn, he laid the bike down and slid under the van.” (from the Ballard Blog)
This is very, very sad. And this almost happened to me in early December, in a different location. I started an evasive manoever just like Black did, it forced me into the turn lane to the left of the truck. Luckily, just luckily I slid to a stop instead of impacting the driver-side-rear-panel.
I was riding in the left of the lane (to avoid parked cars and construction), downhill and going pretty fast, along with traffic. A truck in front of me pulled to the right with no signal and slowed to a stop in the parking strip. As I continued, the truck suddenly accelerated and made a fast, sharp left across my lane to execute a U-turn and caused me to automatically move left. I fully believe this is what Black was doing. He was doing nothing illegal. The U-turning vehicle did not yield. The witnesses likely are not bicyclists and didn't understand his "left pass." He wasn't passing, he was trying to avoid.
This is very, very sad. And this almost happened to me in early December, in a different location. I started an evasive manoever just like Black did, it forced me into the turn lane to the left of the truck. Luckily, just luckily I slid to a stop instead of impacting the driver-side-rear-panel.
I was riding in the left of the lane (to avoid parked cars and construction), downhill and going pretty fast, along with traffic. A truck in front of me pulled to the right with no signal and slowed to a stop in the parking strip. As I continued, the truck suddenly accelerated and made a fast, sharp left across my lane to execute a U-turn and caused me to automatically move left. I fully believe this is what Black was doing. He was doing nothing illegal. The U-turning vehicle did not yield. The witnesses likely are not bicyclists and didn't understand his "left pass." He wasn't passing, he was trying to avoid.
02-06-09, 10:43 PM
#52
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Does the U-turn have to be made from the left turn lane, or can it be made across the left turn lane? It has to be made from the left turn lane here. Don't know about Washington, though. That van couldn't physically make a U-turn on that street here, they'd have to start the U-turn from much further to the right.
I have always understood it as (and I am not a legal expert) yoiu can u turn at an intersection.
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02-10-09, 03:42 PM
#54
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02-10-09, 04:06 PM
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Yeah but shouldn't any turn go from the nearest lane to the nearest lane? In this case from the left most lane, or even better, the center turn lane to the leftmost lane in the other direction. Isn't this simply an extension of destination positioning?
02-10-09, 05:29 PM
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02-10-09, 05:44 PM
#57
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Believe it or not, this area of Seattle, Ballard, is well known for blundering moves like the one you describe. They even make light of it in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBgIvH0tu6Y.
