No need to be aggressive man. I didn't realise that this forum was for north American users only. I only came here seeking advice and information.

You will get no where here. It is always the cars fault in this forum no matter what, and any sort of review that could in any way try to help cyclists be safer on the road or the smallest hint of venting over anything a cyclist does is absolutely forbidden. Cyclist are always in right in this place. Bicycle advocates. Wasting your time here. They will just kick your car even when it is their fault. LOL

Akth8r don't listen to Steve Whitlach, just reread all the thread leading up. Nobody here minds that you're british, and nobody here stuck up for the cyclist as a knee-jerk reaction.

Oh I was playing. Sarcasm. I deal with commuters all day long 5 days a week. LOL

This is not an North American forum. This forum is for everyone all over the world and all are welcome here, we are international. You are very much welcome here. Thank you for coming here to ask our point of view and thank you for caring enough to do so.

Good one.

This forum is NOT at all exclusively for North Americans, our membership includes people from across the globe. Enjoy the forums.

this situation kinda debunks the ninja logic: "if they can't see me, they can't hit me"

OK well the sarcasm didn't make it through.

I was thinking actually when I read the OP, wow, I hope we don't get any kneejerk bicycle rights advocates in this thread, and hey, we haven't!

So here's one for y'all to enjoy (although you've all probably seen it before):

Yeah I'm probably the closest to the knee jerk bicyclist advocate here lol

My standard view is usually it's always the motorists fault regardless of circumstances, but the cyclist had damn sure better be taking responsibility for his own life, as you can't be dependent on anyone else for it.

edit: eh, one of the above posters actually had a nice comment about speaking in absolute terms...so I'll temper it a bit. NEARLY in all circumstances I would blame the motorist. A motorist needs to be aware that not everyone on a bike, or even pedestrians, is an intelligent, rationally thinking human being, and needs to account for that in their driving, just as a cyclist needs to account for being invisible.

My threshold for assigning blame is pretty close to absolute in favor of the cyclist, but not completely absolute. It would stop just short of blatantly suicidal behavior, like alley cat races.

25mph, blowing lights through cross traffic, no brakes, yeah I don't think I would have a problem blaming a cyclist in that circumstance.

It is good that you are concerned, but I will say as a long time (over 30 years) cyclist that somebody riding after dark without lights is a total fool and put YOU in a bad situation because they are almost impossible to see and you will feel bad if you hit them.

You did exceptionally well under they circumstances and I commend you for your attentive driving.

OK, not to risk getting banned to A&S, but you have to admit there are plenty of scofflaw cyclists out there who run lights and signs, ride on the wrong side of the street, etc and would be at fault if they got into an accident because of that behavior. That's half the reason cagers hate us (the other half being irrational cager rage)

See the edit to my post: I do agree lol. Came a bit late.

gotcha.

None of what you listed is why cagers hate. Cagers simply hate, period.

Asked why, they will probably fly those listed items up the flag pole for justification, but when asked why they do not voice the same level of vitriol toward other cagers exhibiting the same type of behaviors, Sounds of Silence suddenly becomes the theme song.

I witnessed an almost head on crash because a cyclist suddenly crossed an avenue without looking and a car swerved into the other lane to avoid him. Luckily the oncoming car driver reacted quickly and it was only a close call, but it could have been fatal.

Drivers here are supposed to merge to the right and only then turn, never across a lane including a bike lane. I don't know the situation with OP of course, whether there was a bike lane or room for a bike lane between his car and the right side. I'm not 100% sure we're talking about what I think of as a "right turn" or was it our "left" crossing an oncoming lane? If so, this observation doesn't apply.

My sympathies are with the driver, but I thought I'd put this out here because this right-turn situation isn't always just the cyclist. An "incorrect" right turn "invites" a vehicle on the right, or so I'm told by LEO. Naturally the cyclist shouldn't test that, especially without lights at night.

It is happened to me as both a driver and cyclist. I don't know how you can be a regular at either and not experience a close call, even if consider yourself a safety first guy. Congratulate yourself on taking a second look, avoiding an injury accident, and keep doing the good things that make a difference for others.


And to prairiepedaler: "The average person commits 3 felonies a day without even knowing it." That's the kind of loony blog gossip that is making our country cynical, disrespectful and distrustful. You shouldn't promote poison.

I drive a semi in the city of Chicago all day long, 5 days a week. I have seen it all.

This goes for pedestrians and cyclists as well.

Always assume others will do the worst, stupidest move possible and make a back up plan for avoidance. If you can't - slow down, stop, pull over if you have to.

Akth8r

First of all, thank you for caring enough to come here with your story. Safety takes this kind of cooperative approach vs. the all to common blame the other guy for being a (insert epithet).

Odds are your memory isn't faulty, and the cyclist was without a light (or his died). But that doesn't really matter, you could have easily missed him even if he had a light. There's lots of visual clutter at night, and the low power light of a bicycle can easily be missed.

There are also various reasons why it's so easy to miss a bicycle, even in broad daylight. Here's some reading that might interest you, written by an exRAF pilot. IMO his info is beneficial as a reminder to motorists of the need to exercise extra diligence, and for bicyclists that even caring, careful drivers may not "see" them in their brain, even though they're in plain sight.

+1. I was hit twice by drivers who claimed they didn't see me (probably true) and came from the side in broad daylight.

Thanks for the article. Very interesting reading.

IME - bicyclists must adjust to a unique sight line problem in most urban areas.

Besides the standard issue of being missed by a quick visual scan, or misjudged speed, which can happen at any intersection, we have to consider that parked cars may block sight lines, making it difficult or impossible to see us more than a few car lengths from the corner. A cyclist at any decent speed can easily bridge the distance between beyond of the angle of sight and the point of collision in less time than a driver can clear the line of motion.

I make it SOP to move left as I approach intersections with traffic to my right, and even then make sure I can see the driver, not just the front of his car as I approach. Then, just in case, I prepare to scrub speed and zig right to cross behind any car that might enter the intersection as I approach. That zig has saved me from a bent fork more times than I wish to count.

I do this religiously. A, it makes me easier to see, B, makes it more clear to the driver that I'm coming through. and C, leaves more room to dodge if I have to.

That fighter pilot article was a fascinating read.. i'd heard about 'saccade' before but had no idea how important it was.. Something can be right in front of us and we'll see right through it. I saw my wife do this at an intersection once. Middle of the day, she's turning left, pedestrian in front of us she nearly drives right through him (I yelled and grabbed the wheel before she hit him)..She swore she didn't see him.. 'saccade' blindness, that explains it.