Dallas, you are spot-on and now I know why... This article says..."right hook" is a leading cause of bicycle deaths."

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1031
http://images.greatergreaterwashingt...0807081744.jpg

Good luck on a full recovery! A book I have found immeasurably helpful in my ever-evolving commuter style is: The Art of Cycling. To sum it up, the author talks about taking back all the responsibility we can for our own safety, and goes through exactly how to do that. Great reading and gets to the heart of this unfortunate incident and many others. Here's to your continued improving health.

She needs to have the urine slapped out of her.

Take the lane!

the only time I talked to a driver that right hooked me, she said "I thought you would yield to me." How!!!!**********? She was behind me when she started her turn, what, do cyclists come with esp and rear vision nowadays? The only thing that kept me from being churned under her car was that I heard the car pull up beside me and slow.

I see you're from BBurg. Was there ever any conclusion drawn about the woman cyclist that was crushed by a right-turning dump truck at the duck pond end of the drill field? Looked like a classic right hook scenario to me.

Had very close calls with this same behaviour, most drivers are blind to anything but what is exactly in front of them... if you slip out of that field of view you essentially disappear from their situational awareness. Sad, but it seems to be true.

This is the main reason why I now ride almost right on top of the white line of bicycle lanes. I haven't been right hooked since I started doing this.

I got right-hooked by a driver last week for the first time. It was under similar circumstances, although there was no bike lane. I was going uphill at the time and a car came up beside me, and the next thing I knew they were turning right. I just reacted and turned with the car, so I didn't get hit. I shook my fist at the driver and she briefly stopped, and then drove on. I would be willing to bet that she was talking on the phone or otherwise distracted at the time. The scary part was that another car turned into the lot right after the women forced me into it, and the second car almost hit me too.

I would be willing to bet money that the driver saw me but was distracted or underestimated my speed. I was wearing a neon yellow-green vest or jacket, and I have 3 tail-lights, one of which is a Dinotte. There is no way she didn't see me unless she was half blind.

And with all the distractions that seem to be more important than the concentration required to pilot a 5,000 pound missile, we're lucky if they are even paying attention to what is in front of them.

Yes, Robert Hurst has really nailed the concept of defensive cycling: that many collisions require two people make a mistake, and you can choose not to be one of them.

That's a good summary. Also, being aware of what's going on in your immediate surroundings is hard work. You need to turn your head every which way and generally be active, instead of just sitting there with your eyes fixed straight ahead waiting for something to show up so you can maybe react to that. I sometimes think driver's ed should include riding a bike x hours in traffic. Your driving habits will change with that experience (or you're heavily into category #7 above).

--J

In my experience, riding in a bike lane at a junction such as the one described increases, not decreases, the probability of right hooks and right crosses.

I was right hooked in the same way last year. Since then I am extremely wary of cars turning right in the bike lane. I try my best to keep myself spaced as to be able to get out of the way if a hook starts top happen. Motorists should be more aware but most of them aren't. Glad you are ok, I would definitely get you and your bike looked at...especially the bike. If it is damaged you could get hurt further if the carbon fails.

In California it's legal to take the lane to avoid right hooks:

21202. (a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.

(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.

(4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.

(b) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway of a highway, which highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of that roadway as practicable.

One of my personal riding maxims is "The driver behind you is really in front of you." Or so they think... And by the time their front wheel is even with yours, you have magically ceased to exist.

My grandfather, a major oil company V.P., claimed that all drivers are insane. He just never told me that they are delusional and prone to hallucinate. :eek:

Glad you are basically okay.

I was right hooked last year. Luckily it was on a hill and I was moving pretty slow. Studs in my snow tires left a nice scratch in his paint job!

Exactly. As I was getting up, her reply was. Oh' glad you're OK...see ya. I said 'No, call the cops and ambulance'. Witness bikers kept her there for the cops.

So after they pass, can they see you better in their mirrors?

Here's what I think happens. Once the car gets far enough past you that you are behind the driver's head, in their opinion you've left their consideration because bikes move so slow.

Car drivers only look in front of them, and have no memory. If they can't see you, right in front of them, right now, you are not considered.

Not necessarily, but they will be well aware of where you are as they pass. At least in theory. This can not take into account the stupidity of drivers, like the one that hit you. You can't fix stupid.

Edit: What I think happens when I'm right on the white line is that it prevents drivers from trying to merge into the bike lane beside me. They'll either have to speed up and get way ahead or slow down and get behind me.

Sometimes I think bike lanes make cyclists even more invisible to drivers. If you're on the road, you're not relegated to the edge. That's a narrow bike lane, too. I hope you're okay.

I've ridden with you, you have reflective strips and light and are otherwise brightly lit, or, at least more than me.

I hypothesize that the woman probably wanted to "beat you" to the driveway, totally misjudged how fast you were going and how much she has to slow down to make the turn. Sure, car drivers can accelerate to get past you but then then have to slow waaay down to turn. It happens all.the.time to me.

One thing I learned on my motorcycle (sorry spent alot more time on it than cycling in traffic) is that drivers look for *threats* not other vehicles. Threats being other cars/trucks. While motorcycles don't have the speed discrepancy problems, they do have the visibility and lane issues. Heck even in my car I find that most drivers don't judge the speed of vehicles in other lanes very well. They look once for half a second and assume if nobody in in that spot then, nobody will be there in the time it takes to complete their turn/merge.

That is the opinion of many strict Fosterites... which is why they don't like bike lanes. They feel that just sharing a lane is more effective...

So we should equip bikes with all sorts of threats like outward pointing spears... THEN we'll be visible... ;)