Had my first scare commuiting today.
 

I was on my way to work a 4.5 mile ride and was only about a block from my house. I was riding down the side street when a USPS van turned left from a side st in front of me. I was able to turn down the side st he came out on and missed hitting the side of his van. I did see the look of horror on his face however as he pulled out I could tell he knew he screwed up.

Glad you're ok.

I found the more I remind myself about the close calls, the more safely I ride.

Also, a quote I often heard some years back, in regard to cars was, "most accidents happen within a block of the home."

Maybe this applies to cycling as well to some degree....

Yeah, the statistic was a few miles of home. And when you think about it, where does most of your driving take place?

Glad you avoided an accident. Could you explain more about why the driver screwed up?

Easy he was supposed to be stopped/stopping at a stop sign I had the right of way he did a rolling stop through the sign. I imagine I was behind the A post (the post that holds the windshield in)and he didnt see me. Not an easy feat since I am 5'10" 280lbs and was wearing a bright red shirt.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger? *shrug* For me, that old quote rings pretty true with cycling. I think you have to experience a few close calls to know what can possibly take you out. It makes a novice rider experienced and the unwary wary!

The best example of this for me was when some lady left a cross-traffic stop sign and drove straight at me. "Whut?!" We made eye contact all the way up to the point where she was about to run me over. It left me wondering if she was under the impression that I was supposed to somehow stop for her even though I had the right of way. You can never know what these people are thinking. Heck, it's possible she may not have even had a driver's license.

At any rate, I'm glad you weren't hurt.

Sometimes it just doesnt click for some people I swear.... I am a very defensive driver/rider for the most part due to having driven fire trucks and ambulances for about 15 years now. That has experience has helped me quite a few times both in my car and on my bike.

ah yes, miles would make more sense, thanks.

I guess it always was a sort of "captain obvious" type of statistic....

Drivers get so stuck on auto-pilot that anything that they don't see any day may not register in their brain. They can look right at you and since you don't look like a car, they will just drive right into you.

:rolleyes:Wait, what? I thought only cyclists didn't stop at stop signs and red lights. :rolleyes:

I'm glad your allright. car's seen to have no brains for bikers. Just remember even though you have the right away. " dead right or dead wrong your still dead."

Just be careful it's getting worse out there.

I started riding a couple years ago with bright lights on all the time. Three of my bikes have generators. On my fourth, a Bike Friday Tikit, I use battery lights (lots of them). The first day riding home from work on the Tikit, I witnessed a head on collision between two cyclists. A young woman on a heavy mountain bike came around a blind corner too far to the (her) left side of the trail heading straight toward me. I was on the far right side (my right). I was using a helmet light & another light on my bars even though it was bright & sunny outside. She saw me, swerved to her right & plowed head on to a young guy to my left. I don't know if the lights saved me from that, but it probably helped her see me.