doctor j

Thus far, I've had a good year on the bike. Today was no exception, but there was a little "glitch".

I was riding north on a four-lane divided highway (two lanes each direction separated by a grassy neutral ground), and I had moved over into a separate turn lane for a left-hand turn. There is a cross-over stretch of two-lane pavement across the neutral ground for turns. There was a police car moving in the cross over, and we were closing on the intersection. Well, he rolled through the intersection and turn left onto the highway right in front of me. Fortunately, I was paying attention and could react in time to avoid a collision.

I am 6'2", ride a 60cm bike, was wearing one of the ubiquitous hi-viz yellow jerseys, was sitting upright, and had a Cygolite Expilion 250 on flash mode on my bar, i.e. I'm not invisible. If the LEO saw me, he paid absolutely no attention.

Typically, I ride past the police department about 100 yards away from said intersection. I contemplated stopping and lodging a complaint. It's a "one-horse" town, and the police department has made the local news, not for good reasons. I decided against lodging the complaint and rode on home.

Typically cyclists and LEOs get along well in our area.

I suppose the point of all of this is: be careful out there!

Biker395 

Glad you're OK. Another example of expecting and having a plan for the worst.

Being visible is not the same as being seen and even being seen doesn't mean your presence has been registered in the viewers mind. Was there anything in particular to divert the LEOs attention? I try to be extra careful if there are larger, more menacing vehicles about, if there are attractive women about, or other distractions.

canklecat

I try to remember that a driver acknowledging my presence may only translate into "Not a threat".

B. Carfree

It always impresses me that people can look right at something and not register its presence. This isn't confined to people driving cars by any means. Last Sunday I came upon an older male "paperboying" his bike up a hill I ride over a few times each week. As he veered across the road he looked back down the hill right at me a couple of times. However, when I went past him he was surprised by my presence and said something about things being so peaceful and quiet along that road (which is true).

Always assume there are people out there who don't see you. Have an escape plan simmering in the back of your mind, just in case.

Cyclist0084

Always good advice.

BobbyG

Lizard Brain + MGIFO Syndrome.

doctor j

I would agree that visibility and being seen are not the same. Yesterday's event certainly says that.

As his emergency lights were not illuminated (nor were they illuminated when he completed his left turn), and his siren was not on, I'm reasonably sure that that he was not going on an emergency call. I didn't see anything particularly distracting in the area. Had it been an attractive representative of the opposite gender, I would have likely been distracted, myself It's flat and wide open in that vicinity. Perhaps he was lost in his thoughts.

rumrunn6

mother & uncle got broadsided in a similar situation. mom was distracted by uncle giving directions on the fly & she turned across oncoming traffic. mom was in the wrong. thankfully everyone survived but car was totaled.

CrankyOne

Drivers on motor vehicle roads are looking for other motor vehicles, not bicycles. They can appear to look directly at someone on a bicycle and it completely not register because it is not a car. This is basic psychology.

Drivers of motor vehicles are primarily concerned about dangers to themselves (self preservation), not who they pose a danger to.

berner

A person does not have to be evil to be distracted to the point of being dangerous. Being hyper alert with an escape plan at the ready is necessary.

woodway

He could have been reading or responding to something on the "cop computer" in his car.That's how they get dispatched to their calls these days (my oldest son is a cop and has shown me how it works, at least in his department).

Camilo

I wasn't there and have to rely on the OPs interpretation of the event as an experienced cyclist. Experienced enough to be aware of potential dangers and avoiding them as he did in this situation. So I'm not disputing, just adding to the discussion.

But - maybe the cop did see him, just made the turn and realized the cyclist has brakes and can slow or stop as needed.

Did you have to stop suddenly or was it more in the realm of normal give and take in traffic?

I'm not trying to excuse anything, and when driving I take extra care around bicycles. Maybe it was a dangerous move by the cop, whether he saw the bike and ignored it, or didn't see it because he wasn't paying good enough attention. But in normal traffic situations, I do occasionally do things that - while not dangerous - do cause other drivers to have to slow down or change lanes. Not suddenly or dangerously, but what I consider normal traffic driving. Merging, making left turns or changing lanes when an acceptable gap appears, etc. I know sometimes I get a horn beep in situations where I would have just slowed or changed lanes without getting pissed.

doctor j

I had to get on my brakes quickly. There is a flashing red light on the crossover such that those in the crossover are required to stop before entering the main highway in either direction.

CrankyOne mentioned above that drivers of vehicles are looking for other vehicles, and I would tend to agree with that assessment. Had I been driving a car or pickup, I'm guessing that the LEO would have stopped as required by the flashing red light. This may be a situation where size DOES matter.