63rickert

I simply do not have that particular fear. Being run over is a highly unlikely accident. Like being hit by lightning. In almost all cases when a motor vehicle hits a cyclist the cyclist is thrown. The initial impact can be bad and the landing is possibly very bad. Being physically under the wheels of a motor vehicle is so remote a possibility it is not worth thinking about. But that is the nightmare that lives in the collective imagination. Why do so many feed that nightmare?

"Almost ran over a few times." Apparently in a short span of time. I doubt it. That is a perception, not a fact. If the perception is that extreme the answer is not to ride.

In a lifetime of riding, 61 years, I have been hit with injury exactly twice. First one happened when a drunk driver exited an enter-only 5mph alley at 20mph. My view of alley was obscured by parked cars. Alley was in middle of a blank brick wall immediately next to the traffic lane. I suffered the need to have three stitches in my chin. Thirty-two years later second injury was caused by a post office truck traveling the wrong way on a one way bicycle path. No way anyone could be prepared for that. Head-on collision with a truck. Turned out that driver had had four accidents in six weeks, had a forged green card, had a forged drivers license, the California Highway Patrol did not even check his license because postal bureaucracy. I needed forty stitches in my leg and rode home from the ER.

No idea how many times I have been hit by vehicles in traffic. Lots. Usually sideswiped by mirrors, sometimes rear ended, have had Chicago buses pull into the curb when I was in the way and in their mirror too many times. If no injury occurs, get back on bike and ride. If the bike is damaged it's a bad day. Also shot at more than a few times, this is Chicago. But it's really a difficult shot hitting a moving vehicle from a moving vehicle so mostly try not to even pay attention

indyfabz

Yeah. There is a book written about various subjects related to death. (Cannot remember the title, but I have it at home.) In one chapter the author delves into the science making autos safer. At one point she notes that most people are not run over by cars but rather "run under" by cars.

I'll try to remember to post the name of the book. It's a good read. Another chapter explores the use of cadavers to advance forensics. There is a research facility where they bury cadavers in various types of environments (e.g., swamp land) and then exhume them are various stages. Based on things like the rate of decay and what insects have laid eggs in the flesh, they can get a better understanding of how long a body has been in the state it was found. And you think your job sucks.

chanstevens

When I was a newbie, I was hyper careful to stay as far right as possible out of combination of wanting to stay as clear of cars as possible and minimize [urinating] motorists off by delaying them from their destination by 10-30 seconds. Now I'm more of the Fired Green Tomatoes/Kathy Bates attitude where I have no reservations about taking appropriate share of the lane, and have calloused myself to disregard horns, middle fingers, etc. That stems from year-round riding and commuting with bike as my primary/only transportation.

Two guiding principles keep things in perspective for me:

• We're all (even motorists) just one text message away from becoming roadkill
• When your number's up, it's up--I'll just be the healthiest corpse in the morgue

I certainly don't go out of my way to court danger and ire, try to stick to less crowded roads, but my impact on the lives of motorists and their impact on me is not a critical factor I allow to influence my enjoyment of cycling.

whipdancer

Luckily, I've never been hit while on my bike. I have been hit while running (I was in a cross-walk at a stop sign).

As someone previously said - zero trust (that they see, care, are aware).

I'm rarely, truly surprised by their actions anymore.

yukiinu

More and more I am becoming fearful of drivers who don't pay attention because they think their cars can drive themselves, when I know that the cars don't "see" bikes.

blacknbluebikes 

Possible, but not probable.
Look at the IHS site for stats. (linked)
Interesting that the vast majority of deaths are men over 20yrs old.
So, therefore, don't be an old man. Change that and your odds are drastically improved.
Else, Rule #5 .

CAT7RDR

I was side-swiped about a year ago on a canyon road with little to no shoulder. A Camry driven by a young woman veered into me. I was lucky and was able to stay on the bike and make a panic stop. Fortunately, I received just a bruise on my hip and the bike was undamaged. Another six inches and I was likely dead, she was doing about 45 mph.

Lesson learned? I do not ride that road any longer. Yesterday I drove 20 miles to a closed road and put on 58 miles in the mountains without any vehicle traffic, just cyclists and occasional hikers. Sometimes you have to look for opportunities to be safe. I also am able to ride Friday after 9 AM and early Sunday mornings. This helps me to avoid traffic.

FiftySix

That's the most convincing reason I've ever seen for me to become female. If only my health insurance covered that procedure. It's for my own safety, dadgummit.

livedarklions

OK, that's really weird--if you look at the long-term trend it looks like it's the same age cohort of males getting killed in large numbers. The males under 20 are, by far, the largest group until 1990, when they cross over with the males over 20 who then become the largest group by far, and the number of males under 20 drops drastically.

Either men born before 1970 are really unsafe cyclists, or there's just a hell of a lot of us cycling.

Miele Man

I position myself well on the road and I avoid the door zone at all times even if that is where the painted "bike lane" is. I also have a rearview mirror on my glasses or my helmet and like a WW2 fighter pilot I use it a LOT. Being out from the door zone also gives me room to move to the right if a following or over-taking vehicle is not slowing for me. That save me from getting that run-down feeling a few years ago on t he approach to a very narrow bridge. I saw three transport trucks approaching behind me the last one having its trailer wheels on the fog line. Since none of those trucks were slowing down I pulled off onto the soft shoulder at 50 kilometers an hour and had a very interesting ride until I got stopped just before going down into the river. I'm still not afraid of being hit from behind and I strongly advise the use of a helmet or glasses mounted mirror when riding in traffic. It allows you to see behind you as well as in front of you.

Cheers

foothillbilly

Yes!

I'll add what I believe has kept me safe for decades. (A) Be as visible as possible. I always use a road-worker safety vest and at least one blinking light. (B) Be predictable, no matter what you believe others feel. (C) Use a mirror. Mine is the eyeglass type. This lets you keep a straight line easier and spot trouble coming from behind much sooner.

rozman

What do folks think about the Garmin tail light with radar?
Anyone have one?

philbob57

I ride where the traffic is light, and I stop at red lights. I stop at stop signs unless I have a lot of visibility both left and right AND I can be sure there are no cars coming, which means there are no parked cars that mat screw up visibility. I've been doing that for the last 3 seasons, and I don't understand why it took me so long to put the above into practice. With age comes wisdom, I hope.

SDkid605

Not exactly what you are asking;
But Milk Crates have been beneficial to me in this city;
Many of car's side mirrors have shatters as they are just too close.

It's also an attachment that reflective warning stuff can be attached to.

"Krylon" glow in the dark paint works, but here in the city, the street lights make it useless.

But it sure looks cool in my basement with the lights off !!
OK, whatever, safe travels.
Haven't tried the reflective spray paint yet, it sure is expensive; but it is advertised as to stick to clothes, plastic, metals, and anything.

eja_ bottecchia

I have one and I love it.

bpcyclist

How does it work?

FlMTNdude

If I were to succumb to that fear I wouldn’t even cross the street. As a cyclist, occasional driver and sometimes walker there isn’t a day that something doesn’t happen that could shake me up. I am lit up, plan routes, use bike lanes and listen behind me.

eja_ bottecchia

It is a doppler radar and it works by alerting riders of traffic approaching from the rear.

It is very effective.

I am very happy with it.




Here is a full review:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/04/...th-review.html

indyfabz

Riding in the woods, away from auto traffic, has its own dangers:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ail-in-montana

Jim from Boston

I skimmed the lengthy review and noted: FWIW as a mirror advocate, and not to scoff at the product, I had posted on a previous thread: "Cyclist Rear Ended at 55mph":So I think that 153 meters is a long way off, and quick decisions are made at a shorter distance.

crazyravr

When its my time to go, there is nothing I can do about it. Enjoy life for now and do what I like.

prj71

Simple.

Gravel Riding or Mountain Biking. Gravel riding puts your chance of coming across cars near zero. Mountain Biking = No cars at all.

indyfabz

A few years ago a friend of mine ran into a tree with his face during a warmup lap before a CX race. He died. And see the link in post #69 . We are all doomed!

prj71

Well ****. I guess I'm going to stop riding. Life is dangerous!!!

But in any case...this thread about cars and bikes together on the road. I offered two viable possibilities to minimize that interaction between car and bike. Not bike and tree.

FiftySix

Or a guy wire across the neck, or falling into a deep washout.

Hazards are everywhere, that's for sure.