I’m having a bad year on the bike. Yesterday I suffered yet another crash. It was the fourth encounter with autos this year. All caused by cars turning directly in front of me, without signaling, and each time I have been in a designated bike lane. Now TWO times I have collided with the car. The first one rendered the bike useless (bent frame). Other than a couple scrapes on the arm I was unhurt. Yesterday…I collided with the car, but somehow the bike was unscathed. I hit the ground hard. But only very minor injuries (I could have ridden today but chose not to). One of which is road rash on my left butt cheek. But I thought I landed on my right butt cheek. And my spandex shorts don’t have any snags, rips, or tears. Hmmm!?!? Another time I locked up the brakes, and was able to skid to a stop against the car’s rear fender with no injuries to me or the bike. And there was another in which I made an immediate course correction and narrowly avoided a collision. And there’ve been a few other near incidents. In both of the collisions, the driver stopped and offered assistance. Before this year…it’d been years since I’ve had an accident. I’m starting to get a phobia. — Dan

May have to learn to get your head out of the bike. Always look down the road and in all directions. Ride defensively even if it means slowing down and stopping at intersections. Don’t be dead right.

Holy fork. I certainly hope that you have used up your bad luck for the next 50 years

Oh my, hope you're feeling better. Might be time for some lighting.

+1.

Good to learn you were relatively unscathed (butt cheek excepted). Heal quickly and another thing, “let’s be careful out there”

what are you using for daytime lights?

I am big on having front (1100+ lumen) and back (350 lumen) blinking lights. (am partial to cygolite brand) and I wear bright gear

I have had drivers note how visible I am stop lights...and in a good way not snarky

People really don't get how invisible cyclists can be in say a patch of shade

that said I also pretty much assume drivers will not signal and will do stupid things....especially if it is close to a school at the start or end of the school day

Glad you are not seriously hurt on this one......

How was the interaction with the police when came on scene?

Friend of mine has a lifetime bike fund from one incident. I think his tactic was to identify the maximum amount the drivers' insurance would pay without him hiring a lawyer.

During the week days I ride early in the morning, from between 5 AM and 6. I'm always mindful of traffic, thinking to myself that these people in cars may not have had enough coffee yet this morning, are rushing to get to work, and may not be expecting a bicycle to be riding along at that hour. Which is why I try to end my rides by 6 because the closer to that hour I get the more traffic I encounter.

Very glad you are okay.

However if you only grumble about it here with a bunch of other cyclists for commiseration, then nothing will change. Call all your government officials and tell them your story too. As well as the heads of the law enforcement and maybe even the media. Join a bicycle advocacy group in your state.

Glad you're through this experience relatively unscathed !
Things do seem to happen in bunches... not sure how that is, but I notice in so many things that (thinking in 'probabilities', the # of times you get either side in coin flips...) 'occurrence' happens inordinately more than 'chance probability' would dictate...
so of us seem to catch the short end, more often than others...
and it rarely spreads evenly though some period of time... the significance of 'Threes' ????
The number of times that I come to some lonely intersection, when an approaching rider also come to the same spot, a car comes also (when car traffic says one car every 10 minutes...) and a squirrl pops out and decides to dart across... this seems to happen often on any day/ride.
... you're solo on a hike on so distant trail, and haven't seen anyone for hours... you need a nature break and decide to just take a step off the trail and get ready to relieve yourself, and a family with young kids comes around a trail bend just a few feet ahead...
What is That ????
Ride On
Yuri

^^^ This. I randomly came into the possession of a front strobe light and once I installed it, I got a LOT more deference from cars coming toward me. The rear strobe is the same story. Flashing lights work much better than bright clothing.

I have to ask where you were at the time, since you mention Rhode Island and Florida as your locations. Florida is always listed as one of the most dangerous places to ride, with tourists unfamiliar with the roads, and elderly people sometimes unfamiliar with reality still behind the wheel.
Additionally, were the incidents closer to 5AM or 6AM? At 6 a lot of drivers are on their way to work, busy with their coffee and cellphones. The low sun also can affect their vision.
I've found the worst times to ride for me are early morning (commuters and soccer moms dropping their kids off at school), midafternoon when the kids get out of school (soccer moms again) and evening commute hour. That leaves me time mid-morning to ride.

I suspect little would change in that situation too. All those government officials, police, and news media would just view it as an instance of "old man yells at cloud."

Flashing lights AND bright clothing is the way I roll.

I blame the now-common blind spot warning systems. A lot of people have grown to rely on the blind spot warning and don't bother to check the blind spot any more. And since there has never been any government standards or third party verification tests for these warning systems, they are a real mixed bag as to how well they work. And it seems like many of these warning systems (including front and back auto braking systems) can't detect bicycles.

But anyways, never ride in anyone's blind spot.

Some years ago I was sitting at a stop light in a rural area. A guy on a motorcycle pulled next to me. While we were waiting, he told me that the only thing he saw as he approached me was my flashing tail light. The highlighter yellow gloves, jacket with reflectors, and rest of my kit all blended into the tree line.

So, do as the motorcyclists always preach - ride like you are invisible to everyone else.

If he yells at them and just talks emotionally about nothing that makes any sense, then yes. That's what they'll think.

Little might change if only one or two ever talk in a reasonable and calm way to their elected officials. But at least having a reasonable presentation of what was wrong and what needs correcting or action will at least be starting the ball rolling. And the more the wind shifts, the more the politicians will take notice.

Media will love to side with the injured person no matter what. But still reasoned and calm thought is needed. Not a old man screaming at the clouds.

OP: I mention this since you've experienced cars turning in front of you. Apologies if you are already doing this and still having run-ins, which does happen.

Years ago, I came across the advice to never cross a motorist's path until I have made eye contact with the person. It's not a panacea, as I've seen motorists look directly at me and then cut me off. (Some kind of metaphysical blind spot, I guess.) But I think it is generally sound advice, along with always riding defensively in traffic.

Heal up fast!

If I run into a car that turns in front of me or that stops in front of me, I was going too fast. I'm going to be the one who sees and misses them, not the one who expects them to see and miss me. It's not right but you can't ever rely on drivers to look out for you.

Wholeheartedly agree. Even if you feel they may be looking at you, they might not see you. When riding in traffic, I am always on defense.

Have had a couple of instances of the former, so now I wave at drivers waiting to enter the roadway, and usually get a wave back. If I don’t, the caution flag goes way up.

I don't know why it's taken this long to get to your wisdom.

Multiple crashes in the same lifetime .... only the first one gets a pass. ALL subsequent events are 100% on the cyclist in question. As much as we may like the o.p. and want to support them it really must be made clear that, somewhere, somehow, there is something they could do to change their luck going forward. And it isn't lights, or hi-viz, or even an Airzound.

The o.p. has obviously never seen what can happen to a person when a crash leaves the victim with permanent crippling injuries. IMO that's worse than dying. I ride a tandem 80% of the time I'm on a bike and nothing makes you more aware of how precious life, high quality life, is than being responsible for someone else's continued high quality life! Here in Oregon the only signaling drivers do is on the freeway and interstate. In town they rarely bother. There is also right turn on red here. After a stop first. That last part is rarely obeyed.

I've never come close to a dangerous collision with a car and don't plan to. Ever. That isn't arrogance. It isn't denial. It isn't impossible. It just means taking that extra second to make sure the cager slowing down at the corner actually is coming to a stop, and not just slowing to slide into the cross traffic ahead of the signal change.

Not if they are coming from the opposite direction and turn in front of you with no turn signal, as I had happen to me once. I had no clue that the driver of the F150 was going to turn into the business I just happened to be riding by. Luckily he stopped in time, but right before the near miss I was thinking, "This is gonna hurt."

Ride like you are visible to everyone else and they are trying to run over you.