Cyclist Rear Ended at 55mph
#151
Junior Member
Yeah, well my comment precedes his...and likening being hit by an inattentive driver to losing a finger because you stuck it under a mower is, well, pretty silly, and undermines poster's credibility.
But I will amend my previous comment by saying that no reasonable person would blame the victim.😏
But I will amend my previous comment by saying that no reasonable person would blame the victim.😏
#152
Cop Magnet
Thread Starter
Electronics fail. Always have done, always will do. Electronic aids on cars fail.
When you need traction control, an electric window, or ABS, and it suddenly isn't there, it's inconvenient.
When you're sat in a Tesla reading the newspaper, and it's suddenly no longer going to avoid a cyclist, well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...
When you need traction control, an electric window, or ABS, and it suddenly isn't there, it's inconvenient.
When you're sat in a Tesla reading the newspaper, and it's suddenly no longer going to avoid a cyclist, well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...
#153
genec
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Really? Than why are the promoters of autonomous self - driving vehicles having such a difficult time fielding a "properly designed" level 5 AV systems, with the vehicles capable of being driven safely on any highway while the driver snoozes away?
Any prediction when bicyclists will be able to relax while cycling in the traffic lane because so-called "properly designed AV systems" are in control?
Any prediction when bicyclists will be able to relax while cycling in the traffic lane because so-called "properly designed AV systems" are in control?
The only place I feel safe, and fully relax on my bike is on isolated bike paths, well away from kids and dog leashes, and very isolated country roads... but with the latter, I still keep my "spider senses" on tiny alert.
The only other place I totally relax when I exercise is when ocean swimming... yeah there are sharks... but they are not human. It's the humans that do unpredictable dumb things... such great minds... yet...
#154
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yeah you missed the whole idea of the post. I wasn't likening as you say someone getting their finger cut off from sticking it under a mower to an inattentive driver hitting a bike rider. Read the whole post. I was saying how people that make stupid decisions are always looking to blame someone else for their stupid decision. Do I think the bike rider made a stupid decision to ride the white line when he had other choices? Yes I do. Was the driver at fault? Yes he was.
#155
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As far as the problem being in the driver's eyes goes, I'm glad that over thirty years ago when I went house shopping, I knew I wanted something on the East side of the city. No morning or evening sun in my eyes during my commute.
I use both left and right rearview mirrors, in my case Take-a-Look eyeglass mounted ones…
When the sun is directly behind, usually one mirror can be positioned away from the glare of the sun. As a corollary, this morning (2/5/18) at about 7:30 to 7:45 AM on my southbound commute, the bright, low-lying Winter morning sun was directly at the level of my left hand rearview mirror, and the sun glare made it difficult to get a fix on that mirror. My right hand, west side mirror was free of glare, with a good rearward view.
That was auspicious because on my otherwise straight 14-mile southbound ride, during that interval I had to proceed from the right side of the road to make three left hand turns,and on two occasions I was closely followed by trucks.
On a northbound ride at 6:30 AM July 28, the glare of the low sun similarly obstructed my right hand mirror.
When the sun is directly behind, usually one mirror can be positioned away from the glare of the sun. As a corollary, this morning (2/5/18) at about 7:30 to 7:45 AM on my southbound commute, the bright, low-lying Winter morning sun was directly at the level of my left hand rearview mirror, and the sun glare made it difficult to get a fix on that mirror. My right hand, west side mirror was free of glare, with a good rearward view.
That was auspicious because on my otherwise straight 14-mile southbound ride, during that interval I had to proceed from the right side of the road to make three left hand turns,and on two occasions I was closely followed by trucks.
On a northbound ride at 6:30 AM July 28, the glare of the low sun similarly obstructed my right hand mirror.
I recall once meeting a car commuter who had just retired, He bemoaned his AM West to East commute in the rush hour direction, and the return home into the sun for decades.
#156
Junior Member
I got your post fine first time. And it's still a silly analogy. Riding on the fog lone is not the same thing as sticking your thumb up a mower. Everything else you said after that irrelevant. Most of us have ridden on the fog line and continue to do so. None of us would eve stick a thumb up a running mower. Maybe you're different.😏
#157
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I can see you clearly didn't understand the content of my post, but that is okay, you can look at it how ever you want. Yeah, its certainly your choice to ride the fog line. In my opinion its stupid and irresponsible to do so, if there is a shoulder to ride on. Its also your choice to ride in the middle of the road if you want to. Its a bit more risky, but if you get hit by a car, its still the drivers fault.
Get my point? Its about removing risks. Does it really matter if it was the drivers fault when he runs you over and kills you, or puts you in a wheel chair for life, because you were riding on the white line? You can piss and moan all you want about how the driver of the car wasn't paying attention. It won't do you any good, nor change your situation, of being dead or paralyzed. It all comes down to how much trust you have in other people being able to avoid hitting you while riding. Again for me.the risk simply isn't worth it.
3. This is not a fact because it didn't happen. It is a fact that he was hit while riding on the white line. It is a fact that the driver hit him at 55 mph. What you are saying is not fact. It is speculation.
Last edited by mcours2006; 09-10-19 at 05:44 AM.
#158
Senior Member
I can't believe some users are blaming the victim here. I mean if a driver can't see ahead, he/she should slow the f.... down! It doesn't matter if there is a fog line, shoulder, whatever, that doesn't change the fact that the driver hit the cyclist with high speed, because he/she "failed" to see him. I myself would have taken the shoulder, yes, but that still doesn't change the fact that a distracted driver hit someone from behind in high speed.
#159
Sierra
This is why we can't have nice things.
I propose to all those admonishing anyone suggesting to think twice of their actions on a route such as this to mount all their video cameras up and ride their local high speed highways to demonstrate to all the newbs how it is properly done.
Bicycles will become banned on this route if they are not already.
I propose to all those admonishing anyone suggesting to think twice of their actions on a route such as this to mount all their video cameras up and ride their local high speed highways to demonstrate to all the newbs how it is properly done.
Bicycles will become banned on this route if they are not already.
Last edited by ChrisWagner; 09-10-19 at 06:36 AM.
#160
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I can't believe some users are blaming the victim here. I mean if a driver can't see ahead, he/she should slow the f.... down! It doesn't matter if there is a fog line, shoulder, whatever, that doesn't change the fact that the driver hit the cyclist with high speed, because he/she "failed" to see him. I myself would have taken the shoulder, yes, but that still doesn't change the fact that a distracted driver hit someone from behind in high speed.
For someone riding like the person in the video, it's not a question of "if" they will get hit, only a question of "when".
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#161
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Obviously that’s the ultimate use of a mirror, and now I monitor rearwards more frequently. So hopefully being aware of the situation behind, even when not in immediate danger, allows the rider to avoid a dangerous situation, even by pulling off the road.
Another scenario is when approaching an intersection/driveway made of rocks. Often rocks will be spewed across the highway several feet from the rock source. I would NEVER just swing around into the center of a lane to avoid the rocks without looking in my mirror.
I bet I have pulled off the road 10,000 times in my 50 years of road cycling to avoid a tight situation before it became a danger to everyone involved.
As for having time to bail, I'll tell my best story. I was on tour in Virginia on a 2-lane road without 1mm of shoulder. Where the tarmac ended the ditch began - about as deep as a grave. The local high school had just let out and the little darlings going past were having their fun yelling and throwing small object at me. Keeping a sharp eye out for the next vehicle I see one approaching that APPEARED to be moving over to give me some room. But at the last second they swerved toward me to either clip me or frighten me into that ditch. I saw it unfold with about one full second to react and slammed on my brakes. The rear bumper of the car missed me by inches. Expecting to hear a "thud" when they hit me caused the driver to swerve too far and his back right wheel dropped off the tarmac into the ditch. The car made a huge lunge as he forced the car left. I watched it bounce around and fishtail with a lot of noise and the four boys contained within likely defiled their tunics. Without the mirror, and the suspicion that every car was a menace likely saved me.
I have other stories where knowing what was coming up behind me was a big deal but nothing as obvious as the Virginia high schoolers.
#162
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Don't be a deer.
#163
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The reason they don't slow down is because they aren't expecting to encounter a deer, a turtle, or a cyclist. The motorist keeps their speed up because they feel they could easily see another motor vehicle. Even in areas where deer are plentiful and the shoulder is littered with their carcasses, most motorists only worry about other motorists. This is why all the deer are DEAD. I don't believe that deer do much thinking and don't parallel the fog line. They love to take the lane! Ever seen a deer carcass close up that had been hit by a high speed vehicle? It gets your attention fo sho.
Don't be a deer.
Don't be a deer.
#164
TeeOhPea 2tha DeeOhGee
That's where I would have been.
I agree as a general principle except in this case, because if he'd taken the whole lane he'd have been hit square and would've gone under the vehicle (or maybe over it). The problem wasn't his position in the lane, it was being in a lane when drivers were blinded by the sun.
And yes, it's still the driver's fault for driving unsafely. If you can't see, you gotta slow down.
I agree as a general principle except in this case, because if he'd taken the whole lane he'd have been hit square and would've gone under the vehicle (or maybe over it). The problem wasn't his position in the lane, it was being in a lane when drivers were blinded by the sun.
And yes, it's still the driver's fault for driving unsafely. If you can't see, you gotta slow down.
__________________
I don't know about that Rseeker.
Many drivers don't give a rat's about some cyclists off on the right, BUT...they do have some measure of self interest / self preservation.
This woman was blinded by sun, but probably would have pulled over and stopped if she couldn't see at all at least for a short bit out in front of her driver side wind shield.
I sincerely think you stand a better chance with a driver like this putting yourself right there where they would have to be blind folded not to see you. Again...they may not care about you...but they care about them and will only move forward to the extent they won't kill themselves.
...or get right of stripe. Driver fault, but if she was blinded by sun, rider also had to know it was an issue for any vehicle coming up behind them. Not smart to take chances like that.
#165
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Riding into a setting or rising sun is one of situation that I have become keenly aware of. For a two-week span in the spring my commuting route takes me on east with sun low on the horizon right in your eyes. During this time I ride on the road only if there is no traffic on the road. But more often I would just hop on the sidewalk for the 1.5-km stretch and not have to give it another thought. I have also taken an alternate route where the sun isn't at zero azimuth.
If I'm blinded by the sun then so are the drivers.
If I'm blinded by the sun then so are the drivers.
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#167
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p.s. Important! Your long shadow points to the people who are blinded by the sun. You may be able to see fine, but if your long shadow points to a driver waiting to turn left or right, or to pull out, they can’t see you.
p.p.s. Tuan’s shadow was NOT pointing at the driver of the Toyota Avalon.
-mr. bill
p.p.s. Tuan’s shadow was NOT pointing at the driver of the Toyota Avalon.
-mr. bill
Last edited by mr_bill; 09-10-19 at 06:36 PM.
#168
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When that first cyclist/pedestrian death occurs involving an AV, however, there will be a huge outcry. Investigations launched. Vehicles recalled. Etc. Pedestrians and cyclists die every hour of every day by human-driven vehicles and most of those barely make the news.
Like you said, big outcry and the research collaboration was shut down (for a while?). It was probably discussed here already.
#169
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_mass_extinction
As I see it. Since you brought it up.
#170
Senior Member
Believing the hype that people sell us to make money has brought us to the point of declining planetary habilitability and civilization-level impacts to come. Extinction appears very unlikely, but how whack is it that we're at a point where we have to ask the question seriously. Part of the problem is our automatic willingness to accept that we should plow ever more of the world under for the sake of another round of gee-whiz tech innovation. Progress is good, but being high-tech doesn't automatically make it progress, nor does simply being new.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_mass_extinction
As I see it. Since you brought it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_mass_extinction
As I see it. Since you brought it up.
#171
Cycleway town
The cyclist had right to the traffic lane. The motorist should've waited until it was clear to overtake - and then given plenty of room.
But let's say we all agree that riding in the lane is stupid, and getting hit is inevitable. Because that's the reality.
What constitutes a close pass? Let's say 2ft wheel-wheel. Thats door mirror to elbow. Too close. But it means almost certain survival.
The car's wheels were just in the shoulder at the point of impact. The still-shot of it passed shows the front wheel further right, as it's returning to the lane (the driver, who was female for those who weren't paying attention, swerving back to the left slightly to get off the rumble strip). But let's just say, for universal sake, it was merely rumbling the strip.
So, to avoid contact, the cyclist needed to be over 2ft into the shoulder for starters.. Not all roads have useable shoulders. And certainly not a clean, useable section for cyclists over 2ft away from the line.
They'd better get widening all the shoulders and cycle lanes then, and get regular road-sweepers along them. Like our cycleways have.
But let's say we all agree that riding in the lane is stupid, and getting hit is inevitable. Because that's the reality.
What constitutes a close pass? Let's say 2ft wheel-wheel. Thats door mirror to elbow. Too close. But it means almost certain survival.
The car's wheels were just in the shoulder at the point of impact. The still-shot of it passed shows the front wheel further right, as it's returning to the lane (the driver, who was female for those who weren't paying attention, swerving back to the left slightly to get off the rumble strip). But let's just say, for universal sake, it was merely rumbling the strip.
So, to avoid contact, the cyclist needed to be over 2ft into the shoulder for starters.. Not all roads have useable shoulders. And certainly not a clean, useable section for cyclists over 2ft away from the line.
They'd better get widening all the shoulders and cycle lanes then, and get regular road-sweepers along them. Like our cycleways have.
Last edited by MikeyMK; 09-10-19 at 07:09 PM.
#172
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People don't know how to use a visor. If you put the bottom of the visor below the sun you can see just fine. With a dirty windshield you can still easily see a bike if you are paying attention. With moisture on your windshield it can be bad.
#173
The dropped
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The driver was. < and > on your keyboard for frame by frame.