Crazy Bicycle Car Traffic Issues

[DblDoc]

I'm first in line, waiting at a red light. I am signalling my intention to turn right. There is only one lane of traffic going my direction. Does this law make me responsible for people who pass me on the shoulder, turn into me, or who deliberately ride into my path? Even if I look everywhere (which I DID do) I cannot be sure someone at a high rate of speed won't ride into the space I just looked at. While I'm looking over my right shoulder, an oncoming vehicle (even a bicycle) could turn left in front of me. But while I'm checking oncoming traffic, that bike rider from behind has plenty of time to pass on the right and ride into me Tbone stlye as I make my turn. It's unreasonable to make the driver responsible for all accidents while allowing the riders to behave unpredictably and disregard traffic laws.

Just to clarify it is in place if there is a bike lane on the R side. I look anyways - as you did - to avoid exactly what happened to you, or that jogger or pedestrian who comes out of nowhere to cross. Its a jungle out there and driving, riding or walking defensively is the safest way to navigate the streets and intersections.

DD

 

[Htown Harry]

...in 250K miles or so of riding...

That's an average of over 20 miles a day for 30 years. Impressive.

Remind me not to bring up the five 10's and the 50 I rode for a cycling merit badge back when I was in Boy Scouts.

 

[Bestwifeever]

The city of Chicago has a pro-bicycling mayor and his projects at increasing bike-riding are working, at least in the nice weather. But I'm amazed at how many helmetfree people I see riding with their iPods plugged into their ears. That just can't be safe.

 

[mb]

Montreal has a lot of bike paths and the city is adding more every year.
http://www.voyagezfute.ca/download/image/Montreal_Piste_cyclable_2008.jpg
Trouble is all the Lance Armstrong wannabes dont use them and insist on tearing through the city in the road usually two abreast holding up traffic and blowing through every stop sign and traffic light all the while the bike path is right beside themAnd of course expect lots of one finger salutes and a verbal cussing if you go through an intersection on a green light in your car and happen to in some way impede them racing through a red light.

I don't condone the behavior that you describe but it is unreasonable to think that bicyclists should stick to bike paths.

They may not go where you need to go.

They are usually shared with pedestrians and in that case fast riding is unsafe for the pedestrian and the cyclist.

They frequently have speed limits. It is usually 15 mph. I average significantly faster than that on a 50 mile ride and I stop at all the traffic lights.

 

[aaronc879]

The city of Chicago has a pro-bicycling mayor and his projects at increasing bike-riding are working, at least in the nice weather. But I'm amazed at how many helmetfree people I see riding with their iPods plugged into their ears. That just can't be safe.

Driving in Chicago city traffic would be dangerous if you where in a tank. Riding a bicycle in the city without a helmet is a death wish.

 

[mb]

I'm first in line, waiting at a red light. I am signalling my intention to turn right. There is only one lane of traffic going my direction. Does this law make me responsible for people who pass me on the shoulder, turn into me, or who deliberately ride into my path? Even if I look everywhere (which I DID do) I cannot be sure someone at a high rate of speed won't ride into the space I just looked at. While I'm looking over my right shoulder, an oncoming vehicle (even a bicycle) could turn left in front of me. But while I'm checking oncoming traffic, that bike rider from behind has plenty of time to pass on the right and ride into me Tbone stlye as I make my turn. It's unreasonable to make the driver responsible for all accidents while allowing the riders to behave unpredictably and disregard traffic laws.

I have never had this happen to me in a car on the other hand about once every couple of year or so I have to make a very fast stop to avoid a collision because a car passes me on the left and then makes a right turn directly in front of me.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

That's an average of over 20 miles a day for 30 years. Impressive.

Remind me not to bring up the five 10's and the 50 I rode for a cycling merit badge back when I was in Boy Scouts.

I started keeping track in 1982. My best years were about 14500m. My last job of 8 years was a 46m rt (18m if I hopped the light rail, maybe 1/3 of the time). On the cycling boards there are plenty who ride more. One guy has hit 1 million miles.

If you can ride 50m, it is only a short step to cycle-touring. Never too late to try.

 

[TromboneAl]

Here's a post concerning a bicycle/toddler collision on a path:

I ran into three year old boy on the path today. - Bike Forums

 

[Sam]

I have a really hard time reading this thread.

True that some cyclists are clueless about safety and rule of the road. But, from my personal experience, motorists are many times worse. I lost track of how many times car/truck/suv drivers fail to yield to me when I have the right of way. To many of them, bicyclists are invisible.

Sam

 

[Goonie]

....True that some cyclists are clueless about safety and rule of the road. But, from my personal experience, motorists are many times worse. I lost track of how many times car/truck/suv drivers fail to yield to me when I have the right of way. To many of them, bicyclists are invisible.

Sam

Very true!!!

 

[growing_older]

True that some cyclists are clueless about safety and rule of the road. But, from my personal experience, motorists are many times worse. I lost track of how many times car/truck/suv drivers fail to yield to me when I have the right of way. To many of them, bicyclists are invisible.

I agree with that. Sorry, I hadn't meant to start an anti-bicycle rant, and as a bike rider and former regular bicycle commuter I am very familiar with the safety problems a rider can face. Some motorists are clueless and a few are deliberately antagonistic. As a cyclist I need to be aware of all kinds of clueless behavior because if it results in a collision I am going to suffer. I was just surprised by the clueless behavior from a cyclist who would (whether deliberately or by inattention) put himself in the path of a vehicle when he had very little reason to believe the driver (me) would be aware of him. Luckily I'm more careful than many and saw what he did.

It does bother me that so many cyclists seem to think rules (traffic rules or physics) don't seem to apply to them. I think it makes it harder for me as a cyclist also, because some drivers seem to be getting more aggressive and even deliberately anti-bike.

 

[haha]

I think it makes it harder for me as a cyclist also, because some drivers seem to be getting more aggressive and even deliberately anti-bike.

I think this is more a return to former attitudes, from 25 or 30 or more years ago. I had a really nice Italian bike and used to ride centuries with a group around Boston. One of the guys, a Czech, took a bus to West Texas and rode across the SW all the way to LA. He got run off the road, swung at with chains, had bottles thrown at him, etc. He made it, but decided that Americans or at least Westerners were crazy. Before I stopped road riding I felt more than once that drivers were trying to move me off the road, but nothing to the level he experienced. There are always a lot of agressive nasty people around, and a lone bicyclist may look vulnerable and even challenging to some young guys drinking beer as they drive along in their pickups.

In many places there is a barely supressed resentment and hatred for the sort of lifestyles represented by Spiderman bike clothes, expensive fast looking bikes, thin, fit riders...etc..

Ha