Never let your guard down

Dave31 · Sep 25, 2013

Am a pretty good defensive driver, but their are times that some drivers do things that no matter how much you pay attention you don't expect it.

This guy was in the center turning lane turning left according to his turn signal. And at the last minute he decided to turn right and shoot across two lanes and try to beat me to the parking lot.

Drive defensive, pay attention and never assume someone is going to do what they are suppose to.

Video:
http://s305.photobucket.com/user/lonesomeracing/media/closecallvideo_0001.mp4.html

oldtimer54 · Sep 25, 2013

Glad you didn't get hit by this wanker.

Sidewinder Jerry · Sep 25, 2013

The advice being given to peddle only riders now is to ride center of a lane. This means another vehicle must go in to the other lane to pass. All to often when I ride to the far right vehicles come within a few inches of me instead of maintaining the legal 3 feet clearance.

I also have people pull out in front of me thinking I'm on a regular bicycle. They don't realize I'm going 30+ mph. Yes Dave we must remain alert at all times. Because we stand no chance in a collision with a 4 or more wheeled vehicles.

2door · Sep 25, 2013

Like I've said many times before, "Ride as if you're invisible" because to a lot of those idiots out there, you are. Never, ever assume you'll be seen or acknowledged.

Sure glad you got through that one, Dave. Thanks for sharing.

Tom

bairdco · Sep 25, 2013

That happened to me on the second bike i ever built. The car was in the left turn lane at a lihgt and decided to turn right just before i entered the intersection.

Sideswiped me and i bounced along the side of the car, scratching it up with my handlebars. didn't go down but got a nice jug burn on my leg and enough adrenaline to beat the crap out of the driver, no matter how big he was.

Then she got out of the car with her mom and started crying. and she was hot.

Obviously, we didn't brawl on the side of the road...

maniac57 · Sep 25, 2013

I don't ride like I'm invisible.
I ride like every other human on the planet is trying to kill me. Especially the ones in cars...
Been lucky over 40 years so far.

Toadmund · Sep 25, 2013

I assume everybody in a car will pull a dumb and unexpected move, I often try to look at a driver to see if they acknowledge my presence.
I slow down at intersections on busy roads depending on the situation, it will give me more time to save my butt.

Accidents are always unexpected, that's why they are called accidents.

GearNut · Sep 25, 2013

Toadmund said:
I assume everybody in a car will pull a dumb and unexpected move, I often try to look at a driver to see if they acknowledge my presence.
I slow down at intersections on busy roads depending on the situation, it will give me more time to save my butt.

Accidents are always unexpected, that's why they are called accidents.

I have done that many times on my motorcycle just to have that IQ challenged person cut me off or pull the classic left turn at the intersection stunt.
Ride safe, ride like you are invisible.

bluegoatwoods · Sep 26, 2013

In my experience you can often tell if the driver in question is going to behave or is going to do something stupid.

But we should always remember that there are drivers out there who will either give you nothing to 'read' or will send the wrong signal or will do something on the spur of the moment without checking for clearance.

Forgetting this is easy. Remembering it will improve our odds a whole lot.

CARider · Sep 27, 2013

Two Words- Arizona Drivers.
-Zane

CTripps · Sep 27, 2013

Glad you didn't get hit.. close calls like that are never fun.

When I take Harley out for a driving lesson in the car, I remind her that all other drivers are to be considered evil and out to get you. Oh, and that pedestrians are idiots with no sense of self-preservation.

bluegoatwoods · Sep 27, 2013

bairdco said:
That happened to me on the second bike i ever built. ..... turn right just before i entered the intersection.

Sideswiped me and i bounced along the side of the car, scratching it up with my... ....burn on my leg and enough adrenaline to beat the crap out of the driver, no matter how big he was.

Then she got out of the car with her mom and started crying. and she was hot.

Obviously, we didn't brawl on the side of the road...

I'd a still kicked some butt!!!

I ain't scared of no crying girl!

OR HER MAMA!

CTripps · Oct 3, 2013

In the city I used to live in, Grind the Cyclist into the curb seemed to be a local sport. Drivers would make right turns in front/beside you, and don't get me started on the bus drivers. Anyway, after being caught a couple of times by drivers turning right I added a bottle cap to end of the left hand grip. Ran a screw through it from the 'bottom' side, and screwed it onto the end of the grip so it's edges faced traffic. The next time I got run into the curb (by a repeat offender in my neighbourhood) the end of the handlebar dragging down the side of his truck left nice scratches and gouges in his paint. After that he (at least) gave me room.

maniac57 · Oct 3, 2013

I've made eye contact with people who then pulled out in front of me anyway.
Ride like there is a million dollar price on your head.
Never trust ANYBODY to do the right thing.
40+ years without a single accident involving another vehicle is a pretty good recommendation for my motto...
Ride like everyone is actively out to kill you.

Ratt_Bones · Oct 4, 2013

Dave31 said:
Am a pretty good defensive driver, but their are times that some drivers do things that no matter how much you pay attention you don't expect it.

This guy was in the center turning lane turning left according to his turn signal. And at the last minute he decided to turn right and shoot across two lanes and try to beat me to the parking lot.

Drive defensive, pay attention and never assume someone is going to do what they are suppose to.

Video:
http://s305.photobucket.com/user/lonesomeracing/media/closecallvideo_0001.mp4.html

I had something almost exactly like this happen to me the other day.
There was a "T" in the road, and the street was on the left. The truck started to slow down, and then started to turn left. As he did, I began to motor past him (He had no turn signals on). As I was passing, he then cuts hard right to turn into a driveway. WTF!!!!

I got lucky, and ended up going up the same driveway, and cutting across his front lawn, and his neighbors, exiting their driveway.

MEASURE TWICE · Oct 5, 2013

Even though I only ride off-road (dirt biking, not on sidewalk) now, I can tell you I continue to be amazed with crappy automobile drivers.

I knew from quite a while back that the exit lane on a freeway doubles as a passing lane, you just don't exit. That is fairly common now an then.

The new one I saw was close to that, but just probably a stupid impatient driver. I saw how one car tailgated another. I was in a middle lade of 3 lanes in one direction. Approaching a light I noticed to my left a car. The car swerved to the left turn lane and then slammed on the brakes and then got back in the same lane and just nearly hit one car stopped in the left turn lane. The car also just missed hitting the person he was tailgating. I suppose if the light had turned green simultaneously and there was time for passing and cutting back in to go straight, using a left turn lane to pass this could have happened.

Note lunch hour is the time of day I saw this, so be extra careful at that time as well as rush hour.

MT

siouxindian · Oct 5, 2013

maniac57 said:
I've made eye contact with people who then pulled out in front of me anyway.
Ride like there is a million dollar price on your head.
Never trust ANYBODY to do the right thing.
40+ years without a single accident involving another vehicle is a pretty good recommendation for my motto...
Ride like everyone is actively out to kill you.

this is exactly what I do!! drn2

thanks everyone!! this is the coolist site on the web!! .wee.

MadMannArt · Oct 6, 2013

Horn is broken, watch for Finger!
dnut

CTripps · Oct 7, 2013

MEASURE TWICE said:
Even though I only ride off-road (dirt biking, not on sidewalk) now, I can tell you I continue to be amazed with crappy automobile drivers.

I knew from quite a while back that the exit lane on a freeway doubles as a passing lane, you just don't exit. That is fairly common now an then.

The new one I saw was close to that, but just probably a stupid impatient driver. I saw how one car tailgated another. I was in a middle lade of 3 lanes in one direction. Approaching a light I noticed to my left a car. The car swerved to the left turn lane and then slammed on the brakes and then got back in the same lane and just nearly hit one car stopped in the left turn lane. The car also just missed hitting the person he was tailgating. I suppose if the light had turned green simultaneously and there was time for passing and cutting back in to go straight, using a left turn lane to pass this could have happened.

Note lunch hour is the time of day I saw this, so be extra careful at that time as well as rush hour.

MT

What fun, eh? Routine flushing of the adrenal glands is good for you.

I'm trying to teach Harley that while paying attention to the car directly in front, also keep an eye on what's in front of them. I'm often braking before the car ahead of me starts to because I see traffic ahead of them slowing down, or the light at the next intersection turning to red.

MEASURE TWICE · Oct 8, 2013

Noticing traffic ahead of the person directly in front of you, I concur is a real good idea and gives you a little extra notice.

I found that when I am behind a vehicle that is too big to see around to see the traffic ahead, I can sometimes look to see a shadow of vehicle(s) in front of the vehicle directly in front of me. A shadow even under cloud cover may appear on pavement to the side of the vehicle I otherwise cannot see.

I try to then figure as best I can how closely the vehicles in front of me are to one another.

If I see the distance shorten between the shadows I can prepare to take evasive action.

Not X-Ray Vision, but something.

MT

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