Beware the Bicycle Lane

[J.R.]

I'm glad there wasn't serious injury here. Drivers in the U.S. just don't know how to deal with cyclists and bike lanes, and they're not taught either. Every driver's test, both written and driving, should include bikes and bike lanes.

People are always saying "if it saves just one life, it's worth it" about everything under the sun. Well here you go! Put drivers education back in the schools. We have more cars, more distractions and worse infrastructure, yet educate less.

This is just one example, but is true for most of the U.S.

"Drivers, here is the right way to do this: Merge into or across the bike lane before your right turn, all the way to the curb. You can do this on all streets, whether they have bike lanes or not, within 200 feet of the intersection and only after ensuring there are no bikes in that lane."
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The bike lane is a vehicle lane, like any other lane. If a car driver were traveling in the center lane of a 3 lane highway, they wouldn't consider making a right turn, crossing the lane to the right of them in order to to make that turn. There might be a tractor trailer, pickup truck, or - oh no, a bike traveling legally in the vehicle lane adjacent to them. It's a vehicle lane, for goodness sake!

I've also been riding motorcycles for 40 years and I was involved with safety programs. If you're not in a cage, your head needs to be on a swivel. I wish car drivers would do the same, but we can't bet our lives on that.

Ride safe!

 

[Barry S]

I'm sure I read it in one of these forums, but there's the "right of way" and the "right of weigh." So, in the infamous words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus from Hill Street Blues, "Let's be careful out there."

 

[mrgold35]

Here ya go for next time! You will be looking for reasons to crash into things.

 

[Reid]

WPLG Local 10 television interviewed me at the crash site 90 minutes ago.

The segment will probably be broadcast later today.

THANK YOU, J.R., for your #22 posting above, that I first read only minutes before the interview.

In the interview I attempt to share information from J.R.s #22 posting.

I said something like, "I've learned..."

Well, everything I've learned post-crash I have learned by reading expert inputs to this thread.

Thanks to everyone here for saving lives. Every voice is a life and so every life should give voice.


This video is entered into the public domain without restriction

 

[Reid]

Here ya go for next time! You will be looking for reasons to crash into things.

Ha, ha!

And here's one tough favor-doer, deliberately crashing his cranium for social commentary, the famous Casey!

 

[Barry S]

I love that video from Casey. So funny yet so true.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Reid, I'm so glad you weren't seriously injured.

If you're into herbal remedies, there's nothing better than Arnica for aches, pains, and bruises. Most health food stores carry it. My wife and I always keep a tube of the cream around (not crazy about the gels or ointments but that's just me.)

Secondarily, I hope your CCS wasn't banged up too badly either.

Watching that video -- holy crow.

 

[Reid]

J.R. will recognize his invaluable contribution in this handheld phone video of the TV screen shot a half hour ago

The interview will be online at www.local10.com after its 6PM rebroadcast.

Anchor Reporter Todd Tongen is a cyclist, too.

Thank you, Todd, for your razor focus.

And thank you, WPLG Local10 News Director Peggy Phillip, for affording prime air time and assigning Todd to the issue.

 

[bob armani]

Reid-Thanks for posting. This is absolutely shocking. At least the guy did not flee and took responsibility. Glad you and your bike are okay if my assumption is correct...

 

[Reid]

https://www.local10.com/news/bicyclists-camera-catches-moment-he-is-struck-by-car-in-bike-lane

 

[J.R.]

https://www.local10.com/news/bicyclists-camera-catches-moment-he-is-struck-by-car-in-bike-lane

You took advantage to offer a teaching moment. Very generous and mature. Far too often these days people get ugly and the teaching moment is lost. Good for you Reid!

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Don't worry about calling out all possible angles of this event. Chocolatehauler makes a good point, he is quite correct!

By the way, my bike has a blinding, multi-thousand lumen 10W LED hardwired headlight always on.

Had the driver glanced, for even a fraction of a second at his rearview mirror, he would have seen me approaching.

Woah!
That is so crazy. So glad you're alright.

As @Chocolatehauler mentioned, most drivers are callous and they don't expect a bike (well, we don't live in Netherlands!)
and they are not used to the speed of E-bikes. This leads to even more problems. They don't expect a bike to move so fast.
I am moving fast, I just take the whole lane.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Glad you weren't hurt seriously.

But videos like these make me very glad that I live in a rural location.

 

[Reid]

Thank you, above. I have a difficult time understanding why the video is resonating so well.

ABC News in New York just phoned to ask my permission to distribute the video and story to their affiliates nationwide.

It was a pleasure to tell ABC that my permission is not needed because it is a public domain video, and so is the story, so far as I am concerned.

Local WSVN Channel 7 just ran a version of the story, sent a cameraman to the house three hours ago; I'll post the link in this posting form when their interview becomes available online.

https://wsvn.com/news/local/bicyclist-hit-by-car-in-coconut-grove-has-message-for-motorists/

 

[Chocolatehauler]

I would like to make one more comment regarding defensive driving. Moving into the bike lane for a right turn makes great sense, except when a truck is involved.
As a retired truck driver you will never see a truck move right to set up for a right turn.
The bigger the truck the farther to the left he will be.
Also One Last Warning about Trucks, If The Trailer is Straight and the tractor has already started his turn he may no longer be able to see down the right side of his truck! I have seen cars run over by the trailers because they pulled down that right side. Remember he has set up way left to make that right turn. That trailer can easily use up a whole lane to the right of it to make a turn. Hoping this saves someone from a real bad day or worse.

 

[bob armani]

Ha, ha!

And here's one tough favor-doer, deliberately crashing his cranium for social commentary, the famous Casey!

Way to go Casey to prove a good point. NYPD look a lot like Chicago. Trying to figure out ways to get your cash, speed cameras mounted everywhere, etc. Great video though...

 

[Chris Hammond]

I just re-watched the video and stop framed the timing just prior to the vehicle turning right, not only did the driver fail to signal, he only hit his brakes a split second prior to turning, when Reid was already alongside the rear bumper. He also did not veer over to the right as most drivers do when they are anticipating a turn. This driver was just clearly both inconsiderate of everyone else on the road, but also oblivious to Reid and other important factors.

This all only serves to highlight the importance of what others have stated about driving defensively while on a bike. I am always nervous about overtaking cars to the right in traffic. There are just far too many drivers who don't routinely check their mirrors regularly. I try to shift myself further away from traffic (right) to give some more room to react.
The biggest problem Reid had was his overtake speed was significant due to being on an ebike and travelling fast, giving him essentially zero time to react. Although a standard bike in the exact same position traveling at a normal bike speeds still would have been hit in this situation. This was literally a worst case for the biker having no chance to evade. Thanks for posting the video. It has definitely given me a little food for thought about how I will be riding my ebike in traffic with the higher speeds that are possible.

 

[Asher]

Reid, I'm thankful you're okay. As cyclists, were keenly aware of the dangers we face on the road, and we're always looking to minimize them - but I don't see anything that could have really helped in this case.

I haven't got my ebike yet, and I'm used to cars going faster than me even on a road bike. One rule I live by is: assume every car will go in any direction at any given moment. Trouble is when you're going faster than others, they must react to you, not vice versa. And if they are inattentive like this guy, you're at risk.

Some other thoughts:
Airzound is amazing and essential. I can't understand why every single bike shop in America is not selling them. Now I wonder if you're in this situation again passing cars on the right, the best thing to do may be pulsing the airzound (annoying as hell).


I would love to see ebikes encourage taping rides. Imagine a smartphone mount that charges the phone, plus an app that takes video from front and back cameras simultaneously. The app begins taking video as soon as the ebike is on. Drivers would become more fearful of getting caught on tape, and more of these stories would circulate thanks to video. If taping was as easy as putting a phone in a mount, we'd see 100x more of it.

 

[Reid]

Thank you, Ravi, for the heads up, or I would've missed it,
http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/bicyclists-camera-captures-collision-car-53460819

And interesting for its 50k views, with resulting commentary list featuring homicidal trolls,

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155792527529818

Fortunately Todd Tongen did the original reporting:
https://www.local10.com/news/bicyclists-camera-catches-moment-he-is-struck-by-car-in-bike-lane
Todd got the message across completely and perfectly (thanks again to J. R.).


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I would love to see ebikes encourage taping rides. Imagine a smartphone mount that charges the phone, plus an app that takes video from front and back cameras simultaneously. The app begins taking video as soon as the ebike is on. Drivers would become more fearful of getting caught on tape, and more of these stories would circulate thanks to video. If taping was as easy as putting a phone in a mount, we'd see 100x more of it

Hi Asher, that would be great, front and rear and side on simultaneous views. Oh, well, tiny HD cams available today are not much money, have wide angle lenses and are better for documenting a ride than a phone of today, of course.

In time we will see almost invisibly-integrated miniature HD cams on bikes. And likewise on all cars. The value of having images of what happens is too great to be dismissed.

Here is what I had on my bike, a camera mount and a Yi Lite.

 

[Deleted member 803]

This comment will probably not set well, but I am hoping it might save someone from the same experience.
I have been riding bikes and motorcycles since High school and one lesson I have learned is what is called defensive driving.
As I watched this video the first thing I saw was the speed difference between the bike and cars. As a motorcyclist I pay attention to this especially in town were other drivers are already on over load making there way through traffic.
On my cycle it was easy to zip pass them.
So here is my point, if I am moving faster than those around me. I am more likely to be missed in a mirror check because when or if he saw me I was two cars back and not a problem. After that he is checking other things preparing to make his turn change lanes etc. Assuming that someone sees me a bike or cycle moving faster than expected is just well, not driving defensively.
Finally I am not saying the car driver is innocent. But as cyclists we often have to see a situation coming or pay the
price. To cars and trucks we are just another bug on the windshield, never saw it coming.

SIPD taught in motorcycle class. Scan, Interpret, Predict, Decide. I was taught as a motorcyclist to assume that EVERY cage did not see you and was probably going to hit you. Two key ingredients to safe riding are space and patience. If you remember that a bicycle NEVER won a confrontation with an automobile, it will help temper your judgement.