rude awakening

[ispud]

this morning on the way to work I had an SUV turn right in front of me (going 30 mph).  Coming head on, in center turn lane, and he pulls right in front of me.  Not sure how I managed to avoid contact with him or the street.  I locked up both wheels (bad idea) and was sliding out of control - luckily I slid off to the right and avoided the front of his rig and stayed upright some how.  I stopped and chatted with him - he apologized and "I didn't see you".  Headlight on, red jacket, red scooter, white helmet, orange flag flying - and he didn't see me.  Ride with care gentlemen, they really don't see us.  I really love riding my scooters, but this is the second time in a year and a half that a car has turned right in front of me - both times if I were in a car I am fairly sure I would not have been injured.  Not sure what the nasty outcome would have been if my scooter had engaged their sheet metal - fairly confident I wouldn't like it too much.  I plan on giving my continued risk taking some thought.

>>

[wordslinger]

..well, i'm glad to hear you're alright...

..i've been ran off th' road twice, and it's a harrowing experience...

..does kinda make you go ..hhhmmm.....

...keep your head up and your eyes in motion...live to scoot another day...


peace

[Hoolander2]

What you describe is almost exactly how my terrible collision happened 32 years ago.  My stomach still knots up every time I come to an intersection or any time I see a vehicle even look as though they're gonna make a left turn coming at me.  I now flash my headlight repeatedly, slow down, and get ready to brake every time I see a situation like that coming up -- which is many times each day.  No guarantees, tho. . .

[zombie]

Knock on wood everyone!

[TechGuy]

I assume this driver turned from your left side and turned to their left to cross in front of you?  if so, this is by far the most common type of "sorry mate I didn't see you" SMIDSY accident.  IIRC, over 70% of all accidents are from a driver making a left turn in front of you.  The problem is that they didn't "see" you as a threat when they were driving. I have found that if I see a car sitting/driving is a position that I assume to be in prepping to make a left turn in front of me, I weave slightly or change sides of the lane I am riding in to create a different movement in their eyes to make them look AT me AND register me and my bike as a threat/vehicle that would like to avoid hitting. I sometime slow down a touch and cover my brakes to prepare myself in case they decide to do something "dumb". 

[ispud]

what you think of oscilating headlight?

>>

[TechGuy]

They are very effective at getting noticed, they are legal in every state (according to a federal law that explicitly allows them) and are quick simple to install in most bikes.

I don't have one.

[sidthesloth]

Yes, that is correct, sometimes they don't see you, but most times they just don't see you as a threat. Ride like you are invisible. To some drivers you are, the bigger the vehicle the poorer the vision. This is not a dig at truck drivers. I do have a lot of respect for them. A lot of the "cowboys" have been cleaned out in the last ten to fifteen years.