Closest call so far

[JELY1990]

I've been riding for 1.5 years now and today was the closest I've been to crashing. I was riding to work this afternoon and was almost taken out by a Mercedes... I was going the speed limit, 30 mph, in a shopping center area with lots of driveways. Guy in a Mercedes and his passenger both looked at me so I maintained throttle and as I got closer he started to pull onto the street very slowly. This lead me to think he was going to wait for me to pass and get behind me. But since I don't trust cagers I rolled off and what do you know, he pulls out in front of me at the last moment and I was forced to emergency brake and swerve. Luckily I managed to end up next to his rear door on the right hand side instead of in his bumper. If I hadn't rolled off I wouldn't have made it to work. I guess the take home message is, practice emergency braking if you don't and don't trust cagers even if they look right at you. Also, looks like I'm gonna start smidsying even when I don't think the angle I'm coming from calls for it. Or maybe I'll paint my bike a hiviz color

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by JELY1990

I've been riding for 1.5 years now and today was the closest I've been to crashing. I was riding to work this afternoon and was almost taken out by a Mercedes... I was going the speed limit, 30 mph, in a shopping center area with lots of driveways. Guy in a Mercedes and his passenger both looked at me so I maintained throttle and as I got closer he started to pull onto the street very slowly. This lead me to think he was going to wait for me to pass and get behind me. But since I don't trust cagers I rolled off and what do you know, he pulls out in front of me at the last moment and I was forced to emergency brake and swerve. Luckily I managed to end up next to his rear door on the right hand side instead of in his bumper. If I hadn't rolled off I wouldn't have made it to work. I guess the take home message is, practice emergency braking if you don't and don't trust cagers even if they look right at you. Also, looks like I'm gonna start smidsying even when I don't think the angle I'm coming from calls for it. Or maybe I'll paint my bike a hiviz color

My bike has a horn. I almost never roll off. I'm a swerve kinda guy. Then I usually voice my opinion to the driver.

I used to be a mirror guy but they are bigger and stronger now.

[csmith12]

Cool you didn't crash.

The front wheel of the cage is the key. Unless you see it's 100% NOT rolling, then I assume they are not gunna stop or pull out. I actually don't even look at the driver. It's saved my arse countless times.

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Cool you didn't crash.

The front wheel of the cage is the key. Unless you see it's 100% NOT rolling, then I assume they are not gunna stop or pull out. I actually don't even look at the driver. It's saved my arse countless times.

I've used that technique for years. Don't tell everyone! There are too many bikes on the road now.

[csmith12]

ok no more secrets from me until next month.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by JELY1990

......... I was going the speed limit, 30 mph, in a shopping center area with lots of driveways...........I guess the take home message is, practice emergency braking if you don't and don't trust cagers even if they look right at you. Also, looks like I'm gonna start smidsying even when I don't think the angle I'm coming from calls for it. Or maybe I'll paint my bike a hiviz color

Regarding cagers, you were in the most dangerous zone you could be: they are trying to think and to look away (where to park, where the exit is, where that store is) and to maneuver those big boxes in tight spaces and maybe even texting or phoning or eating simultaneously, ........ and we all know that they cannot multitask like that.

So, their eyes were pointing in your direction, but neither brain was getting your presence and approach.

Moving super-slowly and having the controls cover and looking at the top of the potentially dangerous cars is the safer approach if you cannot avoid being in that craziness zone.

The heaviness and inertia of the cars to go from a complete stop to a dangerous-for-us speed give us some precious reaction time.
As Chris does, I never look at the eyes of potentially dangerous to me driver; instead, I keep my attention on the top of his/her front tire, and I cover any change in its direction with peripheral view (except where other important hazards are present simultaneously).

Why the top?
The top of the tire moves forward at double the speed of the car.

Take a look at this:
Keep your controls covered while riding on the street

All the ideas that you plan on implementing never hurt anyone.
Great save, Jason !!!

[JELY1990]

Thanks for the tips guys. I usually do the watch the tire thing, but I guess I got complacent riding the same route all the time and stopped doing it because nothing even close happened until now. And there's something I need to avoid, becoming complacent.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

My bike has a horn. I almost never roll off. I'm a swerve kinda guy. Then I usually voice my opinion to the driver.

I used to be a mirror guy but they are bigger and stronger now.

Wear paint scrapers knee sliders

[Ninja Star]

same thing happened to me except it was my friend and I and the lady saw me too. even after seeing 2 bikes, she still goes and doesn't even look back and offer a apologetic nod.


it's been said a number of times, but it bears repeating: never assume they see you.

[rasta]

Just like what everyone else has been saying; a driver may look in your direction, but that doesn't mean they're looking at you.

[JELY1990]

Originally Posted by Ninja Star

same thing happened to me except it was my friend and I and the lady saw me too. even after seeing 2 bikes, she still goes and doesn't even look back and offer a apologetic nod.


it's been said a number of times, but it bears repeating: never assume they see you.

Originally Posted by rasta

Just like what everyone else has been saying; a driver may look in your direction, but that doesn't mean they're looking at you.

Ya luckily it ended up being a reminder of that fact and not an accident. I was careless.