Originally Posted by
CliffordK
I've been thinking a bit about cars & bike safety in general.
We have rules that many of us have learned since childhood, like "look both ways before crossing the street".
We need similar rules,
- "look both ways before exiting a vehicle".
- Crossing a bike lane for a right turn is crossing a traffic lane. Look before making the turn.
- Give 'em 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 1/2 lane, whatever, when passing, even if they are on a shoulder.
- Vigilance, and understanding bike movements and reactions.
- Look both directions when crossing a sidewalk or crosswalk.
- etc
I learned driving from my parents, but have had a couple of "refresher courses" for one reason or another.
I remember important subjects of look-ahead, anticipate road conditions ahead, mirrors, etc.
But don't remember vulnerable road users ever being mentioned.
FWIW I have frequently
posted about my routine, structured, safety mindset for the
vulnerable users...the cylists:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
So often on these threads about calamities or near misses, I post about my mindset that I believe gives me that extra edge.
Originally Posted by
FBinNY
In all fairness, I don't think there's anyone who's been riding for a long time, who hasn't at some time (or many times) ridden in that zone where the only thing separating us from disaster is favorable alignment of the stars. (Note the "us" rather than "him")
We all take chances and make mistakes, but fortunately life is"organized" with plenty of forgiveness.
In my experience the difference between disaster and "whew, that was close" is millimeters and microseconds, and not anything we can take credit for.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I try to keep safe with certain aphorisms [ "Rules" ]in my head that come to mind to alert me when I encounter a situation where unseen dangers may lurk, such as “Like a weapon, assume every stopped car is loaded, with an occupant ready to exit from either side.” or“Don’t ride over an area (such as puddles or leaves) when you can’t see the road surface."...
Over the past few months I have come to realize that my safety aphorisms (link), collected over the years by personal or vicarious experience, are my way of actively aligning the stars in my favor, to anticipate those unseen and otherwise unanticipated dangers.
FWIW, for my own information at least, my other aphorisms:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
- Make yourself as visible as possible,and assume nobody sees you.
- When riding at night, look for cars, not just headlights
- To know where a car is going, watch the front wheels, not the body or hood.
- You don’t have the right-of-way until the other yields it to you (learned from my teacher in driver’s ed)
- Like a weapon, assume every stopped car is loaded, with an occupant ready to exit from either side.
- Don’t ride over an area (such as puddles or leaves) when you can’t see the road surface.
- Truck at corner in sight, don't go right."
I’m also wary of passing on the right at an intersection, especially next to a bus or truck, after reading of fatalities on my routes
- When approaching a curve with no forward sight lines, hug the curb…’tight to the right’ . .
- Jim’s Law of the Road: “No matter how well-paved and lightly traveled the Road, a vehicle is likely to pass on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right.”…my argument to wear a rearview mirror.
Those are all I remember for now, and they all pop-up in my mind as I encounter the situation.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-19-19 at 03:54 AM.