Old 11-01-19, 06:47 AM
  #13  
livedarklions
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Originally Posted by Kedosto
Most drivers’ irresponsible behavior can be anticipated. It’s not enough to ride as if they don’t see you; you must ride as if they’re not even looking. Expect the worst and ride accordingly. Be patient and don’t make risky moves that leave you at the mercy of others.

It sounds like you might need to reevaluate your route. Don’t expect to ride the same roads you would drive. You may need to ride out of your way simply to avoid a particularly dangerous intersection or stretch of road.

Try Google Maps for a neighborhood overview. Google’s Street View feature lets you take a virtual ride along your chosen route so you can avoid narrow shoulders, risky intersections or scary neighborhoods.


-Kedosto
I have no idea what you mean by ride like they're not even looking, but I know it's not how I deal with it. I do everything I can to make myself conspicuous to the drivers that are most likely to pose a threat. I take the turn lanes, signaling my lane shift. If I'm going straight at a right hand turn lane or even where the right turn is allowed, I park myself right into the middle of the lane, and don't move back to the right until I'm well cleared of the intersection. If I'm turning left, I signal and take the left-most lane. I get honked at for doing this by ignorant drivers, but I've never had a close call doing it.

Basically, we are at their mercy whenever we ride on a road, that's just reality. But I try to make it such that they can only hit me if they're completely not looking or they really want to kill someone. There's no practical way to avoid that other than not riding or walking anywhere.
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