Reminder: Always Look On a Green Light
08-30-19, 07:25 PM
#1
eMail Sold to Spammers
Thread Starter
Reminder: Always Look On a Green Light
I am glad that I developed the habit that as soon as the light turns green, I look at the cross traffic before I go. Had I just gone without looking, I might not have made it home.
08-30-19, 07:35 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 895
Bikes: 2017 Co-op ADV 1.1; ~1991 Novara Arriba; 1990 Fuji Palisade; mid-90's Moots Tandem; 1985 Performance Superbe
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 390 Post(s)
Liked 572 Times
in
332 Posts
Thanks for the reminder!
08-31-19, 06:59 AM
#4
Half way there
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,956
Bikes: Many, and the list changes frequently
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 986 Post(s)
Liked 880 Times
in
527 Posts
Running reds is so common here that I always wait a few seconds before proceeding, whether on a bike or in a car.
08-31-19, 07:04 AM
#5
Professional amateur
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Ga.
Posts: 688
Bikes: Does a Big Wheel count ?
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 302 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times
in
92 Posts
Seriously ?? You started a whole new thread, just to "remind" cyclists to always be on the lookout for vehicle traffic? What a lifesaver. 
08-31-19, 03:36 PM
#6
20+mph Commuter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Greenville. SC USA
Posts: 7,515
Bikes: Surly LHT, Surly Lowside, a folding bike, and a beater.
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1434 Post(s)
Liked 331 Times
in
219 Posts
I am glad that I developed the habit that as soon as the light turns green, I look at the cross traffic before I go. Had I just gone without looking, I might not have made it home.
https://youtu.be/iVSlLNp7GyE
https://youtu.be/iVSlLNp7GyE
So yeah. Agreed. Good reminder.
08-31-19, 08:42 PM
#9
Cop Magnet
09-01-19, 07:45 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,972
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1364 Post(s)
Liked 1,677 Times
in
827 Posts
Red light runners? I've got a helmet-cam full of 'em myself! It's too bad you can't easily "drop a dime" on them online. Although, I heard on a podcast that in NYC they have a crowdsourced database on one of the social media platforms.
As far as red light runners being an obvious caveat...maybe they're not so obvious. We all ride in different situations and locations, and are all at different "skill" levels. There is always a new crop of new riders who haven't been "seasoned" yet. Traffic density is growing in many cities (and falling in others).
All of us can get lulled into complacency and a sense of false security from time to time. And distractions from our immediate surroundings abound as well as things on our minds and on our phones.
A Youtube reminder is much preferable to the risks or results of a real red light runner.
And as I have stated many times before, a post like this should be a catalyst to reflect on and examine your own riding habits and strategies for keeping safe.
Thanks for posting @SactoDoug
As far as red light runners being an obvious caveat...maybe they're not so obvious. We all ride in different situations and locations, and are all at different "skill" levels. There is always a new crop of new riders who haven't been "seasoned" yet. Traffic density is growing in many cities (and falling in others).
All of us can get lulled into complacency and a sense of false security from time to time. And distractions from our immediate surroundings abound as well as things on our minds and on our phones.
A Youtube reminder is much preferable to the risks or results of a real red light runner.
And as I have stated many times before, a post like this should be a catalyst to reflect on and examine your own riding habits and strategies for keeping safe.
Thanks for posting @SactoDoug
Likes For BobbyG:
09-01-19, 10:02 AM
#11
Senior Member
09-01-19, 10:29 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
Nice catch and nice video clip
09-01-19, 10:52 AM
#13
Cop Magnet
09-01-19, 10:59 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,823
Bikes: 1996 Trek 970 ZX Single Track 2x11
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 614 Post(s)
Liked 564 Times
in
428 Posts
"Look left ... then right ... then left again." Was popular as a PSA back in the 1970s regarding surviving day-to-day driving on the roads. Applies today even moreso than it did back then, IMO.
If I've got a clear view of the entire intersection, I always strive to know whether anyone else is at the other "corners" ... waiting, or approaching.
If I don't have a clear view, whether due to another vehicle or other reason, I try to not be the first into the intersection. (Safer that way.)
Either way, with a clear view or not, I always wait a second or two, given the L/R/La glance, then go.
I figure the folks who introduced me to "defensive" driving tactics are long since sitting on their porch chairs in the big ranch in the sky, smiling as all of their former students attempt to daily put into practice all those little tricks and techniques they suggested. Time and again, I've found they've saved my bacon from bad injuries, or worse.
Lots of red-light runners around my area. Probably see a handful each week; occasionally, daily.
If I've got a clear view of the entire intersection, I always strive to know whether anyone else is at the other "corners" ... waiting, or approaching.
If I don't have a clear view, whether due to another vehicle or other reason, I try to not be the first into the intersection. (Safer that way.)
Either way, with a clear view or not, I always wait a second or two, given the L/R/La glance, then go.
I figure the folks who introduced me to "defensive" driving tactics are long since sitting on their porch chairs in the big ranch in the sky, smiling as all of their former students attempt to daily put into practice all those little tricks and techniques they suggested. Time and again, I've found they've saved my bacon from bad injuries, or worse.
Lots of red-light runners around my area. Probably see a handful each week; occasionally, daily.
09-01-19, 05:25 PM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 109
Bikes: Giant Cypress
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 20 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
6 Posts
Wow, the driver was going fast! Yeah, you're right; it's a good thing you weren't already attempting to cross the intersection at that moment.
Also, got to be aware of drivers making turns down the wrong lane, in the wrong direction. I was waiting at a stop sign to make a right turn, on the far right of the lane (like I usually do, to let drivers behind me know that I'm attempting to turn right, not left), yesterday, when a driver decided to make a left turn and squeeze by me, into the one-way lane (that has a narrow divider, with sign polls, where only one vehicle can fit through it).
They signaled and were going slowly, but it was still strange and confusing; I thought they were just going to make a U-turn in front of me, so I waited for them. I've ridden to that intersection several times, over the years, and hadn't experienced a driver doing that, with me still actually in the lane. I don't know why they still decided to pull in; I would've thought them seeing someone stopped, going the other direction, would've given them a clue that it's not the correct place to turn into.
I don't know if they still would've decided to hit me, if I'd been in the middle of the lane, instead.
Also, got to be aware of drivers making turns down the wrong lane, in the wrong direction. I was waiting at a stop sign to make a right turn, on the far right of the lane (like I usually do, to let drivers behind me know that I'm attempting to turn right, not left), yesterday, when a driver decided to make a left turn and squeeze by me, into the one-way lane (that has a narrow divider, with sign polls, where only one vehicle can fit through it).
They signaled and were going slowly, but it was still strange and confusing; I thought they were just going to make a U-turn in front of me, so I waited for them. I've ridden to that intersection several times, over the years, and hadn't experienced a driver doing that, with me still actually in the lane. I don't know why they still decided to pull in; I would've thought them seeing someone stopped, going the other direction, would've given them a clue that it's not the correct place to turn into.
I don't know if they still would've decided to hit me, if I'd been in the middle of the lane, instead.
Last edited by anon06; 09-01-19 at 05:36 PM.
09-01-19, 07:28 PM
#16
Tortoise Wins by a Hare!
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Looney Tunes, IL
Posts: 7,398
Bikes: Wabi Special FG, Raleigh Roper, Nashbar AL-1, Miyata One Hundred, '70 Schwinn Lemonator and More!!
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1549 Post(s)
Liked 941 Times
in
504 Posts
Good message SD. Just because a light is green doesn't mean it's safe to enter the intersection.
Having said that, always waiting a few seconds after getting a green is unnecessary. I watch traffic the entire time I'm waiting at or approaching an intersection. Once it's apparent that all cross traffic is stopped, or safely on their way to stopping, I'm gone.
Having said that, always waiting a few seconds after getting a green is unnecessary. I watch traffic the entire time I'm waiting at or approaching an intersection. Once it's apparent that all cross traffic is stopped, or safely on their way to stopping, I'm gone.
Likes For AlmostTrick:
09-01-19, 08:00 PM
#17
☢
09-02-19, 07:45 AM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 5,972
Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Nishiki Blazer, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V
Mentioned: 54 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1364 Post(s)
Liked 1,677 Times
in
827 Posts
09-03-19, 03:31 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times
in
418 Posts
There's also the close call database: https://closecalldatabase.com/
I think you need to be able to see a license plate, but not necessarily if the vehicle can be identified. I've only submitted a couple of video clips to them. Most will never amount to anything, but word's starting to get out, and they have helped lead to some increased fines/jail time for people who claimed they were in an accident, but it turns out they had a habit of buzzing cyclists.
As an aside, that's a nice looking bent. What model is it?
I think you need to be able to see a license plate, but not necessarily if the vehicle can be identified. I've only submitted a couple of video clips to them. Most will never amount to anything, but word's starting to get out, and they have helped lead to some increased fines/jail time for people who claimed they were in an accident, but it turns out they had a habit of buzzing cyclists.
As an aside, that's a nice looking bent. What model is it?
09-03-19, 04:09 PM
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur
Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times
in
1,417 Posts
Walnut and Fair Oaks?
09-04-19, 07:23 AM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times
in
171 Posts
Reminder: Always Look On a Green Light
Apropos of this thread my aphorism is:
I am glad that I developed the habit that as soon as the light turns green, I look at the cross traffic before I go. Had I just gone without looking, I might not have made it home.
https://youtu.be/iVSlLNp7GyE
https://youtu.be/iVSlLNp7GyE
Thanks for the reminder!
Good message SD. Just because a light is green doesn't mean it's safe to enter the intersection.
Having said that, always waiting a few seconds after getting a green is unnecessary. I watch traffic the entire time I'm waiting at or approaching an intersection. Once it's apparent that all cross traffic is stopped, or safely on their way to stopping, I'm gone.
Having said that, always waiting a few seconds after getting a green is unnecessary. I watch traffic the entire time I'm waiting at or approaching an intersection. Once it's apparent that all cross traffic is stopped, or safely on their way to stopping, I'm gone.
So often on these threads about calamities or near misses, I post about my mindset that I believe gives me that extra edge. .
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.
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.
I try to keep safe with certain aphorisms 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 beside those above [see the link: Total of nine (9)]
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 beside those above [see the link: Total of nine (9)]
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-04-19 at 10:30 AM. Reason: added quote by flangehead
09-04-19, 09:35 AM
#23
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,969
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,532 Times
in
1,043 Posts
There's also the close call database: https://closecalldatabase.com/
I think you need to be able to see a license plate, but not necessarily if the vehicle can be identified. I've only submitted a couple of video clips to them. Most will never amount to anything, but word's starting to get out, and they have helped lead to some increased fines/jail time for people who claimed they were in an accident, but it turns out they had a habit of buzzing cyclists.
I think you need to be able to see a license plate, but not necessarily if the vehicle can be identified. I've only submitted a couple of video clips to them. Most will never amount to anything, but word's starting to get out, and they have helped lead to some increased fines/jail time for people who claimed they were in an accident, but it turns out they had a habit of buzzing cyclists.
09-04-19, 12:13 PM
#25
Been Around Awhile
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Burlington Iowa
Posts: 29,969
Bikes: Vaterland and Ragazzi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Liked 1,532 Times
in
1,043 Posts