Originally Posted by
genec
Not to disagree with you in anyway... but just to point out the irony of the forward person, having to have a mirror, to see behind and avoid the person who is approaching from behind that has a clear view of the rider right in front of them.
Sure, mirrors are great, and I ride with one. But I wonder about the magic of windshields, that do not permit drivers to see cyclists in front of them.
(yes, there is sarcasm in that... as likely a cyclist that is "hit from behind" happens as a cyclist makes a lateral move, in front of an approaching vehicle the cyclist failed to notice.)
Sarcasm noted and appreciated!
I guess the "struck from behind" can be subdivided into those occurrences where the approaching vehicle is encroaching on or invading the rider's space, and those where the rider makes a sudden lateral move. The "magic of windshields" applies more to the first category, I believe.
It's a bit ironic that the first
Ride of Silence was in memory of a rider who was struck by the mirror of a passing school bus. Yet, if you look on the RoS web site, very few mirrors are in evidence, and there is no mention of them. Of course, it is only a hypothesis that a rearview mirror could have prevented the event, but it seems clear to me that there's no other good way to detect such a vehicular appendage approaching from behind.