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Letter to the editor — The “wave of death”

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Letter to the editor — The “wave of death”

Old 01-31-21, 11:21 AM
  #1  
_ForceD_
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Letter to the editor — The “wave of death”

Saw this on the opinion page in yesterday’s local paper. I’ve been wanting to say the same thing for years.

Dan

Stop giving cyclists the 'wave of death'

As a cyclist, I'm one of the most vulnerable people on our roads - a motorist's minor collision is, for me, a lifethreatening event. While there are many things we could do to make cycling on Aquidneck Island safer, such as putting in a bike path along the disused railroad tracks running from Common Fence Point to Little Harbor, there's one thing Island motorists can do today, right now, to save lives. And it's free.

Stop being so nice. Stop giving us cyclists the “wave of death.”

The “wave of death” is a term we cyclists use to describe the actions of well-meaning motorists who wave us in front of them in contravention of the rules of the road. I usually get it on West Main, when I'm turning left onto it from Mill Lane or left off of it at Chases Lane or Woolsey Road. As you recall, West Main is a four-lane road. When motorists stop out of turn and wave me across, they think they're doing me a favor. Unfortunately, they may not see the car coming up behind them in the other lane. They can't predict the actions of drivers approaching in their own lane who, seeing a car stopped in front of them, may change into the previously unoccupied lane without noticing me, the cyclist who's crossing traffic.

If you'd really like to be nice to us cyclists, please just follow the rules of the road and don't give us the “wave of death.” We prefer to wait for a break in traffic - we're probably out of breath and happy for the rest! We'll make the turn when it's safe, and we'll appreciate you for driving safely and predictably.

Oh, and use your turn signal. We can't read your minds!

Alex Ellermann, Middletown
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Old 01-31-21, 01:18 PM
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It is a wave of death. Though I'm certainly in the minority, I refuse to cross most multilane roads when a motorist stops at them although technically they have the right of way and I even have a stop sign. Some get angry for my refusal of their being nice. Sometimes I have even had to get off my bike and show them I have a stop sign.

In most states, there is no requirement to stop at a marked crossing unless a person is already in the crossing. And in many states, the verbiage in the laws might make someone on a bicycle less protected by such laws since some specifically say pedestrians or for other definitions made elsewhere. Though there have not been enough cases of such trialed in courts to show how courts and juries will lean toward the vagaries.

There is even a four lane divided boulevard near me that many times some "kind" soul will stop and wave me or others across. I never go. Once eight of so years ago, I found the bushes, sign posts and other stuff all torn up by a car. Judging by the skid marks I believe it was someone not paying attention that another car had stopped to be nice and narrowly missed plowing into the back of the stopped car which might have pushed it into whomever was crossing in front of it.

Sure we can say the other driver should have been more attentive. And they should. But if the other car hadn't have stopped to be nice and given up their legal right of way, then there likely will not have been a wreck in the first place.

Though I'm imagining worst case than what might have actually taken place, I think it illustrates clearly why this can be the wave of death.

Last edited by Iride01; 01-31-21 at 03:48 PM.
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Old 01-31-21, 02:51 PM
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I think all of us that actually stop for stop signs experience this problem, but I wouldn't call it the Wave of Death, but then again I've never seen a motorist wave me on to cross a multilane roadway, only at stop signs. I've developed tactic to ward off this Wave of Death effect, basically I look away while waving the car on, that way the driver knows I can't see him/her, so they just go. That works in most situations.

I don't think of this waving as a Wave of Death, rather I believe, it's from a lot of cyclists rolling thru stop signs, so motorists are kind of programmed for cyclists to not obey the rule of the road, so they just give a wave.

I bet a lot of cyclists in large cities, like NYC don't see too many motorists waving them on. I believe it only happens where motorists don't see tons of cyclists. BTW, they also do this for pedestrians, but again, I bet pedestrians in NYC and other large cities don't see many motorists waving them on.
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Old 01-31-21, 04:54 PM
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Had a really excellent driving instructor in HS. One of things he pounded into us... never wave somebody on. If you want them to go ahead, just sit there and wait.
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Old 01-31-21, 05:13 PM
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I wave on some drivers. It's really less a wave than a kind of frantic Pete Townshend helicopter motion.
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Old 01-31-21, 06:40 PM
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Sure-- happens to cars, too. A friend's daughter was in an accident as a passenger when they were waiting to turn left from a left-turn lane, crossing two lanes of traffic. One driver stopped and waved them across. The driver did not want to go, but the stopped driver was waving insistently. She goes... gets creamed by someone in the other lane-- and of course neither saw the other because of the person who stopped... luckily, no one was hurt badly. Friend's daughter was shaken up for a while, though. (Of course, if driving and the person in the other lane stops, probably best to look and see why... I always consider brake lights to be a "warning signal" when driving.)

I'm of the opinion that the "nicest" thing to do when driving/riding/walking is usually following the rules of the road and being predictable to others rather than making them second-guess or indeed be put in danger...
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Old 02-01-21, 02:36 AM
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catchy phrase, but probably about the least common reason anyone gets hit.
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Old 02-01-21, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by _ForceD_
Saw this on the opinion page in yesterday’s local paper. I’ve been wanting to say the same thing for years.

Dan
too-nice drivers = “Niceholes” - well-meaning wild cards who screw things up for everyone
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Old 02-01-21, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by trailangel
Had a really excellent driving instructor in HS. One of things he pounded into us... never wave somebody on. If you want them to go ahead, just sit there and wait.
There have actually been drivers that waved other vehicles out that were immediately hit by a vehicle in the other lane. In court one of the arguments by the injured drivers is that the one waving was responsible for damages. The presumption being that by waving, they assumed responsibility for the safety of that person and should have made certain no other hazards existed.

Don't know what the outcomes were for these instances, but the first time I heard about such was when I was a teen in the 70's. So it's been going on a while. I'd be certain your driving instructor was aware of this potential for reassignment of responsibility.
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Old 02-01-21, 09:19 AM
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I often ride on a certain rail-trail and there is one section where it closely parallels a very active railroad mainline; one that sees about 50+ trains a day. There are several streets that cross the railroad and the path and some of the drivers there love to stop and wave the bikes across. It is doubly dangerous because the car going in the other direction probably isn't stopping (and may not even have noticed the bike), and also because the car that stops inevitably causes other cars behind him to stop on the tracks. I've never seen an accident there but it is always awkward.
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Old 02-01-21, 09:19 AM
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I live in Bristol Alex, and drivers this side of the Mount Hope Bridge seem somewhat less frenetic than on Aquidneck Island. I don't like riding on the Island as everyone drives in a hurry. Even the back roads there make me nervous.
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Old 02-01-21, 09:21 AM
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In a similar vein.... My Dad used to wave pedestrians across the street while he was driving, sometimes even in the middle of the block. He is lucky he never got rear-ended.
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Old 02-01-21, 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
There have actually been drivers that waved other vehicles out that were immediately hit by a vehicle in the other lane. In court one of the arguments by the injured drivers is that the one waving was responsible for damages. The presumption being that by waving, they assumed responsibility for the safety of that person and should have made certain no other hazards existed.

Don't know what the outcomes were for these instances, but the first time I heard about such was when I was a teen in the 70's. So it's been going on a while. I'd be certain your driving instructor was aware of this potential for reassignment of responsibility.
I saw a case like this on Judge Judy show, where a driver stopped and waved on another car, which went, only to be hit as they were attempting to cross over to the other side of the road. The driver waving was not held responsible.
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Old 02-01-21, 09:58 AM
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Great letter. The closest I’ve come to dying on my bike is in this exact situation.
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Old 02-01-21, 10:26 AM
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The person interpreting the "wave" as "safe to go" is making a basic mistake.

The person waving can't make that determination for you.

People getting "creamed" after being waved on aren't looking like they are supposed to.
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Old 02-01-21, 10:37 AM
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Originally Posted by work4bike
I saw a case like this on Judge Judy show, where a driver stopped and waved on another car, which went, only to be hit as they were attempting to cross over to the other side of the road. The driver waving was not held responsible.
Nice! So this still goes on.

In the few cases I did in a round-a-bout fashion hear the result, the person waving was not held liable for for cyclist continuing into another lane and subsequently being hit by another.
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Old 02-01-21, 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
There have actually been drivers that waved other vehicles out that were immediately hit by a vehicle in the other lane. In court one of the arguments by the injured drivers is that the one waving was responsible for damages. The presumption being that by waving, they assumed responsibility for the safety of that person and should have made certain no other hazards existed.

Don't know what the outcomes were for these instances, but the first time I heard about such was when I was a teen in the 70's. So it's been going on a while. I'd be certain your driving instructor was aware of this potential for reassignment of responsibility.

That happened to my mother- driver insistently waving her out from a parking lot, & when she did, was hit by car in the next lane.

Fortunately no injuries. The driving equivalent of mansplaining.

While riding, I sometimes wave folks around to pass, but only when it unquestionably safe.

Last edited by woodcraft; 02-01-21 at 12:42 PM.
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Old 02-02-21, 08:33 AM
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At stop signs I always follow the rules of the road. I have seen accidents with vehicles after the death wave. No bueno!
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Old 02-02-21, 09:22 AM
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Excellent letter, highlighting something I see when driving as well as cycling.

There's a staggered crossroads on my commute to and from one of our sites. It's over a main road, which is a long straight and at the bottom of a hill. Speed limit is 40, but a lot of traffic goes straight through at much higher speeds.

There's a filter lane in both directions on the main road for traffic turning right off the main road (I'm in the UK), and it's very common for drivers to stop in the filter lane and wave you over if you're waiting to go right or straight over.

I won't move, no matter how much they wave or get abusive, and I never wave anyone across. Plenty of people do though, and there have been two fatalities I'm aware of and numerous collisions at this junction over the last few years.
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Old 02-03-21, 07:51 AM
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Someone mentioned in NYC we probably don’t have too many vehicles waving bikes in but I disagree. I have found that many motorists are willing to wave me in. I will only go though if I have a clear unobstructed view of everything around me as to avoid being “creamed” by another vehicle.
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Old 02-03-21, 11:05 AM
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There are a couple of problems with taking advantage of this perceived “kindness” by drivers in situations like this. First...as a cyclist...I’ve always felt that I’m safer behind cars than I am in front of them. There are times that I’ve had the right of way on the bike and I take it. Only to have the car turn in behind me...and then not be able to pass me for one reason or another (narrow road, oncoming traffic, etc.)...and the driver then becomes upset because I’m blocking him/her. Secondly, when cyclists recognize this “kindness” I feel like it legitimizes and propagates it. The yielding driver, and possibly others at the intersection will see it and continue to do it.


Dan
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Old 02-03-21, 11:09 AM
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The only time I take advantage of niceholes is at MUP street crossings, and only under the following conditions:
1) There is either no other traffic, or drivers in both directions have stopped (happens pretty frequently here).
2) at 3 or 4 way stops. I always stop and put my foot down, or stop and make an obvious sign of looking both directions when I'm in my velo. If they STILL wave me through after waiting an extra 3-4 seconds, I'll go if condition 1 is satisfied.
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Old 02-03-21, 07:18 PM
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I have no idea what the real legal interpretation is, but it has always seemed to me that my case would be weakened if I had to say "Yes, I followed the direction of someone I knew was not authorized to direct traffic".
Sometimes to Mae a left turn across a busy, multilane intersection, I will go through, and then walk my bike, with the light/walk signal, and then remount on the other side.
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Old 02-04-21, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Notso_fastLane
...or drivers in both directions have stopped
Indeed. The guy coming from the other direction is always the wild card. He most likely isn't on board with the waving-the-bike-through program.
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Old 02-05-21, 01:34 AM
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Funny this letter is from my home town. I have had this happen to me, where I had the car waved into me. A nice hole stopped to let cross traffic go and since I had reason to believe the driver was making a left turn I used the large lane to filter and got creamed I couldn't swerve because a driver on the right had crept out into lane. I rarely go out of turn at intersections with stop signs and put my foot down and as someone else said I would rather have them in front of me as I take the lane all of the time.
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