No doubt cell phones are part of the problem. Agitated drivers also, as is just plain lack of attention due to being in a hurry or not looking well enough.
I only ride by myself when there are no other options. Group riding doesn’t eliminate the risk but it certainly mitigates the risk. Fortunately where I live, I can usually always find a group to go with.
it’s scary out there. I rode almost 40 miles yesterday in loops of a 5 km paved path along a lake. Boring? Yes. Worth it to not have to worry about cars? Yes.
I’ve found that a bright, front facing, strobing light greatly enhances how often/quickly I’m seen by drivers. They’re incredibly inexpensive insurance.
Hugh
**
I’m sure you’ll get a million+ examples of near misses…I unfortunately have too many instances as well. Last week my closest was…I was able to pound on the top of the car passing me they were so close…I was going thru an intersection to turn right and the car "squeezed between me and the opposing lane of traffic…
Cell phone use and distracted driving are rampant problems right now…I bet 75%+ of people I see out on the roads are using their cell phones while driving.
I get the most nervous when there is oncomming traffic in the other lane.
Always amazes me how much someone will risk my life, their life, and the people in the other lanes life just so they can squeeze between me and the oncoming lane. You know, instead of slowing down for 5 seconds.
Blinking lights are proven to be the most effective way to be seen. I never ride without them.
Still dangerous though, glad you did not get hit.
I got hit by a distracted texter 5 days ago rushing into a parallel parking spot. We settled cash on site which fixed my bike drive train but here with these scrapes I can barely swim.
Just yesterday someone was giving me ride home in car, saw my scrapes, and told her I was hit by car on my bike. 2 min later she takes out phone to text… That is when I mentioned “o yea, the driver who hit me was texting”. Her face turned red from embarrassment and she put the phone down
As I’ve got older my anxiety about riding on the roads has grown more and more. Especially after getting hit. I find myself simply preferring to ride inside that deal with the stress of riding outside in another other than optimal traffic conditions.
I have a flexible schedule that allows me to ride mid-week in the middle of the day a lot.
There was a time where I relished in exploring unknown roads and riding long distances in the rural parts of my county. Each time I had a close call on a road my desire to go out there became more and more diminished.
It’s too bad because it is what will eventually push me off of road cycling.
I’m lit up like a Christmas tree. Wear neon, a small red flashing light front and rear, reflective anklets, and strobe on front. Haven’t been struck yet, but close calls aplenty.
Yep. I’m the same way. Doesn’t seem to matter though. If you eyes are on your phone you would miss Godzilla
So tell us your secret…?
EDIT: Why the hell did you delete your post? If you’ve managed to avoid close calls all these decades, we need to learn from your experience.
It is scary when you come face to face with a driver who either does not see you, or does not seem to care.
Would be interesting to see brain scans of people while driving, but…
I’d wager that even though you were in their field of vision, they did not actually register you as something worthy of attention. In other words they actually didn’t “see” you.
As others have mentioned, bright lights are cheap and work very well for visibility. If someone glances your way at all, the light will get their attention. I started using a front light last year in addition to one on the rear after I had 3 incidents in week where someone just pulled out in front of me like I wasn’t there.
I’d rather ride on Zwift then ride outside alone anymore. My group ride almost got hit by a truck who thought he could squeeze between us and a median while yelling at us to get off the road. It’s scary out there.
I know I’ve posted this link before but I’ll do it again. It’s a great explanation why they don’t see us.
I’d rather ride on Zwift then ride outside alone anymore. My group ride almost got hit by a truck who thought he could squeeze between us and a median while yelling at us to get off the road. It’s scary out there.
Zwift >> outdoors alone for sure for me too. Zwift is really a game-changer on the bike for serious training and racing.
I rider harder and safer on Zwift than I ever do outdoors. SOOO many rabbits to chase and soooo many hanger-ons to make sure you don’t slack off.
I thought it would be more of an entertainment gimmick which is why I put off getting it for years (that and the lack of a good computer to run it), but now that I’ve recently started it, I will confidently say it is incredible for anyone wanting to ride seriously and race.
Don’t run it on a crappy computer though - if it’s choppy or ugly, you’re missing the real Zwift experience!
I assumed that wearing bright colors and a yellow helmet would help with visibility, but apparently not enough.
Same here, and usually it is. The one that really got my attention was a woman wanting to turn left while I was approaching at ~35mph, wearing a frickin dayglo jersey. I barely missed her front bumper and managed the ditch without falling. I chased her down and she was nice enough to stop when she saw me coming. I just wanted to know why. From her dazed look, I think she had no clue why she pulled out in front of me. Didn’t register for some reason. Where she wanted to turn was towards the late afternoon sun, so maybe slightly blinded? That’s a big deal where I live due to high altitude and dry air. The sun can really screw up visibility.
Even a light won’t help if someone is literally not looking, but I think usually they don’t “see” us because visibility is poor and they don’t register us as a “threat”.
So tell us your secret…?
EDIT: Why the hell did you delete your post? If you’ve managed to avoid close calls all these decades, we need to learn from your experience.
I deleted my post because it came across a little dickish. The fact is I’ve been riding for decades without having near misses. I’m sure part of that is because I live in a fairly rural area but that hasn’t always been the case. I also ride very defensively, I don’t think I would make that left turn in front of traffic without making eye contact with the driver and being certain he was stopping. Maybe beyond that, it’s been luck.
Judging from my experience and the experience of a ton of cycling friends and acquaintances, cycling just isn’t nearly as dangerous as portrayed on ST. In the information age, confirmation bias has become very strong, I think this thread is a good example.
A few years ago I was hit twice within 30 days when I lived in SD. First one was T-boned (really old lady), bike destroyed. The second a right hook and was a few days after getting back onto the bike from the first accident. A third one a year and a half later in LA. All of them “didn’t see me,” and I had right of way all three times.
Here in LA I feel like I see a near miss every day that I ride or run, which may or may not involve me. Since the first one a few years ago, I am deliberately never in a rush or expect people to yield to to my right of way anymore. I wait for a late morning ride, ride on the trainer, or ride with someone.
One of my “favorite” near misses are when people jump in their parallel parked car, turn it on, check for traffic, double check their FB/insta status, then pull into the street.
Be safe out there.
Edited for clarification
I would guess it’s likely more dangerous, but it’s an opinion so it’s really tic for tac.
I think an bigger issue is that it may not even matter how defensive you ride, if someone is preoccupied they will run your ass over and “oops I didn’t see youâ€.
I think an bigger issue is that it may not even matter how defensive you ride,//
Of course it matters, cannot tell you how many escapes I have made(and other friends who ride safety first) over the years riding defensively. When I ride in traffic, I always try and imagine drivers is situations that involve me, doing the worst possible thing. If I come to a 4 way stop first, I imagine that drivers will jump it, or even run it. Like the previous poster stated, it is really good to have eye contact with anyone in a vehicle that can kill you. Not always possible, and will not get you out of every situation. I will que your what about a distracted driver hitting you from behind, that’s tough luck. But what about the 100’s of encounters that are not fatal, and not blind to you, those are the possible defensive ones…