I had a near miss like this that really scared me in Vancouver. I was going straight, and the light went yellow just before I got to the intersection. Thinking like a car, I speed up to clear the intersection before the red light. An oncoming car in the left lane also sped up to make a left turn. I don't remember if he indicated, certainly I didn't see it. We both slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed each other. He honked at me and was pissed. I was too scared and shaken for a while to realize I had the right of way. My next realization was that it doesn't matter if I have the right of way and am dead. Since then I always look carefully for left turners, even if they're not indicating, and I stop for yellow lights whenever possible (which to be fair, is what one is supposed to do.) Cycling on roads with cars is dangerous, even when there is a dedicated bike lane.
That's so sad, it breaks me up just reading it. Much strength to you and your sister.
One thing I've noticed is that it doesn't really matter whether cars indicate or not, you should just treat them as hostile whether they are going to intersect with you or whether it seems like they won't.
Vancouver left turns are wild. There’s almost never a turn lane or turn signal.
When I first moved there I didn’t realize that a yellow was treated as if left turners now owned the intersection. Had a few close calls when I would go straight on a yellow while left turners were trying to turn.
>And now you know why riding with body armor is pointless.
I can confidently say I am among the elite in terms of urban riding competency, having logged at least 15,000 miles riding around Los Angeles.
I’ve crashed three times. Two of those were were the result of a combination of bad luck and me taking unnecessary risks. The other one was entirely unavoidable, and totally the result of a negligent driver. In that case I slammed my head hard on the pavement, broke my helmet, and managed to ride away shaken but not seriously injured.
The point is I have skills too, I’ve avoided countless accidents by employing them. I also wear a helmet to further reduce that risk.
Ironically, I used to ride without a helmet, but only started when I moved to Los Angeles and had a few near-misses. Drivers here have a different idea about sharing the road than elsewhere. Biking fast through an intersection when a car traveling in the opposite direction is waiting to turn left is a recipe for disaster--they never want to wait, so I like to yield even when I have the right of way.
I don't follow why your anecdote suggests that body armor is useless. You're just saying that good awareness is also a good idea. All it takes is one momentary lapse of reason. I say this as a motorcyclist who adopts a similar head on a swivel approach. Assume everyone's out to kill you and make it look like an accident. I don't assume I'm perfect, though.
Seriously dangerous advice.
Well done being lucky on repeat, but luck is all it is.
I was cycling safely from Coogee to the City in Sydney.
A lady driving her kids to school rear ended me at a round about.
My head smashed straight into the asphalt. Fortunately helmets are more or less legal requirements in Australia or else I would have been dead or brain-damaged.
