Bike Rider Has A Close Call

lulu5kamz

Known around here
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
1,128
Reaction score
3,599
Notice that this male never got back on the bike after this close call with the car. He ended up walking back in the direction he came from. I guess he had enough bike riding for the evening.

 

lulu5kamz

Known around here
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
1,128
Reaction score
3,599
I'm surprised he wasn't emptying his pants there on the shoulder. It's hard to tell from the angle, but based on the number of lanes how close do you think he ended up to that car?
Looks like he was just a few feet from the car. After his bike stopped, it took him 12 steps to cross the 2 lanes to get to the sidewalk.
 

Fastb

Known around here
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Messages
1,342
Reaction score
934
Location
Seattle, Wa
So many bike riders do not obey the road laws.
This is a very common complaint from drivers.
Note: In this video, the cyclist blasted through the stop sign, after not looking for traffic. The opposite of rolling through a stop sign after looking both ways. So I'm not defending this particular cyclist.

Yes, many cyclists merely slow down for stop signs. And when traffic permits, cyclists often go through red lights. This really irritates some drivers. ie: "I follow the laws, why don't cyclists?". But consider the flip side.

Many, many drivers don't follow traffic laws. Texting, talking on a phone, speeding, not using turn signals. This driver behavior puts cyclists at risk of severe bodily injury, or death. So;
  • If cyclists don't obey traffic laws, cyclists could die.
  • If motorists don't follow the above-mentioned laws, cyclists could die.

That said, this cyclist was dumb, unaware, and couldn't come to a controlled emergency stop. He continued straight, and didn't turn out of the path of the 3,000 lb car.
But why didn't the car swerve, honk, slam on the brakes, etc? A distracted driver?

What if the cyclist was a 10 year old kid, still learning about a) riding in traffic, b) traffic signs, c) checking for traffic, and d) how to emergency brake while controlling the bike? I'm glad the outcome was mild. It could easily have been tragic.... In collisions, the cyclist always pays a heavier price compared to a driver wrapped in 3,000 lbs of metal....

Good video, lulu5camz, as always.

YMMV,
Fastb
 
Joined
Aug 8, 2018
Messages
7,386
Reaction score
25,889
Location
Spring, Texas
In collisions, the cyclist always pays a heavier price compared to a driver wrapped in 3,000 lbs of metal....
That is the sad reality of the situation. Same thing for motorcycles. So all the more reason for cyclists to obey the laws. I am just as guilty of this as any other cyclist. But I do tend to be much more careful at intersections with fast moving cars, like the one shown here.

I wonder if the car driver did not perceive the danger as we see it. We have a very foreshortened view. It looks like the bike is right on top of the car. But the kid did 'cut the corner' to the left. Maybe the driver thought the kid was going to pass on the right side of him and not be hit. Maybe the kid panicked and was not even close to being struck? Maybe the driver never saw the bike rider.
 

TonyR

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Jul 15, 2014
Messages
16,436
Reaction score
38,154
Location
Alabama
Wow....he almost got removed from the gene pool.

Judging by the slo-mo at 20 seconds that shows possible front wheel lockup which causes the rear wheel to go up in the air AND that he decided to walk the bike home I wonder if his rear brakes failed? Only he knows, I guess.

Mustang driver probably saying to himself "....Whew! That was close...almost got my car scratched or dented." :blankstare:

Great stuff as usual, lulu.
 
Top