Ignorant or just plain stupid?

[m.eliza]

Just venting a little bit here, but I'm curious. Why do motorists think it's okay to pass a cyclist 50 feet before a stop sign, then stop, causing the cyclist to have to slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with the motorist's rear bumper? This happened to me twice this evening on my 10-mile commute. I am not a pedestrian! I follow the laws that apply to vehicles and I expect to be treated like one. I understand this is a lot to ask for, but twice in one short ride really gets to me.

[Eden]

Probably mostly ignorance..... I tackle this problem by moving out into the center of the lane 100 or so meters before the stop sign. It usually gives a pretty clear signal to motorists that no its not OK to move in front of me just now.

[IFjane]

Probably mostly ignorance..... I tackle this problem by moving out into the center of the lane 100 or so meters before the stop sign. It usually gives a pretty clear signal to motorists that no its not OK to move in front of me just now.

I do exactly the same thing. What bugs me even more is when a driver passes me, then slams on the brakes to turn into a driveway.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Drivers often perceive of a person on a bicycle as moving much slower than they actually are. For example, they actually sometimes think they have plenty of time to pass them and then make a right turn into a driveway, not realizing how fast the cyclist is traveling.
It's not going to change very much any time soon, but we can help keep ourselves safer by knowing how drivers see and think, thus anticipating their clueless and sometimes life-endangering moves.

Always assume a driver doesn't see you. Always expect them to do the wrong thing. These two assumptions have saved my life more than once.

[crazycanuck]

We had something similar on a ride last week at a give way sign. Idiot driver decided to go into the right lane(to turn left) & then proceed to turn left in front of us..

What an idiot. Couldn't wait two seconds..

However...yesterday as I ventured through the same area-it's windy & normally no passing lanes-and I helped a motorist...I was going up & around one of these windy bits & noticed no cars coming the other way for a while so I gave the person the thumbs up & waved them on by. Nice person honked in thanks

[Eden]

I have actually rear ended a car...... it was not at a stop sign, but rather someone who was so busy looking at me and at passing me that they failed to notice that a car was stopped parallel parking just up ahead. It was a rainy day so when they slammed on the brakes, even thought I put mine full on there was just no stopping in time. I tried to steer away and ended up putting my left hand through their right tail light... fortunately it was also cold, so I had on long finger gloves and that saved my a lot of cuts. I smashed a nail on one finger (it broke under the cuticle and eventually fell off....) but fingernails heal and tail lights don't...

[lph]

I agree with Lisa here, I think it's very common to drivers to perceive cyclists as Slow, no matter what speed they're actually moving at. It would be very interesting to see if this happens less to riders that "look fast", in team gear, matching helmet, agressive riding position, road bikes, than with more "anonymous" bike riders.

I also think that cyclists are just a bit too few sometimes, so we just disappear. Drivers look for cars (this is a common problem for motorcyclists too, I think), they are aware of cars, and they maneuver in traffic with cars in mind. I think we're at risk of being passed and then forgotten, as just a "minor blip" in traffic, not as a steady presence.

It's hugely annoying, though. I have saved my skin several times by just assuming that any vehicle directly ahead of me can brake or turn to the right with no signal at any possible moment. Had some very close calls before I started assuming this on a regular basis, though.