Do motorists not look before they back out?

[OakLeaf]

I don't believe that eye contact does anything, either. They'll look right at you and pull out in front of you. Waving is probably more reliable for ensuring that someone actually sees you, but waves are so subject to interpretation, I wouldn't rely on that, either.

I assume two things: (1) most of 'em don't see me, and (2) those that do, are TRYING to hit me.

Assuming that cars are NOT going to hit me is the same as giving the responsibility for my safety over to them. That's never going to keep me safe. I will make a couple of assumptions just for the sake of traffic flow. I assume that someone stopped at a red light is not going to start moving and go straight (or left, if it's a two-way street) before the light turns green. I will assume that someone is not going to turn where there is no intersection or driveway. Those are about the only times I cede the responsibility for my safety to car drivers.

[maillotpois]

Jo - I do that, too - the wave!

The other issue with the Prius is you can't HEAR the darned thing half the time because the engine shuts down. I know it's all green and everything, but combine that with the blind spots and it seems like the car's going out of its way to make life tough for cyclists. What irony.

[Thorn]

The other issue with the Prius is you can't HEAR the darned thing half the time because the engine shuts down.

Yeah, as a Prius driver, whenever I'm in low speed or approaching bikes, I'm constantly questioning if I'm on electric or gas. But, as most cyclists when they get behind the wheel of a car, I also tend to give a lot of room when passing.

For me today, it wasn't Prius' that kept backing out at me...this morning it was middle aged women with a 1950's-style flip hair do. Three out of three vehicles that tried to take me out this morning....bizarre coincidence

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

How not to get hit by cars:
http://bicyclesafe.com/

(Doesn't cover the backing-out-of-driving issue specifically, but if you follow the general advice about assuming you are invisible to cars, then you should be ok there too)

[lovelylibrarian]

The one time I was hit by a car a few months ago was when a driver backed into me. I actually hit him because I didn't have enough time to stop. I now don't drive so close to the side of road. I'm also more attentive instead of daydreaming during my ride to work.

[VeloVT]

Re making eye contact --
when I am approaching an intersection in which I will have the right of way, but there are vehicles approaching/stopped/rolling forward/etc that might possibly think I would yield to them, I will BOTH make eye contact and move as far over in the lane as I possibly can (if it is a large intersection or busy road that I am familiar with, I will actually anticipate ahead of time and look for a break in traffic so I can cut in), signalling to them that I have every intention of proceeding straight through the intersection. I will do this with driveways and parking lot entrances when there is a vehicle nosing forward too, and I try to look as far ahead as I can so I have plenty of time to do this without causing other problems with traffic in my lane (if necessary I will give a hand signal to warn cars behind me). In an actual intersection, when I'm halfway past the car, I will give a nice wave to acknowledge that I appreciate the fact that they respected my right of way .

I have also learned (by near accident) that when traffic is moving more slowly than I would like to ride, it is unfortunately safer to pull in line with traffic and roll along at 9 miles an hour than it is to speed along the right shoulder, moving up the line. Cars will NOT be looking for you in that situation and may just turn right into you, sans signal. This somewhat reduces the speed advantage that cycling can have in urban situations, but I'll take safety over speed if I have to choose, I guess.

[Grog]

I have also learned (by near accident) that when traffic is moving more slowly than I would like to ride, it is unfortunately safer to pull in line with traffic and roll along at 9 miles an hour than it is to speed along the right shoulder, moving up the line. Cars will NOT be looking for you in that situation and may just turn right into you, sans signal. This somewhat reduces the speed advantage that cycling can have in urban situations, but I'll take safety over speed if I have to choose, I guess.

A girlfriend of mine was doored while passing on the right in the way you describe. It hurt when I had to tell her that technically the passenger who opened the door was not at fault (my friend was not in a bike lane).

I also am sometimes slower on the bike route than other cyclists who will go around cars in dubious ways (jumping on the sidewalk or passing on the right when it's definitely not safe). Most of the time I catch up with them at the next intersection anyway.