How often do you almost get hit by cars?

[Thorn]

papaver -- are you Dutch perchance?

Having just read Bob Mionske's Bicycling and the Law it is pervasive in the US that you're lucky as a cyclist to be recognized as having any right to the road. Around here, we have a cyclist who is doing his part by recording and reporting unsafe driver behavior ( http://bikesafer.blogspot.com/ ). Sometimes he has success; sometimes his interactions with the officers sworn to protect us just makes you want to cry.

But, yes, I'd probably say that at least once a week a car passes too close (and my state does have a 3 foot law), scoots in front of me to turn, or shouts things at me. Only once have I been intentionally run off the road and feared for my life.

You need to ride defensively. Assume you're invisible. Take the lane if it isn't safe for the driver to pass and assume every driver of every car is an (explicative deleted) until proven polite.

[papaver]

papaver -- are you Dutch perchance?

Having just read Bob Mionske's Bicycling and the Law it is pervasive in the US that you're lucky as a cyclist to be recognized as having any right to the road. Around here, we have a cyclist who is doing his part by recording and reporting unsafe driver behavior ( http://bikesafer.blogspot.com/ ). Sometimes he has success; sometimes his interactions with the officers sworn to protect us just makes you want to cry.

But, yes, I'd probably say that at least once a week a car passes too close (and my state does have a 3 foot law), scoots in front of me to turn, or shouts things at me. Only once have I been intentionally run off the road and feared for my life.

You need to ride defensively. Assume you're invisible. Take the lane if it isn't safe for the driver to pass and assume every driver of every car is an (explicative deleted) until proven polite.

No I'm Belgian. That's the country next to Holland.

What we do during the winter time is wear a fluo jacket, so you're much more visible. Because allthough you're medical bills are paid for... I'd rather be safe and healthy.

[Trek420]

I don't think I've ever been almost hit.

But I've been hit .... twice. And my cousin's fiance was killed by an oblivious truck driver (while she was doing everything right including bright clothing).

I live and commute in the wilds of the mean streets of the East Bay/South Hayward-Oakland. C'mon gals. The days are getting longer, nights are getting lighter. Let's ride!! Just get out there and take the lane, ride safely, obey the traffic laws .... yada yada.

[sfa]

Depends what you mean by "almost hit." There are drivers who annoy me by zipping by and then cutting in front to make a right turn, or who pull out into intersections that I'm about to go into when I have the right of way. But I've never had any "OMG, I'm lucky that wasn't a disaster"-heart-pounding close calls. Like LPH, I assume that drivers WILL do these stupid things, things they'd probably never attempt if I were a car, and I plan for them.

One thing I've noticed--when a driver does something particularly annoying or dangerous, probably 80% of the time it's a teenage boy in a truck or SUV. I think they are not only less experienced than other drivers, but also more oblivious and more certain of their own immortality than others!

Sarah

[Grog]

http://bicyclesafe.com/

And, yes, take the lane.

[Karma007]

I'm very good at riding with one hand, since at intersections, I'm always waving to people, to make sure they see me. "Hello....I am here!"

[Biciclista]

This same thing (the truck story) happened to me.
Since then, I do NOT cling to the curb, I get out there (about 1/3 of the lane from the curb). This insures that the vehicle behind me has to look at me.
Of course, if it looks like they're not, I always have the option of heading towards the curb, in an emergency.

That feeling of doom is your instinct for survival talking. Now take that very healthy fear and translate it into riding as safely as possible.
I ride in a city like yours and haven't found that the poorer neighborhoods are less safe than the richer. In fact, we have several wealthier towns in the area which are notorious for their hatred for bicyclists.
I live in the 'hood and at least where I live, young teenaged men tend to pass more closely, not out of aggression, but because they are over confident.
It's middle-aged white men who appear to be the most aggressive and are most apt to scare me to death.

Please read some of the references the other riders have mentioned.

[PscyclePath]

Ivona:

Being in the Oakland/SF area, you might want to look up and take one of these classes on street riding and commuting:

http://www.bikeleague.org/cogs/resou...29&submit.y=14

A little confidence and good manners will get you a long way... ;-)

Tom

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Very infrequently, since I read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Urban-Cycl.../dp/0762727837

http://bicyclesafe.com/
And, yes, take the lane.

Do yourself a big favor and read that website (you are putting yourself in "The Red Light of Death", and buy that book used on Amazon and READ it.
The book covers all things dangerous including traffic and the classic railroad track 'bear trap' scenario.
You would stay much safer by not creeping up alongside the curb at intersections, right in everyone's blind spots. It's only a matter of time before someone turns right into you and you can't get out of the way in time.
Keep out of the 'door zone' as well.
Read that website and that book- the book is very thorough and completely changed the way I ride. I used to think I was doing things to stay safe, then I realized I was actually putting myself into very dangerous situations- no wonder I kept having close calls. Now I almost never wind up in a scary situation. I have learned from the book how to keep from setting myself up in accidents waiting to happen in the first place. It's a cool read and I'm convinced if I hadn't read that book I probably would have been hit by a car by now, after many thousands of miles riding in traffic.