On 2/6/2020 8:55 PM, John B. wrote:
On Thu, 6 Feb 2020 17:11:21 -0800 (PST), Frank Krygowski wrote:


I think you have to look at the causes of individual crashes. One
is the Right Hook that happens when a bicyclist rides up in a bike
lane on the right of a motorist who is turning right. Assigning fault
is tricky and maybe random. Some investigators might say it's the
motorist's fault, for not craning his neck and checking his mirrors
and peering into a place where the cyclist is invisible before making
his turn. Another might say it's foolish for the cyclist to ride into
the blind spot in the first place. I'd say it's stupid of the designer
to lure a cyclist into such a dangerous space. Would you ever put a
straight-ahead car lane to the right of a right turn lane?

Here, of course, it is the left hook, and I have experienced it. When
stopping it is often sort of easy to run up almost to the edge of the
road and rest your foot on the edge of the raised sidewalk and just
sit there on the bike waiting for the light to change. Along comes a
bus that is going to turn left (right in your case) and of course he
moves to the side of the road and when he turns there won't be room
enough for both the bicycle and the bus so, logically, the bicycle
must wait for the bus.

And, I say logically as anyone with any sense at all can undoubtedly
figure out what is going to happen in the case of a bus/bicycle
collision...

The thing that makes me wonder is, if I can figure this out, can't
others? Am I so blindly intelligent that only I can perceive the
results of a bicycle/bus collision?

I don't think so.

I think we in this group sometimes forget that we're much different from
average. That's both in knowledge of riding techiques and in knowledge
of mechanical techniques.

Several years ago when London had a sudden cluster of bike fatalities,
the situation you describe was a very common cause, mostly affecting
women, and made worse by curbside barriers meant to dissuade "jay
walkers." The women were enticed by green paint to be at the curb side
of turning vehicles, and the barriers prevented fleeing. I can't imagine
the terror they must have felt in their last moments.


Another one is a bi-directional "protected" lane that sends half the
bicyclists into an intersection going the wrong way - that is, riding
on the left side of the road. That is a serious, serious violation of
normal road rules; and resulting crashes are quite common. But that
weird design is one of the things most requested by bike advocates.
But do we blame the bicyclist for doing what the designer told him to do?

There are other problems, like motorists trying to exit side streets
or driveways and not being able to see if traffic is coming, until they
pull partly out into the bike lane. Cyclists don't expect that and
may be hidden from view. Another crash.

In summary, it's fashionable to design crap that violates common sense
and then tell bicyclists they are now "protected." The results should
not surprise.

- Frank Krygowski

I find it interesting that student pilots are told repeatedly to keep
their head moving... to be looking up down and sideways to see if
anything is there. Think of it. Way up there in the air and you keep a
constant lookout for other objects while cyclists riding in traffic
apparently don't bother with all that sort of foolishness.

Interestingly, I once did an article for our bike club's newsletter,
titled something like "Advice for the Timid." I know there are riders
who are afraid enough of traffic that they'll sneak through parking
lots, etc.

One of my points was that parking lots are "No Rules!" areas, with cars
and pedestrians coming from any direction at all. And just as you said,
I advised them to keep their heads on a swivel "just like a fighter pilot."

--
- Frank Krygowski