The one type of crash that might truly be unavoidable: the oncoming drift - BicycleDriving

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Message from discussion The one type of crash that might truly be unavoidable: the oncoming drift
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Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:47:40 -0400
To: Serge Issakov <serge.issa...@gmail.com>
From: "John S. Allen" <jsal...@bikexprt.com>
Subject: Re: [BicycleDriving] The one type of crash that might truly be
 unavoidable: the oncoming drift
Cc: Wayne Pein <wp...@nc.rr.com>,
 BicycleDriving <bicycledriving@googlegroups.com>
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At 12:22 PM 10/30/2012, Serge Issakov wrote:


>On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 9:14 AM, John S. Allen=20
><<mailto:jsal...@bikexprt.com>jsal...@bikexprt.com> wrote:
>At 11:15 AM 10/29/2012, Serge Issakov wrote:
>I think I would distinguish these two types of=20
>crashes involving oncoming traffic:
>
>A) Oncoming driver inadvertently drifts across onto other side of road.
>B) Oncoming driver, thinking the other way is=20
>clear, intentionally crosses over onto other=20
>side of road in order to pass slower traffic.
>
>The main reason to distinguish them is because,=20
>like I originally said, I can think of no way to=20
>prevent crashes of Type A, but I do think=20
>crashes of Type B are more predictable and can=20
>be mitigated, primarily because the driver=20
>involved is alert enough to have decided to pass=20
>another vehicle. =C2 At least during periods of no=20
>other same-direction traffic (when a=20
>cross-the-center-line-pass is most likely),=20
>being positioned where the driver is expecting=20
>and looking for oncoming traffic, in the middle=20
>of traffic lane, is probably the best course.=20
>=C2  =C2 John's reasoning that he would have been=20
>hit by the police car had he been in the middle=20
>of the lane rather than far right in the lane=20
>presumes positioning had no effect on the=20
>apparent fact that he was either not noticed or=20
>was noticed but dismissed as irrelevant due to being apparently out of the=
 way.
>
>
>No! Not in this case. The road (two-lane, about=20
>22 feet wide) curved left and so the van hid the=20
>police car which was about to pass it. I didn't=20
>notice the car, nor could the driver see me,=20
>until it was too late for me to quick-turn out=20
>of the wy. If I had been in the middle of the=20
>lane I would have been struck head-on by the=20
>police car at a closing speed around 40 mph, and probably killed.
>
>John S. Allen
>
>
>So he passed in the oncoming lane while going around a blind curve? =C2=
 Wow!

Not a blind curve but a blindspot past the van.=20
He couldn't see what was past the van. Or perhaps=20
he could see around its right side and would have=20
seen a vehicle closer to the centerline. But,=20
with an oncoming vehicle already close ahead, I=20
chose to keep farther right in case *that* vehicle drifted left.

The officer either never looked past the van, or=20
looked past it on its right side, at which time I=20
was already concealed by it. Whether he would=20
have seen me if I was riding farther left, I=20
don't know, but I doubt it. Thing is, because I=20
was going slower then the usual speed of traffic,=20
I was farther ahead and so in the blindspot sooner.

John S. Allen

Technical Writer/Editor,  http://sheldonbrown.com

League Cycling Instructor #77-C

jsallen *at* bikexprt.com
http://bikexprt.com
http://john-s-allen.com/blog
http://bostonbiker.org/streetsmarts




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At 12:22 PM 10/30/2012, Serge Issakov wrote:<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=3Dcite class=3Dcite cite=3D"">On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 9:14 =
AM,
John S. Allen
&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:jsal...@bikexprt.com">jsal...@bikexprt.com</a>&gt;
wrote:<br>

<dl>
<dd>At 11:15 AM 10/29/2012, Serge Issakov wrote:<br>

<dl>
<dd>I think I would distinguish these two types of crashes involving
oncoming traffic:<br><br>

<dd>A) Oncoming driver inadvertently drifts across onto other side of
road.<br>

<dd>B) Oncoming driver, thinking the other way is clear, intentionally
crosses over onto other side of road in order to pass slower
traffic.<br><br>

<dd>The main reason to distinguish them is because, like I originally
said, I can think of no way to prevent crashes of Type A, but I do think
crashes of Type B are more predictable and can be mitigated, primarily
because the driver involved is alert enough to have decided to pass
another vehicle. =C2 At least during periods of no other same-direction
traffic (when a cross-the-center-line-pass is most likely), being
positioned where the driver is expecting and looking for oncoming
traffic, in the middle of traffic lane, is probably the best course.
=C2&nbsp; =C2 John's reasoning that he would have been hit by the police car
had he been in the middle of the lane rather than far right in the lane
presumes positioning had no effect on the apparent fact that he was
either not noticed or was noticed but dismissed as irrelevant due to
being apparently out of the way.<br><br>

</dl><br>

<dd>No! Not in this case. The road (two-lane, about 22 feet wide) curved
left and so the van hid the police car which was about to pass it. I
didn't notice the car, nor could the driver see me, until it was too late
for me to quick-turn out of the wy. If I had been in the middle of the
lane I would have been struck head-on by the police car at a closing
speed around 40 mph, and probably killed.<br><br>

<dd>John S. Allen<br><br>

</dl><br>
So he passed in the oncoming lane while going around a blind curve? =C2
Wow!</blockquote><br>
Not a blind curve but a blindspot past the van. He couldn't see what was
past the van. Or perhaps he could see around its right side and would
have seen a vehicle closer to the centerline. But, with an oncoming
vehicle already close ahead, I chose to keep farther right in case *that*
vehicle drifted left. <br><br>
The officer either never looked past the van, or looked past it on its
right side, at which time I was already concealed by it. Whether he would
have seen me if I was riding farther left, I don't know, but I doubt it.
Thing is, because I was going slower then the usual speed of traffic, I
was farther ahead and so in the blindspot sooner. <br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
John S. Allen<br><br>
Technical Writer/Editor,&nbsp;
<a href=3D"http://sheldonbrown.com/" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://sheldonbrown.com<br><br>
</a>League Cycling Instructor #77-C<br><br>
jsallen *at* bikexprt.com<br>
<a href=3D"http://bikexprt.com/" eudora=3D"autourl">http://bikexprt.com<br>
</a><a href=3D"http://john-s-allen.com/blog" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://john-s-allen.com/blog<br>
</a><a href=3D"http://bostonbiker.org/streetsmarts" eudora=3D"autourl">
http://bostonbiker.org/streetsmarts<br><br>
<br><br>
</a></body>
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