Oldfart
Posts:511
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| 02/12/2014 01:28 PM |
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I was riding into a small traffic circle, maybe 3 metres away when a car came through from my left at pretty high speed. Hit the brakes and turned the front wheel just in time to avoid a collision. As I see it, we both entered the intersection at about the same time which means I had right of way.
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/12/2014 01:37 PM |
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Careful now Andy...sometimes it's worth fighting for your right of way and drive the point home, sometimes it's not.
Was this in posh Whistler or in posh Point Grey? |
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vtguy
Posts:298
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| 02/12/2014 02:25 PM |
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| Glad you're OK. It's generally a good practice to concede the right of way to a 3,000 pound car. |
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ChinookPass
Posts:809
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| 02/12/2014 02:28 PM |
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not much margin. glad you made it. we've all been there.
There was a kooky editorial recently which I hesitate to give more clicks to but it illustrates a bizarre point of view that we are endangering ourselves by existing. "oh no what if I was distracted?! you might ruin my driving record!"
http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2022807000_sethnormanopeddriverscyclists01xml.html
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Oldfart
Posts:511
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| 02/12/2014 03:15 PM |
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No OC, it was hippy Kitsalano. Frickin Toyota Echo.
Not fear Seth, awareness and respect for each other. I know some people who if placed in my situation this AM would have been afraid, might have had a sit down to stop shaking. Doesn't really phase me much. Nothing happened to me except that I realize that particular intersection is $4itty because of a lack of line of sight visibility. I only rode that way because of, ironically enough, mayor moonbeam's cycling lane construction through Point Grey forced me to take a different route. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/12/2014 04:36 PM |
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Not quite related but ... I used to commute into Boston along a route with 3 traffic circles, all conveniently at the bottoms of hills, both directions. I would time my entry to basically land o the bumper of the car ahead. There was a 6-10 foot window behind each car that other cars honored. I wanted to be in it so even if other cars were oblivious to me, it didn't matter.
Now, the core secret to doing that and not ending up a decoration on the back of the slowing car in front was the fix gear. I found my leg reaction to stop pedaling was so fast and involuntary that I gained about 4 feet of buffer before I reached the brakes. (I didn't do this on my geared bikes and felt a lot less safe.)
Ben |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/12/2014 04:54 PM |
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Doesn't really phase me much.
Andy, the expression in our bike shop relating to close calls was "Close only counts for horseshoes and hand grenades." (Boston traffic where close was routine.)
Ben |
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zootracer
Posts:833
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| 02/12/2014 08:13 PM |
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| Well, 10cm is about as close as you can get..My worst fear is myself. All my nasty crashes have been solo.... |
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smokey52
Posts:493
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| 02/13/2014 10:06 AM |
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glad you avoided getting whacked.
In NY, vehicles on the circle have right of way, even though they're coming from the left. Years back, in neighboring Massachusetts, vehicles entering the rotary had the right of way. Quite confusing, and people often played crinkle-fenders as a result. Mass. has since changed. I think US DOT standardized the rules. |
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Oldfart
Posts:511
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| 02/13/2014 12:46 PM |
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Posted By smokey 52 on 02/13/2014 10:06 AM
glad you avoided getting whacked.
In NY, vehicles on the circle have right of way, even though they're coming from the left. Years back, in neighboring Massachusetts, vehicles entering the rotary had the right of way. Quite confusing, and people often played crinkle-fenders as a result. Mass. has since changed. I think US DOT standardized the rules.
Same here. I think sometimes people drive faster just so they can get into the circle first. Similar to four way stops. "I was there 1/4 second before you so I get to go".
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/13/2014 01:14 PM |
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Posted By Andy Eunson on 02/13/2014 12:46 PM
Same here. I think sometimes people drive faster just so they can get into the circle first. Similar to four way stops. "I was there 1/4 second before you so I get to go".
Isn't that normal practice? I certainly do that on my bike for roundabouts and 4-way stops...first come first serve  |
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