CLOSE call...

Discussion of the Genuine Buddy, Hooligan, Black Jack and other topics, both scooter related and not

Moderator: Modern Buddy Staff

Post Reply
User avatar
michelle_7728
Member
Posts: 1914
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:16 am
Location: Renton, WA

CLOSE call...

Post by michelle_7728 »

My husband and I went to Fred Meyers today. Normally going home, I go straight across the intersection, which would take us through a residential area. However, there were 5 or 6 cars in the lane that would go straight or turn right, and I figured we wouldn't make it through the light, so I thought we'd make a left, go down the hill a ways, then make a right into the residential area further down.

Anyhow, we'd had a green light for probably 5 to 7 seconds, and there were no cars coming straight towards us...just one across the road making a left, so I went ahead and made my left.

Per normal, when riding with another scooter, I went into the left most part of the lane, so that when he came behind me he could go into the right part of the lane so we could right staggered. Anyhow, I had not totally straightened up out of my turn when I heard honking that sounded like it came from 30 or so feet away, and this black car was right there...like a foot or so from me. He had run the red light!

I was just thinking "whoa!", but it happened so fast I didn't even have time to react. Thank God I was going for the left part of the lane and the guy who ran the red light hugged the far right side of the lane or he would have hit me for sure. My husband and I had our helmet communicators on, and he told me that he thinks that car honked right as he ran the light--already going full speed.

I'm sure I should be way more shook up about this than I am, but I guess my philosophy is that if nothing happened, why stress about it...so I never went through the stage of needing to pull over and shake, if you know what I mean.

I consider this my closest call ever, as I never even saw the guy.

In retrospect, I totally should have been looking, even though our light had been green. You just never know when stuff like this is going to happen, right? :roll:

Edited to add diagram.
Attachments
Close call 10-21-2012.jpg
Close call 10-21-2012.jpg (94.23 KiB) Viewed 1706 times
Last edited by michelle_7728 on Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
JHScoot
Member
Posts: 2745
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:05 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Post by JHScoot »

lots of stuff going on there, michelle. deciding which route to take, postionong of scooter, making a turn, communicating with husband. its easy to become distracted and lose focus.

i too am of the mind "nothing happened so don't stress." BUT, i would have to give pause for thought in this situation because you did not LOOK before you went. you did not SEE, as they say. this can be hazardous :(

i say this only to remind you that a simple check can save your butt. i too have done dumb things. one time in particular early on in my riding i was so distracted by a truck blocking my way i did not notice the light turned RED and i ran it. by the time i noticed what i'd done i was in the intersection and cars were bearing down on me from either side. i made it through but man did i feel stupid. never forgot that, and how i was seconds from being road gravy

so IF that car was indeed speeding through the intersection and was not in a blind spot you most certainly should have seen it coming before you turned. happens to the best of us. just try to not let it happen again. for your own sake :)
Riding is riding
User avatar
jrsjr
Moderator Emeritus
Posts: 3746
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:26 pm

Post by jrsjr »

Michelle, I'm really glad to hear that this was just a close call and not anything worse. Whew! I know this sounds completely crazy (and is perilously close to violating our iron-clad rule against politics), but I think just about everybody in the entire country is a little too distracted and on edge right now. I really hope this rash of folks running red-lights/stop-signs will end after the election and everybody will cool off a little bit. My mom used to bug me to stay off the bike from Thanksgiving to New Years because she said everybody was too distracted and making driving mistakes. I think what we're witnessing now is a tsunami of distraction (and overheated emotion) and it's having a very noticeable impact on folks driving behavior.

Be very careful out there, esp the next seventeen days. :shock:
User avatar
skully93
Member
Posts: 2597
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:54 pm
Location: Denver CO

Post by skully93 »

Yep! Weather changes, holidays, etc, people get a little more distracted.

Thanks for sharing. Just realized I probably was a little more zoned out this morning than I should be, and could have been paying a lot more attention myself!
Image
User avatar
jrsjr
Moderator Emeritus
Posts: 3746
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2006 11:26 pm

Post by jrsjr »

skully93 wrote: Just realized I probably was a little more zoned out this morning than I should be, and could have been paying a lot more attention myself!
Did you get to work and realize you didn't remember any of the drive/ride? That's scary. :shock:
User avatar
Dooglas
Moderator
Posts: 4368
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:17 am
Location: Oregon City, OR

Post by Dooglas »

Glad to hear you are okay. Unfortunately it is necessary to ride as though red lights and stop signs are only "advisory". Hardly a day passes when I don't see a driver decide he will simply ignore those petty details and do whatever he chooses. It is truly a jungle out there :wink: .
User avatar
mattgordon
Member
Posts: 730
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 3:40 am
Location: Temecula, CA

wake-up call

Post by mattgordon »

Serves to remind us all, that every trip is fraught with peril...2 wheels, 4 wheels whatever.

Had an elderly couple in an SUV killed by red-light runner in our small-ish town this weekend, sobering indeed.

Enjoy each day, approach each mile with caution. It's the best we can do.

Glad you're OK !
User avatar
skully93
Member
Posts: 2597
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:54 pm
Location: Denver CO

Post by skully93 »

jrsjr wrote:
skully93 wrote: Just realized I probably was a little more zoned out this morning than I should be, and could have been paying a lot more attention myself!
Did you get to work and realize you didn't remember any of the drive/ride? That's scary. :shock:
Not quite that bad, but if there was anyone running a light or stop sign, I probably wouldn't have known until it was too late. Whenever I realize I'm on auto-pilot I tend to tell myself "come on, get your head in the game.."
Image
User avatar
michelle_7728
Member
Posts: 1914
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:16 am
Location: Renton, WA

Post by michelle_7728 »

JHScoot wrote:a simple check can save your butt.
+1000!

Yeah, the speed he whizzed by me--seemingly a foot away--he obviously had been flying when he ran that light. I am so glad that I was turning and not going straight, or this post might not be happening. :shock:

I'm glad I'm still here! :D

(edited my original post to add a diagram)
User avatar
skully93
Member
Posts: 2597
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:54 pm
Location: Denver CO

Post by skully93 »

considered starting my own thread, but this fits right in.

On my way home from Boulder yesterday, one of the main drags slowly becomes a highway that I take back to Denver.

Just before that happened, a younger kid in a white station wagon just drove right at me from the left. I laid on the horn, be he was still coming out from his side street, directly at my right side. Fortunately acceleration was enough to get me past him, because he didn't look up until it would have been too late.

The only reason I didn't think about it is he didn't have a LEFT turn signal on, so I thought he was just going to turn right into the lane next to me. Apparently not!
Image
User avatar
michelle_7728
Member
Posts: 1914
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:16 am
Location: Renton, WA

Post by michelle_7728 »

skully93 wrote:considered starting my own thread, but this fits right in.

On my way home from Boulder yesterday, one of the main drags slowly becomes a highway that I take back to Denver.

Just before that happened, a younger kid in a white station wagon just drove right at me from the left. I laid on the horn, be he was still coming out from his side street, directly at my right side. Fortunately acceleration was enough to get me past him, because he didn't look up until it would have been too late.

The only reason I didn't think about it is he didn't have a LEFT turn signal on, so I thought he was just going to turn right into the lane next to me. Apparently not!
I don't suppose you have a diagram? I'm not getting a clear picture of what you're talking about here. :?:
User avatar
skully93
Member
Posts: 2597
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:54 pm
Location: Denver CO

Post by skully93 »

I don't, and you don't want to see what I make in Paint.

think this? you are coming out of a side street. you can turn right, or go across 2 lanes and turn left. This guy was turning left, with no signal, looking right. I just happened to be in the way :P.
Image
User avatar
LunaP
Member
Posts: 1152
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:17 am
Location: Richmond, VA

Post by LunaP »

Glad you are alright!

Running a red at full speed is totally inexcusable. I have run yellows that turned red while I was in the intersection, because I felt trying to stop in time would be ineffective, I'm sure we've all done that no matter the vehicle driven. But just plain blowing a light with no regard? UGH.
User avatar
persephonelily
Member
Posts: 97
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2012 1:19 pm
Location: Maine

Post by persephonelily »

I've started waiting a second before pulling out from a green light. I used to speed through the yellows, but I find myself being overly cautious now and just stop. Too many people just refuse to see me to chance it anymore.
User avatar
pumpedoncaffeine
Member
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:02 pm
Location: Texas

Post by pumpedoncaffeine »

I usually wait a few seconds after the light changes before I proceed through the intersection. I have seen to many 18 wheelers in the morning blow through all the lights. We only have four of them, in the early mornings when I am going to work, I have seen quite a few not stopping.

Then there is always this to clear a path.
Attachments
traffic jam.jpg
traffic jam.jpg (56.65 KiB) Viewed 1600 times
User avatar
michelle_7728
Member
Posts: 1914
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:16 am
Location: Renton, WA

Post by michelle_7728 »

persephonelily wrote:I've started waiting a second before pulling out from a green light. I used to speed through the yellows, but I find myself being overly cautious now and just stop. Too many people just refuse to see me to chance it anymore.
Yeah, if I'm at the head of the pack, I definitely make sure that the cross traffic is stopped, or obviously coming to a stop before crossing, but like I said this was 5-10 seconds after the light had changed, and several cars went before we did.

At any rate, this just goes to show that EVEN THEN, I should have been dilligent in glancing around.

I COULD look at the incident like this: Twice now, riding a scooter rather than driving probably saved me serious injury or death.

If I had been in a car, and my husband had been the passenger, he at least would likely have been severely injured by that car hitting him. Since I was on a scooter and went into the leftmost part of the right lane, there was 'just' room enough for the car to pass me.

The other close call where I would have been at least severely injured had I been in a car, was on a two lane road (one lane either way) where the oncoming driver crossed into my lane by 1/3 of the lane before realizing what had happened and moving back into their own lane. I was on my MP3 on that day and just nosed over further to the right of my lane, but if I'd been in a car, I would have been nailed. This was during broad daylight...the guy driving the little truck following me probably peed his pants seeing that car coming towards him before it moved back over... :?

So, I'll look at this incident positively: Being on the scooter saved me!, but I'll remember to always....ALWAYS...look for cross traffic, even if the light has been mine for a long time. :wink:
alba eon
Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 2:09 am

Post by alba eon »

Just don't slow down too much, or the guy behind you will hit you :roll:
What fun we have!
User avatar
siobhan
Member
Posts: 1344
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 5:47 pm
Location: Providence, RI
Contact:

Post by siobhan »

hey michelle, this is a great post (I always love your pics). The big thing that prevented a collision was the fact that you were in the left part of the lane. That's a major point and cannot be said enough.

Pick a good line, through every turn, and when making lefts, it's a good idea to pick the left part of the lane. It's a smoother turn and puts you where you want to be; left part of the lane lets the car in front of you see you in their sideview mirror, as well as gives a better line of sight for oncoming cars who may be slowing to make a left turn.

Cars blowing lights and stop signs...I just don't get it, particularly in this case where the light had obviously been red a while. You know he was either talking, texting or trying to figure his GPS 'cos he was lost. Just pull over for a sec to get your bearings.

So happy to hear a good result.
User avatar
JHScoot
Member
Posts: 2745
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:05 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Post by JHScoot »

the "me'"shows a wide left turn. its an illegal turn, i believe? the left turner should always turn into the nearest lane whenever possible and not cross into the right lane until clear of the long, solid white line which divides lanes at intersections

if the turn had not been wide the car would have still been close but not that close
Riding is riding
User avatar
Rob
Member
Posts: 1177
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:09 pm
Location: Munster, IN (Chicago 'burb)

Post by Rob »

Yes, this is an excellent thread. I started a similar thread last summer sometime. viewtopic.php?t=22932&highlight=

Whether we continue to build on this one or that one, I hope people continue to post their close calls as a potential learning experience for others.

Rob
"Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen."
- Steven Wright
User avatar
michelle_7728
Member
Posts: 1914
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:16 am
Location: Renton, WA

Post by michelle_7728 »

JHScoot wrote:the "me'"shows a wide left turn. its an illegal turn, i believe? the left turner should always turn into the nearest lane whenever possible and not cross into the right lane until clear of the long, solid white line which divides lanes at intersections

if the turn had not been wide the car would have still been close but not that close
Hmmm. Good point. If an on-coming car was making a right I wouldn't have gone for the far lane...but on the other hand, if an on-coming car were making a right I would have waited for them to turn, as I would not have trusted them. :roll:

...and, if I had gone for the near lane and the car that ran the red light had also been in the near lane...? Six of one, etc. All's well that ends well! :D
User avatar
LunaP
Member
Posts: 1152
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:17 am
Location: Richmond, VA

Post by LunaP »

michelle_7728 wrote:
JHScoot wrote:the "me'"shows a wide left turn. its an illegal turn, i believe? the left turner should always turn into the nearest lane whenever possible and not cross into the right lane until clear of the long, solid white line which divides lanes at intersections

if the turn had not been wide the car would have still been close but not that close
Hmmm. Good point. If an on-coming car was making a right I wouldn't have gone for the far lane...but on the other hand, if an on-coming car were making a right I would have waited for them to turn, as I would not have trusted them. :roll:

...and, if I had gone for the near lane and the car that ran the red light had also been in the near lane...? Six of one, etc. All's well that ends well! :D
I don't know if your state's driving laws differ, but these seem basic to me.

JHScoot, what you say is indeed what I was taught in driving school, that it is proper, and/or courteous, to turn into the closest lane. But (in this case it is NOT illegal that she did not do so... if she had a leading left green signal, AND there were no other lanes turning left with a leading green alongside her... THEN she had the right of way, regardless of which lane she was turning into; anybody making a right turn from the oncoming lane has to yield to all other traffic regardless of where it is coming from. If she had had a solid green, she would have had to wait for the oncoming people to go straight across the road. That wouldn't have much changed it. Completely regardless of whether that's actually against the law in her state, it doesn't change the fact that the douchebag running a red is really the problem here. She's not the only one said d-bag could have hurt or killed by doing such a thing. And if he was willing to do it without so much as a hesitation, I am loathe to wonder exactly how often he does it :evil:

These are times when I hate people for about ten seconds. Then I remember that people invented things like chocolate chip cookies.
User avatar
JHScoot
Member
Posts: 2745
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:05 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Post by JHScoot »

^^^all that up there^^^

i am not clear on the law state to state. but i believe the law advises in MY state no crossing of solid white lines. where i live long solid white lines are at intersections. they break soon, yes. but they are longer then usual at corners / intersections. so THIS indicates no crossing into the other lane once in your own during a turn. that of course would be dangerous. you must wait, establish lane position, signal, and move through the broken lines ahead. if not the law exactly i do know with insurance the person who offends (crosses / turns wide) is found at fault if a collision occurs. at one point very early in a turn we enter "our lane." we just can't suddenly leave it and go banging into others

this is the way it is here. so of course my impression is its not a good idea to go wide. i always turned near in a car, too. the legality isn't the issue, really. and of course the red light runner here was ultimately at fault. but that doesn't help when you get hit

i am not busting balls here. or girl balls, or w/e. i am just saying. there are lot's of safe reasons not take wide left turns. blind spots are one of them. lets just leave it at that

idk, though? it puzzles me. i see bikes go wide all the time. and many, many, MANY cars. i expect it. as a cager it was a pet peeve of mine. so as a rider i still practice nearest lane turning. going left i think this is most important on a bike. right turners, cars exiting driveways, kids on sidewalks.....all manner of things. and of course the dreaded blind spot

so this is now just a general safety post for anyone reading. whenever possible and safe try to turn into your nearest lane when making left turns. its important and could save your ass one day. you can look at it as just being courteous and so can cagers. but riders lose the battle when we own the entire road. WE don't have to think this way. its all OUR road, right? sure it is

BUT sometimes we do things to share it because if we don't we lose, not our counterpart behind the wheel of an SUV. so we don't ride like we own the road as some used to drive, and many drivers still do. we always take the safest course of action whenever possible and show our own kind of courtesy.

i have done some stupid, stupid things while riding. i still do. not on purpose, but you know. and i ride aggressively. so this is not a riding / safety lesson. i am not lofty enough to think i can show anyone anything of safe riding. we all ride how we ride. BUT this one is an obvious teachable moment:

Whenever possible do NOT make wide left turns such as that in the diagram posted. Making a "proper" left is very, very important even if you don't have to. Anyone reading can figure out why for themselves.

Just a pet peeve of mine :wink:


:hit:
Last edited by JHScoot on Sun Oct 28, 2012 10:40 am, edited 3 times in total.
Riding is riding
User avatar
JHScoot
Member
Posts: 2745
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:05 pm
Location: Los Angeles

Post by JHScoot »

one other thing. yeah, i go wide sometimes. but only because i suck at riding. y'all got no excuses!!

:cry:
Riding is riding
User avatar
LunaP
Member
Posts: 1152
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 3:17 am
Location: Richmond, VA

Post by LunaP »

Lol... you've got me wondering if maybe the laws have changed here, or if they are different than I am thinking. I admit that it's something I do frequently in a car, but always while looking to make sure it's safe to do so (nobody turning right from the opposite direction, etc)

I fully understand driving pet peeves, I have quite a few. One of my top ones are people who left turn in front of other going straight across the road when they legally should be yielding. Also, people who park like shit- badly enough that it affects the space others have. Burns me up something fierce.
User avatar
michelle_7728
Member
Posts: 1914
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:16 am
Location: Renton, WA

Post by michelle_7728 »

LOL! I appear to have stirred up things...

* I'm not sure what the laws are here, but it seems that yes, you should probably turn into the closest lane, especially if an oncoming car is turning as well.

* I did not have a green left arrow. For that intersection, the cross traffic turning into the shopping center gets green right arrows, but the traffic going across (like I was) just gets green lights...at the same time. So, by this I mean that the traffic I was facing also had a green light.

* In my situation, however, there was just a person facing me that wanted to turn left (so was waiting for traffic to clear before doing so), and no one in the lane next to him at all (that lane would have been for making a right or going straight). So, since there was no one to contend the lane with, I went ahead and went for the far lane.

* If there HAD been a car coming towards me that wanted to turn right, I would NOT have turned at all (near lane or anything) until they had made their turn, as I do not trust cagers. This is my rule of thumb on a bike or in a car.

btw, thank you, siobhan, for your nice post. :)
Post Reply