Another good reason for a helmet cam

[drewellison]

Seattle incident. Driver was just not paying attention. Be careful out there!

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/cyclist-with-gopro-captures-footage-of-the-suv-that-hit-him/

[fogrider]

should we all have helmet cams?

[ultraman6970]

No defending the driver ok? but why the rider did not stop?? I had close calls but all close calls just because im paying attention... but yes he had the right to pass, but it is true too that you have to use common sense and be really sharp of what is going on around when you are riding.

TO have an accident you need two people or one people and one object... just one that is not paying attention and you have an accident.

Good the driver went to police.

[fogrider]

No defending the driver ok? but why the rider did not stop?? I had close calls but all close calls just because im paying attention... but yes he had the right to pass, but it is true too that you have to use common sense and be really sharp of what is going on around when you are riding.

TO have an accident you need two people or one people and one object... just one that is not paying attention and you have an accident.

Good the driver went to police.

I watched it again a few times, when I'm riding along and I see someone in a left turn lane and I have the right of way, I don't just stop. true that one has to ride defensively, and I would start to slow if I saw someone going to turn in front of me, and bikes don't stop on a dime either. Its hard to tell from the video exactly what the timing is. There have been times when I've had to swing out of the bike lane to clear the vehicle, but only if I know there are no cars behind me. the day a lady didn't see me and just drifted towards me and I had grab both brakes.

[Fivethumbs]

I'd wager a guess that the cyclist thought, "this guy's gonna see me and stop...yup he's about to look up and see me...umm any second now he gonna look up....X!$#%!!!" Still, the driver made a turn without yielding to oncoming traffic which makes it his fault.

[Gummee]

Classic left turner that 'didn't see him.' AKA SMIDSY (Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You) in the UK

When riding a moto and I see a car waiting to turn left in front of me, I start doing the 'drunk cyclist's weave.' Horizontal motion tends to attract attention.

May not work without a headlight, but something's better than nothing.

M

[weisan]

I only know what I would do in this situation....I would stop or slow down and let the car go first or at least make eye contact and establish some kind of communication.

I won't take any chances.

And I would be alert and aware of every small thing that is going on around my surroundings.

[velomonkey]

Jeez, all.

He was attempting to stop - you can see it on the video. The car was turning so abruptly the tires were squealing (in that case you don't have time to make eye contact). The driver sped off . . . . the driver was on a phone.

This almost could not be a more clear cut case of one party was completely and utterly in the wrong and one party was in the right - yet someone we nit pick the bike guy????

If you can't call this one, then there is no situation that would work.

[djg21]

No defending the driver ok? but why the rider did not stop?? I had close calls but all close calls just because im paying attention... but yes he had the right to pass, but it is true too that you have to use common sense and be really sharp of what is going on around when you are riding.



TO have an accident you need two people or one people and one object... just one that is not paying attention and you have an accident.



Good the driver went to police.


It seemed to me that the cyclist had plenty of time to slow down and avoid the collision. Either he was looking down for a few seconds or more before the accident (at 24mph according to him) or perhaps he was looking for an incident and did slow enough to contact the car yet spare himself injury.




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[Jgrooms]

Cyclist was lucky he didn't end up on the front end of the SUV.

[tuscanyswe]

Jeez, all.

He was attempting to stop - you can see it on the video. The car was turning so abruptly the tires were squealing (in that case you don't have time to make eye contact). The driver sped off . . . . the driver was on a phone.

This almost could not be a more clear cut case of one party was completely and utterly in the wrong and one party was in the right - yet someone we nit pick the bike guy????

If you can't call this one, then there is no situation that would work.

I agree with you. But i would never had crashed in that situation, that like you say does not make it the bike riders fault tho.

[JAllen]

It seemed like the driver was waiting. I'm not sure I would have slowed in time at all myself. I try to snag eye contact with a driver, but that doesn't always work. Sometimes a potentially dangerous situation can present itself when there is zero time to react. IDK... it just sucked that it happened, but it could have been so much worse.

[oldpotatoe]

Seattle incident. Driver was just not paying attention. Be careful out there!

http://www.geekwire.com/2015/cyclist-with-gopro-captures-footage-of-the-suv-that-hit-him/

Finally able to view the video(couldn't on iphone or ipad(?)..but although the car driver turned in front of this guy(like a mini did just the other day when I was driving), and WAS on his farging phone..when riding on a bike path in the republic, I never haul beans down the bike lane, when there is a chance of car drivers doing exactly this, turning in front or even a ped. stepping off the curb in the middle of the block(has happened)..called being/riding/drivingwheninacar defensively.

Yes the SUV was wrong but the guy on a bike coulda/shoulda be riding more smarter. IMHO.

[rugbysecondrow]

The driver isn't at fault, but I also think the cyclist might have been able to avoid the incident. 24 MPH is a good speed, and doesn't indicate any sort of slowing or avoidance. Even in drivers Ed, I was taught to let off the gas and be prepared to slow/stop while rolling through intersections. I do the same on a bike.


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[tuxbailey]

I only know what I would do in this situation....I would stop or slow down and let the car go first or at least make eye contact and establish some kind of communication.

I won't take any chances.

And I would be alert and aware of every small thing that is going on around my surroundings.

+1 on this. When I commute I slow down on intersection (car or no car) and make sure that the driver acknowledges me before I venture in front of a 1 ton vehicle.

[nooneline]

armchair quarterbacking is too easy. the cyclist had the right of way and couldn't stop in time. the only thing the cyclist is at fault for is the terrible aesthetic decision to use an air attack with a helmet mirror and a gopro sticking to the top of it.

[tiretrax]

No defending the driver ok? but why the rider did not stop?? I had close calls but all close calls just because im paying attention... but yes he had the right to pass, but it is true too that you have to use common sense and be really sharp of what is going on around when you are riding.

TO have an accident you need two people or one people and one object... just one that is not paying attention and you have an accident.

Good the driver went to police.

Both at fault - driver for looking at phone and rider for not slowing.

I can't tell you how many times someone turns in front of me each year - left turn, right hook or crossing an intersection. I am on the lookout for these so don't get hurt/die/get bike crushed. Better that my ride is interrupted to remain unhurt than I make a point that I had the right of way and get injured/killed!

Same goes for when I'm driving my car. Why wreck my car to prove I had ROW - what if other driver is underinsured?

[velomonkey]

Both at fault - driver for looking at phone and rider for not slowing.


Sorry, I must take issue with saying "the rider" had any fault.

A few things - go pros are wide angle lenses - so what looks further away is far closer than you think. The road was wide open, no one was on it - he has a right to go 24mph - I've done it all the time and will continue to do it - it's fun, it's legal and when done right (i.e., riding defensively at all times) it poses no extra risk.

Here is what you can't tell - could he have applied his brakes sooner so as to help reduce his possible risk to injury. Maybe. Maybe not. Can't tell by a go pro watching on a computer.

I agree there are many actions a rider should take to ensure safety - no sense being in a hospital only to say "I was in the right" - my goal is to stay out of a hospital at whatever costs.

To say, though, the rider was at fault is wrong. The only person at fault was the driver. FACT.

[tiretrax]

Sorry, I must take issue with saying "the rider" had any fault.

A few things - go pros are wide angle lenses - so what looks further away is far closer than you think. The road was wide open, no one was on it - he has a right to go 24mph - I've done it all the time and will continue to do it - it's fun, it's legal and when done right (i.e., riding defensively at all times) it poses no extra risk.

Here is what you can't tell - could he have applied his brakes sooner so as to help reduce his possible risk to injury. Maybe. Maybe not. Can't tell by a go pro watching on a computer.

I agree there are many actions a rider should take to ensure safety - no sense being in a hospital only to say "I was in the right" - my goal is to stay out of a hospital at whatever costs.

To say, though, the rider was at fault is wrong. The only person at fault was the driver. FACT.

Rider is at fault for not riding defensively. Maybe he won't get a ticket, but he should be looking out for his own safety. In that sense, he was at fault. In a State that follows contributory negligence, his damages would get dunned to some extent.