On Sat, 27 Jan 2018 23:46:33 -0500, Radey Shouman
wrote:

AMuzi writes:

On 1/26/2018 6:24 PM, John B. wrote:
On Fri, 26 Jan 2018 11:01:23 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 1/26/2018 8:24 AM, AMuzi wrote:
http://www.massbike.org/anitakurmannvideo

Yes, horrific.

And yet we have people here saying a cyclist should always stay far
right, that controlling a lane is dangerous.

If she had been in front of the trucker, he'd have seen her and slowed.

But if a cyclist can't bring himself/herself to do that, at least NEVER
put yourself to the right of a vehicle that might turn right. Especially
a large vehicle like a truck or bus.

Right hooks are deadly. (Left hooks in drive-on-left countries.)

A few years ago there was a huge outrage about cyclist deaths in London
(even though, as usual, far more pedestrians died). It came out that
most of those deaths were left hooks, usually women, who pulled up along
big lorries. Some said the women were too "polite" to avoid the curb and
get in the traffic lane.

I am a bit puzzled with these right/left hooked accidents. Don't
people turn their heads to look and see what is creeping up beside
them? I certainly do - every driveway turning onto "my street"; every
corner, every junction, I look to see what is coming. Shoot, I even
look back over my shoulder to see what is coming up behind me.

Don't other people?

Yes, we (and many of our dearly departed) do (did).

Review the video. She actually stopped her bike as he started the turn
but short of martial-arts level acrobatics she was trapped.

Lots of commentary and still frames at
http://www.massbike.org/anita_kurmann_video_narrative .

Look at the picture labeled 7:03:08 AM, which shows the truck driver
swinging into the lane to his left to make a right turn, with the
cyclist almost beside his passenger window. In the next frame she has
realized what's happening, and avoids the front wheels, but cannot avoid
the rear.

I don't know whether the massbike claim of vehicular homicide should be
supportable or not, but it amazes me that Matthew Levari, the truck
driver, was not prosecuted for leaving the scene.

From what I read the Mass. law includes wording such as

http://www.bikexprt.com/massfacil/laws/passright.htm
" Ch. 89 § 2. Passing vehicle traveling in same direction

...The driver of a vehicle may, if the roadway is free from
obstruction and of sufficient width for two or more lines of moving
vehicles, overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle when the
vehicle overtaken is (a) making of about to make a left turn, (b) upon
a one-way street, or (c) upon any roadway on which traffic is
restricted to one direction of movement."

--
Cheers,

John B.