Taking the Lane In Front of Big Rigs

Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

sms writes:

Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

Considering the driving lane appears to be about 9 feet wide, and the
bike lane maybe two feet, he almost certainly would be alive had he
taken the lane.

--
Joe Riel

On 10/27/2014 9:36 PM, sms wrote:
Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

That was a particularly dishonest title for the post! The boy who was
killed was in the bike lane at the side of the road, _not_ taking the
lane in front of the truck. That may have caused his death.

We don't have many details, but the reports said the truck turned right
after the crash. It may have been a right hook crash, a type of crash
made more likely by the cyclist being off to the side, _not_ in the
lane, and thus more easily ignored by the truck driver. It may have
been a case where the trucker passed while going straight, thinking
there was room when he could not, in fact, clear the bicyclist.

In either case, taking the lane in front of the truck would probably
have kept the boy alive.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Monday, October 27, 2014 9:36:40 PM UTC-4, sms wrote:
Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

nnnnnnnn

offer a motorcycle fatality/bicycle fatality comparison ?

Occasionally, not often, I drove my 544 on I-95. I-95 is a rough route, cargo into Miami and SA, travelers same. heavy traffic.

When I was living at Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach, I-95 outside the area was under construction with a narrowed and walled re routing , for unknown reasons to me anyway. There was at least one fatality out there every week.

Driving at 60-65 was not possible. reason was long distance truck driver's were asleep. I could see this in the rear mirror.

Trucks came up at 70-75. Truck at 150' I watched the driver do a double take, awaken, straighten up, and a few moment slater, move to pass me.

On Monday, October 27, 2014 9:36:40 PM UTC-4, sms wrote:
Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

no way dealing with these rigs. Get into the curb.

http://goo.gl/sESZxa

Per Frank Krygowski:

In either case, taking the lane in front of the truck would probably
have kept the boy alive.

I used to think that "Taking The Lane" was one of the dumbest, most
suicidal things that somebody could do on a bike.

After two close calls - directly attributable to my enticing people to
pass when there was insufficient space - I've come around.

If there is not room to pass safely, now I take the lane.

OTOH, if I find myself taking the lane, the next thought that comes to
mind is "Maybe I shouldn't be riding this stretch in the first place.".
--
Pete Cresswell

On Monday, October 27, 2014 10:03:49 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 10/27/2014 9:36 PM, sms wrote:
Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

That was a particularly dishonest title for the post! The boy who was
killed was in the bike lane at the side of the road, _not_ taking the
lane in front of the truck. That may have caused his death.

We don't have many details, but the reports said the truck turned right
after the crash. It may have been a right hook crash, a type of crash
made more likely by the cyclist being off to the side, _not_ in the
lane, and thus more easily ignored by the truck driver. It may have
been a case where the trucker passed while going straight, thinking
there was room when he could not, in fact, clear the bicyclist.

In either case, taking the lane in front of the truck would probably
have kept the boy alive.

--
- Frank Krygowski

With the incident I had with the big rig, had I not lrft the center of the lane and bailed from the pavement I'd have become a statistic too. When a big ri8g is gaining on you and you're approaching an area where there's no room to bail, then you are placing your life or well being in tthe hands of that driver and hoping that they're paying attention to what's in front of them (not likely if there's no indication that they are slowing down) and tthey'll slow down in time to avoid running you over.

Seeing as how those rigs are so much bigger and far better protected than I am I'll give up tthe lane if it looks to me like they're going to keep on a rollin'.

Sometimes discretion IS the better part of valour.

BTW, with experience using a hrlmet or eyeglass mirror comes the ability to judge how fast something is approaching as well as how much distance there is between you. When I look into my mirror it's with both eyes and I can tell where the vehicle approaching is as well as judge it's speed in relation to me.

I consider a mirror to be a better item for safe bicycling tthan I do a bell that almost no one in a modern motor vehicle with its windows up is going to hear anyway.

Funny thing is the Highway Traffic Act here mandates a bell but says nothing about a mirror.

Cheers

Sir Ridesalot writes:

BTW, with experience using a helmet or eyeglass mirror comes the
ability to judge how fast something is approaching as well as how much
distance there is between you. When I look into my mirror it's with
both eyes and I can tell where the vehicle approaching is as well as
judge it's speed in relation to me.

Both eyes? How do you do that?


--
Joe Riel

On 10/28/2014 3:07 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Monday, October 27, 2014 10:03:49 PM UTC-4, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 10/27/2014 9:36 PM, sms wrote:
Today in my town a high school student was killed by a double trailer
gravel truck. The cyclist was going straight, in the bike lane. The
truck turned right and hit him. The driver did not stop, later stating
that he was unaware that he had hit someone.

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_26807458/cupertino-young-bicyclist-hit-by-vehicle-killed

That was a particularly dishonest title for the post! The boy who was
killed was in the bike lane at the side of the road, _not_ taking the
lane in front of the truck. That may have caused his death.

We don't have many details, but the reports said the truck turned right
after the crash. It may have been a right hook crash, a type of crash
made more likely by the cyclist being off to the side, _not_ in the
lane, and thus more easily ignored by the truck driver. It may have
been a case where the trucker passed while going straight, thinking
there was room when he could not, in fact, clear the bicyclist.

In either case, taking the lane in front of the truck would probably
have kept the boy alive.

--
- Frank Krygowski

With the incident I had with the big rig, had I not lrft the center of the lane and bailed from the pavement I'd have become a statistic too. When a big ri8g is gaining on you and you're approaching an area where there's no room to bail, then you are placing your life or well being in tthe hands of that driver and hoping that they're paying attention to what's in front of them (not likely if there's no indication that they are slowing down) and tthey'll slow down in time to avoid running you over.

Seeing as how those rigs are so much bigger and far better protected than I am I'll give up tthe lane if it looks to me like they're going to keep on a rollin'.

Sometimes discretion IS the better part of valour.

BTW, with experience using a hrlmet or eyeglass mirror comes the ability to judge how fast something is approaching as well as how much distance there is between you. When I look into my mirror it's with both eyes and I can tell where the vehicle approaching is as well as judge it's speed in relation to me.

I consider a mirror to be a better item for safe bicycling tthan I do a bell that almost no one in a modern motor vehicle with its windows up is going to hear anyway.

Funny thing is the Highway Traffic Act here mandates a bell but says nothing about a mirror.


Same here. Bell but no mirror.


At first I thought this was a right hook but the article actually says
that the truck turned right AFTER he hit the boy and then kept going.
He wasn't even aware that he ran over a kid in the bike lane.

This is similar to the tractor trailer that ran over the woman in
Montreal under the overpass except that she wasn't in a bike lane. The
truck driver never saw her until he heard something under his truck.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...pass-1.2624013

I know this road and have ridden it before. It's hard to see how a
truck driver couldn't see someone right in front of him.

Tried taking the lane in the primary incoming drivethru which is the lot's side with both sides parking there diagnolly.

I was going 10+ a speed considered adequate as pul puts wuld have prblems seeing my dayglo outfit.

First passer, a motorcycle ! no warning. Passedat 20.

The a GP type with black coupe. I shouted at both. The coupe stopped but to park directly in front og my path...as both were going maybe 20' past my trajectory.

Wal's loudspeaker. manned by empowered morons from other continents said the speed is 15 mph.

geee whiz sorry.

facto that passing on left in lot is illegal bears not.

The double load truck has a snakey boom on it meant to distribute loads on the road so as not to damage. My $$$ is on the boom hooking the cycle.

EVERYONE, but not the cyclist at that time, knows the booms are problematic and are given rooooooom at all times.