almost got hit yesterday

[flivver]

Was commuting home (~8 miles) and was on a four-lane road (two lanes in each direction, with a concrete median).  I was in the left lane, tooling along, when the woman next to me moved into my lane.  Thankfully, she moved slowly enough that I was able to slow down to avoid her.  Had she come over quickly, she'd have knocked me into the median, which probably would have spilled me into the oncoming lanes of traffic.  As the speed limit is 45 MPH, there, and people go 50+, I imagine I wouldn't be here to type this, now.

I thought about the whole thing afterward, and I think I was doing two things wrong at the time: I wasn't fully concentrating on driving, and I was in her blind spot for longer than I should have been.  Clearly, she shouldn't have come over, regardless.  Still, I contributed, by not actively paying attention to my surroundings, and not placing myself into a safe location as soon as possible.

Anyway, lesson learned.

(This, by the way, was a day after I was riding with my wife, and went to turn left into a shopping center.  A guy who was coming out of the shopping center came out at us just as we were into the turn.  Thankfully, he saw us and stopped.  I'm sure y'all have countless similar tales to tell...  I've been amazed at the number of times people just don't seem to see me.)

[viffer_pilot]

I had an identical experience the first day I took my new Concourse for a ride that was more than just commuting to work.  While making the left to turn into a gas station, a cage driver that wasn't paying attention pulled out of the same gas station.  I was watching him the whole time because I hadn't made eye contact yet so I was able to stop and he saw me but the pucker factor was high regardless. 

[KevinRLI]

Commuting 25 miles each way from the south shore of Long Island to the north I have my share of close calls. Two days ago a woman did the same thing to me. This was on a 6 lane road ( 3 in each direction ) and I was in the middle lane and she was in the right lane. I was in the process of passing her, not in her blind spot for more than a second and she just came right over into my lane. I was right by her drivers side door, hand on the horn and she just kept on coming. I had a car to my left and couldn't do much except twist the throttle and squeeze through. The icing on the cake is she then gives me the finger. I try and remain pretty level headed when riding but that really pissed me off.

[Sport Rider]

happens to me all the time.  when on a 4 lane road and in commuting traffic, it's more critical to watch out for blind spots.  However, I've even had it when I'm right next to their window simply because they don't bother to look.  mistakes happen. 

[cklamer]

Well my trip is shorter than it used to be (35+ One Way) it is now closer to about 29 one way everyday.
This is a regular thing for me everyday. You start watching everything going on around you like who is on their phone.
I love the ones that have their phone in their left hand leaning up against the door and want to change lanes and they can't even see the mirror.

Sometimes when we are even in the car driving my wife will ask me how did I know what that driver was about to do and I tell her that I was watching his head movements and how he was looking around.

We had a rather strange accident locally a couple of days ago just down the main Hwy. 231 from where I work.
It was a single rider accident no one else involved. But they said her motorcycle hit a telephone pole.
Well the only problem is the only poles are mounted on top of the center concrete wall that seperates North & South lanes.
So after riding by there I see the paint marks and it looks like she drove straight in to the wall and she was probably what hit the telephone pole.

[Rain Dancer]

Well, you learned something and it didn't hurt. What more could you ask for! Glad you're OK.  Like you, any time something happens like that, I analyze it to see what I could have done differently.  Rode with a guy that use to always push his "right of way".  Told him I will make sure on his headstone it says "But, He Had The Right of Way".

[2linby]

Always ALWAYS! have your escape route picked out. Preferably you have three options for escape either left, right or straight. But this is not always available. However you should ALWAYS! have at least one escape route picked out all the time. This requires a constantly adjustment in your lane placement strategies based on current "real time" conditions. Adjustments in your speed, position and being ready and able to use effective communication is critical.  Keeping your head in the game and yes staying out of other vehicles blind spots will keep you safer! 

Whenever I am in the left lane and passing another vehicle I just assume they will not see me and that they may turn into my lane. I make my decision to pass them (and fast!) based on all available information, and I never linger in their blind spot.

Glad to hear you learned a lot from this experience and you are safe! 

[Sport Rider]

don't forget the other option to apply the brakes instead.  I have found a path "backwards" very effective in commuter traffic when the pathways to the front are blocked with other cars traveling at the same speed.

[worncog]

Constant situational awareness and analysis of your positioning in relation to nearby vehicles is a mandatory requirement to live to become an old motorcyclist.

I am fortunate not to have a long commute, but I was traveling through Nashville recently and was 'pinched' by a patrolcar operated by an officer on a cell phone. He moved over without looking as I was overtaking him (not speeding) during afternoon traffic. I was expecting this move, and decelerated appropriately.

If you ride regularly, this will happen on a regular basis. You just have to be aware, and act appropriately to move out of the way. Using the horn doesn't hurt either.

Safe travels.

[Hazy]

I had an identical experience the first day I took my new Concourse for a ride that was more than just commuting to work.  While making the left to turn into a gas station, a cage driver that wasn't paying attention pulled out of the same gas station.  I was watching him the whole time because I hadn't made eye contact yet so I was able to stop and he saw me but the pucker factor was high regardless.

There is no 'e' in Concours. 

[dan4aspen]

About  a year and a half ago, we had a motorcyclist behind a Jeep Cherokee.  There was another vehicle behind motorcyclist.  A drunk and drugged driver with 2 small children driving erratically hit the vehicle behind motorcyclist pushing rider and bike under Jeep.  Rider was pinned, and basically DOI.  They kept him alive long enough for family to say goodbyes.  Driver hit and ran, found 2 hours later, stating his children were scared.  Couldn't figure why that would be.  Anyway.  I wasn't there, but read the story, and wondered what he might have been able to differently to change outcome.  Perhaps nothing?  A lot of times I see motorcyclists not leaving comfortable distance between them and vehicle ahead of them.  Most times, driver to rear of me is always way to close.  Could he have left himself more frontal space?  When you are too close to vehicle in front of you, you also close off those escape routes.  Besides leaving more distance between you and vehicle ahead of you, can't do much about vehicle behind you.  When this happens to me, I watch vehicles behind them, to see if I need to move if something were to go wrong.

[2linby]

Could he have left himself more frontal space?  When you are too close to vehicle in front of you, you also close off those escape routes.  Besides leaving more distance between you and vehicle ahead of you, can't do much about vehicle behind you.  When this happens to me, I watch vehicles behind them, to see if I need to move if something were to go wrong.

We'll never know if the rider had enough cushion space to the front. Sad story. I instruct my students to leave at least two bike lengths of space between you and the vehicle in front when stopped in traffic. Then watch your rear zone to determine; 1) if the vehicle approaching from the rear recognizes you are there and if you are not comfortable with their approach speed and or deceleration to start flashing your brake lights until you are comfortable the approaching driver recognizes your presence. 2) As part of your scanning process make sure (if there is one or more ) the second or more vehicle(s) behind the first are also slowing to a stop before accepting any comfort event other than "I AM READY TO ESCAPE!". 3) Be ready to escape! 

Personally I do not "relax" in these situations as everything can go horribly wrong in a flash.   

[PaulP]

I have similar things happen to me just about every week. Sometimes it's difficult to avoid those situations when the traffic is dense without riding too close to the car in front of you, which can also be dangerous. I've had people start moving over even when I was right alongside them, clearly visible, but they just start moving over without even looking. Then after they are halfway over they turn their head and see me. The shocked look of "What are you doing there" look would be amusing if it weren't for the fact that they are about to run me into the concrete divider. That's one of the reasons I replaced the side reflectors with lighted markers. They are bright enough even in daylight to be quite noticeable out of the corner of your eye, and are at the right height for most cars.

[TLR]

I've contributed this comment before, and may sound like a broken record to those who've seen it already, (and I hope these aren't famous last words, knock on wood, because there aren't any guarantees about this): 

Time and time again, at least once a day on my commute, I've noticed distracted, cell-phone-talking, coffee-drinking + smoking, texting, headphone-wearing, etc., etc. car drivers perk up and notice my "annoying" headlight modulators.   Blind spots:  If I'm not in their blind spot for even a few seconds, and then go into it, they seen to have spotted me in their mirror, know I'm there, maybe can't quite tell if I'm a cop, or whatever, but they seem to take a second look and they see me.  Cars at intersections sometimes start to roll, then hit the brakes and wait as I go by.  So far, that is. 

And, as others have posted, it's a very useful habit to watch head movements, and front wheel movements also.    Years ago, with my first two bikes without a modulator, but with an always-on headlight, my experiences were identical to the posters above;  close calls  happened a lot.

[stevewfl]

I've contributed this comment before, and may sound like a broken record to those who've seen it already, (and I hope these aren't famous last words, knock on wood, because there aren't any guarantees about this): 

Time and time again, at least once a day on my commute, I've noticed distracted, cell-phone-talking, coffee-drinking + smoking, texting, headphone-wearing, etc., etc. car drivers perk up and notice my "annoying" headlight modulators.   Blind spots:  If I'm not in their blind spot for even a few seconds, and then go into it, they seen to have spotted me in their mirror, know I'm there, maybe can't quite tell if I'm a cop, or whatever, but they seem to take a second look and they see me.  Cars at intersections sometimes start to roll, then hit the brakes and wait as I go by.  So far, that is. 

And, as others have posted, it's a very useful habit to watch head movements, and front wheel movements also.    Years ago, with my first two bikes without a modulator, but with an always-on headlight, my experiences were identical to the posters above;  close calls  happened a lot.

+1

we take risks on our bikes.

[2linby]

Vettes don't have "backseats" 

[viffer_pilot]

I had an identical experience the first day I took my new Concourse for a ride that was more than just commuting to work.  While making the left to turn into a gas station, a cage driver that wasn't paying attention pulled out of the same gas station.  I was watching him the whole time because I hadn't made eye contact yet so I was able to stop and he saw me but the pucker factor was high regardless.

There is no 'e' in Concours. 

Mine has one...I painted it on this morning.  Makes it one of a kind! 

[TLR]

Vettes don't had "backseats" 

Looks like the truck might have opened one up on this one.

If I were ever sentenced to be a teacher of teenagers, in drivers ed, or whatever, I'd hand this picture out to all of them.  And make a poster of it for classrooms.

[mellow yellow]

another close call! you must be aware of what's going on around you continuously. any distraction can be fatal.