Dangerous Driving Habits That Can Result in Bicycle Accidents
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Anyone who has done much cycling will recognize the behaviors described below. Over the next few weeks, I plan to blog in more detail about these behaviors that drivers engage in, sometimes deliberately, sometime not, but to the effect of putting cyclicts in danger of, very often, serious injury. Not to be one-sided, I then plan to blog on a series of dangerous/annoying cyclist's behaviors that have the effect of putting the cyclist in dangerous situations, and serve to annoy drivers. Motorist's behaviors that are annoying/dangerous include the following:
1. Buzzing - driving too close to a cyclist, often within mere inches at very high speed. This behavior typically is deliberate;
2. Right Hook - driver and cyclist traveling in same direction and driver passes and makes a right hand turn directly in front of the cyclist;
3. Turning or Pulling Out Too Close to Cyclist - Driver pulls out from stop sign or light when cyclist has the right of way or driver and cyclist traveling in opposite direction and driver makes a left turn directly in front of cyclist. Although these behaviors are often deliberate, many times motorsists do not realize how fast a bicycle is traveling, thus excerbating the problem;
4. Following too Close - this behavior often happens when a cyclist is traveling downhill at a fairly high speed of 30 - 40 mph and motorist follows behind a mere few feet away;
5. Harrassment - throwing stuff at cyclist; screaming at cyclist; swerving car toward cyclist etc. - always deliebarate; and,
6. Distracted Driver - typically involves driver talking or texting on a cell phone.
In my next series of blogs, I'll describe these behaviors in more detail and give examples of some of the negative outcomes of these behaviors, as well as provide a few thoughts on what can be done to address same.