When do the bad drivers come out of hiding and take to the streets?
This morning, I came within a few feet of being hit by an inattentive Range Rover driver who was turning left into an automotive repair shop on south Congress. This driver wasn’t even looking at the road at all as she turned, she seemed to be looking nearly straight down!
And then it dawned on me – I left too late for work this morning.
It seems, in my experience, that the most dangerous time to be biking in Austin is anytime outside of the morning or evening rush. For some reason, drivers that would notice a cyclist during rush hour are amazingly oblivious to any other moving objects during the middle of the day.
Last week I was nearly hit by a Dodge Viper as well, in the early afternoon… but I haven’t had any close calls at all during rush hour, strange stuff eh?
Is this true where you live? Are drivers really not paying attention during the middle of the day?
on Sep 30th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Definitely true about Austin…amazingly I think people are more attentive during their commute to and from work. Maybe it’s the increase in traffic that makes them look twice…or maybe it’s because traffic is moving so much slower that people aren’t just wizzing by. Whatever the case maybe I never really feel threatened on my commute to and from work during “normal” rush hour traffic.
However if I’m riding after 6:30PM or so things seem to be a little different. I was almost hit last week as a car pulled out of the Sun Harvest on Anderson. I ended up passing him on the left as he pulled out in front of me…I don’t think he saw me until I passed him…I was in the MIDDLE of the lane since I was moving pretty good…go figure.
on Sep 30th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Jared, I can completely understand about that car pulling out in front of you. I’ve had it happen on Congress once as well… that’s one of my worst fears.
I think the change in people’s driving styles may just be their brains getting “switched off” somehow, I dunno, but it certainly seems different depening on the time of day.
on Oct 1st, 2008 at 11:13 am
I have weird hours, so I never bike during rush hour, and consequently, have no idea how well it works. Seriously? Drivers are more attentive? I’m shocked! (and it makes me want to go back to normal hours!).
I work on the UT campus and downtown, and I go between the two regularly from my home in East Austin. I can’t say drivers in Austin are any worse than before (I’ve been bike commuting for about 5 years now), but I also feel like, over time, I’ve gotten better at predicting when they’ll do something stupid… maybe it all evened out?
on Oct 1st, 2008 at 11:27 am
I nearly got run down by a school bus this morning on North Loop that didn’t seem to understand the concept of “bike lane.” The bus was going straight but just happily veered into the right end of the lane where I was riding. This was at 8:15am…. I left too late for work again. If I’m out the door by 7:50-8am, it’s okay, but any later than 8am and it’s a madhouse of people who are late for work and school busses.
on Oct 1st, 2008 at 11:45 am
Amelia,
I have the same problem with Capital Metro buses. They often take at least a block to glide out of the bike lane after picking up a passenger and sometimes drift toward the curb without reason. I’ve learned to pass them on the left to avoid this.
on Oct 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I’d have done this too, but the school bus wasn’t stopping to pick anyone up, it was just coming up on a stop sign and decided to veer to the right and clog the lane. It basically surprised the crap out of me and I was about 6 inches from a slow collision from behind. If it happens again I am going to get the plate number and report it, as I should have this past time.
on Oct 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 am
One possibility is that during rush hour, everybody knows where they are going, and have done it many times over. It is the most “serious” car usage of the day. All of the things that happen, have happened many times over, and people are ready for it.
on Dec 1st, 2008 at 2:31 pm
The bus drivers are instructed to pull into the bike lane whenever stopping, actually – so that novice cyclists don’t try to pass them on the right.
on Dec 1st, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I’m all for that, Mike! And thanks for adding us to your blogroll.