A common urban crash scenario…
Aug 5th, 2010 by Leo
Cars switching lanes, sometimes illegally (as in this instance), is probably the biggest hazard riders face around cities. Now the traffic laws are a little different in CA compared to NY, but it’s still useful to watch this helmet cam video to come up with a strategy for avoiding these kinds of crashes. Here are a couple of thoughts for your commute:
First, are you geared up? The rider here was… You probably don’t need something to withstand 100mph slides (on your daily urban commute), but you do need some impact protection… Full face helmet, elbow pads, gloves…
Second, make a point to check each pass before you make it. Is the driver considering changing lanes? Does the driver see you (did you make eye contact)? Is there enough room to escape if the driver moved into your lane? Although the rider in the video didn’t do anything wrong, one warning sign he might notice in the future – even before the van began to turn its wheel – was the empty lane next to it.
Third, watch your relative speed. The rider in the video was moving briskly between cars (which appears to be normal in CA). Just remember that in these types of accidents, it’s your relative speed that matters. If traffic is moving at 35 and you’re doing 40, there will only be a mild impact (this happened to me with a cab once). Unless you’re sure you can pass safely, it’s better to keep the relative under 10mph as you pass.
Anyway other tips? Share the wealth in the comments section.
Related posts:
Watch for the gap!
If there is a “gap” on one side or the other, that’s a potential place where a driver will change lanes. You can see it here.
Also worth noting: The minivan driver had her turn signal on. This should be a clue.
1-split in the same “lane” as other bikes; cars sometimes swerve to avoid a passing bike and you don’t want to be on the wrong side of that swerve.
2-relative speed is HUGE, but as a rule I never split unless the traffic was moving slower than about 25 MPH; any speed higher and you’re just being a jackass.
3-give respect to get respect…should be a simple rule, but it seems that most bikers simply ignore because “all cars are trying to kill them”.
4-never forget that if you get hit, you’re gonna be at fault; the law in CA doesn’t typically side with bikers in a lane-splitting situation, so split at your own risk.
He was going too fast in relation to the traffic around him. I understand the point of not wanting to sit in traffic dressed in a jacket and full-face helmet on a hot summer day breathing in the carbon monoxide from the other cars while feeling the heat radiating from the asphalt. But it all comes down to giving yourself options. When traffic is at a stand still, you only have stopping as an option because you can’t swerve or accelerate. At that speed, he had nowhere to go because if he swerved, he would have ended up in the back of the other vehicle. If he was going a little slower, he would have given himself the opportunity to SEE and literally kept his bike in one piece. He was riding with his buddies so he was showing off his skills, but there is nothing fancy about picking up yourself off the pavement.
I believe lane splitting takes some skill and concentration, even more so in a crowded city local street. So, if you’re not in a rush, don’t do it. Honestly, you’re probably saving 5-10 minutes maximum, which you probably waste surfing the web. But if you must, as mentioned before, the major things are:
- The gaps between vehicles.
- You’re speed to vehicles around you.
Not sure which one is more important but both are very crucial. Even if there is the slightest gap, be wary of it, most drivers are impatient and would take any chance to get out of their lane, so much so they would cross a solid line(s) (like in this video). So be alert and don’t assume drivers will obey the law (we aren’t). Next, your speed is a huge factor. When I first pressed play, the first thing that crossed my mind was this guy is going too fast. Like stated before, relative speed; make sure you’re going at a speed in which you can slow down just in case someone does decide to switch lanes.
A few other tips I could think of are:
-Stay in a gear at which your in a higher RPM range than you generally would be at that speed- this gives you a quicker acceleration, just in case you need it.
-Make some noise- most drivers don’t see us, especially when we’re lane splitting, so if you don’t have a loud exhaust, give the throttle a few rolls before passing.
-Watch out when splitting lanes in which one lane is completely stopped and the other is moving along; there is definitely going to be some lane switching.
-For my NYC peeps: Watch out for cabbies. They are crazy. I almost got sandwiched the other day.
Lastly, when you make it to your destination, thank God that nothing bad happened