Thinking outside the box: preventing cars turning left into you.

[barncat]

DQG- I spent the last 5 months riding in Pinellas county FL. Very heavy traffic. You need to have your eyes checked if you can't tell whether an oncoming driver is looking at you or not in normal urban riding. Buy your toy if it makes you feel better.

 

[theDQG]

Ok, then. A rear-facing proximity detector, wired to a box of fireworks.

And a bumper sticker that says:

"If you can read this, DUCK!"...

Sorry, I meant to say the Orp doesn't do anything as far as rear awareness. So your idea of wiring up the headlight plus taillight probably has more merit.

 

[theDQG]

DQG- I spent the last 5 months riding in Pinellas county FL. Very heavy traffic. You need to have your eyes checked if you can't tell whether an oncoming driver is looking at you or not in normal urban riding. Buy your toy if it makes you feel better.

Barncat, I understand and respect your perspective, and have no interest in getting into squabbles with anyone.

It's just that I've read many times of bikers saying that a driver will literally look right at you and make that left turn in front of you anyway.

A strobe light is a really disruptive device, and if that doesn't get their attention, nothing will, IMO.

Anyway the reason I posted this thread isn't to postulate some infallible truth, but to get thoughts and opinions, and I've gotten plenty to think about.

 

[Brassneck]

If you're looking to just get a strobe light wired to the horn button, then I'm fairly certain it won't be nearly as expensive as that devise you're looking at. And you could probably come up with something more discrete as well.

 

[michaelpthompson]

ALWAYS assume you cannot be seen by oncoming left turner. Same goes for vehicles about to pull out into traffic from your right.

This is similar common sense to gggGary's advice about not hanging in a blind spot. I have seen cars do this all the time, but it's suicide on a bike. As for wide lanes, I try to take up as much of the middle of the lane as I can at an intersection, leaving no room for people to pull up beside me. Doesn't always work, but I can try.

I adopted the philosophy many years ago of pretending I'm invisible. Assume that drivers can't see me, cuz many of them can't, or won't. I always expect them to turn in front of me, change lanes into me, or whatever. That way, I'm very rarely surprised.

 

[michaelpthompson]

Sorry, I meant to say the Orp doesn't do anything as far as rear awareness. So your idea of wiring up the headlight plus taillight probably has more merit.

What about some of those flashers I've seen on bicycles? Not much in the daytime, but handy at night.