# My first "contact" with a car



## pisket (Dec 16, 2008)

First: all is well, no damage...

I needed to make a left turn into Sand Hill Road. I rode north on Foothil, passed the Alpine Road intersection, and stopped behind 4-5 cars at the left turn red light.

I decided to move slowly forward on the right hand side of the stopped cars, to be up front to be the first in line. (I do that not to gain advantage, but both to be visible by all of them, and to shorten the distance that I need to accelerate.)

Before I got all the way to the front, the light turned green and I became the second vehicle, unfortunately in the blind spot of the first car. Apparently he never saw me.

Between my need to accelerate fast, watching for the oncoming traffic making their left turns, I noticed that this first car was moving too slowly. Was he thinking that I was too close? Did he want me to pass? And look: there is some construction on the right too. As a result, I stayed too long in and around his right rear blind spot.

He suddenly swerved in front of me. It turns out, he was going slow to make a right turn into a driveway. I yelled "heyheyheyhey!". He heard and stopped but there was no way avoiding hitting him. I prepared for a sideways hit, swerved right and hit his mirror with my butt. My bicycle did not hit his car and I stayed upright.

He unplucked his earphones and said "I looked but didn't see you." I gave him a thumbs up and rode on.

My first mistake was staying in his blind spot; that happened because I was accelerating out of a red light and unfortunately my speed matched his. My second mistake was assuming that he was going to accelerate up Sand Hill; not once I expected him to make a right turn.

All said and done, I am in a very rider state. 

Ali


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

I noticed that turn and the construction on my ride today. I could see how that could happen. I'm glad you stayed up! The driver should have indicated and wearing earphones in the car is just dumb. But on the other hand, you were behind and "under-taking", so it behooves you not to hit the vehicle in front. No harm, no foul, I suppose.


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## AntF (Apr 25, 2008)

Wearing earphones in a car is more than dumb - it's illegal. Glad you didn't end up in a bad spot, OP.


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

same thing happened to me,
except I was driving a car. it really doesn't matter if he signaled or indicated. Pretty much any vehicle in front has right of way.
insurance ruled 100% my fault, in reality probably 50/50 because that driver in the last second decided to pull in the parking lot and swiped me.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

You need to draw some illustrations!

Did the car signal? Did he check his blind spot sufficiently?

I don't know. I think you when you get hit by a car or they cut you off and there is contact you have to all pull over and have a conversation. Assess everything carefully to make sure all is truly ok.

fc


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