intersections are dangerous!

[soc_monki]

i know this is a very stressed topic...i know others have probably covered it before, but i think that it cant be stressed enough! my little story...

today i turned out of a local eatery where i just had lunch with my buddy and was going down the road to get some gas. i had to go through the biggest, most dangerous intersection in town (hurray!) but that was ok because i was making sure to keep a check on everyone around.

no cars around me, im the only one going through (which is not good, so extra scanning was in order). i had the green light, the other sides turning lane had a green as well. i did what i have read to do...watch his tires! as im nearing the intersection i see his left front start to roll and slightly turn! so i hit my brakes lightly (im doing around 45) and slow to about 20 well before the line before the entrance to the intersection. he stops dead and i hit the gas and get through the intersection quickly.

just a reminder for everyone...BE CAREFUL! my close call wasnt that close, but it could have been! i was in the right lane and moved over to the right side of the lane to give myself plenty of room and an escape route if needed. watch yourselves out there! in my short (so far!) 2 weeks of riding ive had a handful of situations that could have been much worse if i werent paying attention. stay vigilant!

[Da_Honest_Truth]

just wait until you hit rush hour traffic. LOL... naw just playing... i've had lots of close calls... seems people have forgotten its warm out and that bikes are a-plenty everywhere

[soc_monki]

Originally Posted by Da_Honest_Truth

just wait until you hit rush hour traffic. LOL... naw just playing... i've had lots of close calls... seems people have forgotten its warm out and that bikes are a-plenty everywhere

my town only has 14,500 people in it. rush hour is almost non-existant!

we still have one...but its more like a rush 15 minutes

[cmptrmn.1]

I assume that they don't see me and prepare for that. I wait at green lights a little longer. I cover my brakes when coming up on intersections where a car is coming out. I am assuming they are going to do something stupid that will put my life at risk and ride accordingly.

[fitbmxseries1]

always asume the worse and use your speed and agility to your advantage

[GeorgiaRider]

Also watch for folks on cell phones who change lanes without even thinking about using a turn signal.

[soc_monki]

i always assume the worst, and ive used the speed and agility more than a few times already.

cell phones are the worst...you dont know how many people i see with a phone stuck to their ear nearly every minute of the day. its sickening! i have one, i use it, but at the appropriate times. and i dont text...i hate texting. and texting while driving gets me too...i even know people who do it.

i dont see why people have to be in contact with someone all the time really. its nice to see your friends, girlfriend, even talk to them on the phone...but you gotta have some me-time in there somewhere!

[Charlie Gary]

Originally Posted by soc_monki

i know this is a very stressed topic...i know others have probably covered it before, but i think that it cant be stressed enough! my little story...

today i turned out of a local eatery where i just had lunch with my buddy and was going down the road to get some gas. i had to go through the biggest, most dangerous intersection in town (hurray!) but that was ok because i was making sure to keep a check on everyone around.

no cars around me, im the only one going through (which is not good, so extra scanning was in order). i had the green light, the other sides turning lane had a green as well. i did what i have read to do...watch his tires! as im nearing the intersection i see his left front start to roll and slightly turn! so i hit my brakes lightly (im doing around 45) and slow to about 20 well before the line before the entrance to the intersection. he stops dead and i hit the gas and get through the intersection quickly.

just a reminder for everyone...BE CAREFUL! my close call wasnt that close, but it could have been! i was in the right lane and moved over to the right side of the lane to give myself plenty of room and an escape route if needed. watch yourselves out there! in my short (so far!) 2 weeks of riding ive had a handful of situations that could have been much worse if i werent paying attention. stay vigilant!

Good call with always being vigilant. Giving yourself some extra space is a good idea, not only to increase the reaction time but also to help the other driver figure out your speed and distance away. I drew attention to your lane position to mention that you may not want to forget the other potential hazards when dealing with one known hazard (one of the harder things to work on when improving traffic skills). You mention a right lane, implying there is also a left lane. My choice of position in this case would either be the right portion of the left lane, or the left portion of the right lane. I would choose these positions because there is still the potential for someone to enter the intersection from the right, and the farther to the right I am the closer I have to be before they see me.

[soc_monki]

Originally Posted by Charlie Gary

Good call with always being vigilant. Giving yourself some extra space is a good idea, not only to increase the reaction time but also to help the other driver figure out your speed and distance away. I drew attention to your lane position to mention that you may not want to forget the other potential hazards when dealing with one known hazard (one of the harder things to work on when improving traffic skills). You mention a right lane, implying there is also a left lane. My choice of position in this case would either be the right portion of the left lane, or the left portion of the right lane. I would choose these positions because there is still the potential for someone to enter the intersection from the right, and the farther to the right I am the closer I have to be before they see me.

duly noted...i didnt say that i was watching other potential hazards as well, including the entrance onto the road on the other side of the intersection (which so happened to have my brother waiting there...imagine that!) i was in the left part of the right lane before i saw him move, but after i saw the tires moving i moved over and slowed down. i thought the car might shoot into the intersection so i hit the brakes (instinct).

all other hazards were accounted for though. i made sure the right side cars were behind their lines and that no one was moving, and after i got past the turning driver i did a check on my right side and moved over left to avoid anyone coming onto the road (which was how i noticed my brother LOL)

ill remember to stay in the right part of the left lane if possible from now on though. good advice!

[THRILLA]

I was in Palm Springs in last November, a Computer tecky was killed when he drove into the front on a truck on East Palm Canyon. Investigation revealed he has been using his laptop while driving. FATAL SYSTEM ERROR.

[soc_monki]

Originally Posted by THRILLA

I was in Palm Springs in last November, a Computer tecky was killed when he drove into the front on a truck on East Palm Canyon. Investigation revealed he has been using his laptop while driving. FATAL SYSTEM ERROR.

honestly...what is wrong with some people!

[07Ninja250]

I really wish people would stop flying up to intersections and slamming their brakes at the last second. There's just no way to tell if they actually plan to stop or not. Drivers around here definitely keep the bikers' adrenaline pumping.

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by soc_monki

my town only has 14,500 people in it. rush hour is almost non-existant!

we still have one...but its more like a rush 15 minutes

You don't have to live in a big town to get traffic jams. My sister has a post card from Cody, Wyoming's Wild West event and there's a huge traffic tie up in the picture - and all the traffic is horse-drawn wagons.

In a more serious example, my town had less than 10,000 in it - it's only a few square miles. However, people passing through create traffic snarls for several hours each day. And everyone is in a hurry to get a few more feet as fast as possible.

[soc_monki]

Originally Posted by CTRider

You don't have to live in a big town to get traffic jams. My sister has a post card from Cody, Wyoming's Wild West event and there's a huge traffic tie up in the picture - and all the traffic is horse-drawn wagons.

In a more serious example, my town had less than 10,000 in it - it's only a few square miles. However, people passing through create traffic snarls for several hours each day. And everyone is in a hurry to get a few more feet as fast as possible.

well, the worst place for traffic is hwy 72, which runs east-west through the town. basically, if you come from Memphis, TN going to Alabama then you are on 72 and pass through my city! so lots of big trucks, lots of people taking vacations and what not.

all the other streets are no big deal, and if there is traffic there are plenty of ways around it. sometimes i question the street planners and their judgement, but sometimes it works out. we do have a rush hour, but since there are a lot of people who work out of the city (some come from TN to work, some go to TN to work, etc etc) all the traffic is mostly on 72...they use it to get to hwy 45 so they can go back to TN or down further south to Booneville or Tupelo, or one of the many small towns dotting the landscape.

it really is amazing...there are so many towns just around my city that if you blink you would miss it! a gas station, convenience store, maybe a school for a few, some houses and a stoplight. and thats it. pretty crazy!

[Stonestrike]

Originally Posted by cmptrmn.1

I assume that they don't see me and prepare for that. I wait at green lights a little longer. I cover my brakes when coming up on intersections where a car is coming out. I am assuming they are going to do something stupid that will put my life at risk and ride accordingly.

Ditto.. I always plan for the auto driver to have a brain fart at the wrong time.. Figure its a good habit to get into