Left hand turn crashes

[Grim2.0]

So far I have seen three stories involving crashes caused by left hand turning vehicles, so perhaps it's time for those who have the knowledge, know how, and possible close call with this to share what they know to help the rest of us to possibly avoid this. What to look for, how to properly approach an intersection, etc etc.


Any input would be greatly appreciated and helpful to everyone.

[Wrider]

Anytime I see anyone coming with the possibility of turning out in front of me I pay attention to their wheels. If they start turning (rotating or steering type turning), I start getting ready to avoid and/or stop. I've avoided plenty of morons by doing just that.

Also, if they're apt to turn from oncoming traffic to a side street and you can't see the tread on their tires, pay attention to the ground clearance of the bumper. If it increases, they're off the brakes/on the gas and you'd better be ready to avoid.

The other thing I pay attention to is whether a person is turning their steering wheel. I've noticed that most people turn their steering wheel only after starting to move.

[asp_125]

Some other strategies:

- Slight weave or swerve as you approach to alert oncoming traffic.
- High beams on during daylight
- Move to the right side of your lane to give you a little more "escape" room.
- Move into the right lane and / or use traffic to your left as a blocker; but beware of cars that try to split behind your blocker.

[Frankie675]

Ride like every cager is gunning to kill you. Every intersection, turn, corner, parkinglot...it doesn't matter. Scan ahead, scan behind, know your escape route. Understand the benefits of being far right and far left in a lane. Hope for the best.

[Will the Thrill]

I flash my lights at them and prepare to slow down or avoid them. I've had good luck with flashing my lights.

[BC14]

I also have been doing the 'swerve' technique as of late for just about any intersection with cars waiting to turn/approaching. Not a ton of movement, but enough to move the headlights and fairing around. I also tend to cover my brake(s) if it's looking especially "hairy". I always make sure I am in an appropriate gear for the speed, and I practice my avoidance maneuvers often (usually once per ride or two).

[DemonRider]

Anytime I see anyone coming with the possibility of turning out in front of me I pay attention to their wheels. If they start turning (rotating or steering type turning), I start getting ready to avoid and/or stop. I've avoided plenty of morons by doing just that.

Also, if they're apt to turn from oncoming traffic to a side street and you can't see the tread on their tires, pay attention to the ground clearance of the bumper. If it increases, they're off the brakes/on the gas and you'd better be ready to avoid.

The other thing I pay attention to is whether a person is turning their steering wheel. I've noticed that most people turn their steering wheel only after starting to move.

This :) ,,,, Also if I might add, if for some reason they keep going,

Swerve/aim for where they were, NOT where they are going!!

[#1Townie]

Anytime I see anyone coming with the possibility of turning out in front of me I pay attention to their wheels. If they start turning (rotating or steering type turning), I start getting ready to avoid and/or stop. I've avoided plenty of morons by doing just that.

Also, if they're apt to turn from oncoming traffic to a side street and you can't see the tread on their tires, pay attention to the ground clearance of the bumper. If it increases, they're off the brakes/on the gas and you'd better be ready to avoid.

The other thing I pay attention to is whether a person is turning their steering wheel. I've noticed that most people turn their steering wheel only after starting to move.


Ride like every cager is gunning to kill you. Every intersection, turn, corner, parkinglot...it doesn't matter. Scan ahead, scan behind, know your escape route. Understand the benefits of being far right and far left in a lane. Hope for the best.

.

[asp_125]

Loud pipes!!

Oh wait.. that's another forum. :D

If you have to avoid, aim for the space BEHIND their vehicle if there is one. Cagers will either gas it, or stop cold, rarely will they shift into reverse.

[dirkterrell]

Some good tactical points made above. Above all, I try to imagine what it looks like from their perspective. Am I in a gap between cars where they might try to make it through the gap and am I invisible to them because they are focused on the group of cars behind me? If so, the high beams go on and I continue to move back and forth in the lane, perhaps speeding up to get closer to the front group of cars, perhaps slowing down to give them more room to make it if they do jump. Lateral movement in your lane makes you more visible. (Reading about camouflage and how the eye/brain system processes information is well worth your while.)

I try to use traffic moving with me to my advantage. My preference is to be at the tail end of a group of cars in a place where even if the left turner goes, they cannot hit me.

The best advice I can give is to constantly be aware of what's going on around you and try to shape the situation to give you the best advantage. Be "what if"ing all the time and make sure you are in the best position possible to react. Know what you are going to do when the time comes to act. It might be accelerating and swerving. It might be braking. (And dropping a gear can help both.) It might be going to the left of the car. Consider all the possibilities.

There was the guy a couple of years ago on a Duc (I think it was on Broadway in Denver.) where someone pulled out in from of him and he braked really hard, but still hit the car and died. If he had simply changed lanes, nothing would have happened. Always know where you can go when something like this happens, and if there is nowhere to go, reassess your riding and see if you can avoid that kind of situation as often as possible.

We can't make the risk zero, but we can actively minimize it. This is why I don't ride with any connection to a phone or a music device. I don't have enough cpu cycles to deal with any sort of distraction while riding. In my experience you have to be 100% focused on what's going on around you.

Of course, the one thing you have absolute control over is your ability to ride your bike. Make sure it is always in proper condition with brakes, tires, suspension, etc. and always make an effort to become a better rider. Spend some time and money on instruction to become the best rider you can be. Make sure that you can make the bike do what you need it to do when you have to make an emergency maneuver. That can be the difference between riding with your friends and your friends riding a memorial ride for you. The best ride is always the next one. Make sure you get to it.

[Rabbie303]

Some other strategies:

- Slight weave or swerve as you approach to alert oncoming traffic.
- High beams on during daylight
- Move to the right side of your lane to give you a little more "escape" room.
- Move into the right lane and / or use traffic to your left as a blocker; but beware of cars that try to split behind your blocker.


+1 for all these. This is exactly what I do. Coming at intersections I slow down a bit, scan everywhere, and kinda weave back and forth to get my high beams noticed. Small things like this can help save your life.

[Nick_Ninja]

The #1 contributor in my book toward left turn accidents vs MC's is the simple fact that the MC rider forgets that the MC is invisible and that the MC speed (legal or not) tends to fool the oncoming turing driver causing said driver to 'pull the trigger'. The rest is history. riders need to be aware that no matter what the 'law' states is the 'right-of-way', many times they contribute to their own demise.

[asp_125]

Here are a couple more scenarios where left turners are apt to miss seeing you. Think about what that left turner is looking at?

The sun is at your back in the morning or afternoon, they are blinded. Have a look how dirty/scratched the windshields are on some beater cars. Ever notice the film on the windows of a smoker's car? What are they seeing?

Nighttime in heavy traffic. Your headlights blend into all the other dots in their view, they can't see your day-glo yellow helmet or reflective safety vest. It's just a bunch of lights to them. Add in rain and bad wipers.

Here's where a bit of lateral movement makes you stand out in that sea of lights. I don't advocate high beams all the time at night, but if the situation has the potential to get hairy, a quick flash snaps the driver awake and they see you.

[dirkterrell]

Here are a couple more scenarios where left turners are apt to miss seeing you. Think about what that left turner is looking at?

The sun is at your back in the morning or afternoon, they are blinded. Have a look how dirty/scratched the windshields are on some beater cars. Ever notice the film on the windows of a smoker's car? What are they seeing?


Excellent points. And for this one, look at your shadow. Is it long and pointing at the left turner? If so, that means that from their perspective you are lined up with the Sun and most likely very hard for them to see

[dirkterrell]

The #1 contributor in my book toward left turn accidents vs MC's is the simple fact that the MC rider forgets that the MC is invisible and that the MC speed (legal or not) tends to fool the oncoming turing driver causing said driver to 'pull the trigger'. The rest is history. riders need to be aware that no matter what the 'law' states is the 'right-of-way', many times they contribute to their own demise.

This is exactly the attitude that you have to have to survive. As someone told me when I started riding, it doesn't matter if you're "right". What matters is that you're alive.

[bulldog]

Anytime I see anyone coming with the possibility of
turning out in front of me I pay attention to their wheels. If they start turning (rotating or steering type turning), I start getting ready to avoid and/or stop. I've avoided plenty of morons by doing just that.

Also, if they're apt to turn from oncoming traffic to a side street and you can't see the tread on their tires, pay attention to the ground clearance of the bumper. If it increases, they're off the brakes/on the gas and you'd better be ready to avoid.

The other thing I pay attention to is whether a person is turning their steering wheel. I've noticed that most people turn their steering wheel only after starting to move.

Yup, I always watch the tires; gives first indication of turning. Other than that just ride defensive as hell and ALWAYS assume someone is going to get in your way whether it is a legal move or not. Last I always watch the person to see if they are paying attention. I see someone on a phone that is a red flag for me that they are not paying attention.

[Grim2.0]

This may sound dumb but i have found it to work for me once or twice, especially in high traffic intersections where there is a car in front of me.
Sometimes I stay to the left side of the lane when going straight through an intersection so any car who has started to creep out to make the left hand turn may see my headlight, this also provides me with an escape to the left should the driver not see me and start to make the turn, (which i will loop back to with a story). The possible dumb part is from time to time i have taken my left arm and waived it around hoping to get there attention so they know i am there. I have had a few times where the driver waives back to acknowledge they see me.


About 3 years ago i was riding on Florida Avenue going East towards Colorado Blvd, I was at the intersection and i had about 4 cars in front of me the first going straight the other 3 turning right onto Colorado Blvd, the cars going West wanted to turn left onto CO Blvd so they could get to the interstate. I was on the left side of the lane going straight, a car turning left either did not see me or was getting impatient because after the 3 cars turned there was no reason they should not have seen me. They made the turn forcing me to go around the left side of them (my left) so i didn't hit him, had i been on the right side of the lane there would not have been enough room for me to get all the way over to the left to get around him and if i had tried to go to the right he would have just run into me. Was a close call for sure and opened my eyes a how people just really do not pay attention when making there turns.

I always take extreme precaution at intersections, sometimes i slow down a little so i car read what the left turning car is going to do which pisses the people off behind me but id rather get honked at than to get hit.

[asp_125]

If you can't manipulate the situation to your advantage, remove yourself from the situation.

Be that picking a different time of day, a different route, or simply a different lane or speed.

[asp_125]

This may sound dumb but i have found it to work for me once or twice, especially in high traffic intersections where there is a car in front of me. ...

Not dumb at all. :up: Like the posts so far, each scenario is unique in how you address your chances of getting out of it alive. Learn all these tactics and you have a wide range of options; which is much more than the average driver has.

[dirkterrell]

This may sound dumb but i have found it to work for me once or twice, especially in high traffic intersections where there is a car in front of me.
Sometimes I stay to the left side of the lane when going straight through an intersection so any car who has started to creep out to make the left hand turn may see my headlight

Yes, what I do is get to the left so they can see me (I call it "announcing myself"), perhaps flick the high beam on, and then I move back to the right into the "shadow" of the car leading me (with the "light source" being the left turner) that way, if they somehow didn't see me (i.e. were looking down at something), they still can't hit me. You do have to be ready to brake if the car in front does so, but that is a much lower probability situation. Being able to haul your bike down quickly and safely is crucial and should be practiced often. When the situation allows it, I will often brake on a yellow that I could easily go through.

[Nooch]

I heard somewhere a while back that, even though a cager may literally look you in the eyes, they may still turn right in front of you (as many of us are well aware) and it is because they are looking for other cars and not bikes. They don't always process the concept that we still qualify as "oncoming traffic". I've had it happen to me at least once every season for the past few years and it still blows my mind. But like most others here, my preferred approach is to just assume they are going to turn on me and prepare for emergency maneuvers.

Also, asp_125 makes a great point about turning towards the rear of a vehicle that is cutting across your lane. I don't know why more people don't realize and practice this, it has saved me from a handful of what could have been accidents in the cage. Thankfully I've not had to use it yet on the bike.

[tecknojoe]

Some other strategies:

- Slight weave or swerve as you approach to alert oncoming traffic.
- High beams on during daylight
- Move to the right side of your lane to give you a little more "escape" room.
- Move into the right lane and / or use traffic to your left as a blocker; but beware of cars that try to split behind your blocker.

I've seen drivers start to go, then see my light flicker back and fourth as I weave. It works well at night

[JKOL]

I flash my lights at them and prepare to slow down or avoid them. I've had good luck with flashing my lights.

I flash my brights as well.

Some great suggestions, and some that I hadn't thought of. Good topic GRIM.

[Nick_Ninja]

I flash my brights as well.

Some great suggestions, and some that I hadn't thought of. Good topic GRIM.

I don't flash my lights at them as I have seen cagers react by turning into the rider pissed off from being flashed. Flashing your lights at an oncoming vehicle can precipitate an incident of road rage. My brakes work better than idiot cage drivers.

[Drano]

While probably not applicable here because people know jack about proper driving, in the UK flashing your lights at a turning vehicle is generally taken as a signal that the driver may proceed to make the turn in front of you.

[FZRguy]

Like said, each traffic situation is unique and you must be prepared to take the appropriate action. If you "brake hard" be sure there is some space behind you.

[LivingPools]

About 3 years ago i was riding on Florida Avenue going East towards Colorado Blvd, I was at the intersection and i had about 4 cars in front of me the first going straight the other 3 turning right onto Colorado Blvd, the cars going West wanted to turn left onto CO Blvd so they could get to the interstate. I was on the left side of the lane going straight, a car turning left either did not see me or was getting impatient because after the 3 cars turned there was no reason they should not have seen me. They made the turn forcing me to go around the left side of them (my left) so i didn't hit him, had i been on the right side of the lane there would not have been enough room for me to get all the way over to the left to get around him and if i had tried to go to the right he would have just run into me. Was a close call for sure and opened my eyes a how people just really do not pay attention when making there turns.


Colorado Blvd has some interesting intersections. For those who don't know the area, its between I-25 and Alameda, three lanes travelling north/south with lots of commercial and retail buildings. I'm thankful I travel in the area by car, not comfortable riding two-wheels in that area.

The intersection at Colorado I have to use is plain terrible. Eastbound has a left-turn only lane, with straight and right-turn only next to it. Westbound has a left-turn and straight only lane, with a right-turn only next to it. Neither direction has a protected left turn signal, the lights turn green and its every man for himself. Leaving work heading westbound, I want to go straight across the intersection to get off of Colorado Blvd as soon as possible. Because most people in my lane turn left, and some of them don't use a signal, I have taken to preemptively honking my horn to make it through safely. On more than one occasion, I have come to dead stop because some left-turning douche recognized I had the right-of-way, but didn't care enough to actually yield. No, waving at me doesn't make it all better either. It doesn't help that the lights are never long enough to clear all the waiting cars during rush hour.

Note you can recognize this risk if you intersect with a busy road and notice the lack of protected-left traffic signals.

I agree with ASP_125, if I was riding a motorcycle, I would find another route to remove myself from the situation. As it is, I look at it as getting my cage horn practice in early for the commute home.

Grim, sounds like being flexible and reading traffic really paid off for you!

[NZ Darren]

I always think that they are going to go in my mind, then plan how I will avoid them. I try to be aware which lanes next to me are clear if I do need to take evasive action.
It just means than I'm not caught by surprise if they do go, as I'm expecting it and have a plan for it already in my mind.

[vozproto]

Outside of the ride like youre invisible standard advice? Be very wary of places where people can make blind left turns across stopped lanes of traffic.
That's how I almost got tagged. Thats a whole story unto itself

[kawasakirob]

I try to look straight at the person directly in the vehicle to see if their head is pointed my way. Same while passing truckers, I look in the driver side mirror to see if they notice me. Other than that, I tend to cruise with my fingers on the clutch and front brake in heavily populated areas. Learning the hard way sucks.