Another cyclist killed, 9/26, North Center

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160926/north-center/cyclist-kille...

I rode by around 8:15. Things went from bad to awful to the worst when I saw the police cars, then bike still in the street, then the tarp. Seems similar to the cyclist killed on Western not long ago, both traveling in the same direction with a large truck turning right.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on September 28, 2016 at 5:06am

This is a very good summary. As I've said many times before, those 16-wheeler-type trucks need to have cameras that cover the blind zones. In the absence of that, they should not be allowed on city streets. And even if they do have the cameras, they should not be parking in bike lanes.

Personally, I will do about anything to avoid being on the right side of a large truck that's in the right lane of traffic approaching an intersection. I'll wait, I'll fall back, I'll walk my bike on the sidewalk, I'll turn down a different street, anything. And I always assume that everyone on my left as I approach an intersection is going to suddenly pull in front of me and try to make a right turn. It does diminish the fun of cycling.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 26, 2016 at 7:19am

https://www.volpe.dot.gov/our-work/truck-side-guards-resource-page

With all the recent incidents of trucks involving crashes with cyclists, I believe that it is time for this country to begin mandating truck side guards. They are widely used in the U.K. currently and have greatly reduced these types of cyclists' fatalities.

Truck side guards are vehicle-based safety devices designed to keep pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists from being run over by a large truck's rear wheels in a side-impact collision.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on September 28, 2016 at 5:11am

I'm completely with you on that. Plus, according to the article you cite, the side guards actually increase aerodynamic efficiency and save fuel.

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Permalink Reply by David P. on September 26, 2016 at 9:39am

Without saying anything about blame for this particular crash, I will add to the good-riding-habits content of this thread.

It is a really good idea to do everything you can do avoid being on the right rear quarter of a car or truck when you, and it, are going through an intersection. This positioning puts you at inherent risk for a collision if the driver makes an unexpected turn or movement, and I do everything I can to avoid this lane positioning when I'm riding in traffic.

It is likewise a very good idea to go through intersections either in line with or to the left of car and truck traffic that is or even might (based on intuition, vehicle positioning, driver behavior) turn right, unless your and their speed and space available is such that you have an out if they do something unexpected.

I remember reading the UK manual 'Road Craft' when I was a teenager and it informing my driving (in this case, re: things like lane positioning and control) and it has probably informed my cycling, too.

This kind of thing is really mostly defensive driving. You may be right, but sometimes you can end up right and dead, usually not the desired outcome.

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Permalink Reply by ad on September 26, 2016 at 10:16am

I think the above is generally good advice, but having lived right of Damen for years its a tough street, and I'd bet a fair amount of nonfatal, unreported right hooks happen regularly.

On a heavily traveled single-lane street that does not have a right turn slip lane at the intersection, it's often hard to tell if a car that's stuck in traffic is going to turn unless they properly signal. Merging out of a bike lane to proceed in a cue line with vehicles through an intersection also often presents its own set of dangers.

I ride the way you recommend, and put myself to the left (or out of the way) of any car I think is stopping or slowing to turn. But even riding defensively, I find myself regularly passing cars on single lane streets (like Milwaukee, Damen, Halsted) where I could be hit if that driver suddenly decided to turn without warning. It's basically unavoidable at rush hour.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 26, 2016 at 10:17am

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Bloyd-Peshkin on September 26, 2016 at 10:34am

I wasn't sure if I should post this here or as a new discussion, but I think here will be less cluttered.

I sometimes wonder if drivers realize we are human. I used to think they were just impatient and angry. I do my share of corking traffic for large rides like Monday Night Ride and Critical Mass, and at least once (usually more) per event there's someone who tries to nudge me out of the way by creeping forward in their car. Eye contact doesn't work, yelling doesn't work, banging on the hood of their car only makes them angry. Looking them in the eye and saying "please don't kill my friends" does work. They usually look surprised, and sometimes apologetic. It's like they don't realize that if I get out of the way and they drive through that mass of cyclists people will die. I don't think it occurs to them that we are made of flesh and blood and bones.

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Permalink Reply by Cheryl on September 26, 2016 at 11:02am

You may be right, and if you are that is extremely disheartening and terrifying.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on September 26, 2016 at 1:15pm

Jeremy, I think the "please don't kill my friends" publicity campaign idea would be effective for drivers to understand the 'human being factor' that is involved in cycling. We are not something that is in the way or temporarily inconvienceing you in your vehicle. We are traffic!