[Irishgirl]

Twice in the last 30 days I almost got rear ended for stopping for pedestrians. Today was the most scariest with the car skidding, stopping just a few feet from me. I think I'm done stopping if I see any traffic behind me.
Do you folks have any close encounters with this situation?

 

[Jay V]

Glad you didn't get rear-ended.

My son told me about a similar situation when stopping for a light turning red.

Some people step on the brake as they approach an intersection when the light is turning yellow/red - others step on the gas.

You gotta watch your mirrors and get a feel for what traffic behind you might do - and be ready to react.

 

[thedrewski86]

That is why I only ride canyons any more. At this point even getting to the mountains is too risky, thinking of just trucking it to the track.

 

[Irishgirl]

Glad you didn't get rear-ended.

My son told me about a similar situation when stopping for a light turning red.

Some people step on the brake as they approach an intersection when the light is turning yellow/red - others step on the gas.

You gotta watch your mirrors and get a feel for what traffic behind you might do - and be ready to react.

Good advise. While riding sometimes its hard for me to read if the person behind me is paying attention. Flashing my rear brake light alerting the driver works most of the time. Its when sitting at the crosswalk for a bit I've had my most closest calls. Its even harder to read, should I get on the throttle or am I over reacting.

 

[Skywalker67]

Even though I'm italian (in case you wonder, italians never ever stop at crosswalks), I always stop for pedestrians.
A few years ago I guess Karma (or Lord, or Nemesis, or whatever you call it) struck: I stopped at a crosswalk in front of a church where a lady with a stroller was crossing; the car behind me didn't expect it and slammed on the brakes almost rear ending me. Immediately the driver started cursing me for stopping, and while doing it he got rear ended by a third car incoming.
I turned, gave him my best middle finger salute, and went away. 😏

I can't really stand the incivility of italians compared to the rest of europeans when it comes to crosswalks.

 

[MOHillbilly]

Crosswalks here in the US are governed by the traffic lights or 4 way stops. If the light isn't red, you don't stop. And if the light isn't red, you don't walk. 4 way stops, pedestrians basically run for it when they get a chance.
Riding in town is the biggest risk you can take on a bike here. I'll go through small towns out in the sticks alright, but if I have to go onto the larger populace places, I just take the car/truck..

 

[2blueYam]

Crosswalks here in the US are governed by the traffic lights or 4 way stops. If the light isn't red, you don't stop. And if the light isn't red, you don't walk. 4 way stops, pedestrians basically run for it when they get a chance.
Riding in town is the biggest risk you can take on a bike here. I'll go through small towns out in the sticks alright, but if I have to go onto the larger populace places, I just take the car/truck..

It may vary state to state, but there are crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections in Virginia, DC and Maryland. In other words, there is no light and no stop sign. The pedestrian has the right of way from the time they step off the curb until they clear your lane. Most roads with these types of crosswalks have a speed limit of 25 mph and at most 35 mph.

 

[MOHillbilly]

It may vary state to state, but there are crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections in Virginia, DC and Maryland. In other words, there is no light and no stop sign. The pedestrian has the right of way from the time they step off the curb until they clear your lane. Most roads with these types of crosswalks have a speed limit of 25 mph and at most 35 mph.

Pedestrians may have the right of way here too, but it's the classic "cemeteries are full of people who had the right of way". You go to tripping off into the road with cars coming, you ain't going to live very long, right of way or not. Cell phones and all, no way. Few years ago I had a guy rear end me on a wide open 4 lane highway at 4:30AM, no one else around but me and him. Drove right into the rear of my car at 70+mph without ever lifting off the gas. Totaled both mine and his new Jeep Grand Cherokee. On the phone fighting with his wife..
You think I'd walk out in the street depending on cars to stop for me?..

 

[2blueYam]

Nope. I always assume the car will not see me if I am the pedestrian, but I also assume the pedestrian will step out even if they don’t have the right of way. It would suck to be “right” and know that your car or bike just ran over someone. I don’t need that in my life.

If there are cars behind what I do is lightly press the brake pedal enough to activate the brake light and then check the mirror to see the reaction of the car behind me. Then I make the decision to stop or not.

One time it wasn’t even close at a red light. I needed to brake so little for the red light that almost rolled to a stop in my car. The car behind me changed lanes and flooded the throttle. The light was red before he even completed the lane change and the cross traffic actually had started moving and had to then stop for him. Could have been really ugly. This is also why I check that cross traffic is stopping before I proceed at a fresh green light.

 

[Irishgirl]

It may vary state to state, but there are crosswalks at uncontrolled intersections in Virginia, DC and Maryland. In other words, there is no light and no stop sign. The pedestrian has the right of way from the time they step off the curb until they clear your lane. Most roads with these types of crosswalks have a speed limit of 25 mph and at most 35 mph.

These are the crosswalks we have here, Sacramento CA, and they are all over the city, everywhere. If I don't see a disabled, blind, old... pedestrian and traffic behind me I'm blowing through, done.

 

[golden chicken]

Being nice confuses people.

 

[Jay V]

Here in WI we are required to stop for a person crossing in a Crosswalk. If they step off the curb you have to stop. I've seen numerous cases where that almost resulted in an accident.

I'll read the traffic behind me constantly, looking for signs of an impatient or distracted driver and do whatever I need to get away (pull over, change lanes, or speed-up). If I can't get away from a bad driver I'm certainly not going to jump on the brakes to stop for a pedestrian - it's just not worth the risk. Most likely the bad driver isn't going to stop either.

Be sure to keep your brake light lit any time you are stopped in traffic at a stoplight or whatever.

Back in the day it was your responsibility to not step into traffic unless it was clear. Not so much anymore, but I'm not going to sacrifice my safety to be courteous to someone that can't wait 10 seconds for a break in traffic to cross.

 

[Fatass SVS]

Twice in the last 30 days I almost got rear ended for stopping for pedestrians. Today was the most scariest with the car skidding, stopping just a few feet from me. I think I'm done stopping if I see any traffic behind me.
Do you folks have any close encounters with this situation?

I was rear-ended at a red light (by an uninsured, unlicensed old lady in a Gen 1 Plymouth minivan at the end of the workday the night before a trip down to Fontana Dam to meet up with undesirables from a well-known motorcycling internet bitch-fest board) The bike was not actually harmed. I was very upset, but that passed.
"Almost" having something bad happen is NOTHING compared to the legal, financial, and moral consequences of hitting a human being.

 

[golden chicken]

I was rear-ended at a red light (by an uninsured, unlicensed old lady in a Gen 1 Plymouth minivan at the end of the workday the night before a trip down to Fontana Dam to meet up with undesirables from a well-known motorcycling internet bitch-fest board) The bike was not actually harmed. I was very upset, but that passed.
"Almost" having something bad happen is NOTHING compared to the legal, financial, and moral consequences of hitting a human being.

I was just talking about this with one of my rider friends at work today. We need to recognize that most people are not intentionally trying to kill us, they're merely making ordinary mistakes that we are sensitive to because we are vulnerable on a bike.

 

[OfirMX]

Nothing wrong with being courteous to pedestrians, just make sure you slow/stop safely, especially when there are other vehicles following you. As riders, we are hard to see and motorists tend to be distracted and not looking for bikes.
Wear bright colors, flash your brakes, signal early (use hand signals if adequate), avoid abrupt changes of speed/direction, constantly check your mirrors, keep flashing your brake lights while stopped, stay in 1st gear and always have an escape route (or two) available.

 

[Irishgirl]

I was rear-ended at a red light (by an uninsured, unlicensed old lady in a Gen 1 Plymouth minivan at the end of the workday the night before a trip down to Fontana Dam to meet up with undesirables from a well-known motorcycling internet bitch-fest board) The bike was not actually harmed. I was very upset, but that passed.
"Almost" having something bad happen is NOTHING compared to the legal, financial, and moral consequences of hitting a human being.

That "Almost" doesn't have much of a bite until you experienced a car panic braking, screeching behind you and stopping a few feet from hitting you, its over the top scary!
I'm not running anyone over, if someone is IN the crosswalk I'm stopping. I'm referring to folks who are standing on the sidewalk wanting to cross, not folks in the street crossing. I can deal with the legal, financial, my life is more important.

 

[Irishgirl]

Nothing wrong with being courteous to pedestrians, just make sure you slow/stop safely, especially when there are other vehicles following you. As riders, we are hard to see and motorists tend to be distracted and not looking for bikes.
Wear bright colors, flash your brakes, signal early (use hand signals if adequate), avoid abrupt changes of speed/direction, constantly check your mirrors, keep flashing your brake lights while stopped, stay in 1st gear and always have an escape route (or two) available.

I setup for the escape route, but honestly its very difficult to read if a driver is paying attention, and it happens so fast, like a last minute decision by the driver. I don't know if its even possible going through midtown Sacramento. One would have to have spider like senses and reflexes, serious.
To reiterate this is only a problem when I'm the first to come to a stop for the pedestrian with NO cars behind me for the moment. It's no worries if I'm the first to come to the crosswalk dragging a vehicle behind me to a stop. Its when I'm waiting all by my lonesome, seemingly invisible......

 

[Skywalker67]

One would have to have spider like senses and reflexes, serious.

Don't you know that we, being mountainbike, motorbike and car riders at the same time, are supposed to be superhumans?

 

[Jay V]

I was rear-ended at a red light (by an uninsured, unlicensed old lady in a Gen 1 Plymouth minivan at the end of the workday the night before a trip down to Fontana Dam to meet up with undesirables from a well-known motorcycling internet bitch-fest board) The bike was not actually harmed. I was very upset, but that passed.
"Almost" having something bad happen is NOTHING compared to the legal, financial, and moral consequences of hitting a human being.

You were lucky - but I wouldn't count on it.

I'll definitely stop if I feel good about it, otherwise I'll slow and obviously make sure I'm not going to hit the person walking, but I'm not stopping completely if I feel there are questionable drivers behind.

If you are looking far enough ahead you should be able to see the situation coming, and slow down early and gradually instead of needing to stop completely.

 

[Irishgirl]

Don't you know that we, being mountainbike, motorbike and car riders at the same time, are supposed to be superhumans?

And kayaking, felt superhuman!
Stayed in my boat until I noticed my hatchcover was blown.

Playing in a zipper until a huge set out of nowhere.....