Driving 101

[protege]

And this, my friends, is a good example of why it is good to look both ways when about to cross the street, even if it IS a one way.

Yep, the one time you don't look, some dumbass is going to be coming the wrong way Case in point, several peope have been hit on Fifth Avenue (in Pittsburgh's Oakland section) mainly because of how that street is laid out. That street is one-way, except for the bus lane on the left. That runs *opposite* to the flow of traffic. Sadly many people forget that, and don't look left!

[AriRashkae]

I always tell my husband. "You can be right, and you can be dead right. You pick."

On one ways: My mother told me the story of a coworker who worked for mini bus (Special Needs) with her. CW was turning from a oneway, onto a oneway, and didn't look in the "wrong" direction. CW ran over a pedestrian coming from the "wrong" direction. Pedestrian was OK (IIRC) in the end, and CW got fired. Mom always tells me at a red or stop sign, "Look for the pedestrian. Look for the ambulance. Then go." (Of course, I'm always looking around anyway, so I don't get honked at as much if I'm first in line as she does. )

And I had a City DPW truck (painted on the side: "Your safety is our priority." ) Try to merge from an off ramp into my car. And yes, he had the yield sign.

[Geek King]

And I had a City DPW truck (painted on the side: "Your safety is our priority." ) Try to merge from an off ramp into my car. And yes, he had the yield sign.

Pfff...yeild signs don't mean anything! They just put those up as a kickback to signmakers. Just ignore them like everyone in Ohio

[IT Grunt]

Pfff...yeild signs don't mean anything! They just put those up as a kickback to signmakers. Just ignore them like everyone in Ohio

As well as West Virginia. I was coming up a road towards a highway off ramp that had a yield sign. I'm doing 45 going towards the local Wal-mart when this truck at the yield pulls out. I literally have to lock them up to avoid hitting this guy. The best part? He was going to Wal-Mart too. So I happened to follow his wife in, and she has the nerve to say, "So people are in such a hurry." Pot calling the kettle black, lady.

[CorDarei]

I.... Try to merge from an off ramp into my car. And yes, he had the yield sign.

...As well as West Virginia. I was coming up a road towards a highway off ramp that had a yield sign...

so highways in ohio and west virginia have off ramps that have yield signs? That's good to know, all the yield signs near off ramps near me are for the traffic on the access road, not the highway.

[Hemily]

I've been hit by a car once before too, it's not fun, i still can't walk for long distances, without my leg starting to ache, and i start limping again.

I was maybe 15, and i loved going fast on my bicycle, so going down a nice long hill, i decided to build up some speed, and got a fair amount of speed, maybe 30kph (which was fast for us kids on mountain bikes ).
At the bottom of this hill, was a corner, turning right, so i stayed to the right side, as meeting cars would be in the left lane... WRONG!
You can't see what lays around th corner, since the guy living on the corner, decided that a giant enormous jungle of a hedge would be awesome, so as i enter the corner.. a young woman in her 80's Audi decided to cut the corner... head to head collision ensued, and i tested how aerodynamic i was, by flying over the car and landing on my back way behind the car.

i never even got sent to hospital, i don't even know who the woman was, i was so dazed and confused, limping around picking up pieces of my bike, she did atleast drive me home, but my leg has never really been the same after that.

it ain't no fun getting hit by a car, and i hope you heal better than me, my leg was caught between my pedal, and the car's bumper, so i still, years after, have no feeling in part of my shin.

[Chanlin]

Good to hear that you are ok Aethian. One of my driving instructors gave me words to live by. "The best way to make sure you are driving safe on the road is to treat every other driver as if they have no idea what the hell they are doing." His point was don't assume anything and always look even in situations where you might think it is reasonable not to do so.

[One-Fang]

it ain't no fun getting hit by a car,

... rather sounded as if you weren't, actually. Your bicycle was, but you flew over it and got ... um ... hit by the road. Which I'm sure ain't no fun neither.

Had a woman on a team I was on get hit by a car once. Pedestrian, crossing the road, car failed to yield, I don't know why she didn't see it. Anyway, struck front of car, rolled up bonnet, smacked into windscreen, then rolled off front onto the road surface. Pretty badly knocked about.

As someone once said, might makes right. It may not be technically correct, or even very fair, buf if you're driving a dump truck, I'm gonna sit in my little sports car and let you go where you danged well please. If we have an argument, I'm not going to win, so you can go. Same if I'm walking and there are vehicles about. If I ain't gonna win, I don't wanna tangle, no matter how "right" I might be.

[Reyneth]

Aethian, if you have any issues with the driver's insurance not wanting to pay your bills (which from the sounds of it, he was liable so they should), your car insurance also would cover you as a pedestrian.

I hope it doesn't come to that, but most people don't know that so I wanted to make sure you did!

Hope you're feeling better soon.