Yes, I could have avoided it by riding slower in the neighborhood, and even slower around that limited sight distance turn.
I'm not advocating speeding here.... The fact that so many people are coming to to the conclusion that speed was a deciding factor in this accident just kind of scares me because I think the randomness of street riding dangers is being overlooked.
Let's do an experiment...
Let's say that we are going to take 5 passes at the same accident, and you're the rider. I get to be the driver and I will intentionally simulate a U turn on that street by someone who is not looking....
Pass 1: 50mph... I watch you in the rear view mirror coming but simulate a random blind U turn..... I'll hit you.
Pass 2: 40mph .... I'll hit you.
Pass 3: 25 mph... I'll hit you.
Pass 4: 10mph... I'll hit you
Pass 5: 5mph.... Likely I can still hit you.
Reverse the situation.... now you're driving the car and I'm on the bike. I bet you can hit me too almost every time. In each case, going slower will cause less damage and that's great, but it didn't avoid the unfortunate timing of the event.
The speed does not change anything other than the force of impact. This is all about timing and trajectory, and the posted speed limit could very well kill a rider, pet, or pedestrian if the timing is unfortunate enough.
Experiment # 2
Let's go to a huge empty parking lot. You ride a bike, and I'll drive a car.
The exercise is that I am the unknown and you are the responsible rider...
I am going to try to hit you. I'm going to point my car to where I think we'll intersect. I can only drive in a straight line to simulate being unaware of your presence. You can turn any way you like.
In the first run you can go as fast as you like.
In the second run you can go 25mph top speed.
In the final run you can do only 2mph.
Think of experiment #2 in terms of timing, trajectory, and target lag time. What strategy will you use to avoid getting hit?
Experiment #3
We are at a 1mi drag strip lined with 100's of identical parked all facing away from you on each side of the strip. There is a single lane between the parked cars. I am hiding in one of these car with the intent of pulling out and hitting you so I'll wait until you're close. What strategy will you use to avoid getting hit?
The point I'm trying to make here is that we are all in agreement that one should exercise safe speeds...especially when there's a greater risk of hitting a pedestrian, but never forget the randomness of what is facing you. The rider in the vid' might have missed that car if he were going slower, but also had he been going faster, or if he had decided to change to a different color of socks just before leaving his house, because ultimately the accident was caused by timing, trajectory, and a really poor driving maneuver that can happen at any time...at any speed.
What speed is it...exactly...that guarantees you can stop in time? 5? The posted speed limit is an illusion of safety.
Apply this to real world riding. If someone blocks your path completely, and you have time to see it, of course being at a lower rate of speed gives you more time to react and less impact force if you cannot avoid it. Makes total sense. If the randomness meant that you didn't have time to see it....then you're either already in the accident, or best case.... past where it would have happened. That's randomness for ya.
On the other hand, I really don't like passing a car on the highway at less than a 20mph speed difference. I don't like being beside along side people on cell phones or whatever. On a 70mph highway, that means I'm going 90 when passing. If I get past the cell phone driver who was about to swerve me into the center green and slam into a deer who just jumped out of the center green that I
might have avoided at 70, again...what's the difference?
The randomness in the video is that the rider could have been going exactly 25, checking his same mirrors, sneezing, preparing his excuse for being late to work... and STILL hit the very same car had the driver of the car had one extra puff on her cigarette before pulling out....see? Feeling that this accident could have been avoided simply by going the posted speed is a dangerous illusion.
Sean
