Lots of people talking about this video of cyclist Luke Rae in St. Johns, Newfoundland. He uses a helmet cam to show his encounters with scofflaw, law breaking motorists. When motorists can learn to obey the rules of the road, I’ll recognize their privilege to use those roads.
So yeah, there are the occasional idiots who fail to recognize my right of way. The same things happen while I drive, but when I’m on bike I tend to remember it because I’m just a little more vulnerable. I watched a motorist run a red light Wednesday evening in Palo Alto and come that close to hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk. She slammed her brakes on just in time — the pedestrian was sweating bullets, while the driver smiled apologetically and waved at the pedestrian.
To the motorist, these close calls are nothing — just part of the driving experience, and nothing to think about, nothing to remember, and it’s certainly not an opportunity to learn. Maybe helmet cam videos like this will help remind all of us to be a little more watchful while we drive.
In other news, perhaps Citizen Rider should carry a camera with him.