I Haven't Uploaded A Bad Driver Dashcam Compilation Video In 2 Months

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
09/18/2018 at 15:11 • Filed to: caught on dashcam, dashcams, ram cam, ram dashcam, bad drivers

I just don’t see as much crazy shit on the roads anymore. It took me that long to get 10+ minutes of footage. But most of it is GOOD footage. So here it is:

DISCUSSION (37)

Just Jeepin' > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 15:36

When I finally installed a dash cam (sort of, it’s a bit of a haphazard installation) I started watching my driving as if it were on the camera and realized I’m not as good as I’d like to think I am.

wkiernan > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 15:37

Wye of doom at 6:40. NHTSA does not approve!!!

The Swedish Bandit > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 15:43

IDK, looks like normal US driving to me

ttyymmnn > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 15:45

The book was better.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 15:54

Kinja'd!!!

There are so many things wrong going on here. Riding on the sidewalk. Riding the wrong way. Riding in a crosswalk. Driver not watching.

This is why I always recommend cyclists ride on the road and take the lane except where specifically prohibited.

Takuro Spirit > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/18/2018 at 15:56

Driver was also on a suspended license and RAN from the scene. I tried to t ra ck him down once I made sure the cyclist was OK. That was a fun video.

Takuro Spirit > Just Jeepin'
09/18/2018 at 15:57

I used to do a LOT of digging through laws and rules of the road to make sure I wasn’t A. Driving illegally myself or B. Incriminating myself with my bad driving.

CobraJoe > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/18/2018 at 16:03

There are so many things wrong going on here. Riding on the sidewalk. Riding the wrong way. Riding in a crosswalk. Driver not watching.

In many cities, riding on the sidewalk is legal, or at least not a much of an offense where there are no pedestrians. And if the sidewalk riding is legal, it really doesn’t matter which side of the road you’re riding on.

But yeah, if you’re riding on the sidewalk, you really have to watch out for cars in intersections.

Personally, I’d rather ride on the sidewalk than on the road at 20mph slower than traffic. Just be careful on cross streets.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:04

Did you pull the tag information from the video and hand that over to the police? Is that how he was caught? Did the cyclist and auto actually make contact? Was someone ticketed/charged? I NEED TO KNOW!!!!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Just Jeepin'
09/18/2018 at 16:06

when i finally got a phone with a camera..... all the interesting cars dissapeared :(

every now and then i forget to take me phone out with me and they all come out to taunt me again

like theres an audi rs wagon that looks like someone put some serious money into it and a lime green metalic miata that never show up when i have a camera

(miata guy wraps his car matte black in winter... so im thinking the fancy green is a paintjob)

Takuro Spirit > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/18/2018 at 16:09

Yes.

Yes, after they falsely arrested my cousin, who had a similar car and run ins with the local police.

He did, with the left front of the car, which was damaged in the collision . Bike flipped up in the air off camera, cyclise rolled away from the car (thankfully)

Not sure if anyone was charged, last I heard they found the right guy and he was driving suspended. I never got his name so I couldn’t look up any court info.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:09

That nissan rogue, if I was in a shitty car I would have nailed the rear quarter panel .

Takuro Spirit > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
09/18/2018 at 16:10

I was already slowing for the stop sign... but yes I was in my shitty Mazda3

TheRealBicycleBuck > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:12

Thanks. Tension relieved.

TheRealBicycleBuck > CobraJoe
09/18/2018 at 16:18

The only time I’m ok with people riding on t he sidewalk is when they hold their speed to a walking pace - 4 mph. Any faster and the cyclist puts himself at risk of collision with a pedestrian or a car because pedestrians are moving slower (and are unpredictable) and cars aren’t expecting fast-moving traffic on the sidewalk, so they don’t look for it.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:21

This all looks pretty tame for WI........

feather-throttle-not-hair > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:24

here’s my contribution

ignore the date, that happened last week.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:30

I meant to add, good on you for following through. It’s nice to see Oppos looking out for folks.

Takuro Spirit > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
09/18/2018 at 16:30

I live in the middle of ho-where

CobraJoe > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/18/2018 at 16:30

The only time I’m ok with people riding on the sidewalk is when they hold their speed to a walking pace - 4 mph. Any faster and the cyclist puts himself at risk of collision with a pedestrian or a car because pedestrians are moving slower (and are unpredictable) and cars aren’t expecting fast-moving traffic on the sidewalk, so they don’t look for it.

Even if there are no pedestrians?

In my city, there are tons of sidewalks and almost no pedestrians, especially along the major streets.

I completely agree that riders should be extremely careful around people on foot and around road crossings where cars might not see you in time. But between road crossings on an empty sidewalk? Why not go fast?

That screen grab you have from the video shows a really empty sidewalk, with one pedestrian moving away from the rider’s path. Flying into the intersection is the only unsafe thing I see.

Takuro Spirit > feather-throttle-not-hair
09/18/2018 at 16:31

oof

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:31

I’m north of Madison in Poynette.

I didn’t know I wasn’t the only WI oppo here.

Takuro Spirit > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
09/18/2018 at 16:33

There’s a couple of us, I think we two are the most active.

I’m in Ozaukee, just a b it south of Road America.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:35

Dude

1. Didn’t want to stop

2. Told me I hit him once he did stop, in a way that led me to believe he actually thought that was what happened.

Car was fine but so much facepalm.

Just Jeepin' > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 16:42

I did catch you tailgating a slow driver, at least per Indiana laws (2 seconds).

Takuro Spirit > Just Jeepin'
09/18/2018 at 17:15

Wide angle lens, etc etc, lol

TheRealBicycleBuck > CobraJoe
09/18/2018 at 17:15

The problem with most sidewalks is the number of intersections - driveways and doorways included. Traffic at each and every one of these is unpredictable. Neither pedestrians nor drivers are expecting fast-moving traffic coming down the sidewalk.

The screen grab is an excellent example of the problem. T he driver expects objects (people) on t he sidewalk (and crosswalk) to be moving slowly. Someone riding even at a moderate pace is moving two to three times faster than expected. At that angle, it’s hard to tell how fast the cyclist is going because he’s coming almost straight at the driver. If I had to judge this case, I’d assign most of the fault to the cyclist, not the driver.

Now, that doesn’t excuse the driver’s behavior after the accident....

Just Jeepin' > Takuro Spirit
09/18/2018 at 17:19

Tell that to the po-po.

CobraJoe > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/18/2018 at 17:29

Agreed, any kind of intersection can be dangerous, but outside of downtown, there usually is great visibility and a bit of distance between any door or garage door and the sidewalk.

The closest building in that screengrab is still 10 to 15 feet from the sidewalk, that can give a lot of reaction time to slow or otherwise avoid a pedestrian.

Road crossings are different, but it still should be fairly easy to see if a car is approaching or preparing to turn. If there’s any doubt, slow down.

It is completely up to the rider to be safe, exactly for the reasons you mention, but it doesn’t mean that riding on the sidewalk is unsafe. (I think sidewalks are far safer for cyclists than sharing a 4 lane 45mph major road.)

TheRealBicycleBuck > CobraJoe
09/18/2018 at 18:50

Well, the League of American Bicyclists agrees with my stance on sidewalk riding and has even produced a video about it.

I’ve ridden many miles on roads where the posted speed limit is much higher than what I can manage on my bike. T he two times I’ve been hit by a car happened on roads where the speed limit was 45 mph or lower and I was in a “protected” bike lane into which the car intruded. In both instances, I was approaching an intersection.

I have found that I get more space on the road when I create a bigger visual footprint by either taking the lane or pulling a trailer. Riding on the sidewalk makes you invisible.

wafflesnfalafel > feather-throttle-not-hair
09/18/2018 at 20:36

I t wasn’t always this way, but 20-30 % of Seattle metro drivers are just sh!t now .. I have a 4 way stop I go through every day and I only get through it once, maybe twice a week w/o somebody either completely not stopping or completely not going or some third crazy option, (driving up on sidewalk, back up away from it, stopping in the middle, etc..) Honestly, with our significantly increase transit ridership and so many folks working from home - I’m confident that goofball drivers are a significant new source of congestion...

feather-throttle-not-hair > wafflesnfalafel
09/18/2018 at 20:38

Yup, i agree, its getting worse. 5 years ago, i used to commute to downtown every single day. Now when i go downtown, this shit happens.

CobraJoe > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/19/2018 at 09:51

That video said exactly what I was saying (or paraphrased) . “on f ast, busy roadways, a sidewalk might feel more comfortable” and “Always yield to pedestrians” and “Assume cars don’t see you”.

I’ve ridden many miles on roads where the posted speed limit is much higher than what I can manage on my bike. The two times I’ve been hit by a car happened on roads where the speed limit was 45 mph or lower and I was in a “protected” bike lane into which the car intruded. In both instances, I was approaching an intersection.

And have you ever been hit while riding on a sidewalk? Assuming you pay attention at intersections, that’s almost definitely a no. You might be invisible on the sidewalk, but I find it far easier to adjust my speeds to fit the situation than to trust potentially distracted drivers approaching me at double my speed. Granted, I’d still ride on a protected lane or a dedicated trail before riding on a side walk.

Besides, the roads I’m thinking of have multiple lanes of traffic and no bike lane, but there always is a wide and empty sidewalk nearby. Honestly, the people who ride on the road instead of the obvious bike trail or empty sidewalk really annoy me. I still give them the full lane, because I hate it when people pass right next to me, but why not use that wide open sidewalk?

TheRealBicycleBuck > CobraJoe
09/19/2018 at 16:32

“And have you ever been hit while riding on a sidewalk?”

No. That’s because any time I’ve ever had to ride on a sidewalk, it was at a walking pace. I did have one of my worst wrecks directly adjacent to a sidewalk. A pedestrian stepped off the sidewalk and into the bike lane without looking. I went over the bars trying to keep from hitting her. I was successful in avoiding the collision with her, but not successful avoiding a faceplant in the street.

“You might be invisible on the sidewalk, I find it far easier to adjust my speeds to fit the situation than to trust potentially distracted drivers approaching me at double my speed.”

Just as you are invisible to drivers when you are on the sidewalk, you are also invisible to pedestrians because you are moving so much faster and are essentially silent.

“Besides, the roads I’m thinking of have multiple lanes of traffic and no bike lane, but there always is a wide and empty sidewalk nearby.”

Chalk that up to living in an area which provides sidewalks. For years my daily commute took me down two-lane highways where the speed limit was 55+ mph. No shoulders, no bike lanes, no sidewalks. It’s where I learned how to ride in traffic. Even now, the most popular training road in the Baton Rouge area is River Road, a winding two-lane highway with a speed limit of 55 mph.

Kinja'd!!!

I marked it out for you in red. The road is white, an indication of the number of riders.

“Honestly, the people who ride on the road instead of the obvious bike trail or empty sidewalk really annoy me. I still give them the full lane, because I hate it when people pass right next to me, but why not use that wide open sidewalk?”

It’s good you are giving them the full lane. In many places, it’s the law.

There are plenty of reasons not to use the sidewalk . Here are a few.

It’s dangerous: It’s designed for pedestrian traffic, not bicycles, and you’re subject to all the potential collisions we’ve already discussed.

L eft turns: T ry taking a left from a separate (but equal) facility. Most of the ones I’m thinking of have a ditch separating them from the road. Even bike lanes defined by stripes are a problem since drivers assume you are required to stay in the bike lane even when you are allowed to take adjacent lane when necessary such as when you need to make a left turn.

Intersections: D rivers always treat separate facilities as inferior. I’ve had many near misses, both left and right hooks, because drivers expect to have the right of way even when they don’t. Drivers don’t expect a bicycle to be moving fast, so it’s not unusual for them to pass the cyclist, then turn in front of them.

Maintenance: In general, sidewalks are not on anyone’s maintenance plan. I’ve seen them covered with trash, dirt, lawn clippings, and glass. I’ve seen them heaved by underlying roots and depressed from erosion. I’ll admit that there are some nice ones out there, but where I ride, they are few and far between.

Other users: We’ve already covered pedestrians. In suburban areas, I also have to watch out for kids (who, by the way, belong on the sidewalk) and dogs and cars and balls and toys and....

Speed: I can maintain a much higher speed on a road than I can on a sidewalk. All of the aforementioned issues directly impact my ability to maintain a good pace. I’m not just talking about riding for exercise. When I’m commuting, I’m trying to get somewhere within a specific time frame. It was particularly irritating when I was in college and trying to get across campus between classes.

I’m sure I won’t sway you with my arguments. You’ve already made up your mind and will continue to ride on sidewalks. I only hope that you are doing it legally, ride at an appropriate pace, and don’t get hit by a car.

CobraJoe > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/19/2018 at 17:31

You aren’t changing my opinion because you’re saying the same things over and over again, and they just don’t apply where I ride. Pedestrians are easy to not hit, so don’t hit them. Cars and intersections are easy to identify, slow down or stop if needed. Even sidewalk maintenance isn’t much of an issue. Maybe a higher speed could be maintained on the road, but I ride for fun and not commuting, so maintaining speed is not an issue .

It’s good you are giving them the full lane. In many places, it’s the law.

It is the law here, but a ticket against the offending driver won’t help after they hit you.

Thankfully, I haven’t been hit, but the closest call was in on 35mph 2 lane residential road with no oncoming traffic, they passed me at 10-15mph faster than I was going with only about a foot of space to the left of me. And y ou think a pedestrian getting passed by a silent bike is dangerous?

TheRealBicycleBuck > CobraJoe
09/19/2018 at 18:58

“And you think a pedestrian getting passed by a silent bike is dangerous?”

Pedestrians don’t hear you coming and are apt to make sudden changes in direction. Yes, passing pedestrians who are unaware of your presence is a dangerous proposition.

CobraJoe > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/19/2018 at 19:59

I sure didn’t hear that car until it almost hit me.

It’s also not hard to alert pedestrians to your presence. Saying “on your left” is a common courtesy when approaching other cyclists or pedestrians.