[SDCBC] Gilman / I-5 interchange

[Serge Issakov]

On 2/20/07, Bill Matella <bmatella at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>
> I used to accellerate going down that stretch to ease my merge into the
> left lane or bike lane.  The problem I saw with that is a bike can be "seen
> through" by traffic turning left onto the I-5 SB, and ...
>

A bicyclist traveling at 30 mph near the center of the through lane is no
more invisible or vulnerable (to any significant degree) then is a
motorcyclist traveling at 30 mph near the center of the through lane,
particularly if the bicyclist is in typical bright garb while the
motorcyclist is in typical black leathers.  Yet, I doubt there is much
hand-wringing going on about the dangers of this intersection in
motorcyclist circles.

I think that we have a tendency to assume we are overlooked because of an
inherent relatively low sensory conspicuity  (which again is similar to that
of motorcyclists, and which we attempt to address with bright clothing),
rather than because of low cognitive conspicuity because of our tendency to
ride in space where others tend to be paying much less attention.

I believe this strongly because when I changed my lane positioning style a
few years to prioritize being noticed by those whose attention I require way
above being out of the way, the incidence of being overlooked went from "all
too often", to "practically never".

Serge
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