![A cop nearly smeared me across the bike lane. Here’s what went wrong [Video]](https://ecodrivedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/cop-car-cyclist-header-860x450.jpg)
As maybe one of the vital prolific electrical bike reviewers on the web, I spend loads of time driving metropolis streets and have often puzzled if that is the best way I’ll exit in the future. Yesterday, I practically had the reply to that query as a police cruiser nearly smeared me throughout three lanes of site visitors.
It occurred to happen whereas I used to be in the midst of filming a overview of a Velotric Breeze 1 electrical bike. With the uncommon alternative of catching a second like that on digital camera, it became an opportunity for me to take a second have a look at what I did proper in addition to what I may need performed flawed to wind up in that scenario.
And why maintain that type of evaluation to myself? Come together with me whereas I Monday morning quarterback myself.
An uncomfortably shut perspective on bike security
As cyclists, we’re most likely probably the most weak highway customers on the market. Out of necessity, that legal responsibility offers us a novel perspective – one that’s much more well-rounded in the event you occur to additionally drive a automobile every now and then.
In truth, an hour earlier than I bought an uncomfortably shut view of a police cruiser’s grille, I used to be driving my household’s borrowed minivan, and solely an hour afterward, I used to be going 0 to 60 in three seconds on my LiveWire electrical bike, so I’d take into account myself a reasonably holistic highway consumer.
After I’m driving my electrical bicycles within the bike lane, particularly the unprotected bike lanes which can be merely a strip of paint laid down on the shoulder of a busy highway, I’m continuously scanning for threats. As you possibly can see within the video beneath, that gave me round 1-2 seconds of warning as I noticed a police cruiser accelerating onerous as he ready to blow previous a cease signal to cross three empty lanes of a serious highway. The one drawback was that there was a fourth lane there – a bicycle lane – and it was very occupied, by me.
See what I imply within the video beneath.
What occurred?
Mainly, the police cruiser gave the impression to be in fairly a rush. The officer didn’t have the lights or siren on, so I’m undecided if it was official, however the automobile was reserving it. I first heard the engine winding up earlier than even seeing the automobile, and it was apparent he wasn’t getting ready to cease, regardless of the cease signal on the finish of the crossroad.
As quickly as I heard the engine and turned my head to clock the automobile’s trajectory, I used to be on the brakes. The Velotric Breeze 1 electrical bike I used to be driving has what I can now affirm are glorious hydraulic brakes and I instantly began slowing down. A fraction of a second later, the cop appeared to see me panic braking and began his personal panic braking, sliding his cruiser throughout the cease line and midway via the pedestrian crosswalk traces.
As soon as I noticed his brake dive and will see he was going to have the ability to cease in time, I let off my very own brakes to proceed down the bike lane and never dangerously slide to a cease myself. I had just a few alternative phrases however figured I’d be higher suggested to not confront the cop lest I get hit with some form of “tried to wreck authorities property together with his previously intact femur” cost.
I perceive that the video above may not look as intense because it felt, however let me guarantee you that seeing 5,000 kilos of police automobile skidding in the direction of you on a bicycle may have you leaving your personal skidmark of kinds.
What went proper… and flawed?
It’s necessary to do not forget that this sort of factor occurs to numerous cyclists each single day. As a motorcycle reviewer, I used to be merely fortunate to have a 360º digital camera recording throughout it and the privilege of getting a platform to share it on. So why not take the chance to take advantage of this and study one thing helpful from the scenario?
To begin with, let’s have a look at what went flawed. Whereas that is largely the fault of the cop, I’m not off the hook right here, both.
The principle subject right here is that the cop was driving recklessly on a aspect highway and desiring to blow a cease signal earlier than slicing throughout three lanes of site visitors onto a serious highway, all whereas clearly not watching very carefully for site visitors. Now if he had been responding to a name, that may have been one factor. Law enforcement officials aren’t beholden to sure site visitors legal guidelines and are allowed to ignore issues like pace limits and cease indicators when responding to an emergency name. Nonetheless, that’s precisely why they’ve sirens and lights, to alert different highway customers. On this case, the cop both wasn’t responding to a name or didn’t activate his lights or sirens. The truth that he nonetheless didn’t activate his lights or siren even after practically pancaking me means he most likely wasn’t responding to a name, and was simply gunning it down a aspect avenue as a result of he might.
The second subject is poor highway design. Not solely was the cop at an obstacle as a result of comparatively tall shrubs and retail indicators on the aspect avenue that would restrict a driver’s view of oncoming site visitors on the primary highway, however the bicycle lane I used to be utilizing was the worst sort: only a strip of paint on the shoulder. There’s no protecting border, no inexperienced paint as a reminder to drivers, and no clear visible separation at intersections the place conflicts are most certainly to happen. The cop ought to nonetheless be on the lookout for highway customers, together with cyclists, however the highway design didn’t make that any simpler.
The final subject, which is on me, is that I used to be carrying darkish colours and never extremely seen. Black shirt, darkish pants, black helmet – nothing that jumps out and says “have a look at me.” Now, I’m not a fan of the argument that cyclists ought to put on high-vis clothes as a result of it smacks of the identical type of victim-blaming thought course of dropped at you by the oldsters who use “positive, he shouldn’t have assaulted her behind that bar, however did you see what she was carrying?”. So I might have been extra seen, and shoutout to Velotric for providing numerous vibrant bike colours, however I shouldn’t must put on a vibrant yellow vest to ensure that drivers to not kill me.
Okay, now let’s have a look at what went proper. To begin with, I do know that I at all times have to concentrate on my environment after I’m on a motorcycle. After I trip, I don’t put on headphones and I don’t speak on the telephone. My eyes are at all times scanning and I’m at all times listening for threats. On this case, I was speaking to the digital camera whereas filming a overview, however you possibly can see I’m nonetheless wanting round throughout it and I instantly heard the cop automobile’s engine accelerating onerous as he ready to swing out onto the highway. That meant I might get on the brakes earlier than he even knew I used to be there. Happily, I didn’t have to check the next idea since he noticed me on the final minute and likewise slammed on his brakes, however I consider I might have stopped simply in need of the aspect avenue with my full-on emergency braking. Once more, props to Velotric for utilizing good hydraulic brakes on the Breeze 1 e-bike. In order that half went properly – at all times pay attention to your environment and by no means needlessly mute one among your necessary senses like sight or listening to.
Subsequent, I used to be driving at applicable speeds for the situations. That bike can do 28 mph (45 km/h) simply, and I take pleasure in going that quick on lengthy straightaways and in areas the place situations permit. However as you possibly can see from the video, there’s a cross avenue or retail car parking zone entrance nearly each few seconds and there are just too many possibilities for one thing like this to occur. I used to be doing nearer to 15-20 mph on this space as a result of excessive variety of intersections, which meant that I had extra time to react after I detected the risk. At full Class 3 speeds of 28 mph, there’s no approach I might have been in a position to brake in time and I might have been fully reliant on the cop not operating that cease signal. Don’t get me flawed, I really like going quick and I do it typically. However I additionally decelerate when situations counsel it, and at present, that paid off.
And lastly, as I discussed above, the bike I used to be driving is an attention grabbing vibrant blue coloration. In truth, just a few minutes earlier, one other bike owner stopped me to inform me how a lot he beloved the colour. I actually suppose that when the cop did lastly see me, he most likely noticed the brilliant blue bike earlier than he truly noticed me. I’ve lengthy advocated for brightly coloured e-bikes, partly due to my disdain for suggesting that cyclists ought to be compelled to put on bright-colored clothes for their very own safety. Personally, I like enjoyable and bright-colored e-bikes, however I additionally settle for that they assist make us extra seen whatever the outfit we select to put on that day. I’ll additionally level out that I used to be additionally carrying an honest bicycle helmet with a correctly adjusted chin strap. It’s been some time since I’ve truly put helmet to pavement, however within the couple of occasions I’ve crashed during the last decade or so, I’ve been glad it was there.
The ethical of the story, if there may be one, is that hypervigilance is necessary for cyclists, and much more necessary for drivers. If you happen to function a automobile that exposes you to the dangers of the highway, you must be careful for your self. And in the event you function a automobile that exposes everybody else to the danger of your automobile, then the accountability sits even heavier upon you.
Even ignoring the truth that, on this case, it was the very individuals we anticipate to maintain our roads secure that in the end precipitated the best hazard, all automobile drivers merely should do a greater job looking ahead to all highway customers, and that features probably the most weak, akin to cyclists and motorcyclists.
And as weak highway customers ourselves, these of us who go for two wheels should do not forget that among the many few individuals who truly learn my earlier sentence, nearly none will heed it, and meaning we’re the one ones we are able to rely on to really defend ourselves.
Maybe in the future extra cities may have higher methods to bodily separate cyclists from vehicles via using improved highway infrastructure and guarded biking lanes. Till then, we’ll must depend on our eyes, our ears, and our helmets.
