It was a normal Saturday morning. I had just left the bank and pulled up to the busy street to wait for a break in traffic so I could make a right turn. I had quickly checked to the right when I first stopped at the sidewalk, and then focused on the traffic approaching from the left. Finally, I saw my opportunity and started to accelerate forward as I made a final check to the right. To my horror, there was a man on a bicycle approaching rapidly from my right. I slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding hitting him.
Many people are not aware that one of the most dangerous practices when riding a bicycle is traveling against the flow of traffic. The problem is that drivers are not expecting anyone to approach from the right at any pace faster than a walk, so they focus on the traffic approaching from the left and may not notice a bicycle approaching from the right until it is too late.
