other drivers

[mdm]

Adding to my point 3, I looked up NY traffic law and it says:

§ 1160. Required position and method of turning at intersections. The
driver of a vehicle intending to turn at an intersection shall do so as
follows:
(a) Right turns. Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn
shall be made as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of
the roadway or, where travel on the shoulder or slope has been
authorized, from the shoulder or slope.

also


§ 1163. Turning movements and required signals. (a) No person shall
turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in proper
position upon the roadway as required in section eleven hundred sixty,
or turn a vehicle to enter a private road or driveway, or otherwise turn
a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway
unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety. No
person shall so turn any vehicle without giving an appropriate signal in
the manner hereinafter provided.

[gravitylover]

1- At night in the rain. There would be no reason for a pedestrian to be in this spot, nowhere to be walking from or to so not a reasonable expectation. I did look forward to make sure nobody had appeared while I was looking towards oncoming traffic.
2- When I pulled up to the intersection there were no other vehicles around. Nothing to the right or even in the rear view. I always check behind as I get to certain intersections because people drive too fast for conditions so I can move to avoid getting rear ended.
3- There is no curb just pothole ridden crumbling pavement. I tend not to drive in spots like that with my BRZ and when I'm in my truck sometimes I forget that I can without it sucking. He still had to have two tires completely off the pavement to have gotten around me to make the turn so in reality I didn't leave enough room for him to be there.
4- Again, weather would most likely have precluded either of those two types of vehicles being there.

He swore I didn't have a signal on but I know I did. Cop only wrote in the report that I had no signal, he completely ignored everything I said like I wasn't even there. A little bit of research afterwards and I found out that the cop and the other driver went to high school together and have know each other for a long time. I got screwed...

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Talus1

That's a good habit I learned from riding a motorcycle. You really learn situational awareness when you're that exposed. At least you do if you want to survive into post adolescence.

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

If I'm first at red traffic lights I always check left and right when the lights turn green to make sure some clown isn't running red on their lane.
If I see someone approaching a stop or give way sign at speed I don't assume they are going to stop for me even though I have right of way.
Part of the joy of learning the road on a motorcycle.

Yup, learned it from riding as well. It really is dangerous out there. Even the best of us fuck up. It's just a matter of time.

[Atticus808]

to make you feel better OP.

on the way home from work there's this area that gets congested a little bit and you maybe have to be in the area for about 5 minutes max. there's a service road on the right side that some douche bags take to cut infront of everyone so I never let them in. So there's this loser in a Land Rover that tried to do it but I didn't let him in but the person behind me did, so now he's behind me. then a little bit later we approach the intersection and the light is green for us. keep in mind it's rush hour traffic. the cars infront of me go but they are stopped in the middle of the intersection because of traffic, so I wait at the stop line cause I don't want to be in the intersection if the light turns red. stupid fuck in the Land Rover starts flashing his high beams at me and throwing his arms in the air to tell me to go.

I wanted to get out so bad and rage at him but that'd be really stupid so I just threw my arms up like what the fuck do you want me to do?

I'm driving a corolla and he was in a fucking Land Rover that can see over my car to see what's going on in front. I should have waited until the light turned yellow and went so he would miss the light.

[Captain Snooze]

Having said that now when I am leaving my driveway or am leaving a give way situation I now look twice. I know that I am fallible too.

The book "The Invisible Gorilla" by Simons and Chabris actually mentions motorcycles on the road and says something along the lines that some people who have no experience with motorcycles often fail to see them. That is, the motorcycle sometimes fail to register.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by gravitylover

A little bit of research afterwards and I found out that the cop and the other driver went to high school together and have know each other for a long time. I got screwed...

Yeah, that definitely did not help you. I am still inclined to think that you weren't entirely faultless there, but again the devil is in the details which I don't know.

I'd probably consider assuming that there would be no pedestrians or bicyclists just based on the weather potentially dangerous. I have seen pedestrians at weirdest times in weird and unexpected places.

In general the situation you were in is very conducive to errors (whether you really comitted one or not). I mean when one is stopped and monitors traffic coming from the side for a gap, and does not check what is in front of the vehicle or on the other side, when the gap appears and it's time to go.