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Common Bicycle/Motorist Crashes - Left Cross

Almost one-third of my bicycle cases involve the "left cross." For some reason these are more common than the "right hook." I suspect it has to do with visibility issues and motorists' mistaken belief swith respect to bicyclists 'rights on the road.

A "left cross" occurs when a cyclist and motorist are approaching from opposite directions. The motorist makes a left turn at an uncontrolled intersection or on a solid green, striking the cyclist or causing the cyclist to crash in attempting to avoid the motorist. In so doing the motorist fails to yield the right of way to the cyclist in violation of Illinois and Chicago law. These are devastating accidents that often result in serious or catastrophic injuries to the cyclist.

Some strategies to avoid the left cross include:

  • Get a headlight. If you're riding at night, you should absolutely use a front headlight. It's required by law in Illinois and Chicago. Get a good headlight too- stay away from the Knog Frog as your only headlight- one diffuse LED isn't the most visible light.
  • Wear something bright. Bikes are small and easy to see through even during the day. Yellow or orange reflective vests really make a big difference. Reflective leg bands are also easy and inexpensive. The idea is that you want the motorist to look foolish when they try to argue that they couldn't see you.
  • Make eye contact and slow down. If you can't make eye contact with the driver (especially at night), slow down so much that you're able to completely stop if you have to. It beats getting hit.

Left crosses are tremendously dangerous. In Chicago you must ride defensively. Assume that people are going to cut you off and ride accordingly. Never ride assuming that people will obey your right-of-way, because sometimes they simply won't. As always, if you are injured because of a left cross, contact a lawyer before speaking to the motorist's insurance. If you do hire a lawyer be sure it is one experienced in dealing with the issues and defenses specific to bicycle cases.