Took a driver's test again because of my age limit being mandatory. Took to the laws of mirrors and winkers, meaning, winker on, wait 5 seconds then move.

Coming home on a wickedly fast freeway, cars are moving an average of 80 or just a little less, with cars/trucks in tow traveling over the 55 limit with trailers passing me at my 65 mph average.

So the right lane (which I stay in) is ending and wanted to move to the middle lane. So winker on, looked in my mirror, begin to move and an SUV blasts past me as I was about to enter the lane. Out of the corner of my helmet I see it dart past me as I began to enter the lane.

Was the most ever close call I've been in to this day. If it wasn't for the delay moving over as per manual, I would have been squashed like a bug on the guy's front end, let alone be run over by the cars coming down the grade.

I thought I had zero cars coming at that lane I was about to enter. It was a save of obeying the traffic suggestions in the test book. I'll have to remember next time to run with traffic and take the ticket knowing I'll never get myself in trouble obeying the speed limit.

Still here to torment the group one post at a time. Been celebrating life for the past 2 days just thinking how close this was.

Glad you survived the traffic merge and road test, Hub! It is funny that sometimes the things we think are insignificant prove themselves important.

Wow, Hub. We don't wanna lose ya.

Stay safe... -bg

It's true, a fast moving vehicle might not be there and all the sudden, it is a second later.

Glad you made it Hub. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet but I've made up my mind to even the odds as I get older. The longer you play, the more likely it is you lose. That deer strike back in 2022 was a game changer for me. It's going to be mostly track for me from now on. The road's too dangerous even if you're being careful. Several years ago I had a person pull a left right in front of me and I missed him by inches. He was stopped at the intersection with his blinker on and I believe he got tired of waiting for me to pass through. I was doing the speed limit, 25 mph. He decided to turn when I got there. You just never know.

Thanks guys. Rook, takes more than a close call to get me off the bike. Coming home tonight, guy throws his winkers on, I'm half way to his left. I see the car move into my lane and gas the 14. He was a dot in the mirror when I looked back. Those I'm used to.

But the other day it woke me up even being safe to move over. Now I take the HOV both there and back. No one can pass me on my left LOL.