Near Misses Volume 2 (So close you can feel it)

secman

Nothing really wrong with the road, it's more to do with dangerous idiots totally under estimating speed of cyclists coming down and not waiting 3 seconds to allow them to pass before safely turning on to the embankment road. They wouldn't do it If it was a car, van or truck.

Pawwed Rig

Out with my little boy again this afternoon and was stopped at a yield sign at a t-junction to turn right. I was behind the line to the right hand side of the lane with my little boy behind me slightly to my left waiting for the main road to clear before proceeding. A woman turning right ONTO the road I was on drove right into me. Had to jump of the bike to stop her going over me but she gave the bike a good clatter.

She did apologise (half heartedly) and said she didn't see me 😳. 1:45 in the afternoon on a sunny day. Sun was in my eyes so that was not the reason.

Second time out with my son that there was an incident (you might remember the Dublin bus near miss in Jan). I rarely cycle. If I have done 200K this year I would be surprised so I don't think I will encourage either of my kids to cycle from here on unfortunately. The only reason I was on the road I was on today was to avoid a busier road.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122124447#Comment_122124447

Holy f*ck, that is mental. is your young lad OK at least?

monkeyslayer

Madness. Glad you're both OK and hope you reported her. Had a similar "I just didnt see you" scenario a few months ago and they've been done for "careless driving" thankfully. Aparently "dangerous driving" only applies if they kill someone. Standard of driving out there is shocking, totally empathise if you're feeling discouraged now.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122124523#Comment_122124523

Yeah he was back a bit behind me and to my left so wasn't in line with her car. He was a bit upset is all.

She cut the corner so much that my bike actually knocked her reg plate off.

Don't think I can be arsed reporting it given the lack of interest the Gardaí had last time.

CramCycle

Not cycling related, driving to pick up one of my kids and a black Audi coming straight at me on the wrong side of the road. I wasn't going fast so I dropped anchor and laid on the horn. He woke up and swerved, missed me by inches. Twice in a fortnight now if I'd been near the speed limit I'd have been f*cked while driving. I wouldn't even consider myself a good driver but jaysus, standards feel like they are dropping like a stone in water.

fiacha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122125352#Comment_122125352

100% Report it in person at a station and ask for the Pulse incident number. You can keep prodding them for updates with that reference number.

I'm assuming there was damage to your bicycle which needs to be repaired or it needs to be given the once over by a mechanic to check for frame damage etc. The driver should be liable for those costs.

There is a website for people to log incidents which I assume is being used by cycling campaigners to highlight issues. Might be worth adding the details there. https://www.collisiontracker.ie/map

MangleBadger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122127437#Comment_122127437

I see this all the time. I always have to slow to a standstill to give the other driver time to get back into their lane. I always wonder what would they would do if I didn't accommodate their incompetence?

fatbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122127437#Comment_122127437

What do you reckon was the cause of that? Was he not looking at the road at all, and perhaps looking at a screen in the car?

tnegun

Wow, I've often had several close calls in a row but this takes the biscuit!

https://twitter.com/PeterBranigan/status/1789284886831940011

Stark

BMWs have evolved towards hunting in packs.

secman

Had an odd near miss this morning on my commute, just turned onto canal from Drimnagh and went to right of lane as was turning off canal onto Tyrconnell road, lo and behold see a Swan running towards me... they are quite big when wings and neck are fully extended, had to get out of its way, it wasn't deviating from its runway 😁 it took what seemed an age for it to take flight. It just about avoided Luas overhead lines 😬

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122131800#Comment_122131800

A mixture of all of them, head was down, passenger beside him, red face so might have a lot of sun or drink on board. Nary a f*ck given.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122136408#Comment_122136408

takes some neck to pull off a stunt like that.

Quango Unchained

What's the best way to deal with what I'll euphemistically call "inconsiderate" driving when cycling?

I think the best response is to ignore it as best as possible.

When someone recklessly overtakes you, brushes past and stamps on the brakes at traffic a few hundred metres ahead of you down the road - trying to engage them is only going to be met with anger - maybe a "f*ck off" at best and then you having to watch your back as they repeatedly approach you again and again in traffic.

In the last year, the sense of menace on the roads has really increased. As a driver, every second car behind tailgates now when doing the speed limit - used to be one in ten. If you increase, the size, height, power, weight, acceleration, safety (for occupants only) of vehicles - not good for an urban environment.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140534#Comment_122140534

Not a lot you can do when on a bike without running the risk of getting run over.

But when driving you can be extra obviously cautious when following bikes, and learner drivers, and not tail gate them or try to make aggressive overtakes. When you are the next car behind a vulnerable road user be a road block for them and hope that other car drivers learn from your driving how to be more responsible.

magicbastarder

depends on the context, but many cyclists will 'take the lane' to prevent some forms of rash overtaking - i.e. don't cycle in the gutter, cycle in what is referred to as secondary position (i.e. about where the left wheel or left passenger of a car would be) or even primary position (driver's side); a lot of rash overtakes can be prevented by presenting the would be overtaker into actually committing to use the oncoming lane or not.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140534#Comment_122140534

The right answer is to channel your inner yogi. Its tough though.

The most I'll do where someone has done something particularly inconsiderate, like block a cycle lane, pull out of a junction when they see you coming etc, is give an exasperated look and hand signal. They haven't harmed me (usually due to my own attention and anticipation) so the adrenalin rush experienced by near accident incidents doesn't kick in, and I know that roaring abuse won't undo the situation, will unlikely change their behaviour for the better, and could instead trigger a confrontation.

I'm not a saint though, either on the bike or in the car (shout out to the few cars who decided to tear down the hard shoulder to skip the queue in a 1 hour tailback on the N11 yesterday evening while everyone else sucked it up and sat bumper-to-bumper due to a RTA) and do occasionally give a certain hand gesture to impatient asshats who drive a couple of feet behind you, close pass, punishment overtake etc. I know its counterproductive though - I'm just feeding their negative energy, giving them the reaction they want. Those drivers aren't for changing.

But I do consciously try to remind myself that most people are decent and that mistakes will be made. Even where you have drivers who consistently practice bad driving, most of the time they've no idea why its bad. I only need to think of my own parents here. Individuals - whether other drivers or cyclists - aren't going to educate them on the go. They're just not. Even if they know why I'm roaring at them, they're just as likely to double down on what they do out of a 'them-v-us' attitude. It all comes back, as always, to proper education, proper training, proper legislation and proper enforcement.

I find my spins, even commutes, much more enjoyable these days than years ago when I had zero tolerance of bad driving. I'll also make a point of thanking drivers who do show a conscious level of consideration - think of the driver exiting a petrol station who sees you coming and reverses back a few feet away from the cycle lane… they may only be doing what they should be doing, but its nice to acknowledge that kind of gesture. Everyone feels a bit better for it. And if you get into the habit of doing it you'll probably find that you had cause to thank as many drivers on your spin as you had cause to curse at. Which probably just sums up humanity.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140893#Comment_122140893

I've been trying to do exactly the same, not get freaked out at folks making genuine mistakes and trying to show some appreciation to people who go out of their way to be cautious. Generally throw a thumbs up the way of cars who wait for me to go around busses or busses that leave a bit of space to pass. I've had cyclists do this in the past to me while driving and I've always appreciated the gesture.

Dangerous things and deliberate lack of care will still get a roar out of me though. And that's not just cars!

Dr_Colossus

"Dangerous things and deliberate lack of care will still get a roar out of me though. And that's not just cars!"

Yes, like the e-scotter rider coming towards me at full speed on the wrong side of the road on north Dublin quays the other morning. Never deviated or slowed down in the narrow section of cycle lane near the Halpenny Bridge. Utter scumbag and seeing more of this in past few months on the quays.

Or the driver who closed passed yesterday evening out in D15 who I let a shout at. A few hundred meters further on when caught at lights and I was checking her paper work to confirm if insurance/tax/nct were all in date (Gardaí more likely to take action on something less subjective than a close pass if there's another infringement) she rolled down the window complaining that I had given her a fright. Oh really was my response and when I asked her how close she thought she was, she advised she had been driving for 20 years and wasn't that close but yet wouldn't give a distance. It was an urban secondary road with footpath on which I take a decent primary position so maybe she took umbrage with that but you just can't win with those sort of drivers but hopefully she'll be more careful in future.

Quango Unchained

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122140893#Comment_122140893

I try to acknowledge good behaviour with a nod or a wave - someone reversing back into their driveway etc.

But one act of decent behaviour doesn't balance out one act of bad behaviour in my mind, even if I am unscathed by the latter.

The former stays with me for a few seconds, the latter for a few days and makes me question my choice of commuting each time. As well as wishing I had tyre-shredding lasers fitted to my bikes.

Getting into the office early, leaving early, is definitely a bit less stressful, when the traffic is lighter.

Dr_Colossus

London based video, action packed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgaWwWUYX64

tommythecat

Self preservation seems to have been lost somewhere along the way for most of these people.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122168694#Comment_122168694

The only person who came across well in that video was the Dog at the end. The guy videoing, yeah, loads were not his fault but a lot were.