Near misses - mod warning 22/04 - see OP/post 822

site_owner wrote: »

not directed at you personally, but its funny that this is our reaction, as we know that some of thepeople driving the cars will take zero extra precautions. for cyclists, pedestrians, kids or themselves.

FYP.

Annie get your Run wrote: »

I'm assuming they have regard for their own lives, so why put themselves in such danger unless it's pure stupidity on their part?!

By and large, People driving don't realise the danger attached to driving, nevermind the danger attached to driving badly. Car manufacturers have done a great job of convincing them that if they buy this car they will be kings/queens of the road, and therefore indestructable.

The safer people feel in their cars, the worse the standard of driving - its a sad fact. Take out all the safety features, ban cars that put you on a higher level than other cars, make people feel like if they crash they WILL get hurt, and watch how the behaviour changes. (all wishful thinking of course)

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Last night was nuts. I took the very long way home so I could stay on cycle paths as much as possible. Even hit the pedestrian lights at Clonsilla roundabout and crossing the road a few times as there was no way I was sharing the road with the utter lunatics who were out driving. From what I could see no one was reducing their speed at all. I eventually had to join the road for the last 2 miles home and it was frightening. It really does go to show how utterly stupid so many road users are. I'm assuming they have regard for their own lives, so why put themselves in such danger unless it's pure stupidity on their part?!

If I'd known how bad it was going to be I'd have left the bike and gone home on the train...

If anything alot of people drive more erratically in these conditions, taking more risks to try to get home quicker it seems. I got close passed(brushed my jacket at my elbow in fact) by a van just after Harolds cross bridge going southbound where the driver shot through the red light in the fog and continued into the bus lane before merging back into main lane 50 yards beyond the junction where he was then stuck in a gridlock. The Companys logo was all over the van and have since contacted them about this (without a reply as of yet), As I passed him, he did everything to avoid any sort of eye contact with me. P.S. i was well lit up and I know he saw me

Duckjob wrote: »

The safer people feel in their cars, the worse the standard of driving - its a sad fact. Take out all the safety features... and watch how the behaviour changes. (all wishful thinking of course)

I saw as part of a documentary (or at worst Mythbusters or equivalent), that not only do the safety features detract from driver behaviour, but people push more boundaries to feel whatever it is they want to feel. What I mean, if you drive at 120kmph in a car, it feels like x (whatever a value that describes that for you). If you drive a for example a motorcycle in the open air that value of x is reached much earlier, or for the same value of 120kmph it feels like x*y (or some factor larger than x).

The idea of cocooning yourself in air-conditioned comfort with 5***** safety means you don't feel the exhilaration you expect. You can relate that to all the "but you can't drive at 50kmph" comments. You can't because your brain feels absolutely nothing from it - you might as well be sitting at home on the couch.

That said, the flip side of that coin, is a saying from my Uncle years ago - if you're going to walk across the road in front of something, at least pick a Mercedes :-D

Duckjob wrote: »

By and large, People driving don't realise the danger attached to driving, nevermind the danger attached to driving badly. Car manufacturers have done a great job of convincing them that if they buy this car they will be kings/queens of the road, and therefore indestructable.

The safer people feel in their cars, the worse the standard of driving - its a sad fact. Take out all the safety features, ban cars that put you on a higher level than other cars, make people feel like if they crash they WILL get hurt, and watch how the behaviour changes. (all wishful thinking of course)

And the industry has done a great job at convincing society that if someone gets hurt or maimed or killed, well, that's was just an 'accident' - no one is to blame really -**** happens.

But interestingly, when a cyclist mooches through a red light, that's a very different scenario.

07Lapierre wrote: »

+1 Cycling Home last night the Fog was like soup! two cars passed me and the side and rear windows were fogged up. they also over took me directly into oncoming traffic and at speed! Crazy stuff.

Had a car pass me in Castleknock with zero lights on at about 7.30pm last night. Flicked my own front light to see if it’d alert him. I mean on a standard dark evening you could probably understand it, but on an evening last night when it’s so dark and foggy and you literally can see nothing, you’ve really got to wonder are they even looking out the windscreen at all when they’re driving not to notice....:eek:

bloody hell. did he stop?

And are you okay??

Managed to do the royal flush of near misses this morning. All within the space of about 30 seconds.

Approaching the roundabout on the N3 just past the new Avoca. I’m going right towards rathoath.

I’m approaching from 6 o’clock turning to 3 o’clock.

Vehicle 1 (a Car) - coming from my 3 o’clock- guy coming from my right - he’s coming from Ratoath and heading towards avoca - is turning left. He starts beeping the horn to get my attention - I look over and he’s giving me the two fingers. A kind of mad look in his eyes. I shake my head and put it down to a wtf moment.

I continue into the roundabout.

Vehicle 2 (a Car) - coming from the left, my 9 o’clock - coming from my left so should give me right of way, doesn’t even look. I scream at her and she stops dead. You can see she’s still half asleep.

I continue to indicate and turn right.

Vehicle 3 (white van man) - coming from my 12 o’clock - sees me indicating to get off the roundabout. Blasts straight through, passing about 2 meters in front of me.

All on a clear Sunday morning, about 8.30 am with back and front lights. What’s wrong with people?

I had some muppet not even look as they pulled out onto Estuary Roundabout in Swords around midnight Friday. I was heading north and saw the car approaching and not even look. I slowed - even though I had a decent tailwind for a rare occasion and he noticed me at the last second and screeched to a halt a full cars length into the roundabout.
I was well lit up so he had no excuse - he simply didn't look. Scared the cr@p out of me all the same as there was hardly any traffic and what little there was, was trying to murder me

triggermortis wrote:

I've had a few close shaves there. I usually ride in the middle of the left hand lane there to make everyone use the right hand one. I tend to move more left as I approach that first roundabout as the road surface isn't the best

From the phased turn off from Lusk/Rush to the roundabout is a stretch of road that I definitely don't enjoy one bit, heading south that is. Always feel a bit safer though when I get to the second roundabout at the Tesco distribution centre.