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

CramCycle

Same rule as the old thread…

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magicbastarder

well, a quick google says 'heedless of danger or the consequences of one's actions; rash or impetuous.'
by that definition, the driver shown was reckless, no doubt about it.

Duckjob

lawrencesummers wrote: »

I would be happy if that was the worst display of driving to be seen.
To my mind the biggest problem there is the infrastructure, no segregated bike lane and It should be a one way street Because it’s so narrow.

The Audi attempt to overtake is so slow that oncoming traffic while being pretty inevitable is Never in danger, they are aware of the bike when they slow and stop to allow enough room for the cyclist to continue.

It’s not that bad to be fair, they probably should have waited but it’s not reckless.

At absolute best, it's a classic example of what I said just on this thread 3 pages ago:

Driver's ability to read the road ahead in any shape or fashion is gone to absolute cr*p....

Also, it appears the driver slowed down quickly about 1 sec in, and then thought "ah screw it i can still get through" and pushed on more to the point where
they conceded they couldnt get away with pushing through, at which point their car was dangerously close to an unprotected kid on a bike.

lawrencesummers wrote: »

I would be happy if that was the worst display of driving to be seen.
....

It’s not that bad to be fair, they probably should have waited but it’s not reckless.

That's a pretty low bar of expectation you're setting on driving standards TBF.

magicbastarder

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Language doesn’t live in a dictionary.

well, then you can use any definition you want for reckless. the rest of us might not know what you mean, though.

Duckjob

Eamonnator wrote: »

The major part of the problem was the manner in which the driver dealt with the bad infrastructure.

Reminds me of a road local to me that features in my local WhatsApp group quite a bit due to accidents at one particular spot on it. These messages always refer to the "bad bend", as if that's the main source of the problem.

I don't see anything tricky about it - it's just a bend. It's been there for probably over 60 years and to my knowledge in that time it has never moved or shifted around.

What I do see quite frequently is people coming around it far too fast with their wheels well over the middle line because they couldnt be bothered to adjust their speed down to a speed appropriate for the conditions and take the correct line through the bend.

It's astounding the lengths people can go to deflect blame away from their sloppy driving.

Seth Brundle

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Do you navigate this particular bend at the speed limit which applies to that road?

I'm wondering where you're going with this. Many bends cannot be taken at the prevailing speed limit even if there were no pedestrians, cyclists, traffic, etc.
Doesn't mean that you should drive around a bend under the speed limit yet still too fast.

Duckjob

lawrencesummers wrote: »

If a particular bend is the site of multiple accidents it pretty obvious that it’s a contributory factor to the accidents.

That concept seems to be lost on a lot of people, which is pretty surprising in a forum about cycling which constantly advocates for better Infrastructure.

The placement of gatso vans has been based on this concept since their introduction. Particular areas need to be controlled and patrolled for safety reasons. Roads may appear to drivers to be safe to increase speed but as a source of accidents it clearly not.

If someone is driving a road they don’t know they follow the speed limit, if a section of that road isn’t suitable and safe for the prevailing speed limit it either needs an engineered solution (widening, straightening) or an administrative one - signage, road marking, reduced limit with adequate warning. The fact that the OP knows this bad bend is fine for him, put a potential source of danger for people unfamiliar with it.

There is a road near me where you go around 7 bends all the while the white line in the middle is a broken not solid line. That gives drivers unfamiliar with the road a question that overtaking is possible, when it should be a solid white line.

Roads aren’t perfect, far from it but we don’t demand enough of the people tasked with improving them.

I don't necessarily disagree with you on your point of inadequate infrastructure. The road I'm talking about, like so many here in Ireland, was I'm sure perfectly adequate for Ireland 1950s, but is totally unfit for purpose in Ireland 2020, not least because it has no safe facilities for anyone not in a car.

On the other hand, holding county councils to higher standards and holding our road users to higher standards are not mutually exclusive.

magicbastarder

ofthelord wrote: »

Hope it's ok to post this here

that's what the thread is for!
i was once nearly cleaned out of it by a stag in the dark on the khyber road in the phoenix park. would have startled me but for the fact that by the time i realised what had happened, it was already well clear of me.

Seth Brundle

tnegun wrote: »

I must be wearing my invisibility suit today as for this muppet beeps at me to make way for him I guess? Then proceeds to pass too close while entering a blind bend?? https://streamable.com/oswpo1 and gives a puddle plenty of room!

Am I hearing things or did they tap their horn around 0:16?

Seth Brundle

tnegun wrote: »

Yeah he beeped don't know if it was to let me know he was there or for me to get out of his way?

I thought I heard them tap the horn again after they passed.

magicbastarder

i'd say he gave the oncoming drivers a start too.

Seth Brundle

That's a bad one. Very bad. Absolutely no room for you to make a mistake or move to avoid a pothole or anything.
Hopefully the gardai* get the driver on dangerous driving.
Is that on the Moyglare Rd?

* I assume you are reporting it?

Dr_Colossus

tnegun wrote: »

I'll see how I feel tomorrow it takes a stupid amount of time and as it occurred near Maynooth, Leixlip GS will forward me there, its part time station so trying to even make a complaint is near impossible.

Ring TrafficWatch at least, only takes a few mins although would be better if you could report online with a written report and include video attachment/link if available but that's wishful thinking.
TrafficWatch forward on your report to the station in charge and you'll at least get a call back. You can then decide whether it's worth your time making a written statement in the station but at least there will be a record of it.

DeadSkin

tnegun wrote: »

First failed attempt to report at Leixlip a few mins ago, only civilians available as they have a large no of prisoners. I was given the choice to wait with no guarantee I'd be seen within the hour or come back later.

Report it to TrafficWatch. Not a bike incident, but back in August we reported reckless driving and they did follow up a couple of times with us. They said the driver was known to them and they gave them a warning, they did give us the option of possibly going further - we declined and said warning was sufficient.

In hindsight, if I had dashcam footage of the incident I reckon we may have pursued it more.

buffalo

tnegun wrote: »

The problem I've had with traffic watch is that they forward it to the local station who then assign it to a guard. You're then at mercy of their roster and availability on the last occasion the guard stood me up twice when arranging to give a statement then when I eventually did meet him he was supposed to be on break so couldn't get rid of me quick enough and then I never heard from him again. I left a couple of messages to get back to me but it never happened. I reckon I spent 5-6 hours on it and got no where other than loosing 3 evenings trying to give the statement.

The last time I had an experience like that, I reported it to GSOC. It turned out the Garda had issued a penalty on the basis of my phone call and his talking to the driver, but he never took a statement from me and never rang me back.

I'm not saying that's what the Garda did here, but there are ways of correcting the kind of behaviour you've encountered.

Seth Brundle

tnegun wrote: »

That's gas I checked for a change of ownership last night and it wasn't there! I did some sums and he covered 200m in 6/7 seconds so that's 100-120km/h

*Edited link to show the actual distance here

"Now then Mr. tnegun, I'd like to follow up on a serious matter that I see in that video of yours. Did you cross the county boundary when you were out cycling on your bicycle"

magicbastarder

i suspect he removed it because it's now with the gardai.

hesker

Weepsie wrote: »

Not your usual near miss

https://streamable.com/clo1lr

A few years ago I was going down a steep descent at full pelt. I was used to this small dog coming out of a house to my left and arcing into a chase alongside my front wheel on the left side.

This one day he came barrelling out and instead of arcing he went right across my front wheel before pulling a handbrake turn and chasing me from the right.

My front wheel ran over his tail as he crossed me and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. Chose a different route after that.

magicbastarder

i suspect there was no need to change your route. that dog probably never chased a cyclist again, would have been too afraid to.

hesker

magicbastarder wrote: »

i suspect there was no need to change your route. that dog probably never chased a cyclist again, would have been too afraid to.

Nah I’d doubt that. He was one of those small dogs with no sense and no fear.

5uspect

I picked up an Insta360 One R 360 degree camera on Prime Day. Hopefully I won’t have to post anything from it here.

Alanstrainor

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I was sideswiped this morning, not a close pass, actual contact with my hand/arm/shoulder by a pass just before a roundabout. Haven't looked at the footage, but will log this one with traffic watch shortly. I'm furious, the guy just drove through me. I did stay upright, and wasn't injured really but my shoulder was sore just after. I'm gobsmacked frankly.

I rewatched and my blood is boiling. Just off the phone with the extremely helpful traffic watch. Call logged there, but she suggested I go straight to the station given contact was made, and this was more likely a hit and run rather than a dangerous overtake. One way or another I should have contact from Gardai soon.

I'd like to show the video, but for now I'll sit on it before posting it online.

An update. I gave a statement this evening in Swords Garda station. The Garda was really cool and talked through the options for pursuing this one. It really came down to either seeking a dangerous driving conviction, pursuing a dangerous passing of a cyclist penalty point offence, or having a word and giving a caution. We ended up going with the dangerous passing of a cyclist option. They felt it was uncertain whether there would be enough for a conviction for dangerous driving.

The process was straight forward in terms of giving the statement, it took about an hour all in all. They said they would be in touch in the next while to give an update on progress. Fingers crossed this will all be done and dusted soon.

I'll post the video at the end of all this, but it's about what you'd expect, car clips the bike, queue swearing by me.

Seth Brundle

Fair play for reporting it.

Alanstrainor wrote: »

The process was straight forward in terms of giving the statement, it took about an hour all in all.

To me, the length of time required to make a complaint is far too long. It puts me off reporting some drivers for their actions especially when I know that the local Super may take the decision not to take it any further.

magicbastarder

was the actual contact caught on camera? or would it (in case the driver contests it) just be inferred from the footage?

Alanstrainor

magicbastarder wrote: »

was the actual contact caught on camera? or would it (in case the driver contests it) just be inferred from the footage?

In short no. The camera sits on the bars right in the middle, below the stem, which does not show the handlebars at all. I also made sure to note in my statement that the camera smooths the footage a lot, which gives the impression that the camera is floating through the air. In theory it's to reduce the jitter and shake from footage on uneven surfaces. But in this instance it smooths the jarring collision to look minimal.

Given they are pursuing a dangerous passing offence, I think there should be enough there.

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Fair play for reporting it.

To me, the length of time required to make a complaint is far too long. It puts me off reporting some drivers for their actions especially when I know that the local Super may take the decision not to take it any further.

Completely agree. In an ideal world I should be able to submit the footage online with a written statement and contact details. Provided the evidence is clear points can then be given out easily. But I can't imagine that being in place at all in the next ten years.

Seth Brundle

Apparently a Hit & Run on the R403 between Prosperous and Clane, Co. Kildare
34 year old male injured.
For those unaware of it, it is a straight stretch of road so visibility wouldn't have been an issue. The road is also frequented by a Garda speed van.
https://irishcycle.com/2020/10/22/man-injured-in-suspected-hit-and-run-in-co-kildare/

It is unknown if the driver suffered any injuries (the f******* ******) :rolleyes:

buffalo

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Apparently a Hit & Run on the R403 between Prosperous and Clane, Co. Kildare
34 year old male injured.
For those unaware of it, it is a straight stretch of road so visibility wouldn't have been an issue. The road is also frequented by a Garda speed van.
https://irishcycle.com/2020/10/22/man-injured-in-suspected-hit-and-run-in-co-kildare/

It is unknown if the driver suffered any injuries (the f******* ******) :rolleyes:

There was a hit and run near Kilcock end of September - a "silver SUV van" hit a female cyclist who "had appropriate lighting".

Naturally the Garda then...

encouraged other cyclists to make sure they have correct lighting and wear the right clothes.

"Hi visible[sic] jackets on the bicycle and good cycling equipment is important," he said.

"It is essential that people take the necessary precautions with the appropriate clothing and lighting."

From this week's Liffey Champion. I exploded a bit while reading it.

Seth Brundle

blackwhite wrote: »

Likely split responsibility

Surely it's the cyclists fault for not using a cycle path and forcing the driver to overtake?

magicbastarder

Chiparus wrote: »

I wonder can you get the drivers insurance details?

to what end? there's nothing actionable, insurance wise, there.

Seth Brundle

padjocollins wrote: »

avid cyclist here . Why didn't you use the cycle lane ? Still no excuse for the drivers dangerous behaviour.

With extremely few exceptions, cycle lanes in Ireland are not designed for cyclists, nor are the designers familiar with cycling - this is obvious from their design.
To date, most cycle lanes are designed to help ensure that vehicles don't get delayed, no other reason. In many cases, cycle lanes can decrease safety for bike users.
The government know this (and to date have done nothing much about it) but it is for this reason that they are not mandatory.

Breezer

Lad on an electric scooter coming salmoning up the now protected, one way cycle lane on Church Street this evening, with vehicular traffic proceeding along on the other side of the bollards. I stopped dead and then eased past him as he gawked at me with his mouth open.