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

magicbastarder

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MangleBadger

I was out for my lockdown hamster wheel spin yesterday. The road had a shared/dotted line cycle lane which I was in. BMW slightly ahead of me was in and out of the cycle lane so I hung back. They indicated to turn right but decided they needed more room to turn right and decided to swerve left into the cycle lane to initiate the turn. I was close to passing them out in the cycle lane when this happened so had to break and then swerve towards the kerb.
Looked in the window to have a word with the driver but it was a little old lady who was immediately apologetic so I just cycled on.

Thinking about it later was I in the right in this scenario? What are the rules around shared cycle lanes and cars entering them?

CramCycle

MangleBadger wrote: »

I was out for my lockdown hamster wheel spin yesterday. The road had a shared/dotted line cycle lane which I was in. BMW slightly ahead of me was in and out of the cycle lane so I hung back. They indicated to turn right but decided they needed more room to turn right and decided to swerve left into the cycle lane to initiate the turn. I was close to passing them out in the cycle lane when this happened so had to break and then swerve towards the kerb.
Looked in the window to have a word with the driver but it was a little old lady who was immediately apologetic so I just cycled on.

Thinking about it later was I in the right in this scenario? What are the rules around shared cycle lanes and cars entering them?

It's a tough one but truth of the matter is, if she is swerving all over the place, the cycle lane isn't the biggest concern, it is whether she should be on the road at ll. I probably would have done the same but shouldn't have. As for where you were, once you held back, unless they stop to make the turn, I keep holding back as a shocking amount of cars seem to go left before they go right as if they were on a bicycle or were trying to roll the car in slow motion. I always expect it for larger vehicles as they are altering their turning circle so as not to cut in to oncoming traffic as they go around the corner but a regular car shouldn't need to do this.

CramCycle

MojoMaker wrote: »

You typically see it for sudden u-turns alright. Good visual clue....usually.

I always wonder what visual queues we pick up on without realising. My partner thinks its funny when I drive that I talk out loud about what cars are going to do without, to me, any obvious indication. I know some of it is looking at the front wheel orientation, looking through the rear window for head and hand movements, looking at minor changes to speed and so on but I am pretty good most of the time at knowing what's coming and part of me wonders, is it just lowest common denominator is a safe gamble or what is my brain taking in.

beauf

CramCycle wrote: »

I always wonder what visual queues we pick up on without realising. ....

Apart from the usual car modifications, or type of car or van. Often it's driving style and road position. For example if someone does something dangerous, they are very likely to repeat a few times as you follow. Because it's habitual. I know someone who is a late braker. Drives too close, doesn't read the road ahead and is constantly braking hard and last minute.

John_Rambo

CramCycle wrote: »

I always wonder what visual queues we pick up on without realising.

Broken or turned in wing mirrors, padre pio stickers, ANYONE wearing a hat, stickers or emblems to do with country and western music, pink cars, Dire Straits music playing, cars with "amusing bumper stickers", cuddly toys carefully placed on the parcel shelf, cuddly toys carefully placed on the dashboard, little yellow minions placed anywhere, Nurburgring stickers on a diesel Audi, driver with hoody up, pro life stickers, construction hat on show on the parcel shelf, serifed font reg plates, audible fake dump valves noises, most VW Passats, "cancer protecting" pads on seatbelts, beaded seat covers, weird tinted windscreens, small dog on drivers lap, religious paraphernalia hanging from rear mirror.

CramCycle

I also find N plates a warning sign.

[Deleted User]

magicbastarder wrote: »

nurburgring stickers, too.

Actually there is a Ford Focus I pass parked up on my travels done up in full Hoonigan livery that looks like it belongs in the Forza Horizon games. Met it the road a few times and has given me a mile of space when passing.

That said the amount of work I'd say he put into the car he likely didn't want blood or scratches on it

sy_flembeck

For me it's if I see flat caps and/ or long ears in the car in front. It's the full house if the rear shelf also has a tartan rug and/ or a panama hat.

Biiiig warning signs

CramCycle

I had a near miss yesterday, now I won't lie, I seen it coming and was ready to stop. I just knew he was going to do it and cut across me, the two cars in front of him had plenty of time to do so, he did not. He went for it, now I easily avoided it but I made a song and dance. Now people will have looked at me and wondered why, but the truth is, if I changed nothing I would have had to slam on and possibly hit them, I avoided it but if I was a car, they never would have done it.

John_Rambo

John_Rambo wrote: »

Nurburgring stickers on a diesel Audi

magicbastarder wrote: »

nurburgring stickers, too.

Nurburgring sticker on a performance petrol car like a Caterham or a Lotus that's been to the ring is usually a sign of a pretty good driver that will have the cop and skills to negotiate cyclists properly.

Nurburgring sticker on a car wannabe - bad news. Hasn't a clue. "Get out of my way. I may have done the ring. (But didn't)"

breezy1985

sy_flembeck wrote: »

For me it's if I see flat caps and/ or long ears in the car in front. It's the full house if the rear shelf also has a tartan rug and/ or a panama hat.

Biiiig warning signs

Where or in what time period are you cycling

CramCycle

I drove today for a change as I got a text from the kids school saying a box was to be collected and I was not confident that I would make it back on the bike. By the time I got in I had another text saying the collection had been cancelled :rolleyes: Anyway, going along the N11, left hand lane and there is a Toyota Land Cruiser in front who pulls over to the right lane. I can see the cars in that lane turning right about 800m down the road, as they always do. It is one of those weird ones where I am adding up whether the turning lane will be full before this monstrosity gets to it as the right lane is slowing and i just felt that they merged over way later than a car that was turning right typically would have. Lane of traffic was slowing on the right. So I looked in the bus lane as I just had a feeling that they would do what they often do while I am on the bike. Low and behold, she pulled out, and hit the indicator at the same time, thankfully it was predictable so I could accommodate it but lets be clear, technically, the space was not there and if I hadn't been prepared/adjusted she would have hit me side on.

I say this as someone who hands up is not a good driver but f*ck me, the number of people are so unaware of their surroundings while driving is shocking.

beauf

I regret not pursuing it when I got knocked off. I didn't really feel the effects until a good 24/48 hours later and by that time it was too late to get the details, witness's, CCTV required.

lawrencesummers

We live in a country that has some terrible roads.
Roads that are completely over subscribed and not designed for the volume of traffic they hold.

As cyclists we have the right to use almost all of the roads in the country. Even the bad ones.

Out of interest do people avoid these worse roads on their cycle / commute? Do people take the slightly longer route to avoid a more dangerous road?

I know you don’t have to, but surely it’s safer to do so? Where do people stand on this.

CramCycle

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Out of interest do people avoid these worse roads on their cycle / commute? Do people take the slightly longer route to avoid a more dangerous road?

Alot of people do, its certainly noticeable here when someone asks for the "best route" on a long commute.

I know you don’t have to, but surely it’s safer to do so? Where do people stand on this.

I don't unless I specifically want to get a longer spin in. Admittedly much of my commute is not on "bad" roads. It should be noted that in the past, when I was on roads that some consider "bad" roads, it was not the actual road that was bad. I realise that my safety should be top of the list in my head, and this behaviour seems to go against this. The way I see it, if I stop cycling those roads and people become used to getting away with acting like a pr1ck, they will a) continue to do so and possibly hit someone else and b) that behaviour will spread to other areas they drive and soon, there will be no "good" roads left.

lawrencesummers

CramCycle wrote: »

Alot of people do, its certainly noticeable here when someone asks for the "best route" on a long commute.

I don't unless I specifically want to get a longer spin in. Admittedly much of my commute is not on "bad" roads. It should be noted that in the past, when I was on roads that some consider "bad" roads, it was not the actual road that was bad. I realise that my safety should be top of the list in my head, and this behaviour seems to go against this. The way I see it, if I stop cycling those roads and people become used to getting away with acting like a pr1ck, they will a) continue to do so and possibly hit someone else and b) that behaviour will spread to other areas they drive and soon, there will be no "good" roads left.

So your somehow assuming the role of the authorities?

I get that your using roads you can use. I’ve been looking at videos someone has posted a number of near misses on a road that I’m familiar with, a terrible road that has had a number of fatal car crashes over the years and is in dire long overdue need of improvement. It’s not a safe road for cars let alone cyclists IMO.

At all times the cyclist is in the right and the vehicles that are doing stupid / dangerous things are in the wrong, but that’s a road I would never dream of cycling on, and it has a quieter smaller road running parallel to it that I often use.

Does it strike people as foolish to use a terrible road for cycling when an alternative exists?

[Deleted User]

lawrencesummers wrote: »

We live in a country that has some terrible roads.
Roads that are completely over subscribed and not designed for the volume of traffic they hold.

As cyclists we have the right to use almost all of the roads in the country. Even the bad ones.

Out of interest do people avoid these worse roads on their cycle / commute? Do people take the slightly longer route to avoid a more dangerous road?

I know you don’t have to, but surely it’s safer to do so? Where do people stand on this.

lawrencesummers wrote: »

So your somehow assuming the role of the authorities?

I get that your using roads you can use. I’ve been looking at videos someone has posted a number of near misses on a road that I’m familiar with, a terrible road that has had a number of fatal car crashes over the years and is in dire long overdue need of improvement. It’s not a safe road for cars let alone cyclists IMO.

At all times the cyclist is in the right and the vehicles that are doing stupid / dangerous things are in the wrong, but that’s a road I would never dream of cycling on, and it has a quieter smaller road running parallel to it that I often use.

Does it strike people as foolish to use a terrible road for cycling when an alternative exists?

Roads aren't bad/dangerous/terrible.

Drivers on some roads are bad/dangerous/terrible.

CramCycle

lawrencesummers wrote: »

So your somehow assuming the role of the authorities?

I don't get how you make that leap, I am not pulling people over and fining them for dangerous driving. I am not being assertive and blocking people, I am not delaying them but over the years I have heard people use the excuse, I never expected a cyclist, even though it could have been a tractor, a cow, a pedestrian and so on. Down at my parents place there is no choice but the roads themselves are fine, its just a subset of drivers are dangerous. There are no alternative routes.

I get that your using roads you can use. I’ve been looking at videos someone has posted a number of near misses on a road that I’m familiar with, a terrible road that has had a number of fatal car crashes over the years and is in dire long overdue need of improvement. It’s not a safe road for cars let alone cyclists IMO.

Which road and why did the crashes occur? Where they mainly speed, phone use, lack of observation. Most of these can be fixed with ease via average speed cameras, more enforcement until it becomes the norm. The dangerous thing at the moment is that these behaviours are being passed on to the drivers of tomorrow as normal behaviour. It will take a few years for any measure to have a proper affect and yet we delay in bringing in cost neutral, societally beneficial measures that could be implemented almost immediately.

At all times the cyclist is in the right and the vehicles that are doing stupid / dangerous things are in the wrong, but that’s a road I would never dream of cycling on, and it has a quieter smaller road running parallel to it that I often use.

Does it strike people as foolish to use a terrible road for cycling when an alternative exists?

You really need to give the road or I can't comment.

beauf

lawrencesummers wrote: »

....
Out of interest do people avoid these worse roads on their cycle / commute? Do people take the slightly longer route to avoid a more dangerous road?

I know you don’t have to, but surely it’s safer to do so? Where do people stand on this.

I pick the roads I prefer cycling on. On my commute Is often go the 10 min longer route. I do the same driving or walking.

beauf

lawrencesummers wrote: »

....Does it strike people as foolish to use a terrible road for cycling when an alternative exists?

I'm not sure what your point is. I think your trying to portion blame on the cyclists for poor driver behaviour or even road and junction layout.

CramCycle

I'm still waiting to find out what road this is. None of my "bad" roads have alternatives that don't bring you either on a significantly longer route or on an equally "bad" road. Has anyone considered just giving these "bad" roads a good telling off?

beauf

Think this is against thread rules tbh...

"....Originally Posted by Beasty
Anyone else starting to discuss red light jumping or otherwise trying to change the topic into a discussion of cyclist behaviour can expect mod action

Any questions PM me..."

07Lapierre

Cycling along this road this morning
Car (Hyundai Tuscon) came towards me at what I estimate 60-70kph! Driver made zero attempt to slow down and zero attempt to move over to the left. He made it very clear it was up to me to get out of his way. For a split second I considered moving out to the centre of the road and force him to slow, but thought the better of it and instead “gave him the finger 🖕 instead! :mad:

https://goo.gl/maps/RJ2um26FpXogsut66

ED E

07Lapierre wrote: »

Cycling along this road this morning
Car (Hyundai Tuscon) came towards me at what I estimate 60-70kph! Driver made zero attempt to slow down and zero attempt to move over to the left. He made it very clear it was up to me to get out of his way. For a split second I considered moving out to the centre of the road and force him to slow, but thought the better of it and instead “gave him the finger 🖕 instead! :mad:

https://goo.gl/maps/RJ2um26FpXogsut66

Motorbikers would take his mirror with them

breezy1985

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bora-hansgrohe-riders-hit-by-vehicle-at-training-camp-and-taken-to-hospital/

7 Bora riders hit by a car in a training ride in Italy

Thargor

I was cycling back into our estate at 11am yesterday after a night shift, I was on the road around a big green area and there were a lot of young kids out playing on scooters and bikes. Over on the road on the other side of the green there was a little kid, basically a toddler kicking along on a small balance bike and a Dacia Duster drove up behind him at speed, braked hard about half a car length behind him and started beeping to get him out of the way. I shook my fist at them when they drove past me a second later and they did a "what?" gesture with their hands at me, I was fecking raging, If Id had something to hand to throw at him I would have :mad:

Didnt even wait for him to get up on the footpath, just accelerated past the minute there was a car-width clear, the kid could have easily fallen over under the wheels or anything.

CramCycle

I don't condone capital punishment but I also wouldn't rush to stop someone if they were drag the driver out of the car and give them 40 lashes.

Steoller

CramCycle wrote: »

I don't condone capital punishment but I also wouldn't rush to stop someone if they were drag the driver out of the car and give them 40 lashes.

There's just something about putting kids in mortal danger for your own convenience that engages my lizard brain.

breezy1985

CramCycle wrote: »

I don't condone capital punishment but I also wouldn't rush to stop someone if they were drag the driver out of the car and give them 40 lashes.

Of a bike tyre for irony

[Deleted User]

We had a similar thing happen in our estate and the kid was so scared they hopped off the bike and ran home. The passenger of the car got out and took the kids bike indoors with him as a punishment.

Unfortunately for the guy, the kids dad is a retired Leinster lock and after a “word” he has promised never to do it again.