20 cm away from death

[magnatom]

I'm still a bit shaken. This morning I was entering a roundabout at about 15 mph. Nothing else was on the roundabout at the time. I am going straight on. On the next entrance to the roundabout a HGV (oil tanker) is approaching. We make eye contact and he starts slowing. The next thing I know he is entering the roundabout and he is turning right (cutting straight across me). I can't go ahead of him, I can't go behind him. I brake hard, and my back wheel looses grip (sub zero this morning). I manage to stay upright (thank God!) and stop just short of him. He continues to tun and due to his size his rear wheels get closer and closer to me. The pass less than 20cm from me and my bike. He disappears off leaving me stood in the middle of the roundabout in complete shock.

When I get to the meeting I was going to they commented that I looked white.

So I'm just having something to eat, I'll be phoning the police (I have the reg but no markings on the tanker) and then I'll get the video up.

I honestly thought my time was up.


Edit: Video deleted at request of police, due to ongoing investigation.

Edit (December 2010): The video has been reposted due to outcome. See below.

[media]

]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqACT1jNV0[/media]

 

[gaz]

glad to hear your ok, and i hope the video footage shows how bad his driving was and the police do something about it.

 

[thomas]

Glad you're okay!! I know how scary a close pass from a lorry can be, so I can only imagine how horrible it must of been.

You sound very lucky!

 

[magnatom]

glad to hear your ok, and i hope the video footage shows how bad his driving was and the police do something about it.

Oh the video footage is very clear, it was a bright morning. Due to me attending a meeting elsewhere I set off later this morning, so plenty of light. Despite this I had my two front lights on and my hi-viz jacket on. There is no way he didn't see me. We made eye contact FFS!

 

[ianrauk]

Sounds nasty. Not a good start to the week.

 

[swee'pea99]

Jesus! Terrifying. Glad you're ok, and I hope he loses his job - seriously. No-one like that should be in command of a vehicle like that.

 

[Debian]

Shite!!!

Terrifying experience and I'm glad you're OK.

I loathe roundabouts, when negotiating one I'm always convinced that something similar to your experience will happen to me. So far it hasn't.....

This will have given you a real shock, take it easy for a while and let your mental well being recover.

 

[magnatom]

Thanks guys.

I'm just off the phone to the police, so officers will pop around to my house tonight to have a chat about it and look at the video.

I'll sort out the video now.

 

[upsidedown]

Glad it worked out ok Mags, must have been terrifying. I thought those tanker drivers were supposed to be very well trained ? Doesn't sound llike you could have done much differently to avoid it.

 

[Bollo]

Glad to hear you're ok maggers. It's incidents like this that make the difference between annoyed and terrified very stark indeed.

Personally, I'd hold off posting the footage until you've had a response from plod. Apart from attracting the usual pond scum, it might leave you open to accusations of publicity seeking. I don't mean this in the col/hippo sense, but for something this serious I feel its best to give the police a chance to do the right thing before raising the anti. Just my 1.7 pence.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Yikes - glad to hear you're still with us, Mags. Let's hope the Police take it seriously and prosecute the idiot for Driving without Due Care. Prats like that shouldn't be on the road, much less in the capacity of a "professional driver".

 

[magnatom]

Glad to hear you're ok maggers. It's incidents like this that make the difference between annoyed and terrified very stark indeed.

Personally, I'd hold off posting the footage until you've had a response from plod. Apart from attracting the usual pond scum, it might leave you open to accusations of publicity seeking. I don't mean this in the col/hippo sense, but for something this serious I feel its best to give the police a chance to do the right thing before raising the anti. Just my 1.7 pence.

I know what your saying Bollo, but posting on the web is what I do, and when you see this, including my screams (very embarrassing but it emphases just how concerned I was) it will be obvious that publicity was the last thing on my mind.

I want you guys to see this. Making it public will make me feel better about it.

 

[wafflycat]

Glad you're ok.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

... awaits with baited breath...

 

[HobbesChoice]

I'm so glad to hear you're ok, but what a dreadful experience.

Good luck with your police report. I'm sure, once they see your footage, they will take it seriously.

Things can only get better now - I hope. Good luck with your ride home tonight too. I doubt that'll be easy if you're still feeling shaken.