A couple of new videos...

[Nigeyy]

I'll hop in with a comment about the left hook vid. If you notice at around 30 seconds in, the cyclist looks suspiciously like they are ahead of the van -now I know a driver might not check their mirror, but you'd think they'd give a quick glance to check where they are intending to turn into (i.e. the left at the roundabout) and you'd think they'd have seen the cyclist. Course, maybe they did?

I agree with Magnatom, get primary. I'd say it's a classic case of bad driving compounded with bad positioning by the cyclist. I'm also not a fan of cycle lanes either -you should get where you need to be in position in the road regardless of cycle lane markings or not.

 

[Origamist]

-you should get where you need to be in position in the road regardless of cycle lane markings or not.

Absolutely.

 

[col]

The white van wasnt indicating when the cyclist passed him,enough i think for the van driver to notice him,but still hugged his line and turned left,indicating by then,but if the cyclist was going straight on it could have been bad,very dangerous driving.

 

[HLaB]

WRT the overtakes, it always amazes me why the driver who may have their visibility obstructed, the one in the middle gives you plenty of room. And why do twunts overtake badly on a dual carriageway when the outside lane is completely clear

WRT the left hook, its seems to be poor observation from the van but the cyclist shouldn't have put himself in a position where he relied on the driver's observation, for all I know he could have been in a blind spot at the time though I doubt he was in a blind spot all of the time he was filtering in the cycle lane. As other people said filtering into a primary earlier in the queue would have avoided the whole thing.

I can never make my mind up about cycle lanes, they do encourage people to potentially dangerous positions. If they were observed correctly however, they'd guide a drivers attention to the fact that there might be a cyclist in the vicinity, however I doubt the latter.

 

[Archie]

Yeah I noticed that as well - I wonder if that was his intention for the clip

[/quote]
You guys get two big thumbs up!

 

[Archie]

Well, haven't you lot been busy! A good left hook always gets the forum humming.

It's an absolutely shocking cycle lane. Just invites you into that left hook position so I'm always wary when approaching, on this occasion I stopped pedalling and gawped in horror as the situation unfolded. Not the best reaction I know!

I'd say the van driver would be liable if anything nasty had happened, and his driving when he did realise the cyclist was there was dreadful. Just how did he know the cyclist was going left (he was BTW)? Then left far too little room! It does show however if you make assumptions you can find yourself in a sticky situation in a flash. I think it's unfair to make the cyclist share the liability, but more defensive riding would have avoided the situation.

A few people have mentioned being in primary. That's fine, as long as you accept your queueing with the rest of the traffic. If your expecting to find a gap to push into you could be disappointed or find an irate driver behind you. It's not a clear cut decision. But without the road works it becomes a no-brainer.

 

[Archie]

Oh, and no sympathy for the overtake?

 

[magnatom]

A few people have mentioned being in primary. That's fine, as long as you accept your queueing with the rest of the traffic. If your expecting to find a gap to push into you could be disappointed or find an irate driver behind you. It's not a clear cut decision. But without the road works it becomes a no-brainer.

I'd much rather have an irrate driver behind me, who has seen me, than one at the side of me who hasn't.

You can skip a fair amount of the queue and slot in near the roundabout. You loose very little time and gain a whole lot in safety. At least that's my opinion.

 

[magnatom]

Oh, and no sympathy for the overtake?

The overtake wasn't great, but I have seen and experienced worse. I've found my threshold for what I think is a close overtake has changed over the years!

 

[Crackle]

You can skip a fair amount of the queue and slot in near the roundabout. You loose very little time and gain a whole lot in safety. At least that's my opinion.

 

[magnatom]

Now, now, there has been enough lecturing in the commute thread today!

Actually as I gave up in the 'cab doggy poo' thread I must admit there may have been a bit of

P.S. I'm dispointed in the smileys box, it isn't called the magnatom disaproves smiley

 

[Archie]

You can skip a fair amount of the queue and slot in near the roundabout. You loose very little time and gain a whole lot in safety. At least that's my opinion.

And what if you don't find that gap to slot in to?

 

[magnatom]

And what if you don't find that gap to slot in to?

I find you always do. I keep an eye on the traffic at the junction/lights/roundabout and as it starts moving gaps tend to appear as the following car always pauses before pulling away.

I'll admit it is more difficult to do this when filtering in from the left (out of the drivers main view) which is why, where I can I filter down the right. I suppose though that this is not a good road for right hand filtering?

 

[Archie]

The overtake wasn't great, but I have seen and experienced worse. I've found my threshold for what I think is a close overtake has changed over the years!

Hey! I've only had the cam a month. Give it time!

 

[magnatom]

Hey! I've only had the cam a month. Give it time!

Aye, I'm certainly not saying it wasn't a bad one, it was.

Actually, we need to be careful, or we will be competing to see who can get the closest overtake.