A welcome approach by WMP to cycle safety

[benborp]

...the whole car will be very much in your field of view, so surely you would notice the wheels moving?

The issue is that your eyes will be tracking any object that they are focused on and pretty much everything else in your field of view will be moving, whether it's passing by or even growing in perceived size as you approach. Peripheral vision is very good at perceiving small movements but that advantage of peripheral vision is lost if the whole scene is in motion rather than one small element of it. In such circumstances it's necessary to use the eye's central area with stronger acuity to pick out specific movement. The other advantage to using a vehicle's wheel to discern movement is that the wheel's movement is rotational and therefore different from and more easily perceived than all the other relative motion in your field of view, although again, in most circumstances you will need to use the eye's central vision to identify this rotation quickly.

 

[jefmcg]

Are we still talking about cycling? http://www.sirc.org/publik/flirt.html
"This is very good news for anyone wishing to initiate a flirtation with an attractive stranger. Even from across a crowded room at a party, you can signal your interest in someone merely by making eye contact and attempting to hold your target's gaze for more than one second (not too much more, though, or you will seem threatening). If your target maintains eye contact with you for more than one second, the chances are that he/she might return your interest. If after this initial contact, your target looks away briefly and then looks back to meet your gaze a second time, you can safely assume that he/she is interested. If these eye contacts trigger a smile, you can approach your target with some confidence."

 

[hatless]

The biggest problem I have with making eye contact is that usually all I can see in a car windscreen is a reflection of the clouds. Not always, obviously, it depends on lighting, angle, etc. but it is often very hard to see into a car from any distance, and your chance of seeing where the driver is looking is slim.

 

[EnPassant]

Are we still talking about cycling? http://www.sirc.org/publik/flirt.html
"This is very good news for anyone wishing to initiate a flirtation with an attractive stranger. Even from across a crowded room at a party, you can signal your interest in someone merely by making eye contact and attempting to hold your target's gaze for more than one second (not too much more, though, or you will seem threatening). If your target maintains eye contact with you for more than one second, the chances are that he/she might return your interest. If after this initial contact, your target looks away briefly and then looks back to meet your gaze a second time, you can safely assume that he/she is interested. If these eye contacts trigger a smile, you can approach your target with some confidence."

Haha, I only want to know they're not going to run into me, not....actually I'll stop there I think.

 

[palinurus]

"Cyclists don’t cause us, as an organisation, problems, that’s because they aren’t causing our communities problems"

 

[palinurus]

"Bad cycling is an “irritant” to the wider community rather than a danger, and maybe an improvement in infrastructure and policing may alieve (alleviate?) many of the reasons that cause a very small minority of cyclists to be an “irritant""

 

[User16625]

I've often thought couldn't any car driver that is taking her/his test have to use a bicycle while they take the test. Or it could just be something
as simple as asking them "How much space would you give a cyclist"?

Not sure how workable it is, but in theory could it help?

LMAO! Riding a pushbike to get a driving license.

I do believe some drivers bought their licenses off Ebay judging by the standard of their driving. Or their examiner was stoned.

 

[Roxy641]

Well, if they HAD to do that, surely they would at least learn how dangerous it is to pass a cyclist (especially at great speed).

I haven't driven since the late 1980's and I do remember not seeing a cyclist until they were right up against the left hand side of the
car. Having been both a car driver and a cyclist does help you understand the other transport users.

Yes, I do wonder that myself. If ALL car/lorry drivers retook their driving tests, wonder how many would fail? Most are good drivers,
but it's the bad drivers that we encounter that we are more likely to remember. That can't be good for the reputation of other car
drivers to have others represent you badly.

LMAO! Riding a pushbike to get a driving license.

I do believe some drivers bought their licenses off Ebay judging by the standard of their driving. Or their examiner was stoned.

 

[wheresthetorch]

I have just written to Sussex Police, to see if they have any plans to do similar locally. I have reently reported a close pass via our Operation Crackdown website, and note that an advisory letter has been sent to the registered owner, so this might indicate some support.

Operation Crackdown pretty much always only send a letter - I've made dozens of reports, and that's what seems to happen.

However, I was recently incensed when a 4x4 driver tried to intimidate me and my 13 year old son when he was out on his Boardman for the second time, getting used to it. I put a really firm report in, saying how far below driving standards it fell, putting child's life at risk, etc, and the report follow up says it's been referred to the Neighbourhood Policing Team, so it looks like they're actually going to visit the driver.

 

[.stu]

I always try to make eye contact before passing in front of car waiting at a side junction.

I also find that if I look over my shoulder at cars before they overtake me they tend to do more safely and give me more space.

I have also noticed that I get more space when I am on my road bike and thus going faster.

 

[Simontm]

Eye contact is a complicated thing. For various reasons it quite often helps as a cyclist to momentarily establish eye contact and then deliberately break it.

Take when motorists are waiting in a minor road at a junction as an example. In some cases it is used by drivers as a means of establishing a contract over priority - some will mistakenly perceive maintained eye contact as an approaching cyclist conceding that priority. Others use eye contact as an attempt to exert dominance. In both cases it pays to break eye contact before that driver gets the cue from the transaction that they should drive forward. Eye contact, shoulder check, wheels is a good routine. It's a bad sign if when checking for movement from the wheels you are not aware of the driver still looking at you in an attempt to re-establish eye contact.
If this all sounds a bit too psychologically involved remember there are people that expend energy complicating the simple dynamic of passing in a corridor in order to prove something.

Really interesting. On my part I find just shaking my head works but that may just be down to sheer volumes here in London and SE

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

The point about eye contact has educated me. I've realised that a driver will look then decide if you warrant any consideration in their grand plan. Approaching parked cars on your right is the best example.
You make eye contact and the driver on the other side looks at you as he pulls straight out head on to you expecting you to levitate out of the way.

The blog is right to say that looking to the driver for intent means nothing. Preparing for the stupidity and looking for the first sign of movement is a better use of time.

Or as an advanced and blue light driver of my acquaintance put it - expect everyone to be about to do something stupid.

 

[mjr]

I also find that if I look over my shoulder at cars before they overtake me they tend to do more safely and give me more space.

I find that, too. I've suggested it's because they briefly see a face and that humanises me subconsciously to them. Others have suggested it's because motorists think I'm shoulder-checking before moving/turning right. I'm not sure I mind which it is.

I have also noticed that I get more space when I am on my road bike and thus going faster.

I've noticed the opposite - I look considerably smaller on my road bike, plus there's more scope for them to underestimate my speed and pull back in too soon.

You make eye contact and the driver on the other side looks at you as he pulls straight out head on to you expecting you to levitate out of the way.

Yep, that's happened more than once, including White Van Man looking straight at me as he pulled out onto a roundabout and I, uh, tenderly stroked the side of his van. Some motorists look, but fail to see anything except stuff that can kill them (other motorists in vehicles).

 

[Origamist]

More good work by WMP:

Lorry driver fined for passing too close to cyclist

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40571699

 

[mjr]

Operation Close Pass launched this week in Norfolk http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/t...wn-which-also-results-in-one-arrest-1-5220247 and Suffolk http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/police-o...sts-driving-too-closely-to-cyclists-1-5219277 but rejected by Cambridgeshire Constabulary because it "would be potentially forcing motorists to drive at the speed of cyclists when there isn’t the recommended space to overtake"