A Worrying & Serious Near Incident!

[Dan_h]

Sure did Dan, because it is not there.

Oh well, you can lead a horse to water!

Guess you can't be bothered eh?

Best regards

Chris

Be bothered to what? It's not there? You mean you don't think you were going to fast? So what is the point then? You want someone to absolve you of blame for the near miss? Or what you say would have happened had she been 10 yards further back?

You can blame the road designers, the cyclist for not having lights, the council for not putting up 30 mph advisory signs. BUT at the end of the day you were the driver and you have to make a call about what is safe for your vehicle at a given time. This time there was no accident so no harm done, just slow down next time.

 

[User6179]

Hi Ben,

I will point out the most important bit of my statement:

I believe that the biggest problem was probably that I was not as alert as I should have been, which the lights would have got over. But that does not excuse the fact that I, very likely similar to others was just not thinking properly or quickly. It is too easy to become involved with a drive and be contemplating the end result of that journey, rather than being alert to EVERY danger.

So as I have stated, the bend is a 40 mph one, but I now realise I was just not alert and concentrating enough to deal with every potential danger, including a cyclist.

It has definitely made me think again about my driving and the end result is I will concentrate more as I go round a bend or just drive in general.

As I have also stated, I am pleased I put this up on the forum. By questioning my own actions I have hopefully made others question theirs. We may believe we do the right thing all the time but I just wonder how many of us really do?

A friend called in this morning and I explained what happened. He promptly told me that he thinks about every bend and what danger lurks around it. I replied, 'You know, if you had told me the same had happened to you, I would have told you I think about the danger around every bend'!

The fact is, I have now proved to myself that I did not and I wonder how many of us don't do what we say? I bet a lot of you who have posted on this thread, have concentrated more when driving! So the thread has been a good one if we have this as a result I think you will agree?

Best regards

Chris

Got there in the end, I think you were under attack on this thread because you were trying to defend your driving here where it was obvious to everyone it was driver error ( to fast, not paying attention,etc) but I think your statement above is very fair and honest !

 

[slow coach]

Country roads in U.K are mainly unrestricted i.e 60mph even when single track. Unfortunately the majority of drivers seem to think this means they have to do 60mph at least, Here lies the problem the speed limit is the maximum under the law it does not mean that it is safe to do so. As your experience shows the true safe speed is considerably less. You now fully appreciate this and no doubt this will influence your driving in future. A change in law is not the answer, education is the way.

 

[oldfatfool]

Unless we banish cars from a substantial portion of our road network, your suggestion is a non-starter. We will just have to settle for getting people who use dangerous machinery in public places to accept responsibility for their actions and to act in a responsible fashion.

@User, Or as they would say on pistonheads,ban cycles

 

[ushills]

As I have also stated, I am pleased I put this up on the forum. By questioning my own actions I have hopefully made others question theirs. We may believe we do the right thing all the time but I just wonder how many of us really do?

On of the major benefits of being a driver and a cyclist is that you generally become much more aware of the potential scenarios where you will be going too fast.

I generally wait behind bikes until I can clearly see the road ahead as I am a cyclist and see the speed that cars come in the opposite direction, others overtake bikes at the first opportunity and wonder why they are doing an emergency stop in the wrong lane.

Learn from this situation and from cycling, it will make you a safer driver and a safer cyclist.

 

[oldfatfool]

They can f*** off

 

[newfhouse]

Sure did Dan, because it is not there.

Oh well, you can lead a horse to water!

Guess you can't be bothered eh?

Best regards

Chris

Just slow down FFS. You admit you came close to causing a collision through a combination of inappropriate speed and lack of concentration. Why would you think it sensible to drive to the limit of your ability to stop, or even beyond it? Well done for admitting your mistake (I think) but don't pretend that you'll never ever lose the plot again. Slow down...

 

[Cyclist33]

Just slow down FFS. You admit you came close to causing a collision through a combination of inappropriate speed and lack of concentration. Why would you think it sensible to drive to the limit of your ability to stop, or even beyond it? Well done for admitting your mistake (I think) but don't pretend that you'll never ever lose the plot again. Slow down...

Not that I'm defending the driving, but to be fair, the one consistent point chris has stuck to is that it wasn't due to inappropriate speed. That is in my opinion the last remaining challenge of this thread, to persuade him that there is a difference of principle between the speed at which a corner can be driven without losing grip, and the speed at which the same corner should be driven under any given set of variables.

 

[Cyclist33]

It is easy for me again to think of it in terms of off road cycling. Take Danny hart for instance on that brilliant video that was posted on here the other month. In a championship situation, and being one of the worlds best riders, he ripped up this trail in no time, hammering round the bends and down the twisty slopes etc. I venture to suggest that if he'd been riding the same trail on a public day, it would be prudent for him to ride the course considerably slower, considering the possibility of other riders round any given bend or blind "hill".

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Oh well, you can lead a horse to water!

Do you even appreciate the irony of that statement?


Alan...

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Hi GC,

You have made a totally incorrect conclusion from my analysis!

I quoted your conclusion and gave my own summation of it.
I'll distill it further here:

1. you barely avoided hitting a cyclist while taking a blind bend at 45mph
2. the cyclist wasn't using a light
3. had the cyclist been using a light you have no doubt you "could have stopped wherever they were on the bend"

Is all of that incorrect?

There is no doubt whatsoever that had I hit the cyclist, it would have been my fault. After all, it could just as well have been a collapsed pedestrian or broken down vehicle. I have no issue in accepting that whatsoever nor the blame for the result that may have been!

That's good to hear.

... the bend can be driven, at least at 40 mph safely.

Don't fixate on identifying a set speed at which any bend can be driven, there are too many variables to take into account on any approach.

Will you continue to drive it at 40-45mph? (or nearer 60 in the BMW?).

I proved that again yesterday evening in the dark when I had to drive along the same road.

Did you unexpectedly come across a cyclist, a collapsed pedestrian or broken down vehicle in any of these tests?

I believe that the biggest problem was probably that I was not as alert as I should have been, which the lights would have got over. But that does not excuse the fact that I, very likely similar to others was just not thinking properly or quickly.

It's good that you acknowledge your lack of alertness. There is no need to dilute that with the notion that had the cyclist put on lights it would have overcome your failing; it smacks of passing some of the responsibilty for your actions to someone else.

As to following it up with Police I am very sad to report that the Policeman whom I was going to talk to and have mentioned before in this thread was found dead on Sunday.

I'm sorry to hear that. Any other policeman should be able to answer your query though, try your local bobby.


GC

 

[G2EWS]

Hi Glasgow Cyclist,

You sure do go on a bit don't you!

I have already pointed out that the cyclist having no lights would not be the reason I would have hit her. It was my lack of concentration. Didn't try and 'dilute' anything so stop making foolish assumptions about what I am trying or this case 'not' trying to do!

The bend is safe to take comfortably at 40 mph even if there was a person lying in the road. I have explained and you have accepted that it was my lack of concentration that was the problem. Speed is relevant to the conditions of course and under normal conditions I estimate that bend could probably be taken faster than 40 mph and still be safe. Will I do that in the future? No, I am pleased to report yet again for your benefit that this has been a brilliant exercise and made me realise I have just not been as attentive as I should be when driving. So the end result is superb is it not?

So do me a favour and stop trying to dissect something that has already been dissected! I cannot keep going on that I made a mistake.

As it is, I am investigating advanced driving courses in the area to 'brush' up what I have obviously forgotten over the years.

Best regards

Chris

 

[G2EWS]

That should be very helpful to you, please let us know how you get on. I recommend the RoSPA one, which relies on the same training as the police use and is tested by police officers. Looking forward to hearing some feedback from you.

Thanks for the heads up. Will look into RoSPA in this area.

Best regards

Chris

 

[G2EWS]

Hi @User13710,

Once again many thanks. I have just joined the North Wilts group and look forward to working with them.

Best regards


Chris

 

[subaqua]

Hi Glasgow Cyclist,

You sure do go on a bit don't you!

I have already pointed out that the cyclist having no lights would not be the reason I would have hit her. It was my lack of concentration. Didn't try and 'dilute' anything so stop making foolish assumptions about what I am trying or this case 'not' trying to do!

The bend is safe to take comfortably at 40 mph even if there was a person lying in the road. I have explained and you have accepted that it was my lack of concentration that was the problem. Speed is relevant to the conditions of course and under normal conditions I estimate that bend could probably be taken faster than 40 mph and still be safe. Will I do that in the future? No, I am pleased to report yet again for your benefit that this has been a brilliant exercise and made me realise I have just not been as attentive as I should be when driving. So the end result is superb is it not?

So do me a favour and stop trying to dissect something that has already been dissected! I cannot keep going on that I made a mistake.

As it is, I am investigating advanced driving courses in the area to 'brush' up what I have obviously forgotten over the years.

Best regards

Chris

. therefore driving too fast for the conditions. we have all done it at some point, you were lucky this time. RoSPA driving course will help you see this.