Almost became the meat in the sandwich

[eddiemee]

Last night's close call didn't seem too bad at the time, but when I started thinking about it, it could very easily have been much worse.

I was coming up to this roundabout here. If the link works correctly I should be joining the roundabout from the pin, i.e. the flyover side. I'm intending to take the third exit so I signal and take primary in the right hand approach lane. I maintain my position in the right hand lane of the roundabout. First exit clear, first entrance road has an articulated lorry waiting to join. I pass the second exit, check over my shoulder, the artic is just revving up to start moving but the road behind is clear, so I signal that I'm going to move into the left hand lane to take the third exit. Second entrance is where it gets interesting. As I'm approaching it two cars take a gamble and pull out onto the roundabout. Stricly speaking they should have given way, but in reality they didn't cause a hazard. However this then gave a third driver an idea and she pulled out as well, but not before appearing to make eye contact with me. By this stage I'm almost level with the second entrance so have to stop suddenly to avoid going into the side of her car. She now decides to stop as well, completely blocking me. I then hear an ombinous horn from behind, check my shoulder and yep... the artic is now bearing down on me, so I have to swerve into the right hand land which was fortunately empty. The artic stopped a few feet shy of where I was anyway, but I couldn't afford to take the chance. The woman just rolled her eyes at me as if it was my fault and took off, I could see the expression on the lorry driver's face.

So, first up:

<H4>185
When reaching the roundabout you should

• give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights. Big fat no to the car driver.
• check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining
• watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all
• look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off. Possibly a question mark over the lorry driver but I don't think he was at fault.
• HC 186

</H4>When taking an exit to the right or going full circle, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise

• signal right and approach in the right-hand lane Check.
• keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout. Check.
• signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want. Check

So, I believe I managed the roundabout in the correct way, but please point out if you think I didn't. What struck me as I was replaying the incident on the way home was that this could have been very nasty if there had been traffic in the right hand lane when I had to swerve because of the following artic. I'm not sure what I could have done differently, but I'd be grateful for any suggestions so help me ride safer.

 

[gannet]

sounds like the right approach to me...

I hate the looks some drivers give when they have done wrong and blame you

 

[jefmcg]

Just some supportive noise, no advice. It's sounds like you did everything right and frankly had to deal with a selfish to the point of homicidal driver. What's scary is that even nearly killing you didn't make her realise she was in the wrong. I'm betting she drove away a "cyclists shouldn't be on roundabouts" rather than "I nearly killed someone".

Oh, and you wouldn't have been the meat in the sandwich: the lorry would have crushed her, too. I guess you'd be the icing on the cake.

 

[XmisterIS]

Unfortunately she sounds like a WAG-type driver who [a] drives shockingly badly and always thinks she's in the right, no matter what she does. I would imagine she'd have given you the same eye-roll even if you were in a car.

 

[400bhp]

That r'about is horrible.

Assuming you are coming up Ridge Hill, can you not use the path which seems to start here and end here .

Looking on street view on bikeroutetoaster there appears to be a path.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

+1

sounds like the right approach to me...

I hate the looks some drivers give when they have done wrong and blame you

 

[nightoff]

Classic case of a driver not looking. Sounds like you did everything right. You must have been on the ball to take evasive action.

 

[yello]

I hate the looks some drivers give when they have done wrong and blame you

Some people give that look even when they know they're in the wrong. It's a defence mechanism, not wanting to acknowledge responsibility or something. Like having the last word before flouncing off, as if having the last word makes you right!

I'm not defending the driver here just pointing out that she may well know that she's the culprit. Still, would have been nice to have been able to 'remind' her of that!

Experiences like that freak me frankly. You can do everything right and still be a victim.

 

[Tynan]

Big rabs are always problematic even when you;re confident and do everything right, any sort of bad driving from others starts to make it all go wrong, there's too much space for people to play silly buggers

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Looks like a case of -"Got to get out before that artic!... Oops was that a cyclist?"

 

[yello]

Looks like a case of -"Got to get out before that artic!... Oops was that a cyclist?"

Yes, good point. She was probably looking right through eddiemee, didn't even see him, just fixated on getting out before the big, slow moving lorry.

I too have made eye contact only for someone to pull out on me... well, more correctly, step out on me. It was fortunately only a pedestrian! You can tell when people are not seeing you, or looking though or past you, but what can you do when they appear to have checked you?

 

[Amanda P]

I too have made eye contact only for someone to pull out on me...

And me, more than once. Sometimes, they think "oh, he's seen me, I can go then".

That's if they're thinking at all, of course.

And don't people drive at ridiculous speeds on roundabouts? They are strings of junctions, people should be driving steadily and circumspectly. However, it's often more like the starting grid at Brands Hatch.

 

[eddiemee]

Thanks for the replies all. At least it sounds like I'm approaching this rab in the right way. 400bhp, I've not noticed the path you mention but then again I've never looked hard for it. I'll check on the way home tonight to see if it's an option.