another F@@@ S@@@ CRAP moment

[gaz]

Late to this thread as I was in berlin but i'll throw my 2p in anyway. What is about to be said may have already been said but here it goes anyway.

The filtering in that situation with bus stopped and cars passing already. Something which I do regularly in london, you won't make much progress if you don't do such things at places like streatham and brixton, however you have to be on the look out for certain clues.

The Clues:

• at the start the car has come from a side road and is entering lane 1
• car sees bus is stationary and moves to lane 2.
• cars indicator comes on whilst next to the bus and the cyclist is in the blind spot, lane change will happen pretty soon after the front of the bus.

Those three things lead me to believe that the car will change into lane 1. That alone is enough information to get at least out of the blind zone of the car and give myself some more room.
Now as an experienced camera user, i know that what I see in the video may go un-noticed to the eye of the beholder and as such the indicator could easily be missed. So what to do with such a video? Well I would put this down to 6 of 1 half a dozen of the other. Both parties had a play, the driver didn't check their blind spot before turning and the cyclist shouldn't have put them selves in that situation. I would personally learn from the playback and move on or make a video about the mistake and use it to educate others on what to look out for.

 

[davefb]

pretty scary but, pretty much all been said..

I'd only add, it's a hell of an eye opener just how large an object can be in your blind spot driving, and unless you're an owl, you cannot easily look over your left shoulder to that angle.. and if your in traffic, the last thing you want to be doing is turning to look behind you.. even if there wasnt bits of the car and head rests in the way.

let alone bikes and cars, I've missed a hgv ( on the motorway)... my god was that a shock as i did a lifesaver..

oh and as coppercyclist said, if you know theres a junction, think someone might be turning down it...

 

[monkeylc]

Learn and carry on

 

[Mallory]

If I was the OP I would have blamed the driver immediately after the incident happened. We all at some stage misjudge a gap, especially at speed.

I once did the exact same but the car was replaced with an HGV!!!

However after reviewing the video there is no one to blame but the OP himself.

He needs to seriously learn from his mistake or otherwise he'll be another statistic

 

[joebingo]

Licencing won't work for several reasons.

Better to educate and start young.

Also get some advertising campaigns done-e.g. get Wiggo stating you're a nobber if you jump red lights/go down the side of large vehicles at junctions

just an idea...

I've started for you.

 

[400bhp]

 

[ricky1980]

Having skim read all the post, there are a lot of things needing clarifications.

first for some of the more personal messages:
1) I have passed my driver's test second time with zero faults and have an advance pass plus license and also hold a license that is 15 years in the clean with no points and same goes for my insurance no claims
2) I ride a 20mile daily commute through one of the busiest city in Europe and in rush hours. I rub shoulders with no less than 5000 motorised vehicles on a daily basis and I have managed to have only 1 incident with a car where the passenger opened a door as i was going by and he was stuck in the middle lane of a traffic jam. I have been riding in London for 5 years and prior to that I ride in my Uni for four years on a daily basis so based on that statistics, I probably have a 1/1000,000 safety record at least and still going. So I consider myself to be as safe as house when it comes to riding on roads.
3) I know the highway code very well and I also know how to drive the roads very well.
4) the move is called filtering, NOT undertaking. Undertaking is a term applicable to cars not bikes as bicycles naturally rides in the left of a lane.

A) this video was taken during sunset and the road goes to east so the sun was shining at the back of the vehicles shown. This was the reason as I have stated previously, that I did not notice the car indicating until i was next to it. the sunlight was shining on the rear of the car which made seeing the tiny indicating light very difficult. with the benefit of a video it is visible, but when you are being shaken about by the road buzz while seeing if there is a gap to filter and braking and shifting gears at the same time...it is not easily noticeable.
B) for those keener eyed observer, the road in the middle has traffic island which extends beyond the junction point to the left of the road where the incident occurred.
C) upon my approach to the predicament, the car was almost stationary as there was a queue of traffic in front and the bus was loading on at least 6-7 passengers
D) because the bus was parked in its location, the junction to the left cannot be seen therefore there was no reason for anyone to think anyone can go into a road on the left
E) from the previous car's behaviour, it is easily to interpret that the car concerned was trying to undertake the traffic to the lights as opposed to turning left into the a side road
F) there was plenty space to carry out a filtering manoeuvre as was demonstrated by a cyclist before me, the space became pinched only when the car started to cut into the lane i was occupying.
G) for those who probably seen and have stated, I did slow down upon seeing the indicator light and slowed down to allow the car to go ahead. However I still couldn't see the road on the left, therefore couldn't anticipate that the car was going to cut straight in front of me
H) if you see the way the car took the corner he drove in a racing line, and also cut the corner so fine his exit trajectory ended up on the wrong side of the road.
I) If anyone understands highway code, in such situation the drive should have checked his blind spot and mirror prior to his manoeuvres, even if i wasn't there, he was over taking a bus which could have moved during the time and any driver should have made sure before he puts his car in that position it is a safe thing to do

Overall, with the hindsight, i probably shouldn't have taken the option to filter. but then again when does anyone have the benefit of hindsight.

 

[BSRU]

but then again when does anyone have the benefit of hindsight.

When you have a helmet camera

 

[ricky1980]

true true

 

[nilling]

Rather than rely on indicators look at the cars front wheels, they point to where the car is heading

 

[ManiaMuse]

A barrage of comments on youtube slagging your cycling off, 6 pages on here overwhelming saying that you were in the wrong, 1 page slating you when you posted the exact same thing on bike radar, do you not get the hint?

Stop being stubborn, learn your lesson, move on with your life and stop cycling like a fool. You'll live longer and probably be happier.

 

[ricky1980]

A barrage of comments on youtube slagging your cycling off, 6 pages on here overwhelming saying that you were in the wrong, 1 page slating you when you posted the exact same thing on bike radar, do you not get the hint?

Stop being stubborn, learn your lesson, move on with your life and stop cycling like a fool. You'll live longer and probably be happier.

No i don't get the hint from random on youtube's rant. there are a couple of constructive comments which i responded to. so no I am not being stubborn as such. Your opinion is yours, i choose to respect or disrespect, regard or disregard is what i choose to do.

as a quote from youtube comments "get a life"

 

[Boris Bajic]

Welcome back Ricky1980. It is not always like this, but it can be and there is sometimes a good reason for the constructive criticism.

I do detect something slightly defensive in your tone, both immediately after your first post and then again in his most recent offering. Most of what was written on this forum was written constructively. It was meant to help. We've all made mistakes and some have been painful.

I think few posters would have taken your initially rather accusatory tone about the Golf driver and fewer still would have continued to defend or mitigate their position so vehemently in the face of some pretty good, constructive advice.

I am aware of Pass Plus, as I have a child who has recently learned to drive and another who is learning. It is good that you did it, but it is not some sort of driving PhD... It is a way of saving Mum and Dad money on their insurance. You rather give away your relative inexperience by making a thing of your Pass Plus.

Similarly, a low sun might lend caution to your driving or riding... I am a complete fool on the roads so I can't preach, but nor would I defend my own stupidity or naivety.

You also mention (in your latest mitigation) assuming that the behaviour of one car led you to assume similar behaviour from another. I would not advertise this sort of thinking. It might lead people to form conclusions about your analytical abilities.

Welcome back nonetheless. Now put the camera away and get your shoeshine box....

Sorry, I suddely came over all 'Goodfellas'.

Carry on.

 

[fossyant]

I'd stop digging, the hole is getting bigger !

Accept it, you cocked up. Simples. Don't do it next time.

 

[AndyRM]

I remember when our resident "Young Whippet" @Matthew_T posted similar 'bad driving' clips and other assorted nonsense; he was rightly shot down, as you have been.

Fortunately, he has learned from the advice given and I genuinely hope you do the same.