Bad car driver

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paul04

Über Member
I had a very close call yesterday while out on the bike, the local community support officer was out on her bike, I checked to make sure nothing was behind me as I went to over take her, just slowing enough to be polite and say good afternoon to her.
Then a car came to the road junction about 15 yards on our left hand side, a quick glance left and right, and then pulled right out in front of us..
The car drivers excuse, I did not see you.

Us the blue arrow
Car driver red arrow.
nearmiss.jpg
 

geo

Well-Known Member
Location
Liverpool
Sounds like a close call, unfortunately if the driver didnt see you, well they didnt see you !! thankfully nobody hurt on this occasion and at least its better than just pulling out on you because your on a bike.
Thats the problem for everybody on two wheels be it cycle or motorcycle, many car drivers just dont see us
 

Nearly there

Veteran
Location
Cumbria
yesterday at a junction I was intent on going straight ahead so I was in a primary position when a van pulled up along side me with the van over the white line and hanging over the other side of the road so blocking off anyone wanting to turn left Im thinking wtf you doing,then the opportunity came to cross why because the traffic turning left couldn't because of van man,so ahead I went and he followed along side me the same way I couldn't believe it what a d*ck.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Classic SMIDSY. When you see a car waiting at a junction, check behind then move out into the middle of the road; this makes you a moving target as you cross the driver's field of vision, as against a slowly growing but stationary target if you are riding straight towards them. The human eye is good at spotting movement especially in peripheral vision but bad at spotting small slowly growing stationary objects. Being out towards the middle of the road also gives you a better chance of avoiding the car if it pulls out.

Establish eye contact and if you can't, watch the vehicle's wheels for rotation, this is easier than spotting movement from a changing perspective.

(Lessons learned from 12 years of motorcycling without an accident)
 

400bhp

Guru
Sage advice from globalti.

Cover the brakes too.

Stand on the pedals if you think there's more of a danger than the norm.
 

craven2354

Well-Known Member
Is this road the one after you come over the motorway bridge from daisy nook side ? The 20mph zone or am I just seeing things
 

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
I was going to ask if you were wearing dark clothing which they tend to use as an excuse for not seeing you, but the CSO must have been in fluorescent yellow so no excuses i'd say! If i was the CSO i'd have had a word with the driver about driving without due care and attention. Not seeing someone in fluorescent clothing means they were not driving with due care and attention!:dry:
 
OP
OP
paul04

paul04

Über Member
Is this road the one after you come over the motorway bridge from daisy nook side ? The 20mph zone or am I just seeing things

Yes you are right, well spotted:smile:
 

400bhp

Guru
I was going to ask if you were wearing dark clothing which they tend to use as an excuse for not seeing you, but the CSO must have been in fluorescent yellow so no excuses i'd say! If i was the CSO i'd have had a word with the driver about driving without due care and attention. Not seeing someone in fluorescent clothing means they were not driving with due care and attention!:dry:

Not seeing a cyclist on the road FULL STOP
 

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
Not seeing a cyclist on the road FULL STOP


Well i was cycling on Tuesday night and i nearly had a collision with another cyclist. He was wearing black/dark clothing and he had no lights or reflection! If i was driving i don't think that i would've seen him until it was too late. Cyclists must take responsibility for their own safety rather than expecting motorists to watch out for them all the time.
By the way the offending cyclist was passed by a police car which if i'm right the driver should've at least had a word with him about his lack of lights, if not his dark clothing and lack of reflection, which isn't illegal as far as i know.
 

on the road

Über Member
Classic SMIDSY. When you see a car waiting at a junction, check behind then move out into the middle of the road; this makes you a moving target as you cross the driver's field of vision, as against a slowly growing but stationary target if you are riding straight towards them. The human eye is good at spotting movement especially in peripheral vision but bad at spotting small slowly growing stationary objects. Being out towards the middle of the road also gives you a better chance of avoiding the car if it pulls out.

Establish eye contact and if you can't, watch the vehicle's wheels for rotation, this is easier than spotting movement from a changing perspective.

(Lessons learned from 12 years of motorcycling without an accident)
That's what I do, but my thinking is if the driver is thinking of trying to get in to the road before i get to the junction, then with me being in the middle of the road the driver will have further to go before I get to the junction, it might make him think twice before joining the road.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Sounds like a close call, unfortunately if the driver didnt see you, well they didnt see you !! thankfully nobody hurt on this occasion and at least its better than just pulling out on you because your on a bike.
Thats the problem for everybody on two wheels be it cycle or motorcycle, many car drivers just dont see us

WRONG.

It should become (be made) to be a problem for everyone on 4 wheels. It is not our problem that drivers dont look, it should become their problem.

This guy didnt look..it wasnt that he didnt see you ...he didnt look. If he did, he would have seen the two cyclists, one of which was a copper (pretend or not).

SMIDSY has got to become an acceptance of guilt. If someone uses this excuse they should be prosecuted for driving without due care immediatley, not let of with a "oh well that's okay then".

I couldn't argue a speeding ticket away by saying I had no idea what the speed limit was, its my responsibility to see and know.

Rant over
 

on the road

Über Member
Or he reckoned he could get on to the road before the cyclists got there, a lot of motorists (shall I dare say non-cyclist motorists) when they see a cyclist they think to themselves "it's only a bike, I'll be well gone before they get there".
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
Sounds like a close call, unfortunately if the driver didnt see you, well they didnt see you !! thankfully nobody hurt on this occasion and at least its better than just pulling out on you because your on a bike.
A few days ago someone SMIDSYed me in my 'cento rally car, despite looking straight at it for 2 or 3 seconds. They were in a soft-top with the hood down, so exactly how they didn't see or hear my car I have no idea. It's electric blue on white with fluorescent yellow highlights covering it & how on earth they didn't hear it I have no idea; visually & acoustically it's about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face
 
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