BMW 1 - 0 Cyclist (Nearly)

[Leodis]

On the usual commute this morning, rain in my face as bobbing down the below hill but will a little more care due to the weather. A BMW driver on a blind corner tries to pull out from its parking space on the side road (near where the Golf is on Pic 2) into head on traffic covering half of the road leaving me with three choices 1) break hard and end up in his passenger seat 2) swerve across the road into head coming traffic and end up dead 3) swerve through a gap of about 1 to 2 meters doing 25 mph on a wet road... I took option 3 and vented my anger (as much anger as someone can do wearing lycra yet remaining manly).

Pic 1 - The hill coming down into the corner to the left.

Pic 2 - The driver pulls out where the dark golf is

My conclusion is I need a helmet cam, I could have been killed and it really has shook me up. This is my first near death experience on a bike and really has knocked me for 6.

Your thoughts?

 

[Buddfox]

Tricky... am I allowed to question the wisdom of doing 25mph round a blind bend in wet conditions where there are cars parked alongside the road? It sounds like a scenario where a car pulling out is not an unlikely occurrence, but you ride the roads regularly so would have a better sense for it. You don't say (or imply) that the BMW driver did anything that crazy other than try and pull out of a parking space. I'm not sure I can criticise a car in rush hour pulling across a lane in order to prompt a car coming in the other direction to slow down and let them out. But I wasn't there so I might be misinterpreting.

 

[MrJamie]

Slowing down a little would probably reduce risk more than wearing a camera Blind bend, 25mph, wet road, not your fault but it leaves much less room for other peoples mistakes IMHO. Nothing else you can really do about it unfortunately.

Glad you're alright though

 

[Leodis]

tbh I know it was mainly my fault on the speed front, its a tough road because I didnt want to over do the corner and end up on the t'other side of the road and so it is tight corner but the driver was covering the whole side of the road leaving me to option at short notice to brake.

Yes there are generally cars parked along this side of the road but facing the direction of travel.

yeah the cam might might not help me lol...

 

[fossyant]

You don't need a camera.

 

[growingvegetables]

Fwiw - I know that junction.

For those who don't, there are prominent signs 50 yards away on every approach, saying "Enter who dares; Highway Code no longer applicable."

And in small print, "This is a National Nature Reserve/Site of Special Scientific Interest (NNR/SSRI) dedicated to the preservation of a nationally important population of dingbats. Dingbats have priority."

One of the junctions which persuaded me to get a camera. But also, not a junction I'd approach at 25mph !