Close pass observation

[nightoff]

On my commute, I have 2 sections of busy narrow roads, both at the national speed limit. Usually traffic is pretty busy in both directions making it difficult to safely overtake.

Most drivers are very good and wait for an opportunity to pass and give me plenty of room. Others creep past giving me less room but still not too bad. The problem is every now and then a car or van will tear past me way too fast and close for my liking. The thing I have noticed is most of these motorists once passed will usually cut back in so much that they nearly hit the nearside curb. After a few seconds they usually drift back into the centre of the lane. I wonder if that is their attempt to make out they have pulled out further than they did.

Anyone else notice this happening?

 

[Moodyman]

This is common on my commute and I put it down to bad judgement, both with the overtake and then the move to the the left straight after.

Re trying to cover up their overtake, not sure if they care enough to make the effort

 

[Matthames]

I have noticed similar. I usually think this is because they lack spacial awareness and thus not aware at just how wide their vehicles actually are.

 

[Defy78]

I think it is poor judgement with the close overtake, as others have said. I maybe paranoid but when they pull back in and ride against the curb for a bit I get the impression they are trying to show you were you should be riding, especially if they have leaned on the horn a bit before hand. It does make me feel a little better when it sometimes backfires though, i.e. they clip the curb, scrape a bush or hit a pothole / sunk drain cover .

 

[BSRU]

I found the greater the speed differential between me and the road speed limit, the more closes passes I encounter, proabably due to motorists having no patience and a belief the speed limit is "mandatory".

 

[HLaB]

In a similar way; I find that some cars on rural roads will only give inches, but when they are past they go completely over the other side of the road (to the extent of a head on); it say's to me that these folk do not genuinely want to pass close but their spatial awareness/ judgement of speed is poor!

 

[nightoff]

Probably true about the poor spatial awareness.

I have to admit I do enjoy seeing a close pass being rewarded with a scraped alloy wheel.

 

[gaz]

I think this is down to bad driving. Most people are unaware of the width of their car or how to steer properly. Thus when they overtake at speed, they turn back, but far too much because they are traveling faster and are un-used to such turns at speed and thus go way too close to the curb.

I found the greater the speed differential between me and the road speed limit, the more closes passes I encounter, proabably due to motorists having no patience and a belief the speed limit is "mandatory".

Lets not forget that the greater the speed, the greater the space they should give you.

 

[jimboalee]

The motorists KNOW they've overtaken the cyclist a tad too close, so they gaze in their rear-view mirrors to check if the cyclist is OK and not tumbling up the grass verge.
In the couple of seconds of worry and rear observation, the motorist loses directional accuracy. When they see the cyclist waving his fist, they revert their eyes to the road ahead just in time to correct the steering line.

 

[Roadrunner78]

Jimboalee, that makes perfect sense. Hopefully they look for long enough to see me shaking my fist.

 

[Andrew_P]

I made a similar observation a while ago, my conclusion is that most close passers are the type of driver who hogs the kerb, normal passers are middle of the roaders, and nice and wide hang back at pinchs are white liners, they all "mostly" think they have passed giving you plenty of room.

A bit general, but next time you are in your car you will note most cars seem to fall in to one of these during whole drive will be in the same style, the two extremes are not so confident as they are using the kerb or white lines as guidance. In fact Police use the latter as a potentential sign drink or drug driving.

 

[gbb]

I made a similar observation a while ago, my conclusion is that most close passers are the type of driver who hogs the kerb, normal passers are middle of the roaders, and nice and wide hang back at pinchs are white liners, they all "mostly" think they have passed giving you plenty of room.

A bit general, but next time you are in your car you will note most cars seem to fall in to one of these during whole drive will be in the same style, the two extremes are not so confident as they are using the kerb or white lines as guidance. In fact Police use the latter as a potentential sign drink or drug driving.

The whole subject is raised here enough to know its not a localised or infrequent happening.

Locos observation ties in with mine. I have some narrow'ish sections and i see some cars are reluctant to come to close to oncoming traffic, ie they drive closer to the kerb than a 'confident...or competent' driver.
The times someones overtaken me too close...and i think ...why ? There was acres of room for him to be further out. Its poor driving, poor spatial awareness, lack of confidence, and who knows..perhaps even they're thinking....oh gawld, must'nt hit that oncoming lump of steel....but the cyclist will be ok