Close Pass

[stowie]

I ll give you 2 more options ;

Dismount by pass the pinch point and remount.

Adjust her speed accordingly and pass through the pinch point in a space in the traffic, taking which ever position she favours.

Still of the same opinion ? Time is not her priority safety is.

Number one seems somewhat cumbersome. In greater London where I cycle you would be forever dismounting to get around pinch-points, parked cars, junctions etc. It might simply be easier to walk..

Number two is pretty much similar to the original "take primary" if they decide to go into the middle of the road. If they try to time it so that there are no cars behind, they might wait a long time for a start, but if they mis-judge it then they will be getting a close pass through the pinch-point.

My wife cycles these days (she cannot drive) and watching her for the first couple of months really made me realise how un-intuitive vehicular cycling can be. She was employing strategy number one combined with a bit of strategy number two, and getting nowhere fast. I always remember her waiting for an age to get around a really poorly parked car. In fact, with all the stopping and starting, I felt she was causing herself more danger than simply going around assertively. She now is much more assertive, but it was touch-and-go whether she was going to give up. Which would have been a real shame. Now she is fully initiated into the London cycling fraternity, having had a huge row with a black cab driver a while ago!

 

[BentMikey]

It's not 100% drivers fault at all. It's 50/50, you made the mistake of giving the driver a chance and the driver made a mistake by taking it.
Always assert yourself by taking primary at pinch points...always... no exceptions.

Surely you mean something more like that that was entirely the driver's fault, and that the cyclist could have done more to defend himself from that by taking primary? I'm rather shocked that you could blame the cyclist for that close pass - it is the overtaker's responsibility to pass safely. Most drivers will correctly hold back through a pinch point like that.

 

[GrasB]

To apportion any blame to the cyclist in this situation shows how ingrained the victim blaming culture is in this country with regard to cyclists. Anyway taking primary is no defence against that kind of behaviour, it may dissuade the driver from attempting to overtake, in my experience it dissuades far less people than you might imagine, but if they do go for the overtake & try to go the correct side of the pinch point it actually makes the situation worse. You see the cyclist needs to move more aggressively while slowing down & the motorist will be approaching the pinch point at a steeper angle meaning that there will be less space between the car & the kerb to use as a get out space.

 

[Hawk]

Taking primary through pinch points is good practice, but it can only influence other road users' behaviour. It may make an attempted overtake and squeeze (or worse) less likely, but obversely, it means driver impatience can manifest itself in other unpleasant ways i.e beeping, tailgating before the pinchpoint, passing too closely afer the pinchpoint etc. Changng the dynamic of the situation by taking an assertive position is not a win/win when dealing with pinchpoints.

The other safety aspect of Primary, in my eyes, is that you are establishing a margin of safety on your left - if someone does go for a close pass you have the rest of the lane to the kerb to avoid a collision - and a bit more space to brake safely, trying to clear any overlap and removing a collision risk.

 

[Origamist]

The other safety aspect of Primary, in my eyes, is that you are establishing a margin of safety on your left - if someone does go for a close pass you have the rest of the lane to the kerb to avoid a collision - and a bit more space to brake safely, trying to clear any overlap and removing a collision risk.

Indeed, maintaining safety buffers (and not only to your left) are important when cycling defensively. However, by taking a central position you are actually placing yourself closer to vehicles who, at the last second, try to squeeze past. This means that you have to shoulder check frequently in order to know if you will have to use the buffer to your left. There is no point adopting a strong lateral position, if you are not prepared to cede when the situation/safety dictates. This is sometimes easier said (particularly on forum) than done - especially when dealing with faster/denser traffic where the lane width is of the "critical" type and/or with a central median. BM has a couple of videos that illustrate the problem very well.