Cyclist threatened with legal action over near miss posting.

[johnblack]

Didn't seem that close to me, no great, but he had plenty of room to move over.

 

[markemark]

Didn't seem that close to me, no great, but he had plenty of room to move over.

It was close enough. Move over was into a taxi rank and a solid white line and the preceding hashes meant the cyclist should not have. And if the cyclist did move over, he'd have had to move back into primary when the lane narrows later into the path of traffic from behind. The cyclist was in the correct place. There was a sign the van ignored to not overtake cyclists. The van reached the lights 5s ahead of the cyclist.

 

[johnblack]

It was close enough. Move over was into a taxi rank and a solid white line and the preceding hashes meant the cyclist should not have. And if the cyclist did move over, he'd have had to move back into primary when the lane narrows later into the path of traffic from behind. The cyclist was in the correct place. There was a sign the van ignored to not overtake cyclists. The van reached the lights 5s ahead of the cyclist.

I'd have moved over, it was clear, don't really care about the lines, would rather have more space, but there you go.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The van driver may have been surprised by this as his was expecting the rider to do the same as the rider in front and simply and incorrectly just ignore the restricted area. I agree that the van driver was wrong and did end up making an unsafe overtake but this may be because he was surprised by a cyclist obeying the rules of the road

It doesn’t matter where a driver expects a cyclist should be, they should drive according to where the cyclist actually is.

I don’t care where the cyclist is positioned, whether that’s the middle of a lane or further out, the passing distance should not be compromised. And if there isn’t room to give sufficient space then don’t attempt to pass until there is.

Where are you getting this ‘surprised’ notion on behalf of the driver?
The rider made no sudden manouver.

There is easily four seconds after the cyclist positions himself to the right of the solid line before the van driver passes him. It’s up to the driver to recognise what the others ahead of him are doing and adjust accordingly. This driver had plenty of time to do so but decided not to.

 

[lazybloke]

I don’t care where the cyclist is positioned, whether that’s the middle of a lane or further out, the passing distance should not be compromised. And if there isn’t room to give sufficient space then don’t attempt to pass until there is.

I think i'm cycled there a few times. The van driver would have wanted to pass where the road is wide, because up ahead the gradient up to a bridge junction makes bikes slower, and it's narrower too.

I have not a clue what that paint is that resembles a bus lane, but as a cyclist in central London i'd have gone into it because:
A) Feels safer for me
And
B) gets me out of the way so i'm not holding up traffic. I like to be considerate to other road users like that.

The cyclist chose to hold a line which would either impede traffic or risk a close pass.
The van driver was wrong to overtake closely, but these events did not happen in a vacuum.

If the cyclist and the van driver shared road space more considerately, both would have been happier with the outcome.

Tldr, it takes two to tango

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I think i'm cycled there a few times. The van driver would have wanted to pass where the road is wide, because up ahead the gradient up to a bridge junction makes bikes slower, and it's narrower too.

I have not a clue what that paint is that resembles a bus lane, but as a cyclist in central London i'd have gone into it because:
A) Feels safer for me
And
B) gets me out of the way so i'm not holding up traffic. I like to be considerate to other road users like that.

The cyclist chose to hold a line which would either impede traffic or risk a close pass.
The van driver was wrong to overtake closely, but these events did not happen in a vacuum.

If the cyclist and the van driver shared road space more considerately, both would have been happier with the outcome.

Tldr, it takes two to tango

You’re free to make your own choice and there’s nothing wrong with it.

What the cyclist in the video did was to obey the HC and, likewise, there was nothing wrong in that. (Unless we’re going to criticise cyclists now for HC compliance.)

The driver had the time and space to react safely but made a choice that placed his vehicle too close to the rider. If he has to wait for another opportunity to pass, so be it. I’ve been behind a slow cyclist on a narrow hill and it’s never slowed me by an amount of time that I couldn’t easily make up.

My “I don’t care” statement is valid. Any vulnerable road user, cyclist, horse rider or pedestrian, will always get a wide berth from me, whether they’re behaving correctly or being a tit. It’s still my responsibility as a driver to do what I can to not risk their safety.

 

[markemark]

I'd have moved over, it was clear, don't really care about the lines, would rather have more space, but there you go.

Possibly but did you see the difficulty the cyclist up ahead had when they then had to push themselves in front of the van. I’d rather have done with the camera cyclist did.

 

[lazybloke]

You’re free to make your own choice and there’s nothing wrong with it.

What the cyclist in the video did was to obey the HC and, likewise, there was nothing wrong in that. (Unless we’re going to criticise cyclists now for HC compliance.)

The driver had the time and space to react safely but made a choice that placed his vehicle too close to the rider. If he has to wait for another opportunity to pass, so be it. I’ve been behind a slow cyclist on a narrow hill and it’s never slowed me by an amount of time that I couldn’t easily make up.

My “I don’t care” statement is valid.

I'm not arguing against any of the above.

Any vulnerable road user, cyclist, horse rider or pedestrian, will always get a wide berth from me, whether they’re behaving correctly or being a tit. It’s still my responsibility as a driver to do what I can to not risk their safety.

Yes that's how I drive too, with the utmost consideration and respect for vulnerable road-users, be they peds, cyclists, horse-riders or whatever. And a lovely wide berth too.
I already wrote that the van driver was in the wrong.

But speaking generally: whilst cyclists NEED to ride and position themselves assertively, they should also recognise that ceding priority can be beneficial for all; so in some cases moving over is appreciated.
Ie, the respect and consideration should go both ways. WE all have differing levels of courtesy.

 

[markemark]

I'm not arguing against any of the above.

Yes that's how I drive too, with the utmost consideration and respect for vulnerable road-users, be they peds, cyclists, horse-riders or whatever. And a lovely wide berth too.
I already wrote that the van driver was in the wrong.

But speaking generally: whilst cyclists NEED to ride and position themselves assertively, they should also recognise that ceding priority can be beneficial for all; so in some cases moving over is appreciated.
Ie, the respect and consideration should go both ways. WE all have differing levels of courtesy.

Even if you are breaking the highway code to move over and have difficulty at a road narrowing up ahead by being forced to move in front of traffic coming up behind?? Rider in video did the safest thing. Yes I move over when I can, but if it causes me problems to do so or make upcoming junctions more dangerous for me then I don't.

The problem is that drivers don't see any of that and just think cyclists are in the way. Hence the bad overtake.

 

[icowden]

Some interesting information. The Cornices Centre has only one director, Zdzislaw Alfons Sledziewski. The company has 3 employees which will include Zdzislaw himself. It is therefore more than likely that he was driving the van.

 

[lazybloke]

Even if you are breaking the highway code to move over

I treat the HC quite flexibly when I'm on a bike, but I'm very mindful to not inconvenience, endanger or unsight others. For example, I'll often hop onto a pavement but not if there are peds about.

and have difficulty at a road narrowing up ahead by being forced to move in front of traffic coming up behind??

It's a balance.
I don't enjoy busy traffic but have done enough rush hour commuting in cities such as London to by confident; so I do what I can to share the roads courteously. I know I'm slower than other traffic, and if I know there's a narrow bit ahead I'm more likely to move aside to let cars past where there is space. I'd be a bit of ar**hole not to. Plenty of holes on the road; just look at lack of lane discipline on motorways.

Rider in video did the safest thing. Yes I move over when I can, but if it causes me problems to do so or make upcoming junctions more dangerous for me then I don't.

Rider had a choice of two lanes. I would have chosen to move into the left hand lane. If rider was unahppy to do so , their safest positioining would have been to take the right hand lane.
They chose the least safe option by hovering between the two choices. Assertive is better, balanced by courtesy when possible.

The problem is that drivers don't see any of that and just think cyclists are in the way. Hence the bad overtake.

IPlenty of bad drivers out there, but I find interactions are more likely to be positive when I'm considerate. I tend to be generously considerate.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The problem is that drivers don't see any of that and just think cyclists are in the way. Hence the bad overtake.

That is a case of cognitive dissonance. It’s the drivers and their vehicles that are in the way pretty much everywhere.

 

[TK421]

It’s the drivers and their vehicles that are in the way pretty much everywhere.

Indeed! Something stupid like 30odd million on the roads. As a WVM I find it's not cyclists who cause me grief, it's the impatient arrogant car drivers that do when I am being mindful of vulnerable road users.
Yes I am under pressure to work quickly but I like my licence clean and enjoy not being the one to have a flea in my ear from my manager because some irate car driver has phoned with a valid complaint. So I drive in a safe and sensible manner.
Being a learner cyclist has made even more aware of the vulnerability of cyclists.
Also, a lot of bad cycling that earns real cyclists a bad name is committed by pedelestrians.
I have found on occasion that the reason that the pedelestrian is a pedelestrian, is because they are currently banned from driving.
BTW, in my opinion the van driver is in the wrong and is the one bringing the company into disrepute.

 

[simongt]

my manager because some irate car driver has phoned with a valid complaint. So I drive in a safe and sensible manner.

Some years ago, I was driving a firm's van and in busy traffic, I got quite validly got ahead in a queue of another motorist. He reported this incident to my company, my manager asked me for my account of the event and subsequently told the other driver to jog on - !

 

[EltonFrog]

There’s more…
https://road.cc/content/news/barrister-threatened-company-over-close-pass-video-306441