Cyclists Blamed for Bus Crash

[nickyboy]

The usual chorus, except you missed out the bit that goes "and they get what they deserve".

That's true. But it's also true that there is some presupposition of fault on the part of the vehicle driver by some posting here. We should either be happy with all wild speculation or none regarding what happened

 

[mjr]

That's true. But it's also true that there is some presupposition of fault on the part of the vehicle driver by some posting here. We should either be happy with all wild speculation or none regarding what happened

It would be nice if any of the wild speculation exonerating the driver fitted in with where the bus came to rest, though:

In the picture, the bus is definitely beside the GBW, but just after the start of it. It looks like it must have veered across both lanes of the busway before crossing the cycle path and hitting the building. That is some serious swerving off the route. It is just about conceivable that some cyclist(s) may have got seriously confused and found themselves riding on the busway tracks, but previous comments about the high speed of the bus at this point still apply.
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I think the photo is taken from Hills Road bridge - as you can see from the following streetview without buses in the way, the track is fairly straight with good visibility at that point. http://www.instantstreetview.com/@52.190804,0.134932,205.11h,-3.26p,3.55z

Also, it's signed as 15mph through the curve under that bridge: http://www.instantstreetview.com/@52.192342,0.135562,195.28h,-4.69p,1z
so I doubt the bus could have been travelling so fast that the driver was unable to stop for a cyclist illegally riding contraflow on the track without exceeding the speed limit on the pre-track section and/or not looking. Maybe it was an MTBer bunnyhopping out of the shrubs between the busway and railway? Seems rather unlikely, though.

The behaviour of buses on the southern section and especially how they barge through the junction with the Addenbrookes branch is a large part of the reason why I rode between the station and Addenbrookes along Hills Road yesterday, despite the still-ongoing roadworks at the Long Road crossroads.

 

[mjr]

http://cycle.st/p83576 complaining about buses routinely speeding under that bridge, last August.

Links to

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5Xe6uidDCY


http://cycle.st/p90792 is a view of the crashed bus from the south.

 

[captain nemo1701]

It's the Cambridge News - one of the most anti-cyclist local papers going.

I also know that bit if the guided busway quite well and the bus driver's story doesn't seem to quite add up.

We did some ground work for this project as we are doing for the Bristol version - metrobus. I suspect that they still want to try and build one of these down the Bristol Railway Path as was mooted in 2008. Go help us if they do with this kind of thing happening.

I should add that the Cambridge News is as bad as the Bristol Post. Websites are practically identical. I think they are of the same publishing group that ran websites entitled 'thisis (fill in with relevant town/city)'. Probably owned by the Daily Mail.

 

[mjr]

I should add that the Cambridge News is as bad as the Bristol Post. Websites are practically identical. I think they are of the same publishing group that ran websites entitled 'thisis (fill in with relevant town/city)'. Probably owned by the Daily Mail.

Actually the Daily Mirror's owner, Trinity Mirror, who bought them from the Daily Mail a few years ago.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Actually the Daily Mirror's owner, Trinity Mirror, who bought them from the Daily Mail a few years ago.

Interesting. A left wing(ish) paper buying sh**e right wing websites.

 

[mjr]

Most of the posters on here seem to be forgetting that there are plenty of idiots on bicycles; we see them every day and night swerving across the road, dressed in black, no lights. seeming almost to dare drivers to take issue with their behaviour. They are not people I would consider as "cyclists", they are simply idiots riding bikes.

It's always sad to see cyclists willing to disown other cyclists and do the motoring lobby's work for them. Also, there's nothing wrong with being dressed in black and having no lights in the day, or even swerving across the road if it's clear.

Finally, you seem to be forgetting that there are some idiots driving buses, sadly. Randomly-selected example: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...ester-news/bus-driver-who-injured-two-8463413

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

It's always sad to see cyclists willing to disown other cyclists and do the motoring lobby's work for them. Also, there's nothing wrong with being dressed in black and having no lights in the day, or even swerving across the road if it's clear.

Finally, you seem to be forgetting that there are some idiots driving buses, sadly. Randomly-selected example: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...ester-news/bus-driver-who-injured-two-8463413

Here's one NOT selected at random.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-37061373

 

[mjr]

Here's one NOT selected at random.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-37061373

And it links to another similar one where the driver tried to enter the bus tracks at over 53mph (maximum on any in Cambridge is 30mph, while I linked above to the 15mph limit at the recent crash site) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-35841300 and I do love the comment that once the driver had fallen into the footwell, it was "unlikely the bus was under the driver's control"

 

[jefmcg]

Most of the posters on here seem to be forgetting that there are plenty of idiots on bicycles; we see them every day and night swerving across the road, dressed in black, no lights. seeming almost to dare drivers to take issue with their behaviour. They are not people I would consider as "cyclists", they are simply idiots riding bikes.

I'd have the same attitude if a bus driver crossed a lane of traffic and crashed into a wall and blamed it on a dog.

as in :yeah, maybe, but I'd be pretty skeptical.

 

[Globalti]

It's always sad to see cyclists willing to disown other cyclists and do the motoring lobby's work for them. Also, there's nothing wrong with being dressed in black and having no lights in the day, or even swerving across the road if it's clear.

You've obviously never enjoyed the experience of driving through an average city like Preston on an average evening when the muppet show is in full swing. I strongly disown idiots dressed in black hoodies, with no lights, riding crap BSOs who swerve across the road in front of me knowing that as a responsible driver I will have no choice but to slam on the brakes risking being rear-ended by some other texting dickhead in a car behind me. They have nothing to do with cycling; they are merely city rats who ride bicycles.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

I'd have the same attitude if a bus driver crossed a lane of traffic and crashed into a wall and blamed it on a dog.

as in :yeah, maybe, but I'd be pretty skeptical.

Don't forget, he came off the tracks. So that's going over two kerbs, a lane, and another kerb then crashing into the wall

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

You've obviously never enjoyed the experience of driving through an average city like Preston on an average evening when the muppet show is in full swing. I strongly disown idiots dressed in black hoodies, with no lights, riding crap BSOs who swerve across the road in front of me knowing that as a responsible driver I will have no choice but to slam on the brakes risking being rear-ended by some other texting dickhead in a car behind me. They have nothing to do with cycling; they are merely city rats who ride bicycles.

You need to attend a speed awareness course. If you have to slam on the brakes, you're going too fast in the first place.

 

[Globalti]

You need to attend a speed awareness course. If you have to slam on the brakes, you're going too fast in the first place.

I feel grossly insulted by your suggestion that I speed.

I am a prominent member (since 13 years) of a resident's group campaigning for traffic calming and a 20 mph limit in our street, which is used as a rat-run by commuters wanting to avoid traffic lights. After 30 years, Lancashire CC is at last installing 20 mph signage and table tops in the street this week, which is a moment of success for our campaign. As a prominent member, It would be pretty hypocritical to speed in other people's streets so I obey the limit and often drive well below the limit as conditions allow, even if it annoys the driver behind me. I also witnessed the effect on my father when he killed a cyclist who came straight out of a side road and went through his windscreen (Coroner's verdict: no blame on my Dad) and I don't want to have an injury or worse on my conscience. So don't make assumptions please.

 

[jefmcg]

You've obviously never enjoyed the experience of driving through an average city like Preston on an average evening when the muppet show is in full swing. I strongly disown idiots dressed in black hoodies, with no lights, riding crap BSOs who swerve across the road in front of me knowing that as a responsible driver I will have no choice but to slam on the brakes risking being rear-ended by some other texting dickhead in a car behind me. They have nothing to do with cycling; they are merely city rats who ride bicycles.

Have cyclists ever caused you to jump 3 kerbs and a lane of traffic and crash into a wall? It seems quite possible that the cyclists were there, even they were behaving badly. That still doesn't justify the collision.