Good Old Hampshire Constabulary

[Crankarm]

You were approaching a junction where there were hazards on both sides. Irrespective of whether you were on a bicycle riding at 30mph or in a car you should have slowed down. In a car I would have slowed, but on a bicycle to still be riding at 30mph as you approached and tried to pass the junction with cars all around was nutz. There was no way I would have ridden at 30 mph approaching this junction as if a car did pull out you would certainly be a goner. As others have said ditch the camera and lose the attitude, and slow down! Btw the speed limit of that road is 30mph.

 

[uclown2002]

Are you camera guys gutted if you have an incident free ride?

 

[Hip Priest]

It was a rubbish bit of driving, granted. The fact that you had time to blow your horn, slap the car and read the number plate phonetically suggests that you weren't in as much danger as you claim.

 

[stan leyden]

It wasn't a case of do I go behind or alongside, it was a case of it I don't go alongside then im going to end up in her boot.

Does 'nt seem to be much sympathy for you here ,
But I think the driver was wrong for pulling out,
you should not pull out if it causes other traffic to slow
wait and pull out when safe to do so.

 

[Monkreadusuk]

It was a rubbish bit of driving, granted. The fact that you had time to blow your horn, slap the car and read the number plate phonetically suggests that you weren't in as much danger as you claim.

Horn is next to rear brake and as for reading the VRM, im used to having to gather as much info/evidence as required in short time frames whilst in confrontation situations, so not really a difficult task. The phonetic alphabet is second nature to me now.

 

[downfader]

You didn't need to stop.

Your brakes are crap, change.

I think you're over simplifying. I know Oak Hill well and thats one steep descent for the Southampton area. Rolling speeds can be 25mph before you pedal on a good day.

You're also not taking account of the wideangle nature of the lens. The pull-out was closer than it looks. The driver should have waited, and there are plenty of motorcyclists who will do 40 there through similar.

 

[Big Nick]

It wasn't a case of do I go behind or alongside, it was a case of it I don't go alongside then im going to end up in her boot.

Does 'nt seem to be much sympathy for you here ,
But I think the driver was wrong for pulling out,
you should not pull out if it causes other traffic to slow
wait and pull out when safe to do so.

Nobody disputes that but most feel he put himself at greater risk by his own actions

 

[User269]

However in my mind, it was an unnecessary risk that could have seriously injured or killed me.

Yes, because of your failure to anticipate, brake, and observe what we can all see was happening in front of you. It doesn't matter if you have right of way, you need to react appropriately to this sort of thing, never mind about who's in the right. Undertaking was the second stupid thing you did. Slapping the vehicle the third.

A very restrained and reasoned response from the Police under the circumstances.

The rest of us have to share the roads with motorists who have been treated like this, and who may subsequently behave in certain ways towards cyclists in future....................

I'm absolutely certain that you still won't get any of this.

 

[Monkreadusuk]

Yes, because of your failure to anticipate, brake, and observe what we can all see was happening in front of you. It doesn't matter if you have right of way, you need to react appropriately to this sort of thing, never mind about who's in the right. Undertaking was the second stupid thing you did. Slapping the vehicle the third.

A very restrained and reasoned response from the Police under the circumstances.

The rest of us have to share the roads with motorists who have been treated like this, and who may subsequently behave in certain ways towards cyclists in future....................

I'm absolutely certain that you still won't get any of this.

If you read my previous comments you would understand that I did in fact start to slow down, I didn't undertake but instead was forced into that position by the car and as for slapping the car, it was reactionary when the car came that close. I fully understand previous comments by others here that I should have slowed more, in future I will do exactly that. In my car I would have done exactly that, slowed down and covered the brakes incase. However in a car I have a ton of metal to protect me and a lot better brakes.

To clarify, I understand there were things I could have done better, however the fault still lies with the driver for pulling out. Thankyou for all the thoughts and opinions on this, believe me they have been taken onboard.

 

[lastwheel]

Ignore all the gaslighting here from these fools who would rather ignore objective reality and beat on you instead of the negligent driver then follow up crap policing. Making you grovel then Whiskeywheels blaming you for future aggression is classic victim blaming. You were no cause of anything, in fact you were the sole cause of the crash prevention. It's like saying a stab victim is to blame for their harm if they didn't take appropriate action like wearing a stab-proof vest.

 

[Big Nick]

It's like saying a stab victim is to blame for their harm if they didn't take appropriate action like wearing a stab-proof vest.

Its nothing of the sort.

Nobody is denying the driver bears the lions share of the blame for the incident occurring. What people are pointing out is the OP seemed to put himself at greater risk by barrelling into the junction at speed with several hazards visible and then perhaps then didn't help matters undertaking the offending car. The OP himself, to his credit, has taken many of these points on board.

Cycling 'defensively' and anticipating and adjusting your riding for other road users errors is essential to avoid a trip to the hospital.

I'd rather be alive and angry than dead and self-righteous

As for the police, I think the comments made by the independent persons posting on this thread explain why they didn't seek to prosecute the car driver.

 

[400bhp]

Horn is next to rear brake and as for reading the VRM, im used to having to gather as much info/evidence as required in short time frames whilst in confrontation situations, so not really a difficult task. The phonetic alphabet is second nature to me now.

Why do you bother posting your video as you seem to have all the answers.

Feckin horn on a bike

1 out of the following four was plenty:
-blow silly shouty horn
-slap car
-cycle down side shouting
-contact police.

You need a reality check fella.

 

[Cyclopathic]

No way I would have approached that junction that fast. My main concern would have been the car waiting to turn right off the road. It could easily have been obscuring a car turning right from the other direction which would not have been able to see me.

That said the driver that pulled out was at fault.

 

[jay clock]

I have just watched it several times and from what I can tell as you were around 2-3m from the offending vehicle you appeared to be pedalling and certainly seemed to be doing so as you undertook the car as it gathered speed. unless it was fixed wheel, why pedal if you were trying to brake?

 

[the_mikey]

It looks like steep hill to me, so even if the OP was braking the stopping distance is perhaps longer on a bike in this situation than it might be on a flat road or in a modern car. All he could do was steer around the obstruction, that was probably the first time the driver realised there was a cyclists there.

Only advice I can give is to ride in primary with some good lights (even in the daytime) so you might be noticed, I don't think there was much he could do other than perhaps crash into something before reaching the car.