How Do You Deal With Traffic Coming From Behind?

[cyberknight]

Maintain a primary, exact distance as appropriate to road, layout and other users. Wider out past junctions, parked cars, pedestrians etc, closer left approaching right hand curves.

And then do that which few cyclists bother - look somewhere other than 10 degrees either aide of dead ahead, and thus maintain superior situational awareness which allows you to respond earlier than you otherwise would have been able. That 1 second extra reaction time difference could save your life.

And then give a cheery wave to those that do treat you with respect. Its a nice feel good thing, and they'll be more inclined to continue to drive sensibly. If its a local road the odds are they'll encounter you again, so all the more reason to foster good relationships with other road users.

None of it is dfficult. As adult road users this should be second nature, but its frightening how it seems not to be so for so many people.

indeed when i hear a vehcile behind even these new fangled electo mobiles you still hear the tyre noise i look right so i can get an extra millisecond or so to take avoiding action, plus i find if you looking the driver tends to take more notice of you .Of course if they are determined to clip you or just a turnip it doesnt help

 

[mjr]

They're not guessing, they know where RTCs are occurring.

Yes, but they don't know how many cyclists pass through most of those locations. Danger is basically injuries per travel (for some value of travel) and we know injuries with much greater accuracy than the divisor.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

But when I'm doing it, I'm not paying any tax or insurance.

Even the drivers who come out with that know it’s bollocks.

 

[Drago]

indeed when i hear a vehcile behind even these new fangled electo mobiles you still hear the tyre noise i look right so i can get an extra millisecond or so to take avoiding action, plus i find if you looking the driver tends to take more notice of you .Of course if they are determined to clip you or just a turnip it doesnt help

Even at moderate speeds hearing is compromised by wind noise, and directional ability degrades accordingly. Even worse, in heavy traffic the ambient noise is such that it is impossible to usefully discriminate the sound of a target vehicle anyway.

You are almost always liable to be able to see a vehicle long before you can hear it, sometimes significantly so. If your own wellbeing is of even passing interest then why would you waste that opportunity?

 

[Debade]

In USA, both national bike organizations that teach bike safety, teach taking the lane. Most of the laws/rules are the same or similar as the UK. Take a look at the simple youtube videos here https://www.bikeleague.org/ridesmart. Or CyclingSavvey which provides more aggressive guidance toward taking the road training in general.

 

[mjr]

Even at moderate speeds hearing is compromised by wind noise, and directional ability degrades accordingly. Even worse, in heavy traffic the ambient noise is such that it is impossible to usefully discriminate the sound of a target vehicle anyway.

You are almost always liable to be able to see a vehicle long before you can hear it, sometimes significantly so. If your own wellbeing is of even passing interest then why would you waste that opportunity?

That's sphericals, out in the countryside. I hear vehicles well before I see them on twisty country lanes and wind noise is often minimal (especially if you don't wear straps in front of your ears...).

Best approach is to both look and listen.

 

[battered]

Take control of your part of the road, own it and make other road users treat you with respect. If you crawl along in the gutter, you are asking to get pushed aside. Ride with certainty and assertion, and even in the war zones like central Bradford today you will survive.

 

[sheddy]

Bar end mirror.
When solo I try to ride with jacket unzipped and flapping. Hopefully even myopic motons will see me.
Try not to ride constantly in a straight line, especially when passing junctions and motorists waiting to pull out.

I try not to ride NSL roads after dark.

 

[DRM]

Take control of your part of the road, own it and make other road users treat you with respect. If you crawl along in the gutter, you are asking to get pushed aside. Ride with certainty and assertion, and even in the war zones like central Bradford today you will survive.

I absolutely loathe driving in Bradford, I certainly wouldn’t want to be riding a bike through there, too many idiots in flash cars without a second to spare, anyone who saw Police Interceptors on TV may have thought the scenes filmed in Bradford were exaggerated for the cameras, believe me it wasn’t, I hate to think how many uninsured cars, unlicensed drivers there are round there

 

[cyberknight]

Even at moderate speeds hearing is compromised by wind noise, and directional ability degrades accordingly. Even worse, in heavy traffic the ambient noise is such that it is impossible to usefully discriminate the sound of a target vehicle anyway.

You are almost always liable to be able to see a vehicle long before you can hear it, sometimes significantly so. If your own wellbeing is of even passing interest then why would you waste that opportunity?

luckily my commute times and roads traffic is light enough for it to work i hear vehicles long before i see them

 

[classic33]

But when I'm doing it, I'm not paying any tax or insurance.

Why should that make any difference. I'll "claim the lane" if I'm travelling at a similar speed to other traffic. The fact that our class of road vehicle doesn't require taxing or insurance shouldn't enter into it.

 

[classic33]

I absolutely loathe driving in Bradford, I certainly wouldn’t want to be riding a bike through there, too many idiots in flash cars without a second to spare, anyone who saw Police Interceptors on TV may have thought the scenes filmed in Bradford were exaggerated for the cameras, believe me it wasn’t, I hate to think how many uninsured cars, unlicensed drivers there are round there

Conservative estimate is one in seven vehicles, which shouldn't be on the road for at least one of those reasons.

 

[mjr]

Conservative estimate is one in seven vehicles, which shouldn't be on the road for at least one of those reasons.

Twice that have an expired MOT, on average, nationally, so that seems a pretty safe bet.

 

[Dr Bryn]

I’m in Cornwall, pretty much similar lanes as you have in Devon. Tend too ride defensive as you are doing. Try to keep riding on A roads as little as possible, gets hairy at times out there.

 

[classic33]

Twice that have an expired MOT, on average, nationally, so that seems a pretty safe bet.

I was replying to the piece about the numbers in Bradford.