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How Do You Deal With Traffic Coming From Behind?
- Thread starter Lovacott
- Start date
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glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
rockyroller
Guru
- Location
- 20 miles northwest of Boston, MA
reminds me of me, teaching myself to swim freestroke laps
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Lovacott
Über Member
Underwater cycling.
That's a new sport right there.
Have you got a patent pending?
rockyroller
Guru
- Location
- 20 miles northwest of Boston, MA
lol no, I meant swimming in a pool, sans bike
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
I lost this habit riding on our cycleways and I'm trying to relearn it on the road I now commute on. As you say, it make a big difference when you are aware of what is in front and behind.
It can speed you up as well, because you can anticipate how traffic is going to respond to other cars and be ready to use any gaps.
Also give a cheery wave at those who don't, it diffuses situations because it's hard to shout at someone smiling and waving, and simultaneously calms you down while annoying them far more than anything else you can do...
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PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Two points on this in my view. Shoulder checking is an important aspect of good road craft and keeping yourself safe. Over reliance on cameras can lead to a false sense of security.
Secondly letting a driver know you're aware of his/her presence through shoulder checking improves your personal safety. It's much harder to close pass a cyclist who is clearly looking at you and aware of your presence. Attempting eye contact at roundabouts, junctions etc. is an important part of safe riding.
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Lovacott
Über Member
At roundabouts, I always make eye contact with drivers so that I know they have seen me. If the driver isn't looking straight at me, I work on the assumption that I haven't been seen.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Absolutely. This has always been my approach at roundabouts and junctions. If I'm on a roundabout and see a vehicle at or approaching an entrance the driver gets a long hard stare. It sends a very important message.
Several years ago I mentored a new friend as she took up cycling. She was a police officer. I remember at a T-junction handing over this piece of wisdom. She told me it had been part of her police driver training.
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Lovacott
Über Member
My brother was a copper and his driver training is what should be taught to every driver.
They are taught to always expect the unexpected. When moving past a parked car, assume the drivers door will open and when driving past a row of parked cars, assume that a little kid will run out into the road between two parked cars. Green lights mean you should proceed but assume that somebody else is about to jump the red across your path.
Sadly, there are drivers out there who don't consider a cyclist as having the same rights of way as a car at roundabouts and junctions and there are drivers who simply don't pay enough attention.
If you keep that in mind at all times, you reduce the risk of being taken out by one of them.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
As a matter of interest, what do you then do?
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
You and me both, I drive a heck of a lot of miles for work, and on fast A roads and motorways I'm convinced that the vast majority of people drive with no concept of anything that's not between their windscreen pillars at that moment of time, the amount of time you go to overtake on a dual carriage way or motorway, check the mirrors, see it's safe to pull out, indicate and go yet some blind moron way back is flashing their headlights when they're nowhere near you is astounding
DRM
Guru
- Location
- West Yorks
in my case I'm constantly double and triple checking they won't do something stupid
