I nearly died today.

[sabian92]

No, that's not an exaggeration.

Driving in the car (I know, shame!) on a single carriageway 40mph road through an industrial estate. Pootling along at 40 with a cyclist in the oncoming lane, 40 tonne HGV behind.

Lorry slowed slightly, indicated and pulled out into the opposing lane without looking - I was heading towards him at 40mph. Massive braking, horn and a swerve into the kerb followed by the lorry passing me so closely that if my wing mirror had thicker paint on, he'd have hit me, that's how close he was. Didn't even slow down or look bothered.

Turned around and made sure the cyclist was okay but the HGV was long gone. Police won't do anything without a plate number and have told me that unless I find CCTV cameras they won't look.

Careful on what's coming the other way, could be a murderer in a lorry . Talk about leaving skidmarks in your pants.....

 

[Spinney]

Blimey - glad you're OK!

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Careful on what's coming the other way, could be a murderer in a lorry .

On our summer holiday this year we were driving through the lanes at the top of the White Cliffs @ Dover. We were taking a L/H bend when we have a car on our side of the road heading straight for us. I whacked full beam lights on, full horn and hit the anchors harder than I have ever had to since I started driving. I didn't catch the country the car was from but the plate wasn't GB. Clearly straight off the ferry and forgot about opposite side of the road stuff. They missed us by mm's. Once my heart rate went back to normal I had a little chuckle, reminded me of Del Trotter in the Motorhome in Miami Twice

 

[sabian92]

The phrase "Oh dear, I've just shat myself" doesn't even cover it! Bloody terrifying isn't it

 

[Herbie]

On our summer holiday this year we were driving through the lanes at the top of the White Cliffs @ Dover. We were taking a L/H bend when we have a car on our side of the road heading straight for us. I whacked full beam lights on, full horn and hit the anchors harder than I have ever had to since I started driving. I didn't catch the country the car was from but the plate wasn't GB. Clearly straight off the ferry and forgot about opposite side of the road stuff. They missed us by mm's. Once my heart rate went back to normal I had a little chuckle, reminded me of Del Trotter in the Motorhome in Miami Twice

I had a similar experience about a month ago....very scary and would have been rather annoyed to snuff it because of some nutcase in too much of a hurry....plus side I was listening to one of my fave Ian Dury songs on at full blast so that kinda pleased me in a strange kinda way

 

[sabian92]

I had a similar experience about a month ago....very scary and would have been rather annoyed to snuff it because of some nutcase in too much of a hurry....plus side I was listening to one of my fave Ian Dury songs on at full blast so that kinda pleased me in a strange kinda way

"Hit me with your 40 tonne lorry" doesn't quite have the same ring to it....

 

[I like Skol]

>
I nearly died today.

Why, were you not wearing a helmet?

 

[sabian92]

Why, were you not wearing a helmet?

Oddly enough no but even more oddly enough it's not illegal to drive a car wearing a crash helmet....

 

[Herbie]

"Hit me with your 40 tonne lorry" doesn't quite have the same ring to it....

Funny...that's the track that was playing...at least I would have bowed out listening to something quality

 

[goody]

At least he gave the cyclist a bit of room.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I was once going South on the A1 in an Artic somewhere near Grantham when a Polish Artic tried to join the A1 but going North on the Southbound luckily there was nothing in the outside lane so I could swing over, he also realised his error & stood hard on, but it would have been a mess if there had been something outside me.

Alan...

 

[slowmotion]

The sudden prospect of violent and random death comes a bit close sometimes. After the red mist dies down and the adrenaline stops pumping, I'm always left with a terrible feeling of sadness. "Life is a temporary thing" or something. It's a horrid sensation.

I'm glad you're OK.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

No, that's not an exaggeration.

Driving in the car (I know, shame!) on a single carriageway 40mph road through an industrial estate. Pootling along at 40 with a cyclist in the oncoming lane, 40 tonne HGV behind.

Lorry slowed slightly, indicated and pulled out into the opposing lane without looking - I was heading towards him at 40mph. Massive braking, horn and a swerve into the kerb followed by the lorry passing me so closely that if my wing mirror had thicker paint on, he'd have hit me, that's how close he was. Didn't even slow down or look bothered.

Turned around and made sure the cyclist was okay but the HGV was long gone. Police won't do anything without a plate number and have told me that unless I find CCTV cameras they won't look.

Careful on what's coming the other way, could be a murderer in a lorry . Talk about leaving skidmarks in your pants.....

Bloody cyclists!!

Really though, was the cyclist ok and what did they have to say about it? Also did they have a camera?
Glad you are ok.

 

[sabian92]

At least he gave the cyclist a bit of room.

Well, not particularly.... It's a narrow road anyway so there was no way if I'd have carried on as normal he'd have got past. Either he'd have hit me head on or swerved back in and ran him over. Should have posted a map - I was driving on the left, lorry was coming towards the view of the camera on the street view link. Appalling driving.

The sudden prospect of violent and random death comes a bit close sometimes. After the red mist dies down and the adrenaline stops pumping, I'm always left with a terrible feeling of sadness. "Life is a temporary thing" or something. It's a horrid sensation.

I'm glad you're OK.

Yeah, after it happened I tried to drive away and had the shakes so badly I could barely put the car back into gear. Did a quick 180 and stalled 4 times trying to pull back out of the side street I'd turned around in, properly put the fear of God in me. I don't think I even got red mist I was just terrified and wanted to make sure everybody was okay. Having slept on it it's sunk in and I really feel like yesterday if I hadn't had reacted as quickly as I did I wouldn't be sat here now and neither would my fiancee (who was in the car next to me). A car and a lorry both doing 40 and crashing head on generally doesn't end well for the car occupants.

Bloody cyclists!!

Really though, was the cyclist ok and what did they have to say about it? Also did they have a camera?
Glad you are ok.

I know, always doing something wrong He was alright, cheery sort of guy. Said he heard me skidding down the road and holding the horn but didn't actually understand why until I turned around and stopped him to ask if he was alright - the lorry hadn't clipped him or whatever.

Nope, no camera and annoyingly I usually drive with my Contour ROAM in the car but we've recently swapped cars (well, 2 months ago ) and I just didn't ever get around to sticking a new mount in this car. It's gone in now though.

That lorry driver got off lightly - would have definitely been a dangerous driving charge if he'd have been on camera, no question.