I'm going to be crushed by this lorry!

[BlackPanther]

I can't really see what the issue is, I've seen similar loads of times OK its not technically legal but I'd rather have a solid Island between a HGV and me.

I'd rather drivers waited until it's safe and legal (for everyone, not just me) before they overtook. Not technically legal??? I saw a recent youtube clip of a driver going the wrong side of an island and knocking someone over. I don't believe for 1 second that the LGV driver had taken peds into account. Plus there's the fact that any cyclist in that situation would've been petrified of getting crushed against the kerb, they wouldn't just assume that the driver would go around the island!. It scared the s**t out of me. I WILL report the driver, and won't feel an ounce of 'guilt' over it. If his bosses/the police decide to take action against him, then it will be due to the video evidence of his dangerous driving, period.

If I drove my lorry like that I would expect/deserve to get severely reprimanded at the very least and probably fired.

No doubt, but as illegal as the manoeuvre obviously was, I guess the driver did it because with regards to the OP it was the safest possible way to overtake on a road like that. So I would cut him some slack.

Nope, the safest possible way to overtake would bet to wait 30 seconds (at most) until it's COMPLETELY safe to overtake, not just immediately do the 'least dangerous' overtake. Maybe it's just because I'm an LGV driver (please back me up fellow LGV drivers!) but this incident beggard belief. No 'slack' should be cut, this driver should not be driving.

 

[Hip Priest]

Plus there's the fact that any cyclist in that situation would've been petrified of getting crushed against the kerb, they wouldn't just assume that the driver would go around the island!

Yep.

If you can't make a safe, legal overtake, then hang back and wait until you can.

 

[HLaB]

I can see where you're coming from, but I've experienced a pass like this before. I was entering a very narrow pinch-point in Ponteland - no room for a bike alongside a car at all - and heard a car come up behind at unabated speed.

I nearly threw myself into the verge to avoid the impending collision, only for him to blast past on the opposite side of the road like our friend in the lorry. It is extremely disconcerting, not to mention illegal and unpredictable.

I can see where you are coming from too and can perfectly understand in the past it a car approaching fast from behind to a pinch point would have freaked me out to but with a little bit more experience I hope I can read the road and know what they are trying

No doubt, but as illegal as the manoeuvre obviously was, I guess the driver did it because with regards to the OP it was the safest possible way to overtake on a road like that. So I would cut him some slack.

 

[Hip Priest]

I can see where you are coming from too and can perfectly understand in the past it a car approaching fast from behind to a pinch point would have freaked me out to but with a little bit more experience I hope I can read the road and know what they are trying

Tricky one isn't it? It'd be interesting to hear from the driver. He might have thought he was doing the cyclist a favour.

 

[HLaB]

I'd rather drivers waited until it's safe and legal (for everyone, not just me) before they overtook. Not technically legal??? I saw a recent youtube clip of a driver going the wrong side of an island and knocking someone over. I don't believe for 1 second that the LGV driver had taken peds into account. Plus there's the fact that any cyclist in that situation would've been petrified of getting crushed against the kerb, they wouldn't just assume that the driver would go around the island!. It scared the s**t out of me. I WILL report the driver, and won't feel an ounce of 'guilt' over it. If his bosses/the police decide to take action against him, then it will be due to the video evidence of his dangerous driving, period.

If I drove my lorry like that I would expect/deserve to get severely reprimanded at the very least and probably fired.



Nope, the safest possible way to overtake would bet to wait 30 seconds (at most) until it's COMPLETELY safe to overtake, not just immediately do the 'least dangerous' overtake. Maybe it's just because I'm an LGV driver (please back me up fellow LGV drivers!) but this incident beggard belief. No 'slack' should be cut, this driver should not be driving.

I think we would all prefer that (waiting till its legal) but don't read a another youtube clip into it, some of them will only freak you out further. I don't think its worth risking somebody's job over but you do what ever you feel is right.

 

[BimblingBee]

Tbh I can understand why you felt it was dangerous but I thought it was fine. Indeed its happened to me a few times.

Have a look at these links for information
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&so...TNgIAC&usg=AFQjCNFh7C012qmB8xqAk7irmW6c9RnhlA in reference to the traffic island, not pedestrian crossing.

And http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&so...noGIAQ&usg=AFQjCNEIqgYuZ5G9hqQGFLDGyfRuVHjCVQ in reference to the ghost island.

Over to the floor...!

 

[campbellab]

People with that mind-set shouldn't be in a vehicle let alone a massive killing machine. Regardless of whether he was courteous to the cyclist and gave him lots of room, he could just as easily kill a driver with a head on collision.

 

[BlackPanther]

I think we would all prefer that (waiting till its legal) but don't read a another youtube clip into it, some of them will only freak you out further. I don't think its worth risking somebody's job over but you do what ever you feel is right.

So I don't report him. He doesn't change his attitude towards cyclists/cars/pedestrians, and then in the future he kills someone? Hmmmmm. What do you think would have happened had there been a police car behind him? I have no doubt that they would have done him, and not just with 3 points, they would have 'thrown the book at him'. How anyone (particularly a fellow cyclist) can defend this kind of outrageous behavior is beyond me. From the video, it is apparent that he was only 'held up' for 5 or 6 seconds before he did what he did. If he'd waited just a few more seconds he would have had ample opportunities to perform a safe and legal overtake.

I've currently done 4 of the 5 day courses of the CPC course, and seen all manner of dangerous/idiotic work practices involving LGV drivers. There are some out there who should not be on the roads. An LGV is a completely different kettle of fish to a car, and needs to be driven in a way that is safe for the driver, and all around them. The Co-op driver drove dangerously, and selfishly. I will let his bosses/the police judge his actions. If they deem his driving safe, then so be it. If he loses his job/gets severely reprimanded, then maybe, just maybe he won't end up killing someone in the future.

 

[danjanoob]

People with that mind-set shouldn't be in a vehicle let alone a massive killing machine. Regardless of whether he was courteous to the cyclist and gave him lots of room, he could just as easily kill a driver with a head on collision.

There were clearly no cars for a good distance. So no he couldnt have easily done that. He didnt exactly loiter in the wrong lane. I see no real issue here. I am sure he was being courteous.

 

[BrianEvesham]

I'd rather drivers waited until it's safe and legal (for everyone, not just me) before they overtook. Not technically legal??? I saw a recent youtube clip of a driver going the wrong side of an island and knocking someone over. I don't believe for 1 second that the LGV driver had taken peds into account. Plus there's the fact that any cyclist in that situation would've been petrified of getting crushed against the kerb, they wouldn't just assume that the driver would go around the island!. It scared the s**t out of me. I WILL report the driver, and won't feel an ounce of 'guilt' over it. If his bosses/the police decide to take action against him, then it will be due to the video evidence of his dangerous driving, period.

If I drove my lorry like that I would expect/deserve to get severely reprimanded at the very least and probably fired.



Nope, the safest possible way to overtake would bet to wait 30 seconds (at most) until it's COMPLETELY safe to overtake, not just immediately do the 'least dangerous' overtake. Maybe it's just because I'm an LGV driver (please back me up fellow LGV drivers!) but this incident beggard belief. No 'slack' should be cut, this driver should not be driving.

I back you 100% as a fellow LGV Driver. I can't believe some people are trying to give this idiot some slack, I can only assume they have no idea of the complexities and dangers of driving an LGV or are they trolls just trying to raise an argument for confrontational pleasure (IMO).
Just to conclude there is no defence for this driving manoeuvre WHATSOVER.

 

[BrianEvesham]

So I don't report him. He doesn't change his attitude towards cyclists/cars/pedestrians, and then in the future he kills someone? Hmmmmm. What do you think would have happened had there been a police car behind him? I have no doubt that they would have done him, and not just with 3 points, they would have 'thrown the book at him'. How anyone (particularly a fellow cyclist) can defend this kind of outrageous behavior is beyond me. From the video, it is apparent that he was only 'held up' for 5 or 6 seconds before he did what he did. If he'd waited just a few more seconds he would have had ample opportunities to perform a safe and legal overtake.

I've currently done 4 of the 5 day courses of the CPC course, and seen all manner of dangerous/idiotic work practices involving LGV drivers. There are some out there who should not be on the roads. An LGV is a completely different kettle of fish to a car, and needs to be driven in a way that is safe for the driver, and all around them. The Co-op driver drove dangerously, and selfishly. I will let his bosses/the police judge his actions. If they deem his driving safe, then so be it. If he loses his job/gets severely reprimanded, then maybe, just maybe he won't end up killing someone in the future.

So very well put BP.

 

[BlackPanther]

Tricky one isn't it? It'd be interesting to hear from the driver. He might have thought he was doing the cyclist a favour.

I would love to have had a chat with the driver. Then I could explain just why such a pass is so scary to a cyclist. From his point of view, maybe he thought he was giving me looooooads of space. From my point of view, he was going to cut back in and crush me to death.

Unfortunately, as the roads were very quiet at 6.50am and I couldn't catch up with him, my only recourse is to make a complaint about it.

 

[John90]

I think part of the reason there's a debate on this stems from the thread title. "I'm going to be crushed by this lorry!" No you're not, and apart from the surprise of someone taking the wrong way around the traffic island, it looks like you are completely unaffected by the manoeuvre. He doesn't appear to cut you up coming back to the correct side of the road. So in the context of a cycling forum, it's not an issue.

On the other hand, he is clearly a potential threat to any pedestrians or unseen vehicles coming in the opposite direction. No argument over that, and it isn't good to have HGV drivers taking a cavalier attitude like he does even if the road was clear.

 

[BlackPanther]

I think part of the reason there's a debate on this stems from the thread title. "I'm going to be crushed by this lorry!" No you're not, and apart from the surprise of someone taking the wrong way around the traffic island, it looks like you are completely unaffected by the manoeuvre. He doesn't appear to cut you up coming back to the correct side of the road. So in the context of a cycling forum, it's not an issue.

On the other hand, he is clearly a potential threat to any pedestrians or unseen vehicles coming in the opposite direction. No argument over that, and it isn't good to have HGV drivers taking a cavalier attitude like he does even if the road was clear.

"I'm going to be crushed by this lorry!" is exactly what I thought would've happened had I not slowed to allow him back in. As explained in the thread, I didn't believe for a second that the lorry driver would take his articulated lorry the wrong side of a traffic island, so imho he had to cut me up (badly). Just because he performed an outrageous move that resulted in me not being crushed takes nothing away from the fear I felt at the time, as a massive lorry pulled alongside me!

I can only guess that anyone who says it's not an issue has never experienced such an event. And I hope you never do. Obviously, the video doesn't quite do justice to how close/loud/scary/towering the lorry was.

 

[HLaB]

So I don't report him. He doesn't change his attitude towards cyclists/cars/pedestrians, and then in the future he kills someone? Hmmmmm. What do you think would have happened had there been a police car behind him? I have no doubt that they would have done him, and not just with 3 points, they would have 'thrown the book at him'. How anyone (particularly a fellow cyclist) can defend this kind of outrageous behavior is beyond me. From the video, it is apparent that he was only 'held up' for 5 or 6 seconds before he did what he did. If he'd waited just a few more seconds he would have had ample opportunities to perform a safe and legal overtake.

I've currently done 4 of the 5 day courses of the CPC course, and seen all manner of dangerous/idiotic work practices involving LGV drivers. There are some out there who should not be on the roads. An LGV is a completely different kettle of fish to a car, and needs to be driven in a way that is safe for the driver, and all around them. The Co-op driver drove dangerously, and selfishly. I will let his bosses/the police judge his actions. If they deem his driving safe, then so be it. If he loses his job/gets severely reprimanded, then maybe, just maybe he won't end up killing someone in the future.

I wouldn't read the last line of my post again

you do what ever you feel is right.

I'm sorry you got freaked out by it, as said in an earlier post, it probably have freaked me out before too but I've seen it so many times and am hopefully better these days at reading the road around me; so things like that startle me less. But I'll say again

you do what ever you feel is right.