It doesn't get much closer...

[magnatom]

...than this.

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cS3IDsEIlg[/media]


I scrubbed enough speed to pass the first car, but I didn't expect the second.

 

[yello]

Yep, you were shitting shifting a bit there!

Edit: good point Lee, it is very low and probably in the driver's eyes. The 2nd driver may not have seen mt.

 

[Baggy]

Agreed. Doesn't make it any less dodgy, but looks as if they had the sun in their eyes...

 

[magnatom]

Indeed, the sun was behind me. However, if you can't see properly, you should proceed with great caution.

As I suggested in the video, I pretty much anticipated the first driver and had slowed enough to slot behind. I never anticipated the Jag driver turning into me. I was right in front of him, and at the time, walling like a banshee!

After I had stopped and the driver behind passed his details to me (sympathetic driving instructor), I turned and cycled back up to the junction to look at the angles. I was positioned well below the angle of the sun.

Lesson learned: more caution in the future. Although had I been traveling slower, the second car would have hit me....

 

[iAmiAdam]

Brilliant screech in the video, but damn that was close, the car was still turning after you're right infront of them, so it's still

 

[magnatom]

Brilliant screech in the video, but damn that was close, the car was still turning after you're right infront of them, so it's still

Aye it was almost like one of those scenes in a movie where a car zooms across a busy junction, missing all of the crossing traffic.

The car behind me was a learner driver car (driven by the instructor). He stopped and was very sympathetic. I've just e-mailed him to say thanks for that!

 

[Alien8]

Yes, top quality screeching - hope the stains come out okay!

Bit of classic accident-waiting-to-happening scenario - first car turns across you and gets immediately followed by another who doesn't see you, eg view blocked by vehicle in front, only concentrating on the vehicle in front, just a bit dopey etc.

Any line-up of vehicles waiting to turn across you is a high(er) risk situation for a bike rider - you're braver than me going through that junction at 30.

 

[magnatom]

I wasn't at 30mph at that point. 25mph perhaps. Reducing my speed here probably is a good idea in the future.

However, in this particular incident, had I been going any slower I think the jag would have hit me. It passed with cms of my back wheel. A MPH or two slower and I'd have been off!

 

[HLaB]

It was probably the low sun and the sheep factor, it was OK for the car in front so it must be clear for me too!

If its any consolation, as you probably know the camera makes things to the front look closer and things to the side look further. Having said that it still looks uncomfortably close!

 

[jig-sore]

mmm, looking back at the junction i cant imagine why they didn't see you

if your in the shadow area you may as well be riding at night with no lights on. my guess is by the time they saw you they didn't even have time to think and certainly no time to react.

 

[Moodyman]

Maggers - I sympathise with you.

I have a road on my commute that mirrors the same scene as yours and I've nearly hit several turning cars.

I've now stopped using that road.

 

[fimm]

Mmm, looking back at the junction i cant imagine why they didn't see you
If you're in the shadow area you may as well be riding at night with no lights on. My guess is by the time they saw you they didn't even have time to think and certainly no time to react.

Agreed. While cycling I once SMIDSYed another cyclist and nearly turned right into him. He was cycling in a shadow on a bright sunny day and I just didn't notice him until he was rather close. It explained the very similar SMIDSY that I'd been on the recieving end of a couple of days before (again no impact just a lot of breaking and swearing from me!)

I'm not sure what one could do to try to mitigate this sort of thing, though: a light-coloured top might make you more visible on that bit of road, but might make you less visible when you are in the sunshine. I'm definitely not trying to imply that the incident was your fault!

 

[BentMikey]

As utterly wrong as those drivers are, if you ride like that a lot you're going to go for an ambulance ride sooner or later. Much much more caution required, IMO.

 

[NormanD]

I think the skid mark I would have left, finding myself in that situation, wouldn't have been from my rear tyre 

 

[simon_adams_uk]

I've been knocked off in very similar circumstances - right turning car and a low sun directly behind me. With both me and the OP it was a case of the cyclist and the driver not expecting each other - in my case an absence of any indicator flashing and a last minute turn across me. If a situation arose like the OP's I think I'd be slowling down a fair bit more in order to be able to stop/take other action much quicker. Glad that all turned out well in the end though.

S