Motorist fails to slow/stop for five year rider and dad.

[Bonefish Blues]

I agree.

What is frsutrating about much of the furore over this (in other places!), is that so many people who think the parent was unwise to take the child down there CANNOT see that it's ALSO possible that the driver should have taken more care*.

Perhaps it's the weird, binary, red-mist of the internet; no-one posts if they have a balanced view, we only hear the knee-kerk responses.
(and in the case of that senior Tory councillor, her repeated doubling-down on that knee-jerk response 🤦‍♀️ )

On ano forum the approach is very must 'yes but no but' in nature. As in yes the driver should have exercised more care but the child shouldn't be there, even if competent and under instruction because roads are dangerous and cars are very big and because cycles slow down traffic and without them we could go more quickly and anyway it's the parent's fault and they are using the almost certain death of their child as part of a campaign to establish their entitlement.

...and no, there's little or no exaggeration in that.

 

[PK99]

Adult should be leading with child behind. Child should be tucked in more than accompanying adult. Leading adult should control the lane. If there is not room for a safe pass do not leave room for a dangerous pass.

Ie with correct cycling by the responsible adult, the hazardous situation does not occur.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I disagree, I think having the child in full view is the better way by far.

 

[matticus]

On ano forum the approach is very must 'yes but no but' in nature. As in yes the driver should have exercised more care but the child shouldn't be there, even if competent and under instruction because roads are dangerous and cars are very big and because cycles slow down traffic and without them we could go more quickly and anyway it's the parent's fault and they are using the almost certain death of their child as part of a campaign to establish their entitlement.

...and no, there's little or no exaggeration in that.

Sadly, yes, I've seen a lot of that too.

Never mind that it's a residential road a few 100metres from a school [how far do they think a 5yo would cycle?!?], not the flippin North Circular. At school commute time.

 

[T4tomo]

I disagree, I think having the child in full view is the better way by far.

That's what I used to do with mine when they were little, and ride slightly out into the road "protecting" them from cars approaching from behind. Then you can concentrate on the road ahead, rather than constantly looking behind you.

I actually think the driver was day dreaming and realised they should have stopped, but too late, hence pulling in very close to the parked stuff on their side and slowing down.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Sadly, yes, I've seen a lot of that too.

Never mind that it's a residential road a few 100metres from a school [how far do they think a 5yo would cycle?!?], not the flippin North Circular. At school commute time.

Here you go

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=174&t=2009268&i=0

 

[Bonefish Blues]

That's what I used to do with mine when they were little, and ride slightly out into the road "protecting" them from cars approaching from behind. Then you can concentrate on the road ahead, rather than constantly looking behind you.

I actually think the driver was day dreaming and realised they should have stopped, but too late, hence pulling in very close to the parked stuff on their side and slowing down.

I think the driver maybe focused on the adult and realised later that he had a kid. Nevertheless, it was an emergency stop scenario having realised, not an 'oh shoot, squeeze in'

 

[wafter]

Aye, acceptable were it an adult cyclist, however as a driver I'd have been extremely wary of getting that close to a kid on the road.

Props to the kid / parents for having the collective balls to get out on the road!

 

[steveindenmark]

This is clickbait for the cyclist v drivers debate. There was nothing wrong with the cycling or driving. These are the conditions the 5 year old will get riding to school. Do not sanitise it.

 

[boydj]

It was OK as it turned out but might not have been so. The child's riding was a little erratic and the road was wet. A bit of forethought should have told the driver to at least slow right down or stop.

You seem to be the only one who thinks so - most seem to think the child's riding was very competent and he held a straight line through the gap the inconsiderate driver left.

 

[Mike_P]

Durham police have issued a response
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-11-november-2022-297283#live-blog-item-39561

 

[Arrowfoot]

You seem to be the only one who thinks so - most seem to think the child's riding was very competent and he held a straight line through the gap the inconsiderate driver left.

It's seems to me the child was trained to ride one open door away from stationary vehicles but not to anticipate oncoming traffic. He held the line and did not attempt to move inside when the car approached.

Well trained yes but not competent. When you teach a pet or a young child by rote this is what you will end up with. And you cant blame the child.

 

[HLaB]

The only kids in this whole thing are those throwing their dummy out of the pram trying to defend the indefensible (the driver). At no time should you endanger a child and continue to do so (mistakes unfortunately happen but to continue ). Its irrelevant if you think the child should should not have been there, he was, simples!

 

[Cycleops]

You seem to be the only one who thinks so - most seem to think the child's riding was very competent and he held a straight line through the gap the inconsiderate driver left.

Should have been can be a little erratic. A small child won't ride like an adult and that is what the driver failed to realise.

 

[Ian H]

....He held the line and did not attempt to move inside when the car approached...

As any competent cyclist should.