Newish Car, let's narrowly avoid a head on collision with it

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Ben1982

New Member
On my commutes I often find that aside from the odd driver that closely overtakes me, I find more often there are cars that will overtake me, give me a fair bit of room, but there is often something coming the other way, which they cause to brake, or narrowly avoid by a couple of seconds or so.

On Thursday I took different route home because I was heading to my parents. and was on a mainish road (40limit), and get a driver in a 10 plated car (so they've only had it at most 4 months), give me a fairly wide bearth, but passes the car coming the other way with what must be less than a 2 foot gap.

I feel sorry for the drivers coming the other way as I reckon with the frequency I see this happen that one day it won't be such a near miss!
sad.gif



video is here, it's not completely obvious how close it is until the freezeframe, because I turn my head around to look behind.
 

snorri

Legendary Member
I feel sorry for the drivers coming the other way
That was a reckless overtake, but don't bother having sympathy for the drivers, they have all sorts of protection inside their tin boxes, just so long as the overtaker gave you plenty of space.;)
 
Just what I see happen, nearly every day. I'm astonished that they get away with it so often.

Of course not always. My 'incident' (posted on here a few months ago) had a different outcome. The cars did collide. I quote here part of an E-mail I got from the innocent, oncoming driver, a few days later:
Thank you so much for your email of support. Physically I am fine but otherwise am finding things not quite so easy although each day is a little better.
Says it all really. We are not the only victims. I've not heard from him since, I hope he's all right and got his claim through OK.
 

PBancroft

Senior Member
Location
Winchester
I feel sorry for the drivers coming the other way as I reckon with the frequency I see this happen that one day it won't be such a near miss!
sad.gif

Every now and then I'm the "other driver" when I see someone pull an overtake like that.

I'm never entirely sure what to do for the best in that kind of situation.
 

ComedyPilot

Secret Lemonade Drinker
Every now and then I'm the "other driver" when I see someone pull an overtake like that.

I'm never entirely sure what to do for the best in that kind of situation.

Stand your ground and you risk 'pushing' the other driver into a cyclist or going head-on with them, move across to give more room and you encourage or invite this sort of overtake - one that shouldn't happen in the first place. The overtaking driver SHOULD WAIT til it is CLEAR to overtake, not pull out regardless.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
 
Every now and then I'm the "other driver" when I see someone pull an overtake like that.

I'm never entirely sure what to do for the best in that kind of situation.
I would say, if you see an approaching cyclist with a following vehicle closing in on it fast, looking as if it intends to overtake no matter what: this is an alert signal - and I've spotted the signs myself when driving. Time to cover the brakes and be prepared for the worst, also look for a potential 'escape' route to the left. Flashing your headlights or hooting is not a good idea since it may alarm the cyclist...
 

PBancroft

Senior Member
Location
Winchester
Stand your ground and you risk 'pushing' the other driver into a cyclist or going head-on with them, move across to give more room and you encourage or invite this sort of overtake - one that shouldn't happen in the first place. The overtaking driver SHOULD WAIT til it is CLEAR to overtake, not pull out regardless.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

That quite neatly outlines my dilemma. Of course the other solution is as 661 says - be prepared to slow down and/or get out of the way. Of course, all that does is reinforce the GET OUT OF MY WAY - COMING THROUGH! attitude, not to mention the risk of the 'other driver' (me in this case) simply not expecting a car to suddenly be coming directly towards them at speed.
 

al78

Guru
Location
Horsham
That quite neatly outlines my dilemma. Of course the other solution is as 661 says - be prepared to slow down and/or get out of the way. Of course, all that does is reinforce the GET OUT OF MY WAY - COMING THROUGH! attitude, not to mention the risk of the 'other driver' (me in this case) simply not expecting a car to suddenly be coming directly towards them at speed.

Whether it does reinforce the "get out of my way" or not, the primary objective is to do what you have to to avoid an accident. If a driver is that determined to get past a cyclist you can't stop them.
 

Lurker

Senior Member
Location
London
<br />Whether it does reinforce the &quot;get out of my way&quot; or not, the primary objective is to do what you have to to avoid an accident. If a driver is that determined to get past a cyclist you can't stop them.<br />
<br /><br /><br />

Agreed. Why not also report it to the police (easier, I know, for police forces that offer on-line reporting of poor driving)? The more drivers that report bad driving, the more likely it is that the police will be prodded into taking action.
 
...don't bother having sympathy for the drivers, they have all sorts of protection inside their tin boxes, just so long as the overtaker gave you plenty of space.;)


*cough*

Near the Cat and Fiddle road today... (I was driving)

Came around a (blind) bend to find a motorbike overtaking a car overtaking a cyclist

Luckily everyone stopped and avoided each other in time, but if not, would I not be worthy of a little consideration even if I was a "cager" for the day?

Close call, worst scenario would be my body being cut out with a dead motorcyclist embedded in my face and my legs crushed by an oncoming car, unable to help the pancake shaped cyclist..

Let's not get too carried away with allocating sympathies based on mode of transport
 
Well said, Sheffield-T. 99% of all motorists are, I hope, ordinary decent human beings. I should add, that the motorist who E-mailed me, quoted above, also mentioned that he used to be a cyclist himself. As I'm sure a great many motorists one meets, are.
 
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