Reading the Road - Tunnel Vision

[Cycling Dan]

I thought I would share my moment of lack of concentration for the benefit of others.
I was only looking at what the black Peugeot in front is doing and then a look right to check i can pull out.
With me not looking at what was going on in front of the Peugeot and thinking it would pull out more I nearly went into the back of the Peugeot. I was planning to filter past using the extra space on the bend of the roundabout although this was not the case and it turned out into a little game of tetris.

The main reason i didn't brake was due to me being out the saddle and accelerating. I made a split second decision to not brake and head through the gap presented. Braking while out the saddle would not have been the best decision. It would be hard to keep upright with the speed i got up too and how severe I would have to brake.
Im putting this up so others can learn from this. Look at more than just the car in front of you!

 

[Pale Rider]

Can't see a problem - I often carve through traffic like that.

 

[Cycling Dan]

Can't see a problem - I often carve through traffic like that.

It was the that I nearly went into the back of the car which I clearly didn't intend to do. In result i had to take action to avoid it. With me not paying attention I was forced into something. Thats what I as getting at.

 

[Night Train]

Good point made.
So often people on the road can get trapped into just watching the vehicle in front and not a lot else, even for brief moments.

Even though I make an active decision to keep looking and observing around me on the road I sometimes find that I notice I haven't 'looked' for a second or two (never mind when I haven't even noticed!). That's when I think 'Time for a break!'.

Fortunately, in this case, you were able to dive between the other cars to find an 'escape route'. Had you been in a car, or large motor bike, then that may not have been possible.

 

[HovR]

You played that off quite well. If I hadn't read the description I'd have thought it was just some slightly close filtering.

A similar sort of thing happened to me quite a whole ago. I was paying too much attention to the guy who was tailgating behind me to notice the guy in front of me stop fairly quickly for an amber light. Luckily my brakes were up to the task, but I did have to get the back wheel in the air to stop on time!

Lesson learnt.

 

[Psycolist]

I think that your knowledge, experience and subconcious reflexes allowed you to take action appropriate to the situation. Less experienced riders may have taken other routes and got themselves hurt or have caused others to collide. But a point well made. I travelled in the company of an advanced police driver alot of years ago, he always said that its wasnt the car in front that you had to watch, but the one in front of that and that your peripheral vision was just as important as your direct line of sight. Its advice that has held me in good stead, its more than 25 years since I have had any accidents with other vehicles. God, I hope I hav'nt put the mockers on it now. There was the squirrel that jumped into my front wheel from a hedgerow, but I dont believe a Ninja Turtle could have avoided that little critter.