Reversing cars.

[ed_o_brain]

You heard it here first. The new danger for cyclists are menacing drivers who select reverse and with no warning engage the throttle.

Yesterday I was stopped at a set of lights in the ASL, in primary position turning right. The driver in front didn't make the turn before the lights changed. The front of his vehicle was on the pedestrian crossing, but not actually fully blocking it. On the pedestrian phase he reverses into me. Fortunatly no damage to either me or my bike and he did at least apologies.

Today I was stationary at a set of lights, in secondary position. I know, I should have been in primary, however had I been I would have been struck again. Driver of the car in front, engages reverse and floors it. Fortunately I was a couple of meters back so I had time to move myself and the bike out of the way. Still bloody close though. This turned out to be a frantic maneouvre to get into the correct lane.

Now, I've had to move out of the way of motorists who have drifted a couple of feet back from a stop line, but I've never had drivers try and reverse *through* me. And in the last two days it has happened twice.

 

[HJ]

I really do wonder how some of these people ever got a driving licence, maybe they just don't have one, or maybe they think that looking behind you when you for reversing is something you only learn for the test...

 

[Piemaster]

I have followed a small van down the close past the church - lots of parked cars and you have to wait for oncoming traffic- expecting him to pull into a parking space or driveway. He didn't. Stopped and started reversing into me - cue lots of yelling as I wouldn't have got unclipped and out of the way quickly enough if he hadn't stopped. Oblivious to me being there even though we had made eye contact as he turned left and me right into the end of the street.

 

[purplepolly]

My driving instructors wife, of the same profession, was once waiting with a pupil to turn out of the side road I lived on when someone from a house across the main road reversed out of the drive, straight across the road and into her car. I'm guessing the lesson ended early that day.

 

[marinyork]

It's not an everyday occurance but you do see it happening. I once saw someone reverse back a quarter of a mile on a dual carriageway where people drive 40mph+ on. On the same dual carriageway I saw some moron instead of driving out the correct way out of a layby, decided to reverse out the wrong way onto the dual carriageway in heavy traffic. They nearly hit a car and caused a pile up.

 

[hackbike 666]

You heard it here first. The old danger for cyclists are menacing drivers

I agree.

 

[PBancroft]

I really do wonder how some of these people ever got a driving licence, maybe they just don't have one, or maybe they think that looking behind you when you for reversing is something you only learn for the test...

And this is exactly why I think people should have to retake their tests.

I've just had to renew my licence (which doesn't involve taking the test again) because the DVLA respects that, in the 10 years since I passed, my face may have altered somewhat. They pay no heed to the idea that in 10 years I may have got into bad habits, forgotten pertinent bits, or failed to pick up any new rules which have come into effect.

 

[Crankarm]

Head cam, camera job. If they don't manage to knock you off open the boot or rear door......

 

[campbellab]

I remember seeing someone infront speed up to get through on an amber, just turned red as she went through. She panicked and stopped DIRECTLY infront of the next junction, if you're going to chance it at least get out of the way! It was a dual carriageway but fortunatly traffic was stationary at the joining lights and not on the move otherwise it could have quite easily caught her in the side.

She then decided to reverse back out of the way.

I stopped a good 5-8 metres behind the stop line to give her room to reverse, there was no way I was going close to her!

 

[upandover]

I once saw someone do a three point turn on a motorway on sliproad, drive back past the cars going up it, and turn sharp left back onto the roundabout...

Steve