Slow Moving Traffic - Keep Your Eyes Peeled!!

[theboytaylor]

An incident tonight reminded me that you always have to keep your eyes peeled no matter what speed the other traffic is going. Was riding home down Evelyn St, Deptford, towards Greenwich. Pretty busy as there are roadworks in Greenwich and the traffic snarls back. Had been following a chap on a nice new looking Condor for quite a while.

Just after the junction with Deptford Church St, as we weaved through the traffic, I chose to stay in the left hand lane (a bus lane) and stop behind a bus while the chap on the Condor chose to go to the right, along the outside of the queue of traffic. Next thing I hear is a car horn, a crash and a pain-tinged shout as the chap hits the deck.

I didn't see what happened so don't want to apportion blame but it looks like a car was looking to do a u-turn and clipped him. Now, I can't tell you about speed, whether the car was indicating, anything - although another cyclist was already laying into the car driver for not looking. After hanging on for a minute or two I decided to carry on as a) the Condor rider was up and checking his bike, there were other cyclists helping the stricken chap and c) I didn't actually see anything so couldn't really help as a witness. I only wish I'd hung around to remind the guy to get the driver's details and report it, regardless of fault.

It made me think about how I ride, cos I normally filter up the middle, thinking that car drivers are better positioned to see me there. Obviously that's not always the case. So, what I wanted to do was remind people to be careful wherever you choose to filter and don't assume that anyone has seen you!

PS - Condor riding bloke - hope you and your steed are OK!

 

[beanzontoast]

Stories like this help to remind us all how quickly a ride can go bad. Agree with your comment: really makes you think about your own riding, whether you were doing anything wrong yourself, etc.

 

[thomas]

It made me think about how I ride, cos I normally filter up the middle, thinking that car drivers are better positioned to see me there. Obviously that's not always the case. So, what I wanted to do was remind people to be careful wherever you choose to filter and don't assume that anyone has seen you!

I was given the following advice, which is really worth remembering. It relates to duel carriageways rather than a traditional road.

You need to watch for gaps on either side. People like to dart into the a gap in the other lane if they see the traffic starting to move slightly quicker.

 

[ianrauk]

That was me having a go at the driver.
Saw it happen, because of the traffic, the fella in the car decided to do a U turn without looking or indicating. I could see what was going to happen as Condor man was filtering on the right. When I got to him I picked his bike up and made sure he was ok. I asked the driver what he thought he was thinking. He then turned his indicator on thinking I hadn't noticed. All he said was that he didn't see the cyclist. The cyclist (& fair play to him) didn't shout or swear just said to the driver an apology would be nice. Of which the driver did. I asked the cyclist if he was ok, said he was & was just a bit shaken, so I buggered of.

An incident tonight reminded me that you always have to keep your eyes peeled no matter what speed the other traffic is going. Was riding home down Evelyn St, Deptford, towards Greenwich. Pretty busy as there are roadworks in Greenwich and the traffic snarls back. Had been following a chap on a nice new looking Condor for quite a while.

Just after the junction with Deptford Church St, as we weaved through the traffic, I chose to stay in the left hand lane (a bus lane) and stop behind a bus while the chap on the Condor chose to go to the right, along the outside of the queue of traffic. Next thing I hear is a car horn, a crash and a pain-tinged shout as the chap hits the deck.

I didn't see what happened so don't want to apportion blame but it looks like a car was looking to do a u-turn and clipped him. Now, I can't tell you about speed, whether the car was indicating, anything - although another cyclist was already laying into the car driver for not looking. After hanging on for a minute or two I decided to carry on as a) the Condor rider was up and checking his bike, there were other cyclists helping the stricken chap and c) I didn't actually see anything so couldn't really help as a witness. I only wish I'd hung around to remind the guy to get the driver's details and report it, regardless of fault.

It made me think about how I ride, cos I normally filter up the middle, thinking that car drivers are better positioned to see me there. Obviously that's not always the case. So, what I wanted to do was remind people to be careful wherever you choose to filter and don't assume that anyone has seen you!

PS - Condor riding bloke - hope you and your steed are OK!

 

[fossyant]

I've very nearly had this happen to me. Bad traffic, hissing it down, driver suddenly pulled right to u-turn....I slammed on and skidded sideways, just missed sitting on his front wing. Watch those wheels for the slightest of turns......

 

[ianrauk]

the thing is mate, the only thing that was holding the traffic up was the 2 sets of lights, 1 at the junction and a ped crossing 100 yards up the road. It was just a case of the driver being very impatient.. and doing before thinking..

I've very nearly had this happen to me. Bad traffic, hissing it down, driver suddenly pulled right to u-turn....I slammed on and skidded sideways, just missed sitting on his front wing. Watch those wheels for the slightest of turns......

 

[theboytaylor]

That was me having a go at the driver.

Good on you, Ian. It was good to see fellow cyclists looking after each other. My immediate thought was that the driver had just got impatient and decided to do a U-ey. But, since I didn't see the incident and then couldn't see the indicators, I didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Glad the guy was alright. Hope his bike was OK - looked pretty new.....

Oh, and Thomas - I think what I wrote was slightly misleading. I meant the middle of the road as in down the painted stripe between the traffic going in opposite directions. Your point is good, though, I see drivers dive between lanes all the time, clearly not looking.

 

[fossyant]

Certainly not 'enough' density of cyclist's up our way for 'back up'...... watching any news coverage in London these days, there are bikes everywhere.........

 

[ianrauk]

the road it happened is a 'main' highway for cyclists going from east to west and vice verse.. always a lot of cyclists.

 

[theboytaylor]

Small world...

Exactly - although I'm not sure how I might have wedged Cyclechat into the conversation: "Are you OK? Bloody cars! By the way, before you other drivers start, there's no such thing as road tax, etc, etc....."

There's another thread where Cyclechat badges were mentioned....by Beanzontoast, in fact....

 

[Tynan]

maybe we should do some jerseys

 

[ianrauk]

You might have seen my CC buff if you were closer

Exactly - although I'm not sure how I might have wedged Cyclechat into the conversation: "Are you OK? Bloody cars! By the way, before you other drivers start, there's no such thing as road tax, etc, etc....."

There's another thread where Cyclechat badges were mentioned....by Beanzontoast, in fact....

 

[theboytaylor]

You might have seen my CC buff if you were closer

Damn, missed that.

I was on the left hand side of the road, standing my bike against the railings and waiting for a gap in the traffic to come over and put my tuppenceworth in. When I saw that it seemed to be under control, sheepishly skedaddled .

 

[Origamist]

U-turners are a menace - it's one of the few problems that you do not face if you undertake (you just have to deal with more varied problems on the inside).