SMIDSY isn't just for bicycles
- Thread starter Davidc
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Jezston
Über Member
It was motorcylists who coined the acronym 'SMIDSY' wasn't it?
Jezston
Über Member
I seen a good one a while back, it was probably posted here but some SMIDSY managed to pull out in front of a bright Yellow Double Decker
Someone did something similar in front of an articulated lorry near where I work a little while back. They didn't come out of it well. In fact they didn't come out if it at all.
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/n...-accident/article-2166935-detail/article.html
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I guess that's one mistake they won't make again 
Sheepy1209
Veteran
I seen a good one a while back, it was probably posted here but some SMIDSY managed to pull out in front of a bright Yellow Double Decker
I did that in Blackpool a few years ago; approached a roundabout, saw a double-decker to my right, and thought:
"That must be an 11, they don't run double-deckers on the 7, which means it'll be turning right, so it's OK for me to pull out and turn left"
Wrong!!
(Thankfully the driver was awake)
StuartG
slower but no further
And none of us have ever SMIDSYed?
I have in my car. T-junction, looked left, looked right, pulled out - BANG!
Just like when I was on a bike. Coming down a hilll and car pulls out of T-junction - BANG!
There was one common factor. The approaching vehicle was on a slow curve into the junction. Hence when looked (and SEEN) the vehicle was always head on instead of at a small but increasing angle. It makes a big difference. Because it is head-on there is no apparent movement. The subconscious registers it (falsely) as stationary and the hence not SEEN to be a relevant object.
It is a fault in our reasoning. And in our pre-road ancestry - no problem. It is not an excuse. Quite the opposite. Now I identify such road layouts as particularly dangerous and switch 'automatic' to 'manual' observation mode. It took those two crashes for me to learn to anticipate the problem. Sadly we can not sustain 'manual' mode observation for too long as the brain overloads/we get tired and make other mistakes.
Some SMIDSYs are lack of attention. Others the wrong attention. We should be careful not to generalise too much.
I have in my car. T-junction, looked left, looked right, pulled out - BANG!
Just like when I was on a bike. Coming down a hilll and car pulls out of T-junction - BANG!
There was one common factor. The approaching vehicle was on a slow curve into the junction. Hence when looked (and SEEN) the vehicle was always head on instead of at a small but increasing angle. It makes a big difference. Because it is head-on there is no apparent movement. The subconscious registers it (falsely) as stationary and the hence not SEEN to be a relevant object.
It is a fault in our reasoning. And in our pre-road ancestry - no problem. It is not an excuse. Quite the opposite. Now I identify such road layouts as particularly dangerous and switch 'automatic' to 'manual' observation mode. It took those two crashes for me to learn to anticipate the problem. Sadly we can not sustain 'manual' mode observation for too long as the brain overloads/we get tired and make other mistakes.
Some SMIDSYs are lack of attention. Others the wrong attention. We should be careful not to generalise too much.
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
asterix
Comrade Member
It's not a good post at all. There is no such thing as 'automatic' observation mode it's doublespeak for not paying attention. When I had my incident in Orleans, I was driving badly it was as simple as that. It was a warning to me to smarten up which I did. That was a 1200 km journey my brain did not 'overload' because I drive at a reasonable speed and don't try to push it at every opportunity as very many drivers do.
RT, you are a professional driver, you should know better than to look for excuses..
tyred
Squire
I don't think RT is looking for excuses. I don't think anyone on the planet, no matter how perfect they might think themselves can honestly say they've never made an error of judgement or suffered from a lapse in concentration. Most of the time, we'll get away with it but just occasionally, it will have a more serious effect, either on the road or elsewhere.
asterix
Comrade Member
It's a question of how high a standard is set. I'd say that it is far too low on the roads. Drivers have far too many excuses made for their poor performance and penalties for negligence or even complete disregard are laughable.
No way would I fly in a plane or go by rail if I thought there was a chance the pilot/driver was no better trained than a car driver.
No way would I fly in a plane or go by rail if I thought there was a chance the pilot/driver was no better trained than a car driver.
Rhythm Thief
Legendary Member
Well, it's not for me to speak for StuartG, but I'm pretty sure I know what he meant by that post, and it wasn't that he swans around in a dream until he comes to a dangerous junction.
Not what I'm doing at all. You're getting "excuse" and "reason" mixed up. There's no excuse for running a red light in a truck, but the reason is that I'm a human being. That's not going to change. My reason for telling everyone about it was simply to show how even careful and experienced drivers can miss things.
Again, you're missing the point, which is that no matter how well trained, experienced, careful, etc. etc. a driver is, s/he's still capable of occasional lapses of judgement. Especially - paradoxically - if they drive for a living, since statistically, they're more likely to be behind the wheel when they have a "human moment".
