The F word...

[Maz]

Filtering, that is.
I had a near-hit this morning...was wondering if there was anything I could've done to avoid it.

I was filtering along the outside of a Q of traffic. The Q was stationary because the ped-xing lights up ahead were on red. There was no oncoming traffic. As I drew level with one particular car he decides to chance it...he pulls out, accelerates past the 3 cars in front of him and makes his right turn, causing me to swerve over sharply to the right to avoid hitting him.

There must be loads of people who filter on a regular basis. Does the above sound familiar?

 

[Arch]

Filtering, that is.
I had a near-hit this morning...was wondering if there was anything I could've done to avoid it.

I was filtering along the outside of a Q of traffic. The Q was stationary because the ped-xing lights up ahead were on red. There was no oncoming traffic. As I drew level with one particular car he decides to chance it...he pulls out, accelerates past the 3 cars in front of him and makes his right turn, causing me to swerve over sharply to the right to avoid hitting him.

There must be loads of people who filter on a regular basis. Does the above sound familiar?

I don't tend to filter up the outside, but that sort of move wouldn't surprise me all that much if I saw it happen...

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I've very rarely seen this, but some people are just totally Filtering stupid

I've had a bump on my motorbike when some moron decided that he would just pull out and go for it, he then so kindly offered to sue me for the damage my bike had done to his door.

This was a freak incident, and obviously you were in control of the situation as you were able to take successful evasive action.

Remember - you can change your behaviour to control almost all of the danger, but you can't control everything. You can either let that scare you, or you can keep going knowing the chances of getting hurt are very low provided you ride well.

 

[magnatom]

Maz, one thing that can help is to keep glancing at their front tyres if you can see them. The turning of the wheels is always the first sign that they are about to do something.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Short of fitting a loudhaler with "Maz is coming" blaring, I don't think you could have avoided it.

 

[magnatom]

Having someone running a few metres in front of you holding a red flag can help. I'm sure someone somewhere has tried this before....

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Didn't they used to use canaries in the old days?

 

[magnatom]

Didn't they used to use canaries in the old days?

Yes but only when you were cycling down in the pits. Probably not the place for a nice road bike!

 

[Cab]

I think its important to give a bit of space when filtering to the right; people often seem to just skim down the outside of a row of cars far too close for my tastes. If you're going to do it, then do it, give it a bit of room and claim the road space properly. Don't take an apologetic road position, be right out where you're visible and where if someone does something stupid you've space and time to react.

The point about watching tyres is spot on, but beware of diverting all of your attention that way. Keep your wits about you, keep at a sensible pace in a sensible road position, and you're normally fine.

 

[palinurus]

I was taken out by an almost identical move a couple years back (not hurt much, and on an old hack). I tryto watch out for situatuions where drivers might want to pull out like this, esp. where there isn't oncoming traffic. It can also happen where the queue is unexpected and very slow moving, sometimes they just U-turn out of it after indicating a fraction of a second before moving.

If there isn't any oncoming traffic you can filter wider and give yourself a bit more space.

Very occasionally I'll filter left if there's a series of right turns (and no/ few lefts), but it depends on the circumstances and I generally always prefer the right.

 

[Maz]

Thanks for the info and advice.
Cheers.

 

[Cab]

It can also happen where the queue is unexpected and very slow moving, sometimes they just U-turn out of it after indicating a fraction of a second before moving.

Ahh, yes the infamous 'catching the indicator with wrist while turning' style of indicating. Should be punishable by being given a good slapping, in my opinion.

 

[JamesAC]

I've had the opposite: cycling along an empty carridgeway, nose-to-tail traffic going in opposite direction. I pass ajunction, then a few seconds later a guy pulls out from the stationary stream, about 30 yards back, and floors it straight towards me.

My language was vivid, loud, non-repetative, colourful

 

[Cab]

JamesAC, theres a road here in Cambridge where you can be pretty nearly guaranteed that happening on any Saturday. All the cars queueing down Tennis Court Road to turn right to get to the Lion Yard car park, someone who doesn't want to go there pulls out of the traffic on to the other side of the road, guns the engine, and then sees a cyclist turning left from the contraflow cycle lane on Downing Street, and theres not room for both. I've been known to stand my ground there and wave the other guy to reverse back. Saw another cyclist do the same thing, the car mounted the pavement to try to get round him.

Crazy corner that one when its busy

 

[Carwash]

Just to clarify: when you're talking about 'filtering' here, you mean alongside stationary (waiting) cars... but down the left (undertaking, but possibly within a cycle lane) or right (overtaking, near the middle of the road)? Or can 'filtering' mean either?