What's your opinion with Bad overtakes?

[Randombiker9]

Sorry if there's already a thread on this but I didn't see one. Feel free to move it if there is.

So bassically every cyclist must of been overtaken badly at least one time. I think one of the problems is that the Highway Code just state's "when overtaking a cyclist you must give enough room as you would if you were overtaking a car".
But compared to other countries in their veichle. They state a actual distance. like 1 metre, 1.5 metres 3 feet etc..
So perhaps the problem is actually that other road users in UK. Don't know an actual measurement as there's no measurement stated in the Highway Code. So what's your opinion on this?

 

[vickster]

I didn't much like the one which knocked me off my bike on Feb 2014 although completely non intentional

I seem to get more where space is seemingly given during the pass but then the driver pulls in too sharply or close! Might be as most of these are in busy urban environments, rather than country roads

 

[derrick]

Most bad overtakes are deliberate, They get great pleasure trying to frighten you.You should notice they always look in there mirror after they pass you .

 

[Shut Up Legs]

In Australia, laws were added in a few states specifying exact distances motorists must give when overtaking cyclists. Guess what? The laws are NOT being enforced!

 

[Randombiker9]

I didn't much like the one which knocked me off my bike on Feb 2014 although completely non intentional
I seem to get more where space is seemingly given during the pass but then the driver pulls in too sharply or close! Might be as most of these are in busy urban environments, rather than country roads

Oh that must of hurt and yeah that's true sometimes.

In Australia, laws were added in a few states specifying exact distances motorists must give when overtaking cyclists. Guess what? The laws are NOT being enforced!

Well that's Australia. They should be though.

Most bad overtakes are deliberate, They get great pleasure trying to frighten you.You should notice they always look in there mirror after they pass you .

Sometimes yes but not always. This hasn't happend to me yet but some of my friends have been overtaking badly by the local buses of his area. But he just complained to bus company when he got home. So now there more aware of cyclists. (I can understand why buses and HGV's sometimes do bad overtakes because they have lots of blind spots).

 

[MichaelW2]

It seems to be a universal law that drivers give cyclists the same room that cyclists give themselves from the curb. Yesterday I was riding very close to the edge and a car passed me very close, barely moving out. I just know that if I had been using my normal position, the driver would have overtaken me like normal, with more clearance.

 

[Hacienda71]

TLI who run a lot of the age categorised racing in the North of England gave these car stickers out when members renewed their race licence this year.

West Midlands police are also actively targeting close passing drivers and it seems to be working.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/...-forces-to-improve-cycle-safety-a3487196.html

 

[derrick]

Oh that must of hurt and yeah that's true sometimes.

Well that's Australia. They should be though.

Sometimes yes but not always. This hasn't happend to me yet but some of my friends have been overtaking badly by the local buses of his area. But he just complained to bus company when he got home. So now there more aare of cyclists. (I can understand why buses and HGV's sometimes do bad overtakes because they have lots of blind spots).

How are there blind spots when they are coming from behind ?

 

[vickster]

Oh that must of hurt and yeah that's true sometimes.
.

Hurt indeed, I've had 4 surgical procedures as a result and still going through a personal injury claim. Luckily no dispute of liability

 

[mjr]

So perhaps the problem is actually that other road users in UK. Don't know an actual measurement as there's no measurement stated in the Highway Code. So what's your opinion on this?

That's nonsense. The problem with bad overtakes is that the overtaker is either incompetent, careless or both.

The Highway Code does give a measurement: it's just 1 car width instead of whatever metres. No car is 1.5m wide. Many now are well over 2m. So they know how much space they should be giving. Ignorance of the distance is not the problem. Possibly ignorance of the Highway Code is sometimes the problem, but that's incompetence. People should have to at least take a basic theory test every 10 or so years, so they have to learn changes to the Highway Code.

 

[Drago]

The problem is that most motor vehicle users care about nothing except getting themselves to their destination with the minimum of perceived delay. If someone else is inconvenienced or endangered that they usually don't even think about it, much less actually care.

 

[sanddancer]

Most bad overtakes are deliberate, They get great pleasure trying to frighten you.You should notice they always look in there mirror after they pass you .

I usually give a wider berth than necessary when overtaking a bike.
I always check the mirror though, to make sure I have gone past enough to pull back in

 

[User33236]

My opinion is that the drivers who pass close are a'holes.

My car has a British Cycling decal on the back windscreen and, as I drive waaayyy less than I cycle, I consider a cyclist more than an unfortunately high number of others seem to do.

Somewhat ironically I get more abuse from other drivers when waiting on, what I consider, a safe place to pass than I ever get whilst riding a bike.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Obviously the driver didnt think.

Bit more like it

 

[petek]

Cars towing caravans are the worst and we get a lot of touring caravans on our roads in summer.
If I spot them I generally stop.