Who's at fault....Lorry driver, cyclist or the cycle lane designer?

[gambatte]

Having watched the video again, I seriously doubt that the cyclist ever emerged from the lorry driver's blind spot. If you look at the vehicle ahead of the cyclist, it's clear that the cyclist is maintaining the same distance from it until it starts to accelerate, which is the point where the collision happens. I suggest that the lorry driver was probably just behind the cyclist, maintaining that same distance from the vehicle in front, and he accelerated at the same point the vehicle in front did.

Not that this absolves the lorry driver from fault. He knew that a filtering cyclist was somewhere to his immediate left, and he should have made sure there was enough room in case he got undertaken again by that same cyclist. He had enough room to his right to move right to ensure safety, but he didn't.

I don't see how he knew there was "a filtering cyclist was somewhere to his immediate left". I don't think he ever got into the drivers field of vision.
Quite possible the cycle lane met guidelines when it was installed, but not since? I think the guidelines were altered?

My $0.02... Pretty similar to whats already been said. I'd have ignored the cycle lane, too narrow and all that nasty slippy paint on the road - one of the first things I was told to avoid when I did my motorbike training. I'd have slipped in behind the wagon, probably ridden on the offside corner of the wagon, so the drivers got a chance of seeing me down his offside, waited for the next bottleneck and passed on the outside.

 

[Tynan]

usual proviso about the camera angle etc but I wouldn;t have been comfortable on that road at any point, the space on the left always looks narrow and I winced when he went up the side of the truck, it must have been an unpleasant accident by the looks of things, that truck seems to accelerate quite quickly, he had no business being that close to it at any point

bad riding imho

 

[gambatte]

Now if the insurance company gets this thread or the original youtube clip and comments, it might not go too good for the cyclist?
But then again, he put it up there and allowed comments.....

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

To be fair to the lorry driver, the left lane he is going to take/stay in narrows there (or appears to) as the lane to the right begins with the chevrons getting wider – I should think that’s why he moved to the left – he was possibly also looking out for motorcyclists overtaking. I doubt he knew there was a bike on the left of him/or would have seen him in his mirrors. A very good illustration of shite cycle lane design (well done tfl – another winner) and why undertaking lorries is suicidal – that’s certainly not how I would tackle that stretch of road.

 

[marinyork]

Now if the insurance company gets this thread or the original youtube clip and comments, it might not go too good for the cyclist?
But then again, he put it up there and allowed comments.....

What, you mean because they might get sensible ideas? The insurance company arguing about the drain cover or 'swerve' is the worst possible defence they could use. It's almost farcical if that is what they are arguing.

 

[subaqua]

Now if the insurance company gets this thread or the original youtube clip and comments, it might not go too good for the cyclist?
But then again, he put it up there and allowed comments.....

good. why should stupidity be rewarded financially. its not as if nobody knows its not sensible or safe to ride up the inside of a lorry. its a known known.

 

[martint235]

There's two issues here:

1. The law. Is any court of law going to convict the truck driver of driving without due care and attention? I wouldn't have thought so myself.
2. The insurance company. I think the truck driver's insurance company would be laughing about this without reading this thread. It's never going to be worse than a 50/50 imho and that's all an insurance company really needs. The cyclist knowingly puts himself in danger by undertaking the truck, he then proceeds to cycle in its blind spot and doesn't get out of the way when he could have done (he has no legal obligation to do so but we're now talking insurance). Also how many times does the cyclist check behind himself to see what's going on?

 

[gambatte]

Also how many times does the cyclist check behind himself to see what's going on?

I agree with you, don't think he does. I often wonder about this though. The cameras fixed. A slight movement of the head doesn't equate to the amount your eys can swivel sideways.
The camera doesn't always show how much of your surroundings you're aware of?

 

[gambatte]

What, you mean because they might get sensible ideas? .

yep... and the evidence of the guys peers opinions

 

[gaz]

Poor cycling in my opinion. Perhaps poor driving by the driver, but how can we tell without any shoulder checks?

As vulnerable road users, we need to take care, if that means slowing to traffic speed, then so be it!

 

[HLaB]

This ^^^, A mix of very poor cycling. And very poor lorry driving. Undertaking a lorry, very silly move. And not taking primary when in front which gave the lorry driver the chance to try his luck.

I couldn't say 100% it was poor lorry driving however, if the cyclist was always in their blind spot. Its hard to tell but it doesn't look like the cyclist got far enough forward to get out of it, if he did it was poor driving

 

[Deleted member 20519]

I don't think it was a very good idea to filter up the inside of that lorry, you were in his blind spot. The cycle lane goes onto the pavement just as you pass him, so you could have gone up there if you wanted to pass.

 

[Buddfox]

100% cyclist's fault - had no business filtering up the inside of the truck. Bad reading of the road and the traffic, lucky to be alive.

 

[subaqua]

have let my bikeability 2 trained daughter who is 11 look at it. 1st thing she said was "why has he gone up the inside of the lorry, thats just dumb."

 

[BentMikey]

Like the others, I think very poor cycling. I'm not sure that he got far enough in front of the lorry to be out of its blind spot. Far too narrow a gap to be taken at that speed, and past moving traffic. Stupid stupid cycling.