Woodcote high school minibus driver

[addictfreak]

To be honest, I probably wouldn't have known exactly what it states in the HC.

However if I were driving the Minibus I would have given way to the cyclist, mainly because hes more vulnerable then me if i were in a vehicle.

Having said that, if I were riding the bike I would have slowed down and waited out of self preservation.

 

[dondare]

Correct.

The most relevant thing in the HC with respect to what happened to you are the parked cars. Most drivers would not know about giving way to traffic coming up a hill but they do know about giving way if there is a parked car on their side of the road.

I thought that everyone knows that uphill has priority.
With regards to the parked traffic it seems to me that they work on the principle that priority belongs to whoever gets there first regardless of which side of the road the vehicles are parked. And in this case there were cars parked on both sides.

Van man should have waited but then again you could have as well, you live and learn though.

Fixed.

 

[HLaB]

I thought that everyone knows that uphill has priority.

I never knew I just though it was a matter of politeness. I usually expect cars to push through regardless of topography but the majority of drivers wave me through if I stop.

 

[gaz]

I got a response to the e-mail. It was passed to the head teacher and her PA responded. The driver went to the police station this morning and reported the incident. Be it under his free will or it was suggested by the school. Either way the police are on it ( I also reported it)

 

[Mike!]

At least he's realised it was wrong so a result IMO.

Looking at the video he does appear to think about stopping in the gap but just carries on regardless. Spotted you late and underestimated your speed IMO.

He's also on your side of the road - your not on his....

 

[iAmiAdam]

I'd of moved right over by that time, kudos to you, never stand my ground .

How do you get the speedo and rpm clock on your videos btw?

 

[gaz]

So i went to the cop shop today, and spoke to the same man on the desk that took the drivers report. He was a bit arsey and questioned why i used a camera and why i uploaded videos on youtube.
The driver said he didn't know what he did wrong and the next day a video was on youtube. Sounds to me like the head teacher did force him to go to the police.

The coppers sent the report off already to some place in sidcup for review, so i will have to contact them next.

 

[BSRU]

So i went to the cop shop today, and spoke to the same man on the desk that took the drivers report. He was a bit arsey and questioned why i used a camera and why i uploaded videos on youtube.
The driver said he didn't know what he did wrong and the next day a video was on youtube. Sounds to me like the head teacher did force him to go to the police.

The coppers sent the report off already to some place in sidcup for review, so i will have to contact them next.

If the driver has seen the YouTube video and still does not know what he did wrong then I would question his driving skills are up to the standard required for job he is meant to be doing. He should be thinking about whether or not he should be driving at a fair speed in between parked cars one handed with a bus full of someone else's kids.

Typical Police attitude, thinks you're wasting his time by showing his obvious prejudice.
It is not his job of the Police to question your reasons for wearing a helmet camera or uploading the footage to YouTube. Neither of them are illegal and therefore beyond the scope of the Police. The job of the Police is to uphold the law as passed by our elected representatives and prosecute people when evidence allows.

 

[gaz]

Lol he wasn't even a real copper just one of those wannabe SO

 

[GFamily]

As i've discussed before (i believe with you, but correct me if i'm wrong) the camera only shows the direction i'm looking, and not what my eyes are focused on.

If i had seen them as soon as they are visible in the camera, then i would have adjusted my speed to do as you say and then just get on.

I think that's the main problem, and probably the reason why you didn't give him space or time to clear the stretch of parked cars. He had priority on the patch of road on which he was travelling (the parked cars were on your side). I bet he can't believe why you rode straight towards him.

I'm not saying it was great driving on his part, but if you want a 'learning point' it would be to be more observant and to try to anticipate other's actions.

 

[marinyork]

I think that's the main problem, and probably the reason why you didn't give him space or time to clear the stretch of parked cars. He had priority on the patch of road on which he was travelling (the parked cars were on your side). I bet he can't believe why you rode straight towards him.

No, he didn't. If you want to see the reasons not I suggest you re-read the thread.

 

[BentMikey]

I think that's the main problem, and probably the reason why you didn't give him space or time to clear the stretch of parked cars. He had priority on the patch of road on which he was travelling (the parked cars were on your side). I bet he can't believe why you rode straight towards him.

I'm not saying it was great driving on his part, but if you want a 'learning point' it would be to be more observant and to try to anticipate other's actions.

He doesn't have priority - you've conveniently forgotten about the parked cars on his side of the road. The van is also across the dashed white centreline during most of the incident, so is clearly at fault, because gaz is not across this line.

 

[marinyork]

So i went to the cop shop today, and spoke to the same man on the desk that took the drivers report. He was a bit arsey and questioned why i used a camera and why i uploaded videos on youtube.
The driver said he didn't know what he did wrong and the next day a video was on youtube. Sounds to me like the head teacher did force him to go to the police.

The coppers sent the report off already to some place in sidcup for review, so i will have to contact them next.

It's a bit sad if the school are trying to media manage it all. I expect mud slinging and anti-cycling rants. I don't think it's prosecuting stuff for anything but the guy does need to be told to just chill a bit by the police and be told you can't be having too many incidents driving like that in a large vehicle with children on board. Ultimately it's the kids that'll probably lose out.

 

[GFamily]

He doesn't have priority - you've conveniently forgotten about the parked cars on his side of the road. The van is also across the dashed white centreline during most of the incident, so is clearly at fault, because gaz is not across this line.

There is no line at that part of the road.

And where the bus was driving (until the last second), the cars were parked on Gaz's side, so Gaz certainly didn't have priority either.

Gaz knew the bus would have to pull over to pass the car parked on his side of the road, but stuck to the head-on collision course.

Observation and anticipation.

 

[BentMikey]

Don't be silly - the line is clearly visible to the driver, and it's obvious he's going to have to cross it, which puts him in the wrong. With gaz on his own side of the road, the driver is a twit at best.