You came out of nowhere!

[2Loose]

I just got 'hit' by a car, while while walking (exclude the non-bike related thread) across a petrol station forecourt. I was walking along the left hand edge of a car, on the grass, then stepped down onto the forecourt after clearing the side of a car which was parked along the edge, it was parked up, not filling with petrol. As I stepped onto the tarmac the car moved forward and it's bumper pushed my legs up so that I was sitting on the bonnet. No harm done, but shocked! The driver got out and apologised, saying 'Sorry, but you came out of nowhere'. I must have been moving at about 1mph due to my knee being in bandages, so I was rather taken aback by 'coming out of nowhere'.

Does this equate with 'Sorry I didn't see you?' And if it does, then the whole observation part of ANY road users needs to be re-assessed, surely?

 

[Sam Kennedy]

That does sound like pretty bad observation to me

I think drivers are getting worse, I've noticed when crossing a roundabout, only about 1 in 15 people actually indicate when turning off.

And when it comes to side roads I've got to say 8/10 people either don't indicate, or indicate as they turn.

If police got out of their cars and cycled for a day they would notice how bad alot of people drive.

 

[colinr]

The first rule of bike club: Never assume that anyone has seen you.

Though if I think about how many drivers, cyclists and pedestrians I encounter day to day, the ratio of bad ones is actually very low. You just tend to notice them more.

 

[mm101]

Regard everyone on the road as they were a bloody fool, with those things that shire horses wear.

Standards of driving are definitely worse. Think they have got worse still in the last 5 years. On another subject.. it always galls me when drivers moan about things like speed cameras and speed traps and how they are just poor unwitting victims of some draconian stealth tax. Wish drivers would stop being victims and take personal responsibility for their own actions. Put more cameras up and 'tax' some bloody sense into them.

Rant over

 

[Amanda P]

There are loads of people who you wouldn't trust to do your photocopying who have got driving licenses

.

 

[HJ]

+1 Uncle Phil, there are far to many people out there who are unwilling to take responsibility for their actions...

 

[dq1]

You don't need to pass an IQ test to get a drivers licence, that's been proven to me countless times in Milton Keynes!

 

[sswats]

And when it comes to side roads I've got to say 8/10 people either don't indicate, or indicate as they turn.

My wife used to do this, indicate at the last minute or whilst turning. apparently the clicking sound annoys her. I've managed to change her ways (most of the time)

 

[Sam Kennedy]

I don't mean to be sexist here, but in my experience it seems to be women who are the worse drivers. I always thought it was a stereotype until my sister passed her test

However there are still plenty of men who are bad drivers!

Hope I didn't offend...

 

[Jane Smart]

Watch it Sammy boy!!!!

or I will give you

 

[Riverman]

Another rule of thumb. Don't assume a driver is going to use the correct indicator or indeed use an indicator at all.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Another rule of thumb. Don't assume a driver is going to use the correct indicator or indeed use an indicator at all.

Yeah once I stopped because someone was indicating to turn my way, then they turned the opposite way

 

[Arch]

I don't mean to be sexist here, but in my experience it seems to be women who are the worse drivers. I always thought it was a stereotype until my sister passed her test

However there are still plenty of men who are bad drivers!

Hope I didn't offend...

<clip round the ear>

Sadly, these days, I'd say they are all as bad as one another. Time was I might have said women could be more ditsy, and men more aggressive, but I think, sadly, we've achieved equality on this one.

My advice would be, the only thing you can assume about any other road user (driver, cyclist, pedestrian, road crossing weasel) is that they are going to do something stupid. Live by that and you'll avoid more accidents, and be a better road user yourself...

BTW, Sam, I think you're quite young, do you drive yet?

 

[Sam Kennedy]

I'm 16, I can't start driving lessons until September

Even though I would prefer to cycle anyway

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

<clip round the ear>

Sadly, these days, I'd say they are all as bad as one another. Time was I might have said women could be more ditsy, and men more aggressive, but I think, sadly, we've achieved equality on this one.

My advice would be, the only thing you can assume about any other road user (driver, cyclist, pedestrian, road crossing weasel) is that they are going to do something stupid. Live by that and you'll avoid more accidents, and be a better road user yourself...

BTW, Sam, I think you're quite young, do you drive yet?

Amen to that: I'd add selfish to stupid, as evidenced by three incidents I had this morning within half a mile:

- ped (ipod zombie) stepped off the path in front of me. I'd been in primary anyway due to the road, but had spotted him and moved out a bit more so was in no danger of hitting him. Did make him jump though!
- the bloke in the car who couldn't wait the 2 seconds for me to move back from primary to secondary on the exit of the roundabout shortly after that and tried to squeeze between me and the island in the middle of the road. Thinking about it, he must have been very important and in a hurry 'cos to have caught me up between my check behind for the ped (he was nowhere to be seen at that point) and the roundabout he must have been going way over the 30mph limit in force. And not too worried about any possible need to stop for other traffic on the roundabout.
- the cyclist coming the other way towards a pinch point on a bridleway. I could see we were going to get there at the same time so (as he was going uphill) slowed right down and moved over for him. He just breezed past without even looking at me, let alone saying cheers.

OK, so the last one wasn't stupid, let alone dangerous, but I thought it was a bit rude.

Edit: no hassles with weasels today though.