Someone nearly killed me today

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
robing
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Someone nearly killed me today

Post by robing »

OK, so the title is maybe a bit over dramatic. But I was out on the bike yesterday for the first time this year. For once there was some blue sky and it wasn't blowing a gale. Did one of my usual routes, just over 30 miles, quiet country roads. There was a junction, I was on the main road and there was a side road on the left, but not at right angles, more like 135 degrees, so the traffic from there was almost facing me, but slightly oblique. As I approached there was a queue of 3-4 cars on the side road. The sun was quite low. I could predict what was going to happen next. I knew the lead driver hadn't seen me so I prepared myself. And sure enough as I approached he pulled out in front of me on to the main road and went the opposite way. Now because I had read the situation, I was able to brake safely. If I hadn't I would have gone over his bonnet I gave the driver a load of verbal but he either didn't hear me or didn't care and drove off.

It just struck me as how often I have to take avoiding action on the bike when I have right of way. I reckon an incident like this probably happens once every 3-4 rides? And the number of close passes on a ride - honestly I lose count.. I'm guessing this is similar to other people's experience?
Psamathe
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by Psamathe »

One thing I have found since starting cycling (2½ years'ish now) is how my driving has changed in that now when I'm driving along e.g. a main road and there is a car waiting to pull out from a side road my accelerator foot moves over to just above the brake ready, and I'm thinking "you stay there ...". I'm now expecting such vehicles to pull out.

Ian
Farrina
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by Farrina »

Sounds pretty much like an average ride to me .... we survive by our wits, defensive riding and experience (as you have demonstrated).

I am normally placid (seen it all before and been riding a long time) and rarely visually react to drivers but I do particularly object to close passes and when the opportunity arises, use my fist against car bodywork. This occasionally results in some interesting verbal exchanges along the lines of " I was nowhere near you" .... and <sigh> "you don’t pay road tax". I suppose it also helps that I am 6-4 and north of 13 stone.

On the odd occasion I do become "gobby" I have upon reflection decided that this is due to a massive adrenaline rush and the fight or flight syndrome (nothing like a near death experience - i suppose that's why some people skydive!)

Whilst traffic volumes have massively increased since I started in the mid 1970's I have noticed an improvement in general driver behaviour in recent years (increased profile of cycling post 2012 and TdF?). There are still homicidal maniacs about and with them you just need to get the hell out of the way as soon as possible (call it a sixth sense but I often anticipate them by the manner of their driving - your ears can tell you a lot).

Unfortunately, as the IRA said of Margaret Thatcher when she escaped the Brighton Grand bomb ... we only have to get lucky once and I fear the more I ride the more likely I am one day to meet the nutter.

In the immortal lines of Hill Street Blues - people lets be careful out there!

Happy cycling for 2016 to you all
Last edited by Farrina on 9 Jan 2016, 6:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
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661-Pete
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by 661-Pete »

Seems to be a bit like this one of mine then. Annoying and dangerous, yes: but I think "nearly killed" is possibly a bit strong. Unless your encounter was a lot closer than mine.
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Paulatic
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by Paulatic »

Shopping in Dumfries yesterday and for a while I've noticed the meaning of double yellow lines has changed. Walked down a double yellowed road parked up all the way right down to a junction at the bottom. The last two vehicles were very large trade vans and I couldn't see a thing from the pavement to cross the road.
So pleased I stepped out tentatively looking hard to my left to see anything. Half across before I could see a car coming the full max 30 mph who I reckon couldn't have stopped if I'd taken another step forward and I was so pleased I was ready to step back. A mother with young children would have had little chance.
Why didn't that driver recognise the danger of the parked up road and especially two large vans completely blocking his view of a crossing at the bottom?
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robing
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by robing »

661-Pete wrote:Seems to be a bit like this one of mine then. Annoying and dangerous, yes: but I think "nearly killed" is possibly a bit strong. Unless your encounter was a lot closer than mine.


Similar sort of thing. I did say the title was a bit over dramatic. The point is these are regular occurrences I suspect for most cyclists, but we just shrug and carry on. I like to think I should be able to anticipate any driver errors ahead of me and stop in time. Being taken out from behind though is another matter entirely. I don't tend to dwell on things too much or let it spoil my cycling. Plus I think winter is a more dangerous time to cycle - darker, poor visibility, low sun, slippery surfaces etc.
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Vantage
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by Vantage »

I think I've only had one ride without incident over the last 4 years since returning to cycling and it was such a nice surprise that I even posted a thread on it on the forum.
Suffice to say I keep the bike in perfect running condition so I know I can depend on the brakes and tyres to get me out of a potential pancake moment if I see it coming.
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foxyrider
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by foxyrider »

The route I used for a commute some years ago resulted on an average of one attempt to kill me every day and that's not being over dramatic! Left turners, close passes, side roads, RLJ's. Riding primary didn't help, I always wear bright clothing, lights when appropriate etc. Taxis, buses even trams all had a go at me.

Change of job and route and the difference was amazing, more main road but fewer incidents - I sometimes go several days without someone aiming a metal box at me. Over the last few years i've had fewer left turners (although I had 3 one night in 200m's!) what I have seen is a lot of increasingly dangerous manouevers by other bicycle riders - riding against traffic on one way streets/junctions, undertaking other bikes - one brompton rider never stops at any traffic signal!

No one should get a driving licence without passing a cycle awareness/proficiency test. When I ride in countries where cycle use is more common drivers are always more aware of cyclists.
Convention? what's that then?
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bigjim
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by bigjim »

White van turned left into me at a traffic light junction a few weeks ago. Knocked me off the bike and drove off. I was sat at the front of the lights in the green box. Lights changed, I set off and he decided to overtake and turn left. Incredible! Luckily the bike handlebars took the contact and I fisted the side of the van as I fell over, which I guess pushed me away from the wheels.
ambodach
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by ambodach »

When I was a trainee scuba diver many years ago one of the rules drummed into us was to always think " what if ? ". In other words constantly assess your situation and make sure you have at the back of your mind what you would do in an emergency. Somehow I have translated this into cycling ( and driving ) and always keep an almost subconscious escape route in mind. Some of the posters here obviously do this and it has served them well even if they just put it down to experience.
The other adage was that there are old divers and bold divers but no old bold divers. Translate that into cycling terms!
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mjr
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by mjr »

robing wrote:... The point is these are regular occurrences I suspect for most cyclists, but we just shrug and carry on. I like to think I should be able to anticipate any driver errors ahead of me and stop in time. Being taken out from behind though is another matter entirely. I don't tend to dwell on things too much or let it spoil my cycling. Plus I think winter is a more dangerous time to cycle - darker, poor visibility, low sun, slippery surfaces etc.

I agree that winter is more dangerous but it's still pretty safe. Being taken out from behind is also fairly rare - IIRC the most common collisions are T-bones, left hooks, right crosses, getting squeezed to the kerb/verge, doorings and riding out into traffic (failing to give way) - while most are motorist-inflicted, you might at least see most coming.

Discussions like this always make me wonder what I'm doing differently to "most cyclists" or at least most on here - or what's different in the fens although I have lived elsewhere (but cycling was harder there and not just because of hills). Almost all of my collisions have been self-inflicted (I think I've been ridden into once...) and I rarely suffer close passes outside of a few known troublespots (mainly where bad driving and bad road design meet)... I get plenty of dumb abuse from frustrated motorists, but maybe people are less inclined to get physical with a 6ft man on a workhorse bike than some others?

Or is it where I ride? Could it be that many/most people around here know people who cycle, or have driven in nearby Cambridge where cycling is rampant? I often see people I know out cycling, which didn't really happen when I lived elsewhere.

Or is it that I use non-crazy cycle facilities and despite frequent assertions to the contrary and not showing up as safer in stats (primarily because of botched junction designs and poor maintenance IMO), cycle tracks and routes tend to be less near-miss-y? Here's a typical route for me http://cycle.travel/map/journey/376 (although it gets confused around the A47 junction - I'll take a look at OSM later - I often ride on the road northbound through that junction, but I find it stressful trying to take the lane southbound so I usually use the cycle track despite it being narrow sharp-cornered crap) - how many of you would ride London Road rather than Hardings Way? Would you ride on the A149 and A10 rather than the cycle tracks? Would you keep on down the A10 instead of heading for NCR11 through the villages?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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robing
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by robing »

I don't have that many serious near misses when I ride. I'm pretty relaxed when I cycle and can usually anticipate. It become second nature to read potential hazards ahead an anticipate driver error. I do see a lot of close passes though, mainly because drivers are too impatient to wait til they can pass safely. It happened this morning - I was driving and came across a large group of perhaps a dozen cyclists. I waited til it was safe to pass and have them a wide berth. The driver ahead though overtook when there was oncoming traffic.
Flinders
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by Flinders »

mjr, having had the misfortune to drive in Cambridge last year for the first time in years, I've never in my life seen so many mad, suicidal, inconsiderate, and downright incompetent cyclists- often in packs- some of them would be dead in a week round here. (A local cyclist Mr Ortho was on a course with down there said the same, she was very frustrated by it; she put it down to people going there to study and riding a bike in the city when the last time they rode one was when they were about 8 and in a local park.)

I suspect that sot of behavior would have an impact on drivers, in that they would assume the worst and give all cyclists a lot of space and time. It gave me the serious willies, and I'm a very careful driver. :shock:
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mjr
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by mjr »

Yes, Flinders, I chose "rampant" for a reason :lol:. Was it October when you were there? That's usually a low point in behaviour...
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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rmurphy195
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Re: Someone nearly killed me today

Post by rmurphy195 »

I live in South Birmingham, and this sort of avoiding action is something I seem to have to do on every ride, often more than once Oddly over the last couple of years most drivers seem to have become more considerate, but the minority of persons seem to have got worse! I'll figure that one out one day!

Like Psamanthe when driving if I'm on the overrun (foot off throttle) I have had a habit for as long back as I can remember of covering the brake pedal in case I need to brake. With modern braking systems such a VW have had for some years (where the car's system respind to quick movements of the brake pedal by appling the brake harder than a slow movement), I get much gentler braking than if quickly moving my foot from one pedal to the other.
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