Anyone not been hit by a car

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
toomsie
Posts: 193
Joined: 25 Aug 2014, 11:05am

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by toomsie »

Vantage wrote:Madness?
Sitting in a steel cage and held up by lots of other steel cages while your blood pressure rises increasing the risk of heart attack and watching your money going up in smoke (literally) via an exhaust pipe.
I'd rather be on my bike :)


I know. I have done some research. The reason why I chose cycling is because I want to live by logic not by fear.
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by mjr »

As I think I mentioned in the poll discussion, I've never been hit by a car (yet) but I've ridden into the back of one who pulled away from a stop line too slowly!

If I remember correctly, the poll suggests about a third haven't been hit by cars, which isn't bad given that's over all time.
Last edited by mjr on 13 Nov 2014, 9:51am, edited 1 time in total.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
User avatar
jamesbradbury
Posts: 67
Joined: 7 Nov 2014, 4:58pm
Contact:

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by jamesbradbury »

I'm 36, doing maybe 1000 miles a year since my teens, and never been hit by any vehicle, although had a couple of angry exchanges.

For the last couple of years I've done a couple of miles a day across town with my daughter in a child seat. Anecdotaly, drivers do seen to be a bit more patient and careful. The way they should normally behave, of course.
kwackers
Posts: 15643
Joined: 4 Jun 2008, 9:29pm
Location: Warrington

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by kwackers »

I've been knocked off on a roundabout by a vehicle that overtook and cut across my path (says he mistook my flashing rear light for an indicator and thought I was turning off!).

Knocked off by a car coming on to a roundabout as I was passing the junction - fortunately had enough time to brake and swerve so they only clipped my front wheel. Car didn't stop.

Knocked off by a woman who tried to overtake coming up to some lights and then when she realised she couldn't she simply pulled back to the kerb despite the fact I was there. (In the middle of the road apparently so it was my fault).

Had a bus run into the rear of me when they were driving too close to be able to stop when I did.

Made contact but not fallen off a few other times:-
Car that pulled over into the cycle lane to drop his mate off having just passed me.
Van that undertook on a single lane roundabout as I was exiting.
User avatar
Guy951
Posts: 1599
Joined: 14 Jul 2009, 8:23am
Location: Mid Beds

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by Guy951 »

If the BBC are correct then I've never been hit by a car. Been "in collision with*" three times though.




* :roll:
What manner of creature's this, being but half a fish and half a monster
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by mjr »

They (are meant to) use that when it's under investigation. It's a step forwards from "a cyclist collided with a car" that they sometimes used.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Postboxer
Posts: 1929
Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by Postboxer »

Re. Child seats and 'POLITE' vests, how about a public information film of real footage showing the difference these make, then pointing out that people should drive like that all the time.
toomsie
Posts: 193
Joined: 25 Aug 2014, 11:05am

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by toomsie »

I am going to get a toy baby.
User avatar
Vantage
Posts: 3050
Joined: 24 Jan 2012, 1:44pm
Location: somewhere in Bolton
Contact:

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by Vantage »

No experience of using a child seat but I used a kiddie trailer for my girls for years. It was like I was carrying a big neon sign that warned I was carrying live plutonium in a paper bag.
It seemed that while drivers cared about robbing parents of their children, in not using the trailer they didn't care about robbing children of their parents. Its stupid.
Bill


“Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel. But ride.” ~ Eddy Merckx
It's a rich man whos children run to him when his pockets are empty.
User avatar
Si
Moderator
Posts: 15191
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 7:37pm

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by Si »

Yup, when you take kids out to do bikeability one of the most annoying things is that people won't drive like they normally do.....you are trying to teach kids about road priorities and so many car drivers just stop and wave them across at every other junction!
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by reohn2 »

Si wrote:Yup, when you take kids out to do bikeability one of the most annoying things is that people won't drive like they normally do.....you are trying to teach kids about road priorities and so many car drivers just stop and wave them across at every other junction!


We've had one or two close encounters on the tandem with my 10 year granddaughter,not many granted,but it's hard to tell as we aren't out for more than three hours and most of that is on cycle/towpaths
Last edited by reohn2 on 13 Nov 2014, 6:32pm, edited 1 time in total.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by mjr »

Si wrote:Yup, when you take kids out to do bikeability one of the most annoying things is that people won't drive like they normally do.....you are trying to teach kids about road priorities and so many car drivers just stop and wave them across at every other junction!

Isn't that normal where you are yet? Happens quite a lot in West Norfolk, although you mustn't bet on it. As I was coasting and signalling to turn right across the A10* into my drive a few days ago, an oncoming driver stopped and flashed me across... but I'd prepared myself to turn behind him (where nothing was following) so if I had tried to change it, there seemed a fair chance I'd end up beneath his front bumper! I actually waved him across. I think that surprised him :-)

* - I use the A10 for less than 30m. It's possible to avoid it completely but the designers made a bit of a mess of the nearest cycleway access, so I usually prefer to do a left-right staggered crossing.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
User avatar
Tigerbiten
Posts: 2503
Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by Tigerbiten »

I done around 37,500 miles in the last five years since getting the recumbent trike-trailer.
I had a few near misses (once with a train) and crashed a couple of times due to the state of the road.
But I've yet to be in a crash which involves a car.
Then again the extra width on the road means I'm always riding in primary, so it harder for cars just to squeeze through a narrow gap with the trike.
Plus the astonishing factor defiantly helps keep cars away ........ :D

I did have a couple of crashes with cars as a young adult.
User avatar
661-Pete
Posts: 10593
Joined: 22 Nov 2012, 8:45pm
Location: Sussex

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by 661-Pete »

Vantage wrote:It seemed that while drivers cared about robbing parents of their children, in not using the trailer they didn't care about robbing children of their parents. Its stupid.
I think there are petrolheads out there who honestly believe that cyclists are not capable of having children.

In fact, I recall that, during my teens, I was warned that my persistent cycling would imperil my manhood and my chances of becoming a father. :shock:

That proved to be not the case... :)
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
andrewk
Posts: 354
Joined: 20 May 2011, 3:19pm
Location: SW London

Re: Anyone not been hit by a car

Post by andrewk »

To put this into perspective, I have been knocked off by a car/ van 3 or 4 times whilst cycling, I have been hit by a car / van / taxi / lorry almost 20 times whilst driving or stationary in my car (other driver to blame). Fortunately no serious injuries. The roads are a dangerous place,(witness the number of times someone has driven into me) but one is fairly well protected in one's car, not so on a bicycle or motorbike.
The government has run a "think bike" campaign in the past, probably needs rerunning again coupled with a think bicycle campaign...too many drivers seem to be not concentrating on driving whilst at the wheel.
BTW I have had my fault collisions in the past (not only others driving into me) but currently have a 17 year NCD...so possibly not one of the worst drivers out there.
Post Reply