Steamed up windows

PO Paul

Careful out there, now the mornings are turning a bit nippy, some motorists don't bother to ensure they have good visibility out of all windows before starting their journey.
I had one this morning, pulled out of a side turning straight in front of me. I anticipated it might happen because I couldn't see the driver, so was pretty confident they couldn't see me. I eased up on the speed a bit and pulled out right onto the central line. As they pulled out I looked in through the windscreen and saw a pair of eyes through a 6" square of clear windscreen. The rest of the windscreen and all the other windows were no go areas. After making my views known I slowed down, allowing them to get in front of me, I didn't want them behind me.

graeme_s-2

Yesterday morning I was cycling along a residential road somewhere in between the secondary and primary position. As I came round a gentle bend I found a car with no headlamps on and a steamed up windscreen heading towards me on my side of the road. I slowed right down, not wanting to pull out to go around them in case they pulled across to the correct side of the road.

The car continued to move towards me, I slowly rounded the corner enough to be head on to them, at which point my Dinotte 200L was aiming directly at the windscreen. At this point the car stopped suddenly and a hand wiped some of the condensation away from the inside of the window. A woman then grinned sheepishly at me, and waved for me to go around her, which I quickly did. I then proceeded to put as much room between me and her as I could as quickly as possible.

Eat My Dust

Add in the low sunlight in the mornings at this time of year and you have a great recipe for being rearended as well. Saying that, I do love the morning rides at this time of year.

Gussio

Eat My Dust wrote:

Add in the low sunlight in the mornings at this time of year and you have a great recipe for being rearended as well. Saying that, I do love the morning rides at this time of year.

No light of any kind when I leave the house during this season, sunny or otherwise. Mildly depressing heading to work through the murk, but it would be much worse on public transport.

Guessing that they will start gritting the roads soon, if they aren't already. Throw a bit of rain into the equation and you have salt crusting up on windscreens. Nice.

Ian Sims

PO Paul wrote:

Careful out there, now the mornings are turning a bit nippy, some motorists don't bother to ensure they have good visibility out of all windows before starting their journey.

It's a common occurrence here too. This is an excerpt from the NZ Road Code

"To improve visibility, keep all windows and mirrors clean. Don't let windows fog up – turn on the demister or open a window."

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be something that is enforced - too busy with other things I suppose. However, NZ does have something called Community Roadwatch where you can report "poor driving", which I would consider having good visibility comes under, that enables the public to at least report them. Of course, you need a vehicle registration and details of the incident. The Police will send the driver a warning letter and confirm they have done so to you.

El Gordo

Same thing happened to me last week. Driver pulls out of a side road right in front of me but as per PO Paul I'd seen his steamy windows and slowed down expecting it.

Happily the guy then had to stop at some traffic lights so I coasted up alongside him and through his now open passenger window pointed out what he'd done and that maybe it would be a good idea to demist before he sets off. He limply said that he had infact seen me which rather begs the question of why he deliberately tried to mow me down. The lights had gone green by this point so unfortunatly the discussion went no further.

As my driving instructor used to say "assume everyone else is an idiot".

mailmannz

You know we could have a "community roadwatch" thing here...but then you would get people bleating about big brother! :roll:

Mailman

spen666

El Gordo wrote:

...

As my driving instructor used to say "assume everyone else is an idiot".

or as the BSM Instructor I saw this morning weaving his way across a busy junction would have said into his phone. Great example for a driving instructor to set isn't it?

cupofteacp

Isn't steamed up windows dangerous vehicle condition?

ellesse

I know this isn't really part of the thread but i've only just started commuting (about 3-4 months ago) and every time something happens, (i'e car pulls out ext) i learn of the potential danger and am very careful of it in the future.
I guess what i'm saying is i have to have things happen for me to realize their danger, So i want to thank you guys for posting up your experiences on the road as it is really helping me build my knowledge of hazards.

Thanks guys

Crapaud

ellesse wrote:

I know this isn't really part of the thread but i've only just started commuting (about 3-4 months ago) and every time something happens, (i'e car pulls out ext) i learn of the potential danger and am very careful of it in the future.
I guess what i'm saying is i have to have things happen for me to realize their danger, So i want to thank you guys for posting up your experiences on the road as it is really helping me build my knowledge of hazards.

Thanks guys

No you don't. One of the most valuable things I did when starting back on the bike was to watch other cyclists. I saw plenty of good and bad examples of how to act in traffic from both cars and bikes. It's much safer too as you don't even have to be on the bike to do it. Let others make the mistakes and learn from them.

prj45

Not steamed up windows, but once a guy turned right across in front of me (and a bus along side me), he hadn't even stopped, just driving a long and then turned right (he was indicating).

When i questioned him he said: -

"Sorry, the sun was shining in my eyes, I couldn't see a thing"

phil_ss1

spen666 wrote:

El Gordo wrote:

...

As my driving instructor used to say "assume everyone else is an idiot".

or as the BSM Instructor I saw this morning weaving his way across a busy junction would have said into his phone. Great example for a driving instructor to set isn't it?

I'd have been straight on the phone to the local BSM ffice and complained like buggery about him/her.

Called me a miserable old bugger but until it becomes culturally unacceptable then people will keep breaking the LAW

Phil

phil_ss1

Last winter I saw a guy with steamed up windows exit our local ASDA on the wrong side of the road round a blind bend, ran straight into a van coming into the carpark!!!!

Then I nearly got ran over by another twit with steamed up windows whilst I was trying to extracate the van and car off the road! - He got a BIG gobfull of "stop and clear your screen" - Turned out his wife was looking out the side window to navigate and she hadn't seen me!!

Idiots

Phil

spen666

phil_ss1 wrote:

spen666 wrote:

El Gordo wrote:

...

As my driving instructor used to say "assume everyone else is an idiot".

or as the BSM Instructor I saw this morning weaving his way across a busy junction would have said into his phone. Great example for a driving instructor to set isn't it?

I'd have been straight on the phone to the local BSM ffice and complained like buggery about him/her.

Called me a miserable old bugger but until it becomes culturally unacceptable then people will keep breaking the LAW

Phil

If I could have remembered the car registration, then I would have done so and the DSA as well