Imminent Head On Collision

Maglia nera

Hi
I live in a semi-rural area full of narrow rat-runs that were once quiet country roads but are now used by car drivers as short cuts. I have this strong feeling that a nasty head on collision between two cars is going to happen fairly soon. A car will typically overtake me, absolutely desperate to get past but seemingly incapable of dealing with the concept of a 20mph+ bike (mothers and OAPs are the worse offenders when it comes to judging the speed of a faster bike). More often than not, the car coming in the other direction is upon them sooner than the overtaker anticipated. Result: swerving and horns.... but no crash to date. This is happening very frequently. Has anybody actually seen an overtaker hit anything coming in the other direction??

Gilbie

Teenagers on underpowered mopeds trying to crawl past you at 30+ is always fun to watch. Some kid overtook me on a downhill left hand bend and caused the oncomming car to brake heavilly. :roll:

Slow Downcp

Not seen a head on, but have seen a few near misses as you have. If I'm on a narrow lane and approaching a blind bend, or there is a car coming from both directions I edge out a little further which stops the car behind from overtaking, and then when clear move in again (but don't adjust speed) and wave them through. Most drivers realise that you've saved them from an accident and appreciate the wave to let them know it's safe and give a wave back as they pass.

mba007

Slow Downcp wrote:

Not seen a head on, but have seen a few near misses as you have. If I'm on a narrow lane and approaching a blind bend, or there is a car coming from both directions I edge out a little further which stops the car behind from overtaking, and then when clear move in again (but don't adjust speed) and wave them through. Most drivers realise that you've saved them from an accident and appreciate the wave to let them know it's safe and give a wave back as they pass.

+1

simple_salmon

I've always felt a little uneasy about waving cars through - could make you liable should an accident result(?).

IMHO car drivers should wait until they KNOW it's safe to overtake...(waves at the flying pig)

always_tyred

simple_salmon wrote:

I've always felt a little uneasy about waving cars through - could make you liable should an accident result(?).

IMHO car drivers should wait until they KNOW it's safe to overtake...(waves at the flying pig)

Agreed. Although I will sometimes thank a motorist who has had to patiently wait behind me until it is safe, it don't wave anyone past because I don't want to assume any responsibility for their driving. The same principle applies to motorists who flash people into spaces, only for those people to t-bone someone coming up the inside (e.g. a cyclist).

I do sometimes do a conspicuous shoulder check when its patently safe for someone to pass, with the intention that my body language might suggest that I am expecting a driver to be coming past. I'm not entirely sure it achieves anything, other than letting me know if anyone is indeed coming past.

Kieran_Burns

Oddly enough as I passing the entrance / exit to the local gym a car pulled up to leave and a driver the other way flashed for the lady to pull out. She looked at me coming towards and shot the other driver the filthiest look

It was almost like she was saying "for Gods sake haven't YOU seen the cyclist?!?"

I smiled and waved as I went past (damn good looking lady as well!)

simple_salmon

+1 for the wave of 'thanks'.

On a recent commute I had a lady driver wait patiently behind me for ages before passing and I thanked her. What really shocked me though was that the white van behind her continued to wait until it was safe again and after I thanked him with a wave he flashed his appreciation.

Made me feel nice inside

avoidingmyphd

it won't be a head on collision. The overtaking car will pull back in and hit you rather than hit the oncoming vehicle...

this is why strategies like taking primary when necessary to prevent the overtake in the first place are so important

always_tyred

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Oddly enough as I passing the entrance / exit to the local gym a car pulled up to leave and a driver the other way flashed for the lady to pull out. She looked at me coming towards and shot the other driver the filthiest look

It was almost like she was saying "for Gods sake haven't YOU seen the cyclist?!?"

I smiled and waved as I went past (damn good looking lady as well!)

Down boy.

Feltup

Lads on heat at the moment with his stunning bit of good fortune thread as well

Kieran_Burns

Hey! When you can

I did once wave thanks at a car that patiently waited for me to clear a busy part of the road.

Turned out to be my wife :shock:

Big Red S

simple_salmon wrote:

I've always felt a little uneasy about waving cars through - could make you liable should an accident result(?).

My understanding, from when I was doing my bike test, is that the onus is _always_ on the driver.

If someone flashes you through, that's them telling you that they're not going to get in your way, not an assurance that nothing else will.
Similarly, I'd take a cyclist waving a car through to be an indication that the cyclist feels safe to be overtaken, rather than an implication that it is safe to overtake.

cougie

I do wave cars past when necessary - as has been said - the onus is still on the driver to act safely though - but I wouldnt wave them on into the path of a truck - just for amusement or anything.

jedster

If I'm on a narrow lane and approaching a blind bend, or there is a car coming from both directions I edge out a little further which stops the car behind from overtaking

Always. Although I do more than "edge out a little", I am normally nearer the centre line than the roadside in that situation. On occasions I hear an engine revving just as I'm about to make the move so I'll stick my arm out to disuade them from coming through.

The reason that I am hot on this is that I don't think there is much risk of a head-on collision but I do think there is a VERY good chance that the overtaking driver will drive straight through me to avoid the other car!

Usually I don't wave the car through afterwards, I just make a sharp move back to secondary (or even a little closer to the gutter) which I find makes it clear that I now think it's safe for them to come through.

J

_Brun_

Surely rather than involve themselves in a nasty head on collision, the overtaking driver will simply cut in, forcing the unfortunate cyclist off the road and into the bushes?

don_don

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey! When you can

I did once wave thanks at a car that patiently waited for me to clear a busy part of the road.

Turned out to be my wife :shock:

Was she already your wife at that time, or was that the eventual result, you silver tongued devil?

Clever Pun

Big Red S wrote:

simple_salmon wrote:

I've always felt a little uneasy about waving cars through - could make you liable should an accident result(?).

My understanding, from when I was doing my bike test, is that the onus is _always_ on the driver.

If someone flashes you through, that's them telling you that they're not going to get in your way, not an assurance that nothing else will.
Similarly, I'd take a cyclist waving a car through to be an indication that the cyclist feels safe to be overtaken, rather than an implication that it is safe to overtake.

+1 exactly right.

Littigator

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Hey! When you can

I did once wave thanks at a car that patiently waited for me to clear a busy part of the road.

Turned out to be my wife :shock:

Your first post without referring to a 'nice lady' all day. Better hope your missus doesn't spot that one