Reston Waste - scary HGV incident

BentMikey

Check out Gaz's video here:

Reston Waste LR08 XCO Lack of indication = Danger to cyclists

Agent57

It didn't seem very scary to me. I thought it was going to actually turn a sharp left across his path.

downfader

Agent57 wrote:

It didn't seem very scary to me. I thought it was going to actually turn a sharp left across his path.

Wasnt this the one where the driver is in the wrong lane and just drives into the left lane without indicating?

Oh and the smashed up wingmirrors (pretty sure thats illegal or a breach of H&S) :?

Stone Glider

It looked plenty scary to me. The truck sliced accross the lane to leave nothing for Gaz

amaferanga

Not good driving by the truck driver, but shouldn't the cyclists have been in the lane 2nd from the left and not the left hand lane if they were taking the right fork?

PBo

amaferanga wrote:

Not good driving by the truck driver, but shouldn't the cyclists have been in the lane 2nd from the left and not the left hand lane if they were taking the right fork?

i'd just typed a similar response....not to excuse the driver, but as a discussion point for learning....

downfader

amaferanga wrote:

Not good driving by the truck driver, but shouldn't the cyclists have been in the lane 2nd from the left and not the left hand lane if they were taking the right fork?

It looked to me as if Gaz was going straight ahead and the cyclist in front was possibly in the wrong lane (perhaps he could confirm this later) by his later positioning :?

lost_in_thought

Agreed, cyclist turning right shouldn't have started out over to the left.

Furthermore, definitely not what I'd call a scary incident, truck didn't even get close to him. The truck was a little cheeky, perhaps, but not 'A Danger To Cyclists'.

:roll:

BentMikey

It was only not an incident because gaz corrected and anticipated for the driver's mistake.

Agent57

Ho hum. I'm not entirely convinced the lorry was in the wrong lane. He could have just been avoiding the bus stop.

It's hard to really see the lane markings on the road clearly, but there's nothing that I saw which indicates that the left hand lane is supposed to bear to the right. And if that's the case, the cyclist was definitely in the wrong lane.

That said, I've no knowledge of that junction.

lost_in_thought

The cyclist on camera was in a daft place to begin with - he was turning right, there are 4 lanes there (grosvenor gardens, if I'm correct) so he could have been in any of the 3 rhs ones... if he was in a car he'd have had the same problem.

If we all posted a video every time we had to brake for someone not letting us change lanes this forum would be awash with youtube clips.

I agree that the skip lorry driver was a bit pushy, but the cyclist has to take some of the blame.

BentMikey

I think you've misunderstood - the left hand lane there where the cyclist is is the correct place to go straight ahead (well, actually off to the right, but technically straight ahead along Grosvenor Place). I don't understand how you can blame the cyclists when they are in the correct lane.

The skip driver was in the wrong lane, wasn't indicating to a) change lanes and b) turn left onto Grosvenor Gardens, and probably couldn't have seen anyone there anyway given the mirror. I doubt he cared either.

gaz545

It's my video in question.
When traffic is busy then taking either the left or the one next to it is dangerous, You either get vans, cars etc.. doing this, or when i took it in the other lane the other day i got a taxi undertaking me via the left lane. The junction isn't clear as to which lane is for what turning.

If you take the left lane, then this might happen but more often that not if the driver is taking that road they indicate, like they should.

Seeing as how the cyclist in front is indicating, the driver should let him go. and possibly me if he is being kind but i wasn't expecting as much when he pulled up along side me.

I had a good few words with the cyclists after that and he knew the junction well and told me it happened often, which i know is the case. doesn't make it right though.

You also can't argue with the position of his mirror. great of he wants to look at the passenger seat but not so good for us.

merkin

speaking as a van driver, I cannot drive anywhere if my nearside mirror is folded in due to the huge blind area behind, and to the side of me. If my mirror gets folded in as it sometimes does when parked or if I rub down the foliage on narrow country lanes then I have to stop stop asap to fix it. It can be very disconcerting not knowing what is happening around you.
Incidentally, I often read comments on this forum suggesting aggrieved cyclists fold mirrors in in traffic as revenge on errant motorists. I really hope people don't do this, as the sort of driver you are targeting probably won't bother fixing it until he gets home and in the meantime you are putting other cyclists at risk while he drives 30% blind.

gaz545

I see maybe 1 or 2 drivers a week with there near side mirror folded in. i give them a quick tap on the window and un-fold it. didn't notice this guy's mirror till i got home and watched the video.

PBo

gaz545 wrote:

It's my video in question.
When traffic is busy then taking either the left or the one next to it is dangerous, You either get vans, cars etc.. doing this, or when i took it in the other lane the other day i got a taxi undertaking me via the left lane. The junction isn't clear as to which lane is for what turning.

If you take the left lane, then this might happen but more often that not if the driver is taking that road they indicate, like they should.

Seeing as how the cyclist in front is indicating, the driver should let him go. and possibly me if he is being kind but i wasn't expecting as much when he pulled up along side me.

I had a good few words with the cyclists after that and he knew the junction well and told me it happened often, which i know is the case. doesn't make it right though.

You also can't argue with the position of his mirror. great of he wants to look at the passenger seat but not so good for us.

yet another thing sent to test us.....!

rml380z

Tricky to tell unless you're there, but if I was gaz545 with the camera, under normal circumstances, I'd have probably positioned myself further over to the right, in the center of the lane directly behind the white van.

In this case, such a position would have been more dangerous, possibly fatal.

Headhuunter

In that situation I certainly wouldn't have waited at the extreme left whilst the light was red. I would have pulled way out front of the thick white stop line, out past the ASL (usually blocked by traffic in any case) and past any ped crossing and have taken the lane which would have prevented any traffic left hooking or passing me and only let it past once I was ready and through the junction. If they use their horns - flip 'em the finger.... Rather they're delayed for literally a couple of seconds than I go under the wheels of some stoopid lorry driver....

gaz545

So filtering through big vehicles? and not knowing when the lights are going to change?
no thank you.

_Brun_

I often park meself in primary behind big stuff at lights. I've never felt even slightly uncomfortable not knowing the lights have changed until whatever's in front moves.

Now you've got me worried I'm dicing with death for reasons I don't understand. Could you elaborate?

Edit - Sorry, completely misread the post which you were referring to. Will leave the above as evidence that I'm not embarrassed by my occasional dimwittedness.

Headhuunter

gaz545 wrote:

So filtering through big vehicles? and not knowing when the lights are going to change?
no thank you.

No, you were right up at the head of the queue but alongside the front vehicle from what I could see of the film, I would have pushed further forward and placed myself in the middle of the lane, way ahead of the front of the queue of traffic so that I can control traffic behind me and its ability to turn left across my path. You placed yourself alongside the front vehicle which accelerated away leaving the way clear for other traffic to file through/past you and potentially left hook you. If you get in front of them then they can't do that.

BentMikey

Headhuunter wrote:

No, you were right up at the head of the queue but alongside the front vehicle from what I could see of the film.

Err no. Gaz was at the back of the queue in lane 1. A little more to the left than normal, but I would be there too, given the Reston vehicle in lane 2 next to him.

Headhuunter

BentMikey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

No, you were right up at the head of the queue but alongside the front vehicle from what I could see of the film.

Err no. Gaz was at the back of the queue in lane 1. A little more to the left than normal, but I would be there too, given the Reston vehicle in lane 2 next to him.

I don't understand. Gaz is the guy on the road bike in front of the camerman? Yes? He's stopped at the thick white line with the traffic, at the head of the queue right at the left. What I was saying is that I would place myself in front of the thick white line at the lights and in front of the traffic

BentMikey

No, that's Mr. A.N. Other cyclist. Gaz is wearing the camera.

Headhuunter

Oh I geddit.... I thought we were watching the cyclist in front not the cameraman. Well, in any case, I would certainly have put myself across to the right and filtered to the front. There seems to be a fair amount of space to the right of the white van which Gaz stops alongside.... But it's hard to judge from that little camer shot...

supersonic

To see the junction better, go to google maps and street view. 'Straight on' does indeed veer round to the right, with the road the truck takes a left off it.

BentMikey

Headhuunter wrote:

Oh I geddit.... I thought we were watching the cyclist in front not the cameraman. Well, in any case, I would certainly have put myself across to the right and filtered to the front. There seems to be a fair amount of space to the right of the white van which Gaz stops alongside.... But it's hard to judge from that little camer shot...

I don't think I would have - too little time, and Gaz's positioning is pretty spot on. As is his anticipation and avoidance of the bad driving to come.

Headhuunter

BentMikey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Oh I geddit.... I thought we were watching the cyclist in front not the cameraman. Well, in any case, I would certainly have put myself across to the right and filtered to the front. There seems to be a fair amount of space to the right of the white van which Gaz stops alongside.... But it's hard to judge from that little camer shot...

I don't think I would have - too little time, and Gaz's positioning is pretty spot on. As is his anticipation and avoidance of the bad driving to come.

I think if I'd had no choice and been stuck where Gaz was, as the traffic moved off I would have slotted in behind the van in the middle of the lane to prevent traffic behind cutting across in front. I try to stay out of the gutter as much as possible.

BentMikey

Headhuunter wrote:

I think if I'd had no choice and been stuck where Gaz was, as the traffic moved off I would have slotted in behind the van in the middle of the lane to prevent traffic behind cutting across in front. I try to stay out of the gutter as much as possible.

Why do you think Gaz didn't do that in this particular circumstance?

PBo

BentMikey wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

I think if I'd had no choice and been stuck where Gaz was, as the traffic moved off I would have slotted in behind the van in the middle of the lane to prevent traffic behind cutting across in front. I try to stay out of the gutter as much as possible.

Why do you think Gaz didn't do that in this particular circumstance?

ooooh! a test!!!!

gaz545

Headhuunter wrote:

Oh I geddit.... I thought we were watching the cyclist in front not the cameraman. Well, in any case, I would certainly have put myself across to the right and filtered to the front. There seems to be a fair amount of space to the right of the white van which Gaz stops alongside.... But it's hard to judge from that little camer shot...

The more space you take up on the right the harder it is for the HGV driver to see you, i stayed to the left so he could see me clearly if he looked.


From the video it's clear to see that me and the other cyclist had enough experience to know that this is going to happen and to hold back. but what if it was someone else who had only just started? a non indicating lorry which doesn't give way is just going to cause an accident.