Speed bumps: Cars 'cheating' them

xenon337

My commute home generally takes me down a road peppered with speed bumps. The square type, where generally, a driver can opt to not slow down and simply take the speed bump between the wheels of the car.

Problem is, that generally means they have moved half to a foot closer to curb, so if you are cycling alongside, things just got tight.

Yesterday, I was overtaken by a car (so he knows I was around), but was effectively along side for a while due to slow moving traffic, when the guy 'pulled in' to avoid a speed bump.

Queue horn and evasive manoeuvres all round.

The drivers opinion was that I should not be along side. Even suggesting if I was going past him if he was slowed in traffic, I should be doing it on the outside (driver side)...?

Have no problem if I have this wrong, and will ride accordingly, but I assume there is no problem with me 'undertaking' on a bike curbside?

And primarily, what is the deal with cars avoiding speed bumps in such a way when they know cyclists are around. Is it disregard for basic 'due care and attention' and dangerous driving?

neiltb

you could counter that if he's overtaking he should be sure he can complete the manouvre. best to anticipate idiots (easy, assume they all are) and slow accordingly.

kurako

I tend to cycle as close to the speed bump as possible. That will discourage the squeeze as they can't get their wheels either side if you're there

If someone is determined to get past you there's not much you can do other than let them go. You can take that as an opportunity for a little light enterainment if you pass them further along the road. Go past really slowly, whistling a merry tune or raise you arms in the air in a victory celebration as they sit fuming in traffic about not being able to get home faster than an effing bicycle

As a general rule, I normally pass bumper to bumper traffic on the right. Less chance of a left hook and drivers are more conditioned to check the right side before manouvering. Also the blind spot tends to be smaller due to most cars being right hand drive.

Giant Jon

Yep, unfortunately 'undertaking' other vehicles is not allowed. Being part of the highway code that all drivers are 'supposed' to follow, overtaking is the expected method for passing. The only exception is when you are travelling in laned traffic, and the other lane is slower or stopped. This is the idea behind cycle lanes in city centres, it allows you to keep moving.

If however the driver of the vehicle overtaking you suddenly veers to the left and narrowly misses you, they are driving carelessly. Feel free to report them to the police, but good luck trying to prove it...

As for cheating the speed bumps, those square bumps are designed to allow emergency service vehicles to pass along the street without slowing them down. Their drivers are specially trained, and should be able to judge how fast is too fast. In my view they're useless unless drivers have no spatial awareness. My car can easily straddle them without slowing down.

xenon337

I do wonder about overtaking bumper to bumper traffic on the right hand side, but worry if the traffic starts to move before I clear it, I am going to get stranded in the middle of the road!

Is there a guideline on 'undertaking' on the left though. I seem to spend a lot of time in slower traffic, so this happens a lot.

I guess common sense says I need to defer to cars if I suspect they are about to go all freestyle around speed bumps as I will always come of second best, just curious where the law stands (if at all) with regards that scenario, being cut up by a car attempting to avoid a speed bump rather than slow down sufficiently to go over it.

xenon337

Giant Jon wrote:

Yep, unfortunately 'undertaking' other vehicles is not allowed. Being part of the highway code that all drivers are 'supposed' to follow, overtaking is the expected method for passing. The only exception is when you are travelling in laned traffic, and the other lane is slower or stopped. This is the idea behind cycle lanes in city centres, it allows you to keep moving.

Cheers mate, at least I know now. Been a good few years since I did my cycling proficiency!

Mr Plum

I'd say this one's on the car driver to finish their overtaking manoeuvre before the speed bump, then if they decide they want to avoid the speed bump by placing a wheel either side and positioning their car in the road in such a way to do so, you're able to see this happening in front of you and slow accordingly. If they're squeezing you to the curb due to a half finished overtake, then they should take the speed bump or slow down to allow you to clear their car before moving in.

Anyway, +1 to neiltb, it's best to anticipate idiots...

captainfly

Does nobody know their highway code? http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /index.htm
R.ules 151 and 163, slow moving traffic and taking cover this, putting responisbility onto car drivers. Seriously know and keep upto date with the highway code, at least you will know you were in the right :roll:

nicklouse

captainfly wrote:

Does nobody know their highway code? http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /index.htm
R.ules 151 and 163, slow moving traffic and taking cover this, putting responisbility onto car drivers. Seriously know and keep upto date with the highway code, at least you will know you were in the right :roll:

so how does one find these rules?

as you have not directly linked or give a clue to where they are.

Carp web page design.

kurako

captainfly wrote:

Does nobody know their highway code? http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /index.htm
R.ules 151 and 163, slow moving traffic and taking cover this, putting responisbility onto car drivers. Seriously know and keep upto date with the highway code, at least you will know you were in the right :roll:

This has been gone over a lot before but anyway..

The Highway Code is mostly guidelines rather than law. The legally enforcable bits are emphasised with MUST or MUST NOT and a reference to the relevant legislation. I prefer to ride in a way which I feel is safest which includes not filtering up the left if I can help it. There's not much consolation being in the right when you're picking yourself up off the ground having been knocked off.

As neiltb said, assume everyone is an idiot. That way you'll be pleasantly surprised when you come across someone who is not.

The converse is to go around assuming that everyone knows and follows the same rules as you do. The surprise will not be so pleasant when you actually do come across an idiot.

Back to the original point. When passing those speed cushions I pass as close as possible to the bump to take away the temptation for the squeeze. Remember the dude behind just may be an idiot and listen for the tell tale sound of revving which is normally followed by a crap overtake.

Blue Meanie

You miss the point. In these situations the cyclist is the perceived 'traffic calming' obstacle as clearly without the cyclist in the way the car driver could proceed at normal traffic speeds. Similarly with island 'pinch-points'.

The onus of reponsibility is on the overtaking road-user to complete the manouvre safely, however...

captainfly

nicklouse wrote:

captainfly wrote:

Does nobody know their highway code? http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /index.htm
R.ules 151 and 163, slow moving traffic and taking cover this, putting responisbility onto car drivers. Seriously know and keep upto date with the highway code, at least you will know you were in the right :roll:

so how does one find these rules?

as you have not directly linked or give a clue to where they are.

Carp web page design.

I remembered them, then checked my hard copy, which every uk road user should have The link was to the general uk government site with all the highway code rules, but clicking the http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/Cyclists/index.htm under cyclists on the right there are more direct links.

I thought the point was the argument with the driver and the highway code which is the generaly accepted guidelins for driving and are what the police and courts use when common sense fails

jeremyrundle

Moves to make motorists responsible for all accident involving cyclsits has been modelled on regulations in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, which are heavily skewed in favour of cyclists.
Even in cases where a crash results from illegal or dangerous manoeuvres by the cyclist, the motorist is usually blamed.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z17srw0SrK

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... LISTS.html

Speed humps for cyclists

Initialised

Highway Code wrote:

163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should:

not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car

167
DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example:

when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down

So yeah, both of these were breached

Source

unixnerd

I often wonder if the rise of speed bumps has aided the rise in large 4x4 ownership. Most of those just ignore them.