Riding into the sun considered dangerous.

MichaelW

Time for that twice-yearly warning to newbie commuters to be aware that when riding into a low sun, drivers behind you can be totally blinded and cannot see you. Lights are useless and high visibility clothing is of little use. This is especially bad on narrow, straight, fast and wet roads.
If you ride Eastwards at sunrise or Westwards at sundown take care. Consider using alternate routes or (if you work flexitime) changing your commute times.

lockstock666

I have notice the exact same thing. One of the main roads on my journey is travelling east right as the sun is low in the sky.

I just use the cycle path every morning now, as I feared being rear ended at 40+mph. It means crossing the road, taking a less direct route and crossing back over the road but for the sake of 1 minute it's much less risky.

Keith1983

I hate those conditions as a driver, the worrying thing isn't just the vulnerability of other road users but the majority of people who seem incapable of driving/riding etc appropriately to the conditions.

HebdenBiker

A timely warning and absolutely spot on, but what does the law say about continuing to drive when you basically can't see where you're going?

To me, "I was blinded by the sun so I didn't see the cyclist" should be no defence at all. Anyone know if there are any precedents in law here?

bails87

Yes. I seem to remember a van driver said exactly that after killing a cyclist and was pretty much told "Oh, fair enough, carry on then".

HebdenBiker

bails87 wrote:

Yes. I seem to remember a van driver said exactly that after killing a cyclist and was pretty much told "Oh, fair enough, carry on then".

Oh, great :roll:

bails87

http://www.newlawjournal.co.uk/nlj/cont ... ture-clash

Anthony Maynard, a 25-year-old experienced cyclist was on an evening training ride with a club-mate. On a dual-carriageway near Henley, both were struck by a van that had overtaken another vehicle and then pulled in to the nearside lane killing Mr Maynard and injuring his companion. No prosecution was brought, apparently on the basis that the van driver had been dazzled by the sun and could not therefore see what was, or was not, in the road space that he was driving into at speed

http://www.readingcyclingclub.com/node/321

Lazarus

Just a side note to mention that even though YOU might going in the opposite direction to the problem, cars approaching you from up ahead still have to combat this problem and they dont always do this successfully

I had a lovely ride in an ambulance a few years ago due to a car driver approaching from up ahead and taking a chance because she couldn't see. I got T-Boned through the air and landed ungracefully in a bus stop.

Still the warning letter she received for doing it, probably taught her a lesson she will never forget :roll:

cougie

Very wise words - three of my clubmates were hit like this. One died.

theslowone

Thank you MichaelW. As a relative newbie to the world of daily cycle commuting I had not even thought of this. In hindsight I have placed myself in danger over the last few weeks. :oops:

As a general call to all you experienced cyclists. would certainly be grateful for any other such advice, and that is not being sarcastic. Genuinely I beleive that one reason that people like me look at these forums is for just such advice.

I promise not to feel patronised when advice seems obvious I am big enough to take advice from more experienced cyclists in the way it was intended.

dodgy

cougie wrote:

Very wise words - three of my clubmates were hit like this. One died.

I still say a few words every time I go past the spot, it's something I will probably always do.

jomoj

good advice about the sun although to be pedantic, it rises in the ESE and sets WSW this time of year, rather than due E / W. This is a pretty cool website for illustrating this
http://suncalc.net/#/55.3781,-3.436,3/2011.10.28/09:27

As for other advice - wet leaves are a slip hazard this time of year, they can be as bad as oil / ice.

MichaelW

Astronomically speaking, you are correct, but the sun usually has to rise above trees and buildings before it can blind drivers, so the sun is more E/W aligned when it is most harmful to riders.

jomoj

...except it moves south as it rises so it is more likely to be SE SW

velocestrapture

I was going to say that you should take particular care if you have a carbon bike, as it is likely to melt much more quickly than a steel or alu frame.

But then I realised that the OP was actually giving some decent, sensible advice and a flippant comment would definitely be out of place.