Drivers so bad that they don't know they almost hit you!?

Juddlinski

Bit of a near miss yesterday, a situation that is becoming a favourite - a car pulling out from a left junction and turning left without noticing me. Had to break sharpish and gave a shout but I don't think she ( :!: ) even noticed.

This has happened a couple of times. Not only have I been almost knocked down by someone, but they've driven off blissfully unaware of my existence. Once I cycled after someone, caught up with them at a junction to let them know what they did but obviously this isn't the wisest course of action.

My question is this - have you ever had a near miss where you think that the person involved still doesn't know to this day? Or worse - have you ever had an actual knock/accident where you think the car has driven off without knowing what they've done?

slowbike

Once or twice you can understand it ... but if it's a regular occurrence then perhaps you should look at how you could make yourself more noticeable.
Flashing front light - or two ...
Bright jacket/top ...
Position on the road?

mlgt

Agreed on the comment above.
However it happens to a lot of us cyclists and we get on with it.

If you cycle on the same stretches you will be aware of such dangers. Potholes, cars turning, bus stops and manhole/drain covers.

Slow down a bit and get a better position on the road.

The Rookie

My worst was a women who overtook me, I was doing 35+mph down a hill in a 40 limit, she hadn't got past me before braking (quite hard) to turn right into her driveway, it was touch and go for 2-3 seconds whether I could stay behind her on the brakes or would have to bin it onto the grass verge, I stopped and explained what she had done, she was completely oblivious to and it was clearly one of those drivers who in her mind sees a cycle as being stationary regardless of it's actual speed.

tangled_metal

I meet a bus driver like her. He overtakes just before a mini roundabout with kerbs and central bollards that restrict road width to just wider than the bus. The space available to overtake would need me to be virtually stationary not 15 to 24mph. First time I got squeezed by the bus and had to lean against the bus with my arm. After that I'd hear the bus and sprint so I got to the roundabout before the bus. Now I've learnt to move out so cars and buses don't see a big enough gap. I've been riding further out from the e edge these days. I've read between 1 and 1.5 metres somewhere. I've noticed I've seen people holding back and not overtaking me where there are double white centre lines on blind bends. If forget and ride closer in I've found drivers see a gap where there shouldn't be one. Road position has been a recent revelation to me.

awavey

Slowbike wrote:

Once or twice you can understand it ... but if it's a regular occurrence then perhaps you should look at how you could make yourself more noticeable.
Flashing front light - or two ...
Bright jacket/top ...
Position on the road?

no I dont agree with that because its not that people arent seeing you because they cant see you, its because they dont b****y look properly in the first place. and theres very little you can do about that, its a blindspot mindset some drivers simply have that says unless you are a car shaped object theyll mostly ignore you, but then still blame you for getting in their way.

I had one the other day,I was beeped at purely because I think as soon as I was moving into a right hand turn lane.I sat up and coasted into the lane, I didnt commit to the sprint to get out of their way and its like how more noticeable could I have been,I couldnt, I shoulder checked, signalled clearly, moved confidently across the road, and still they found fault.

slowbike

awavey wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Once or twice you can understand it ... but if it's a regular occurrence then perhaps you should look at how you could make yourself more noticeable.
Flashing front light - or two ...
Bright jacket/top ...
Position on the road?

no I dont agree with that because its not that people arent seeing you because they cant see you, its because they dont b****y look properly in the first place. and theres very little you can do about that, its a blindspot mindset some drivers simply have that says unless you are a car shaped object theyll mostly ignore you, but then still blame you for getting in their way.

I did say perhaps - as in a suggestion - not that it's the answer ... the answer is for the vehicle drivers to look properly and be more considerate. But even once they've seen you car drivers can make mistakes - so cyclists should also take appropriate measures.

Mikey23

I assume that noone else on the road has seen me and everyone is trying to kill me. And i wouldnt be riding so that i couldnt react to unexpected things happening around me ie 35mph downhill in a residential area. So far its a policy thats kept me alive...

drlodge

Mikey23 wrote:

I assume that noone else on the road has seen me and everyone is trying to kill me. And i wouldnt be riding so that i couldnt react to unexpected things happening around me ie 35mph downhill in a residential area. So far its a policy thats kept me alive...

This ---^ ie ride defensively. If you see a car that might pull out, assume he/she will and slow down. They will not just do it in front of cyclists, but cars as well.

Its a fact of life, moron drivers are everywhere.

zx6man

Guy last night didnt realise he was so close to me (at around 15mph) , and the fact he didn't also realise I was holding onto his door as his passenger window was down. Bit naughty of me but when he did notice I thanked him for the assistance and rode off..

squired

Sadly some people are just in their own little world, maybe listening to music on their car stereo, or whatever. Your description reminds me of a young female driver about a year ago. I was cycling through Brixton, riding in the bus lane. She cut out from the left (turning left), almost taking me out. Luckily I hit the brakes and avoided her. About 100m up the road a car was turning right, so she just swerved into the bus lane without any warning (or use of indicators), again very nearly taking me out. Unbelievably, about 100m further up the road she then decided to make a left turn, again with no use of indicator, cutting across the bus lane and almost wiping me out a third time.

Another cyclist actually came alongside me laughing because he couldn't believe she'd almost taken me out three times in the space of a few hundred metres. Clearly she was in her own little world, simply not paying attention to anything around her. If she hasn't done already one day she will hit a car/cyclist/pedestrian and come out with the "I didn't see you" phrase.

A guy in my office was actually knocked off his bike this week in central London. He was riding in a line of cyclists on one of the cycle superhighways and a guy in a car decided to turn right. Rather than waiting for a gap he just drove through them, taking this guy over his bonnet. The result was a destroyed bike and various injuries including broken ribs. Apparently the driver said absolutely nothing other than "is everybody alright". He didn't even respond to questions about why he made the turn.

tangled_metal

Well it's easy to be human and make mistakes, multiple mistakes too. I ride and drive. I know I've made mistakes with both modes of transport. I've had that auto pilot experience of parking up the car or hopping off the bike and suddenly realising I've got no recollection of the journey. I know I've never hit anything in auto pilot but it could happen. All drivers have made bad decisions. Some just make more than others. Try and take them into account. Assume you're the target of everyone out there.

The Rookie

Mikey23 wrote:

i wouldnt be riding so that i couldnt react to unexpected things happening around me ie 35mph downhill in a residential area. .

As that was the speed I quoted I guess that was aimed at me, as with all things the right speed is determined by a range of road 'conditions' and I can assure you it's safer doing 35 than 25 there as you then get a queue of cars desperate to overtake at all costs (mostly to you) behind you.......

While it has houses it is far from Urban.

Kieran_Burns

A video for all occasions:

http://youtu.be/XBVHxbRN97c

This driver was completely unaware that I was there. If I had been driving my car I swear he would've still not been any the wiser. However: read the comments I added.

and then this: http://youtu.be/HRBQq1jQlNU

drlodge

Its nice when drivers admit their mistakes and those involved just don't go off on one.

I had a wee incident in London, 50/50 blame between me and the driver, and we had a very amicable discussion afterwards. Makes a potentially bad situation feel a bit better.

drummer_boy

Looking without seeing, I think the Police call it!! I must admit I am finding myself riding further and further into the lane to avoid being overtaken at narrow road places.

I think I read once that you should always ride/drive, as if everyone out there is on crack and wants to kill you! Not bad advice, as it often seems to be the case.

markhewitt1978

squired wrote:

A guy in my office was actually knocked off his bike this week in central London. He was riding in a line of cyclists on one of the cycle superhighways and a guy in a car decided to turn right. Rather than waiting for a gap he just drove through them, taking this guy over his bonnet. The result was a destroyed bike and various injuries including broken ribs. Apparently the driver said absolutely nothing other than "is everybody alright". He didn't even respond to questions about why he made the turn.

It's often given as advice in traffic accidents that you should enquire if everyone is ok, but otherwise say nothing.

The Rookie

Correct, insurance companies don't like anything that can sound like an admission of guilt and have been known to make it hard on the driver if they do.

As to why he made the turn, presumably he wanted to use that street he was turning into to go somewhere, bit like the chicken crossing the road to get to the other side!

mrkev83

Had a pick up driver beeping and swearing at me to move over last night and a motorbike, which really surprised me, shaking his head at me then looked to be slowing down to check my reaction

goonz

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/SMIDSY

patrickf

Tonight's driver award goes to a guy who have me an inch (maybe two) where there were three lanes.

His response? "Yeah but I didn't hit you" and "I was avoiding the cars in the other lane"

I'm getting seriously fed up of incompetent twats behind the wheel. Another recently nearly knocked me off while texting.

drlodge

patrickf wrote:

I'm getting seriously fed up of incompetent twats behind the wheel. Another recently nearly knocked me off while texting.

You shouldn't be texting while cycling.

patrickf

drlodge wrote:

patrickf wrote:

I'm getting seriously fed up of incompetent twats behind the wheel. Another recently nearly knocked me off while texting.

You shouldn't be texting while cycling.

Walked into that one didn't I?

Sad thing is I see plenty of people on BSOs texting while attempting to ride.

drlodge

patrickf wrote:

drlodge wrote:

patrickf wrote:

I'm getting seriously fed up of incompetent twats behind the wheel. Another recently nearly knocked me off while texting.

You shouldn't be texting while cycling.

Walked into that one didn't I?

Sad thing is I see plenty of people on BSOs texting while attempting to ride.

Surely you would cycle into that one not walk... :roll: :?

What really gets my goat are the pleps on BSOs wearing headphones and RLJing. I want grab them by the neck or stick a long pole in their wheel the stupid f**t*ards

Mikey23

Gert big tractor pulled out in front of me last night on a country lane had those long spiky hay bale thingy on the front. Guy was on his mobile. Red mist and ranting moment from me and a futile attempt to chase it down the road before good karma returned...