Run in with lorry
morstar
Posts: 6,190
Sorry, but just venting.
Early morning bike ride, less than 1/4 mile from home after a decent training ride when it all went wrong.
Travelling around 20 mph on an urban but not major road ( this is Chorley) I become aware of a rapidly approaching lorry from behind in a 30mph zone. The last 50 metres or so before my left turn off the road has cars parked on left and a central reservation 5 - 10 metres before my turn. Fully aware that we are destined to meet at the central reservation I have only 2 options: Stop and let him by or take centre lane so he can't simply squash me to the left as this would have been lethal for me.
Opted for centre of lane and with hindsight I wish I'd done something I've never felt the need to do in years of riding and just stopped.
Lorry just kept on coming right up my arse, I signalled left well in advance and eventually dived into my left turn at full tilt where I went down on a metal grate in the middle of the turn in the wet.
Fortunately just scrapes and a swollen thumb (hopefully not broken), but the incident has definitely left a mental mark. I choose to believe the driver was just an ignorant dangerous b*stard who wasn't actually trying to kill me but I'm left cold by being forced to crash and the potential far worse consequences had I not fallen in the entrance to a side street. Lorry was right on my back end when I went down.
Didn't get number plate and the driver failed to stop. Reported to police but little hope of identifying vehicle.
Early morning bike ride, less than 1/4 mile from home after a decent training ride when it all went wrong.
Travelling around 20 mph on an urban but not major road ( this is Chorley) I become aware of a rapidly approaching lorry from behind in a 30mph zone. The last 50 metres or so before my left turn off the road has cars parked on left and a central reservation 5 - 10 metres before my turn. Fully aware that we are destined to meet at the central reservation I have only 2 options: Stop and let him by or take centre lane so he can't simply squash me to the left as this would have been lethal for me.
Opted for centre of lane and with hindsight I wish I'd done something I've never felt the need to do in years of riding and just stopped.
Lorry just kept on coming right up my arse, I signalled left well in advance and eventually dived into my left turn at full tilt where I went down on a metal grate in the middle of the turn in the wet.
Fortunately just scrapes and a swollen thumb (hopefully not broken), but the incident has definitely left a mental mark. I choose to believe the driver was just an ignorant dangerous b*stard who wasn't actually trying to kill me but I'm left cold by being forced to crash and the potential far worse consequences had I not fallen in the entrance to a side street. Lorry was right on my back end when I went down.
Didn't get number plate and the driver failed to stop. Reported to police but little hope of identifying vehicle.
0
Comments
-
Most importantly, how's the bike?Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honoursmithy21 wrote:
He's right you know.0 -
Soz Morstar. I recall years ago a coach driver squeezed me onto the pavement and I slapped the side of the coach with my hand to keep myself upright. I was fuming but caught up with him at the next set of lights and parked in front of him giving him a mouthful. He proceeded to push me along the road much to the horror of the passengers.
I did manage to take the number plate down and the Cheltenham police were helpful. The coach company suspended him for 2 weeks and sent me a written apology.
Most of the time these incidents go unnoticed and you're left cold.
Maybe your experience saved you (maybe not from the ironwork) and maybe your experience will keep you safe in the future.seanoconn - gruagach craic!0 -
The driver was a cock....., how's the bike?0
-
Bike survived. Wheels straight out from under me and hip, elbow and hands crumple zones did their jobs of protecting bike. Phew! Front wheel was slightly out of position so it did take some force but has remained true.
Just one to put down down to bitter experience I guess.
I don't feel shaken up, but I do know it has affected me as I was a bit tetchy yesterday.
The whole situation is full of irony. I almost exclusively do early morning training rides on the country lanes around here and I hardly see any cars. I am regularly thankful for the fact I have so few run ins with motorists when you read peoples horror stories on here.
This was a rare, faster ride on busier roads and it is frustrating when it's so apparent that quite a few drivers make it obvious you're an inconvenience to them. If the incident had happened further out on that route, it would have changed my attitude. I.e. One ride out on busier roads and look what happened! But it happened less than 100 yards from my front door on a bit of road I hit on 50% of my rides (assuming I return from left and right in equal measure).
Just be careful, there's some right knobs out there. And thanks for replies, a problem shared and all that.0 -
sorry to hear about this. I've finally realised there are some drivers out there who just don't care and will happily run a bike off the road or cause them to crash. Quite how they will feel after running someone over and injuring them, or worse, I haven't found out. If you see a driver like that, try and stay calm and just stop0
