Need help identifying this truck that nearly ran me over this morning

kirving

The thing about wide angle / fisheye lenses as you see here is that they distort images in a way that makes areas at the edge of the picture appear bigger (and to the human eye, closer) than they actually are.

Is the image also cropped, so we only see the right of the image? It seems like an odd resolution.

It certainly looks like a close pass, that’s not in dispute, but if it was a Micra that passed it wouldn’t look half as bad. Is a Gard supposed to prosecute a driver, on a distorted video and how someone felt about it?

What I’m getting at, is that this 1.5m guideline is difficult for a motorist to judge with any degree of accuracy, feels completely different from the cyclists point of view depending on the size, shape and noise of the vehicle, and still isn’t enough in my mind.

I drive on N roads, and country roads quite a bit and try to fully cross the white line where possible to give the cyclist more room than they could ever need.

Wishbone Ash

vicwatson wrote: »

And you know the driver was working for less than 6 months do you?

Perhaps you should read my post again.

Macy0161

Kevin Irving wrote: »

What I’m getting at, is that this 1.5m guideline is difficult for a motorist to judge with any degree of accuracy, feels completely different from the cyclists point of view depending on the size, shape and noise of the vehicle, and still isn’t enough in my mind.

I drive on N roads, and country roads quite a bit and try to fully cross the white line where possible to give the cyclist more room than they could ever need.

To give exactly 1.5m maybe difficult, but it's not that difficult to give at least that space. Basically treat a cyclist (or pair or group) of cyclists with the same room you would a tractor or HGV.

Most close passes I've experienced have been clearly impatience and/or deliberate punishment passes. They haven't been a problem with lack of being able to judge distance. They're usually on N or R roads that do have a white line down the middle, so vehicles do have enough space to pass safely, if they're prepared to do the right thing and wait until they can see what is coming on the other side!

In my experience, on narrow L roads, everyone gets on fine actually. The group will single out and the vehicle will give as much space as possible at a relatively slow speed. It's the roads where there is space that the incidents actually tend to happen, which is purely driver choice. Like the picture above - we can see the broken white line coming, the driver chose to squeeze past on the bend rather than wait, what? 10 seconds where he could see and legally cross the centre line?

Anyone who can't judge a safe distance shouldn't be driving.

Kaisr Sose

blueb wrote: »

you should have pulled in more mate...

What a novel suggestion!

Chiparus

Similar episode for me a month ago , my wife was almost creamed by a HGV, called the haulage firm with the video, and theowner called back to apologise and would talk to the driver, that said I have not cycled that road since .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZqwggwHM_E

It was actually closer than the video shows , the main problem was the speed.

Stealthfins

Jawgap wrote:

Cyclists cycling two-abreast on a narrow country road may well be being inconsiderate, but it is not illegal and it is not inherently dangerous - if someone has to wait until a decent stretch of road materialises to allow a safe overtake to be made then they wait......for as long as it takes. If they decide to go for it on an unsuitable stretch of road then they their decision has created the danger, not the cyclists.

There's Long stretches at road,that's why they call it the new line.

But cyclists still cycle two abreast along the long line.

I'm willing to pass when there's safe room to pass them out,usually they just cycle along admiring the hedera helix and taxus bacatta,along with the flowers.

The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them.

Tractors usually pull in and let everyone pass,cyclists....Nada

iwillhtfu

Stealthfins wrote: »

There's Long stretches at road,that's why they call it the new line.

But cyclists still cycle two abreast along the long line.

I'm willing to pass when there's safe room to pass them out,usually they just cycle along admiring the hedera helix and taxus bacatta,along with the flowers.

The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them.

Tractors usually pull in and let everyone pass,cyclists....Nada

Is it fair for you to assume we're all the same and act/think alike.

I will gladly move into single file to allow cars to pass if it is safe to do so yet you seem to assume all cyclists would do the opposite. I think the issue you have is that you believe we all have a common mentality.

You drive a car I don't automatically assume to believe you're an ass hole trying to kill me in it. Should I?

mp31

Rang the manager again today and he told me the company were not happy with the driver and had complaints from some of their customers and this appeared to be the last straw and was sacked.

As I'd also logged the incident with TrafficWatch, I got a call back from the Gardai and I'm going over on Friday to make a statement and provide them with the video footage on DVD.

poochiem

Kevin Irving wrote: »

The thing about wide angle / fisheye lenses as you see here is that they distort images in a way that makes areas at the edge of the picture appear bigger (and to the human eye, closer) than they actually are.

Is the image also cropped, so we only see the right of the image? It seems like an odd resolution.

It certainly looks like a close pass, that’s not in dispute, but if it was a Micra that passed it wouldn’t look half as bad. Is a Gard supposed to prosecute a driver, on a distorted video and how someone felt about it?

It's the opposite. Wide-angle lenses make objects away from the centre of the lens appear farther away - it's the same perspective distortion that prompted mirror manufacturers to use the phrase 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear'. It's called extension distortion in photography.

Stealthfins

iwillhtfu wrote:

Is it fair for you to assume we're all the same and act/think alike.

Am,I'm talking about people cycling the new line.
Not cyclists in general.

Is it fair for you to think that I think that I think like that ?

Stealthfins

Not at all I know some cyclists who're very intelligent wealthy and not one bit common.

Although some have a common enough way of expressing their anger towards motorized vehicles.

Anyway I'm sorry for going off topic,enough said....

Enjoy the soft evening wherever you're cycling...

68 lost souls

Stealthfins wrote: »

How can someone in a car pass out two cyclists at a safe distance ?
And they cycling beside one another on a country road chatting away about the lovely flora and fauna no doubt.

Try driving around the newline between Tubber and Kinvara or some of the other roads in the Burren.

It's a disgrace how cyclists can get away dangerous cycling in tourism areas,blocking traffic and slowing people down.

https://youtu.be/WJiixtKuVq8

iwillhtfu

Stealthfins wrote: »

Am,I'm talking about people cycling the new line.
Not cyclists in general.

Is it fair for you to think that I think that I think like that ?

Regardless of where they cycle you're generalising cyclists. I can't understand your mentality.

Would you have the same sense of urgency and anger if it were a father cycling 2 abreast with his daughter who is only learning the ropes. Who think he is affording her some sense of security by creating a buffer between her and the gob****es on our roads.

You seem to think cyclists are the issue I'm trying to point out it's individuals that you have an issue with not cyclists in general.

Chiparus

Stealthfins wrote: »

There's Long stretches at road,that's why they call it the new line.

But cyclists still cycle two abreast along the long line.

I'm willing to pass when there's safe room to pass them out,usually they just cycle along admiring the hedera helix and taxus bacatta,along with the flowers.

The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them.

Tractors usually pull in and let everyone pass,cyclists....Nada

New line in Wexford a couple of years ago Mother and Daughter cycling single file, allowing the cars to pass at speed.
One of them forgot the trailer he was towing , killing the mother and seriously injuring the daughter. If they were cycling two abreast this would not have happened.

magicbastarder

Stealthfins wrote: »

The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them.

how often does this happen you?

ted1

Stealthfins wrote: »

There's Long stretches at road,that's why they call it the new line.

But cyclists still cycle two abreast along the long line.

I'm willing to pass when there's safe room to pass them out,usually they just cycle along admiring the hedera helix and taxus bacatta,along with the flowers.

The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them.

Tractors usually pull in and let everyone pass,cyclists....Nada

Single file is harder for you to pass . You need twice the time and twice the distance.

Single occupancy cars clog the roads on a daily basis and no one says anything about them

Stealthfins

I going to buy meself a byke....
If I kant beet yes aisle jine ye ðŸ˜

Wishbone Ash

Stealthfins wrote: »

....The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them......

Probably 95% of us are also motorists. We don't seem to have any difficulty passing cyclists when we're out driving so are constantly surprised at the amount of non-cycling motorists who seem to have this other affliction.

kirving

poochiem wrote: »

It's the opposite. Wide-angle lenses make objects away from the centre of the lens appear farther away - it's the same perspective distortion that prompted mirror manufacturers to use the phrase 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear'. It's called extension distortion in photography.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisheye_lens#/media/File:Imagine_being_a_fly_VLT.jpg

In the image I linked, does the railing on the right hand side get smaller or bigger as it moves toward the edge of the image?

What I'm saying is that unless you know the full characteristics of the lens, and also the type and quality of fisheye correction algorithm used for the camera, it is nigh on impossible to work out how far away the truck was with any degree of certainty.

It also looks to me as though the image is cropped so as to make the truck take up more area.

Since the driver didn't hit the OP, and it's very difficult to tell exactly what happened from the photo, I don't understand the vigor in reporting it to the Gardai.

omri

Kevin Irving wrote: »

Since the driver didn't hit the OP, and it's very difficult to tell exactly what happened from the photo, I don't understand the vigor in reporting it to the Gardai.

Get on the bike and experience first hand getting passed by with very little distance by car/van/bus/truck and you surely will feel as the OP did.

kirving

I cycle country roads quite a bit, I know what it's like.

HPT

Stealthfins wrote:

The cyclists are not willing to go single file,they're far too selfish to pull in.

So is it fair to be driving behind two cyclists along a long stretch with a stream of cars behind them.

magicbastarder wrote: »

how often does this happen you?

I know I wasn't asked, but just for balance, it happens to me regularly.

Tzardine

It really does not look that close.

And no I am not the truck driver

Eric Cartman

magicbastarder wrote: »

how often does this happen you?

Happens to me every single weekend. A lot of places there are even cycle paths that the lycra clad crews refuse to use for some reason .

also to the OP - the truck doesn't look that close, you didn't die, if it was really terrifying - pull in and let it pass. Please stop cycling country roads.

Wishbone Ash

Eric Cartman wrote: »

... if it was really terrifying - pull in and let it pass. Please stop cycling country roads.

Jesus wept!

furiousox

So use cycle lanes that are full of glass, pull over every time you hear a vehicle behind you and only cycle on motorways?
Riiigght.... :rolleyes:

Eric Cartman

furiousox wrote: »

So use cycle lanes that are full of glass, pull over every time you hear a vehicle behind you and only cycle on motorways?
Riiigght.... :rolleyes:

i dont recall saying that , but sticking to wide roads with lots of room to pass or those cycle paths would help. If the cycle lanes are full of glass complain to the council. I can't decide to drive on the pavement because the road has glass in it.

Kaisr Sose

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Happens to me every single weekend. A lot of places there are even cycle paths that the lycra clad crews refuse to use for some reason .

also to the OP - the truck doesn't look that close, you didn't die, if it was really terrifying - pull in and let it pass. Please stop cycling country roads.

That really insightful of you. The funny thing is, the first a cyclist knows about a close /dangerous overtake is when it's happening. By then, it's too late to pull in. A cyclist should not have to deal with trucks passing too close. It's dangerous and inconsiderate. You really need to educate yourself to have some sort of respect and awareness of the rules of the road - which state a motorist should pass a cyclist at a safe distance. Your definition of safe is seriously questionable!

JBokeh

ted1 wrote: »

Single file is harder for you to pass . You need twice the time and twice the distance.

Only if you're using cruise control, chances are you'll come up on a group, slow to whatever speed they're doing, wait for your window and boot it, might be doing 35kph passing the first guy and 55 passing the 4th.


I've no bother passing cyclists, I go closer to the ditch when I am cycling just as a gesture, I'd say it barely makes any difference to the cars. Only time I've had a real issue with cyclists on the road is when I came up on a club spin of maybe 16 riders, that had become right spread out, but not spread out enough to do a bit of a leap frog manurve safely.

tigerboon

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Happens to me every single weekend. A lot of places there are even cycle paths that the lycra clad crews refuse to use for some reason .

also to the OP - the truck doesn't look that close, you didn't die, if it was really terrifying - pull in and let it pass. Please stop cycling country roads.

This is one of the thickest things I have ever read on the whole of the internet