Near misses - mod warning 22/04 - see OP/post 822

CormacH94

Went for a spin out to the parents in Enfield - cycling both ways on the Maynooth/Dunboyne road had so many close passes around all those nasty bends, a few overtakes were dangerously close to oncoming traffic, one to the point where the other car had to stop and pull in to avoid them, had me F'ing and blinding for the first time since I started cycling, couldn't believe it, it was like watching attempts at natural selection all for the sake of a couple seconds saved.

Think I'll try to avoid the road as much as I can in the future, has me left a bit shook tbh.

Really hope none of the drivers ever have to look someone in the eye and explain that they maimed/killed a loved one all because they wanted to shave a couple seconds off their journey.

rushfan

Something similar happened to me outside Centra on the main st on Weds, closest I ever came to being doored. Gave yerwan a piece of my mind, water off a ducks back to her. And I even had a front light on flash mode at the time.

Seth Brundle

CormacH94 wrote: »

Went for a spin out to the parents in Enfield - cycling both ways on the Maynooth/Dunboyne road had so many close passes around all those nasty bends, a few overtakes were dangerously close to oncoming traffic, one to the point where the other car had to stop and pull in to avoid them, had me F'ing and blinding for the first time since I started cycling, couldn't believe it, it was like watching attempts at natural selection all for the sake of a couple seconds saved.

How close to the side of the road were you?
When I cycle that stretch I tend to take the lane and let traffic pass when it is safe to do so.

CormacH94 wrote: »

Think I'll try to avoid the road as much as I can in the future, has me left a bit shook tbh.

That's a pity because it's a nice route especially with the hill (Ash Hill?)

CormacH94

Seth Brundle wrote: »

How close to the side of the road were you?
When I cycle that stretch I tend to take the lane and let traffic pass when it is safe to do so.


That's a pity because it's a nice route especially with the hill (Ash Hill?)

To be fair I probably should have been a bit more assertive, usually do but today I was being a bit optimistic I think


It is a lovely route and good quality road, done it a few times now but the past two spins that direction just seem to be rife with close passing offenders, I wouldn't mind but the amount of signs with no overtaking for x km and the fact that most of the traffic that way would probably be fairly local and should really know the roads has left me a bit unnerved

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Similar experience in swords recently. "I didn't see you", followed by "I gave you plenty of space" and finishing with "why don't you use the path" :rolleyes:

Duckjob wrote: »

Coming up through Swords Main St this afternoon, this lady in a jeep pulls out across my path while I'm doing about 30kph. I let an almighty roar and probably some expletives that had several people looking around.

While I struggled to stop my bike fishtailing all over the place, she carried on her merry way to stop at the lights 50 yards up.

I pulled up and knocked on her passenger window, said "Did you not see me Madam?" She just shakes her head blankly and says "I didnt see you". I told her she very nearly took me out. She didnt even seem aware of the crash she had nearly caused by her lack of attention.

Anyway, I just asked if she could pay more attention next time and rode off. What else can you say ?

Rechuchote

Lidl has pool noodles this week…

Felexicon

Emmet Chubby Memory wrote: »

Similar experience in swords recently. "I didn't see you", followed by "I gave you plenty of space" and finishing with "why don't you use the path" :rolleyes:

Duckjob wrote: »

Coming up through Swords Main St this afternoon, this lady in a jeep pulls out across my path while I'm doing about 30kph. I let an almighty roar and probably some expletives that had several people looking around.

While I struggled to stop my bike fishtailing all over the place, she carried on her merry way to stop at the lights 50 yards up.

I pulled up and knocked on her passenger window, said "Did you not see me Madam?" She just shakes her head blankly and says "I didnt see you". I told her she very nearly took me out. She didnt even seem aware of the crash she had nearly caused by her lack of attention.

Anyway, I just asked if she could pay more attention next time and rode off. What else can you say ?

Must be something in the water this week. I was coming past Swords Business campus heading towards Applewood yesterday and taking the lane as it's a poxy little stretch for close passes. Can feel a car starting to creep past me, not too close but not ideal. Turned to give the driver the aul "Ah come on pal" look only to see her already staring at me like ive 10 heads. She completes the overtake and next thing her hand comes out the window and gives me the middle finger. Caught up to her less than 50 meters down the road at the red light she was racing too. Amazingly she was not so brave when we were face to face. Only a young one so no shouting or anything from me. More bizzare than dangerous.

Dr_Colossus

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Close pass this morning on Eden Quay just before Liberty Hall, I always take the lane there from the luas crossing to the lights before Custom House due to dozzy motorist swerving left from both lanes to go towards Gardiner St Lower. That didn’t stop this cretin in a 07 cream mini cooper from passing within 10cm despite no traffic in the overtaking lane to his right and all to stop at the lights 100m further up. Stopped at the lights for a chat and asked what was with the close pass and he said it was because I was in the centre of the lane and I need to keep in. When I explained that was on purpose to stop such motorists veering across without looking he said he was looking confirming my suspicions the pass was deliberate. He was stopped at that set of lights and again 250m later at the next set of lights after the Custom House so not like he gained any ground from the dangerous manoeuvre.
I reported two close passes within 500m along the quays last year from the same driver with a phone to his ear and never heard back but maybe this time since the mini cooper’s NCT was expired since Feb 2019 they’ll actually do something and send on a few penalty points. If you’re going to act in a deliberate and dangerous manner drawing attention to yourself make sure your windscreen paper is in order.

To update, got a couple of calls for a pleasant guard from Store St on this since the TrafficWatch report. In the first call I gave him the details and said if the driver had apologised and said he'd misjudged the over take that would have sufficed but because it was deliberate and the driver thought he'd done no wrong he needed speaking to. That they did and paid the driver a visit who collaborated my story that I was taking the lane so they informed him on the error of his ways and received an apology. Satisfactory outcome in my book so hopefully next time he'll think before trying to bully cyclists out of his path.

Rechuchote

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/slow-cyclists-more-likely-to-be-involved-in-accidents-on-the-roads-a3145856.html

Cycling slowly increases the risk of being involved in an accident by three-fold, research has found.
A study by the University of Westminster found that faster riders were treated with more respect by drivers and were overtaken less frequently.
But slower cyclists were found to be more vulnerable to near-misses. Riders travelling at 8mph or below were found to be involved in a higher number of traffic incidents than those cycling at 12mph or above.
Women were found to be more likely to be involved in crashes than men, in part due to lower average speeds of cycling.

tnegun

Knob of a bus diver last Monday, first a stupidly close pass not the worst i've had but he was in the cycle lane then pulls into the bus stop blocking me :mad::mad:

Rechuchote

This is why protected, separated cycling infrastructure is the only sensible way to go. If he'd risk hitting his skirts on nasty metal bollards or a kerb, he wouldn't be at this.

Also: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bike-lane-cycling-road-safety-driver-deaths-fatalities-a8934841.html

Bike lanes save lives of drivers as well as cyclists, study finds
Cars slow down and those behind wheel are more aware of surroundings in areas with good cycling infrastructure, research reveals
Installing protected bike lanes reduces deaths not only for cyclists but for drivers too, a major study of road safety has found.
Researchers noted that in cities which invested in high-quality protected space for bikes, there was a dramatic reduction in fatalities among all road users.
Drivers were more aware of their surroundings and more willing to slow down in areas that had extensive cycling infrastructure, the report from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico found.
(snip)
Researchers looked at road fatality rates in 12 large US cities with high rates of cycling. In Portland, Oregon, they found that as the number of people using a bike to get around rose from 1.2 per cent to 6 per cent between 1990 and 2010, the road fatality rate dropped by 75 per cent.
With added bike lanes, fatal crash rates dropped in Seattle (by 61 per cent), San Francisco (by 49 per cent), Denver (by 40 per cent) and Chicago (by 38 per cent).

Thinkingaboutit

Greenhills Rd approaching turn for Kilnamanagh a white van went really close. I couldn't work out a good reason as there was no car in the opposite lane. Carelessness or thuggery. Might see if I captured the moment. I don't like to stereotype (it can lead to mistakes in traffic) but unmarked white vans are more reliably hazardous company on the roads than taxis or drivers of BMWs (like an 161 charcoal grey BMW SUV who narrowed the cycle lane at junction with Templeogue village along Templeville Rd towards Rathfarnham , expected behaviour too).

Seth Brundle

I’ve posted the following over in the Tell us about your cycle today, part II thread...

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I went out for a solo spin this morning: Leixlip > Rathoath > Slane > Newgrange > Drogheda > Duleek > Rathoath > Leixlip
110km @ 27km/h with ~650m
Lovely sunshine but a strong headwind most of the way. Took it easier than usual as I didn’t want to anger my dodgy left knee.

Was close passed as I was heading south past Fairyhouse. There was a stationary queue of traffic on northern side of road so I decided to take the lane as I felt it wasn’t safe for traffic to pass me (doing 30-35km/h). A short while along a silver car behind me blasted their horn to inform me that I’m causing them an inconvenience. I ignored them. And again (and I, being annoyed, wrongly gave the finger).
They then attempted the overtake leaving less than a foot between us. I screamed something about space. Driving alongside me, they rolled down their passenger window, leaned over towards me, shouted some kind of abuse at me (which I couldn’t hear with the wind) and then spat out the window allowing the wind to catch it and land on me. They then drove off.
I was fuming.
Recited their reg number and soon after pulled over and took out my phone to write the number down.
Between crap light and sweaty fingers it seems that I messed up the number and now can’t remember it. My plan was to report him for dangerous driving and assault.
Still karma will get the prick!

omri

Didn’t want to start a new post so decided to drop it in here. Went to Kerry for this long weekend with the family and there was some charity ride between Killarney and Tralee. Not sure who organized it or what it was called, but it did have some marshals here and there. However the group we got stuck behind along with many more cars was quite split and all over the place. Folks were going 2 sometimes 3 abreast taking the entire lane making safe overtaking not so safe from drivers perspective especially when the group was so fragmented. Everything was lead by a van who was drafting some of the riders. Sadly we read someone got killed that morning (not sure if this was someone who was participating in this exact event). It was pretty windy and not an easy cycle so fair play to everyone taking part but I feel on this particular stretch of road people were somewhat oblivious to all other traffic that was on the road. Hopefully someone who was involved in the event reads that and improve things for next time.

gavinoontheweb

Rechuchote wrote: »

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/slow-cyclists-more-likely-to-be-involved-in-accidents-on-the-roads-a3145856.html

Very accurate in my commuting experience. I will often notice a driver come closer and then they may realise the speed which I'm going at and then back off. Prime example in Dublin is Beaver Row which is very narrow and has multiple speed bumps, it can be amusing hearing sharp accelerations and then the sudden realisation that they might damage their precious vehicle.

magicbastarder

omri wrote: »

Folks were going 2 sometimes 3 abreast taking the entire lane making safe overtaking not so safe from drivers perspective

there's no such thing as an unsafe overtaking manoeuvre, unless you're an unsafe driver.
yes, they should not have been going three abreast, but if you cannot leave your lane entirely, you should not proceed to overtake, so them taking up their entire lane would appear to be moot.

the chap killed in a separate incident appears to have been on his way to work.

tuxy

What's the situation with road races and more than two abrest? I know they are on open roads but they also have the support of the Garda. Is there something in the law that covers these events?

omri

magicbastarder wrote: »

there's no such thing as an unsafe overtaking manoeuvre, unless you're an unsafe driver.
yes, they should not have been going three abreast, but if you cannot leave your lane entirely, you should not proceed to overtake, so them taking up their entire lane would appear to be moot.

the chap killed in a separate incident appears to have been on his way to work.

I should have said that while giving them a little beep before overtaking only one pair moved to the left. In all other instances they didn’t even budge with people cycling beside the middle of the road. Didn’t feel safe for me to overtake due to the fact there was no spare room to manouver if something happened.

CormacH94

Went up Stocking Lane for the first time today via Woodstown, had a car behind me move to overtake around a tight bend when there was another car approaching, used hand signals to tell him to slow down, still overtook me and squeezed in past the car while I let a roar, couldn’t believe it, surely most people know the area is a hotspot for cyclists on the weekend?

Only been road cycling two months and I’m already exhausted by this behavior.

Taking the lane and going for earlier cycles seems to be the only solution

amcalester

omri wrote: »

I should have said that while giving them a little beep before overtaking only one pair moved to the left. In all other instances they didn’t even budge with people cycling beside the middle of the road. Didn’t feel safe for me to overtake due to the fact there was no spare room to manouver if something happened.

Ah you’re one of those drivers.

AndrewJRenko

omri wrote: »

I should have said that while giving them a little beep before overtaking only one pair moved to the left. In all other instances they didn’t even budge with people cycling beside the middle of the road. Didn’t feel safe for me to overtake due to the fact there was no spare room to manouver if something happened.

Why would you think that your journey is more important than anyone else's?

omri

amcalester wrote: »

Ah you’re one of those drivers.

I am also a cyclist.

magicbastarder

CormacH94 wrote: »

Went up Stocking Lane for the first time today via Woodstown, had a car behind me move to overtake around a tight bend

i was mulling heading up stocking lane today but didn't, wasn't sure how busy the road might be (especially on a bank holiday weekend) with people driving up to the hellfire club.

CormacH94

magicbastarder wrote: »

i was mulling heading up stocking lane today but didn't, wasn't sure how busy the road might be (especially on a bank holiday weekend) with people driving up to the hellfire club.[/quote

Apart from that incident, it was fine, very windy however - all it takes is seeing something stupid such as that to really ruin your ride imo

Seth Brundle

omri wrote: »

I should have said that while giving them a little beep before overtaking only one pair moved to the left. In all other instances they didn’t even budge with people cycling beside the middle of the road. Didn’t feel safe for me to overtake due to the fact there was no spare room to manouver if something happened.

Why beep them?
Why beep them on a dangerous stretch?

amcalester

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Why beep them?
Why beep them on a dangerous stretch?

Maybe he was trying to tell them he was also a cyclist.

omri

Smirk all you want. I cant be bothered when Im in 2 tonnes car. I wish it was a requirement for every driver to have a week of cycling as part of drivers licence course. But youre not doing cycling community any favours. Roads are for cars, like it or hate it. Some common sense and mutual respect will save people lives. If you dont care thats your choice. Not the first time people here seem to be very black or white in their views. Which I find strange given that we need to use roads to do this sport.

Weepsie

omri wrote: »

Smirk all you want. I cant be bothered when Im in 2 tonnes car. I wish it was a requirement for every driver to have a week of cycling as part of drivers licence course. But youre not doing cycling community any favours. Roads are for cars, like it or hate it. Some common sense and mutual respect will save people lives. If you dont care thats your choice. Not the first time people here seem to be very black or white in their views. Which I find strange given that we need to use roads to do this sport.

Youre not supposed to beep to tell people you're there or you want to overtake.

Roads are for cars, bikes, motorbikes, trucks, busses etc. They were traffic. The 3 abreast groups were in the wrong, but you should've had word with the marshalls if it was a problem
Beeping them is nothing but arrogant imo

magicbastarder

omri wrote: »

I cant be bothered when Im in 2 tonnes car.

am genuinely curious as to what you mean by this? was it just badly phrased?

rubadub

Weepsie wrote: »

Beeping them is nothing but arrogant imo

also it is against the rules of the road, which I expect many beepers harp on about people not knowing. Not sure if it is actually against the law.

I have a real issue with these casual beepers, honking at friends etc, can scare the bejaysus out of people, I would not consider myself to nervous or anything but have got out of the blue shocks from beeping bastards who were not warning anybody of any legit danger. Also hugely lessens the actual purpose of it, like "boy cried wolf syndrome" people who are in real danger hearing a beep might presume it is some prick beeping to say hello to somebody they know walking.