Near Misses Thread Volume 2 (So close you can feel it)

MojoMaker

Left hooked in the Phoenix Park last night. Twilight but I was lit up like a Christmas tree as usual (Strip Drive on high setting!).

Coming from Furze road towards Chesterfield Ave and turning left at the small roundabout to head for Castleknock gate. Absolutely melon head in a black '07 non-M-series 520d decides to drop a gear and get to the little roundabout ahead of me - I'm about 50m back when he starts his move and I'm moving at a regular crisp pace. He had no idea was I going left or straight on and he got to the roundabout about 8-10m before me and swung hard left (no indication). I had to ditch to avoid a collision. Let a roar as I went down and he slammed on the brakes coming to a stop, but then took off again - obviously thinking "too much trouble". I didn't catch up with him at the lights but thankfully another motorist stopped to help.

I'm fine, bike is ok save for scratched bar tape. Left knee knows something happened to it this morning, but otherwise - lucky out.

Camera time I think

:mad:

buffalo

Trekker09 wrote: »

I actually said that to him! One of the guys that works for me knows him and apparently he was reported to the Guards a couple of months ago for reckless driving!

Will he be getting a second report? I hope so!

Seth Brundle

doughef wrote: »

DELETED POST

You should head out on a bike sometime. You'd be surprised at how little it can take for a driver coming up behind a cyclist to become agressive. The cyclists presence sets them off.

Dowee

Took my 16 year old nephew out for a 50km spin today as he was raising money for charity by doing it. Was crossing the bridge near Blessington over the reservoir which is a slightly narrower than normal road.

There was a group of cyclists coming the opposite direction and a car coming behind me. I figured there was enough time to let him pass before we met the other group so singled out. He passed through. I didnt realise there was another car behind him, he went through too, it was a little risky as we were pretty close to the group coming the other way now but worse was to come.

Then as the other group of cyclists are passing us in the opposite direction a third vehicle, a van, pushes through so close to me I thumped the side of it. The other group all yelled at him too as he nearly went into them also.

To top it off 100m later I caught up to him at the T junction (to turn right towards Lacken). Middle aged husband and wife, I expected confrontation as I know what hitting a vehicle tends to do to these people. But not a peep from him. I yelled at him asking why he couldn't have waited 5 seconds. But was just met with the blank straight ahead stare. I'm hoping that somewhere in the vast wasteland of his head he knew he shouldn't have done it as I've never had a vehicle thump not lead to a confrontation before.

You try to be accommodating to drivers in situations like this but it often just leads to idiots pulling maneuvers like this. If I'd stayed two a breast it would have prevented it all.

hesker

ARX wrote: »

Could leaning on the horn in this way be construed as assault?

I’d be doubtful but I’m under the impression there is a law against improper use of a vehicle’s horn.

robinph

CramCycle wrote: »

Not in that context as if you read the full sentence, they could argue that beeping a horn is not intended to cause injury (I don't agree) and they could argue they didn't know you would find it unacceptable (but they would be lying).
On the same note, failure to leave appropriate distance between you and the vehicle in front (presuming they were not leaving enough distance as is often the case), driving without reasonable consideration, driver found to be driving carelessly. Fair amount of points and fines and a court appearance quite easily if the gardai were interested.

A tap on the horn would be to warn someone of something. Leaning on the horn for the duration of driving close behind a vulnerable road user would be intimidation if nothing else.

MojoMaker

CramCycle wrote: »

Ahead of a van at a red light, turning right, as they were also (although no indicator), got through and he drew level and then turned into me (left, immediately after the turn). I managed to swing into the turn and roar. He stopped and shrugged his shoulders and mouthed something. The peds at the lights and another white van man waiting to head the other way look shook, much like myself, they were probably convinced that an ambulance was about to be called. Absolute muppetry. There is not a hope in hell he didn't know I was there, ahead at the lights, ahead for most of the turn (except that is where he drew level with me), and at his front light as he turned. An absolute f*cker. What is wrong with people, even if what I had done was illegal or a provocation (it was neither), why would you do that.

Individuals with loud voices, seen and heard in visible circumstances - media, opinion, news, social, tv, heck even boards, contribute to a feeling that it's ok to act this way, that cyclists are undeserving of care & attention because....hi-vis.....tax.....red lights......mutter.

People like Mannix Flynn who get cycling-supported initiatives stopped help create the impression that cyclists are somehow a "nuisance", need to be challenged and brought to heel, or sometimes simply frightened, in order to cease their exasperating two-wheeled endeavours and leave the roads for the dominant traffic form - the private car.

Seth Brundle

Paging AJR...
One in 10 motorists admit to texting while driving

One in 10 motorists admit that they regularly text on their mobile phone while driving, according to a new survey from the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

The survey found 9 per cent of motorists also admitted to talking on their handheld mobile phone while driving, or to regularly checking phone apps.

The figures were taken from an online survey of 1,241 motorists, conducted in December 2020.

The survey findings were published ahead of the upcoming May bank holiday weekend, with the RSA and An Garda Síochána warning motorists over dangerous behaviour.

Seth Brundle

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Every vehicle (except emergency ones) should block all mobile signals.

I'd disagree - there are meaningful reasons for car occupants to need a mobile signal.
We just need proper enforcement along with a fine that matches the consequences of the offence.

Seth Brundle

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Proper enforcement and fines won’t happen though.

Oh I know but neither the RSA nor the government/Dept of Transport/Dept of Justice aren't really interested in improving road safety through simple methods such as enforcement, in my opinion!

magicbastarder

speaking of which

https://twitter.com/ciarancannon/status/1388043762325151744

Duckjob

I cringe when I see videos of people riding a road like that so close to the edge with oncoming traffic. I used to ride that way too, I guess subconciously to "not be in the way too much". Nowdays, after being on the receiving end of one close pass too many, I've learnt my lesson very well and I would be squarely in the middle of the lane.

Problem with riding near the edge in a place like that is you're giving bad drivers an invite to drive selfishly and endanger you.

fixXxer

Duckjob wrote: »

I cringe when I see videos of people riding a road like that so close to the edge with oncoming traffic. I used to ride that way too, I guess subconciously to "not be in the way too much". Nowdays, after being on the receiving end of one close pass too many, I've learnt my lesson very well and I would be squarely in the middle of the lane.

Problem with riding near the edge in a place like that is you're giving bad drivers an invite to drive selfishly and endanger you.

It's been one of the benefits of this thread since I took up cycling again, positioning ,myself on the road rather than trying to be out of the way. All the discussion that has gone on about positioning, looking ahead, etc has been super helpful.

Thanks folks, your near misses are not going in vain

buffalo

VonLuck wrote: »

This is a story from a few years ago but don't think I ever told anyone about it. I was waiting at a very awkward five road junction with a queue of traffic behind me waiting for the green light. A green light appears, but just for the adjacent road which is at about 30 degrees to the one I'm on so you can clearly see their light when it changes.

I was never nudged, but often at Belvedere Road onto NCR I'd be waiting at a red, the green would go for Sherrard Street Lower and drivers would pull off and not think it was odd that I hadn't. Luckily there was usually only one car coming out from Sherrard St so there was never an accident.

Duckjob

Went out for a little pootle around in the sun earlier. Didn’t bother with a helmet as it was a relaxed Dutch style ride.

All well until I was nearly back home. On a straight bit of road with traffic coming the other way. I was already riding well out to discourage stupidity, but idiot man in an Audi wasn’t going to be delayed and blasted though regardless. Not the worst close pass I’ve had, but still too close and too fast (60kph zone and I guess he was well over 70)

Anyway, I saw him turn into one of the estates further up, so I followed him to see if I could have a reasonable word with him. I approached him calmly as he was getting out of his car and said to him he had passed Me very close and fast. His immediate response - “where’s your helmet?”. I asked him what he thought a piece of styrofoam on my head would do to protect me if he hit me at 70+ kph. He just keep on about me not wearing a helmet, so I left for my own sanity.

Seth Brundle

Seen on twitter - professional driver performs dangerous manouvre at Garda checkpoint on Dublin's Victoria Quay (but not stopped)...

https://twitter.com/clicky_here/status/1388493603140476936

Duckjob

“Professional” driver...

crosstownk

Duckjob wrote: »

“Professional” driver...

Exactly. Taxi drivers simply drive for a profession. They are not professionally trained drivers in any way. Their driving licence is identical to mine. Their attitude to cyclists is something to behold, imo.

cletus

McGaggs wrote: »

I'm sure there's probably more than a few taxi drivers out there who never sat a test and got their licence during the 70s or 80s when they gave them out to clear a backlog. The taxi driver who rear ended me on a Dublinbike while I was stopped at a traffic light was about the right age for it.

The amnesty was in 1979. There was 25,000 licences given out. That was 42 years ago. Out of that number, how many do you think might now be taxi drivers?

In 2016, there were 17,146 registered taxi drivers in the country. In the same year, there was a total of 2,820,528 Irish driving licences, of which almost a quarter (249,657) were provisional. That's 2,570,871 full licences on the road. That's 0.61% of full licences being used to operate taxis.

At the end of 2017, 6,213 taxi drivers were in the age profile to have received an amnesty. So if we extrapolate the figures above, thats 37.89 drivers, so call it 38 taxi drivers, for the entire country.

Figures show that 55% of taxi drivers operate in Dublin, thats 21 taxi drivers, statistically speaking, who are driving around Dublin on an amnesty licence.

All of which is to say, while the figure is not zero, most of the time when the amnesty argument is invoked, the effect is generally less than people suppose

magicbastarder

not a near miss, but i had a puncture coming downhill on this stretch of road here earlier:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.583304,-6.3137458,3a,75y,314.56h,65.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRhhEva5jhUvoz20sz0-m2Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

i set up on the outside of the bend to change it - so traffic had a better chance of seeing me (it's not a wide road). while i was doing so, i heard a motor off in the distance about 30s before i saw it, and it turns out it was a motorcyclist who when he appeared, absolutely gunned it up the hill past me, on the inside of the bend. doing 100km/h at a guess, he was fairly thundering along. brave chap.

Duckjob

crosstownk wrote: »

Exactly. Taxi drivers simply drive for a profession. They are not professionally trained drivers in any way. Their driving licence is identical to mine. Their attitude to cyclists is something to behold, imo.

If you have something as a profession, it's kindof expected that at very least you are going to be half decent at doing that thing.

I mean, you don't have to a jedi of your profession, but you should at least not be completely sh*te at it. It's a pretty low bar that many taxi drivers dismally fail to clear.

magicbastarder

any damage to yourself?

MojoMaker

A 10yr old with a mouth like that tells you all you need to know about all generations of that family unfortunately MangleBadger.

The best strategy is usually just to steer well clear.

Seth Brundle

Anyone care to guess the percentages in Ireland?

https://twitter.com/NPRoadSafety/status/1391805406788345857

magicbastarder

a chap i know was the driver in a pedestrian fatality. he was held to be completely blameless, by both the victim's family and the gardai, and witnesses who saw the incident. he took it badly, as you might expect - he sold his house because he didn't want to have to drive that road again, but within a few years had moved back to the area. time heals, i guess.

Seth Brundle

What kind of wank3r thinks it is ok to endanger a bunch of children just to get to the next set of red lights quicker?

https://twitter.com/donna_cooney1/status/1392763555917832194

fixXxer

hots wrote: »

How does it make them get through lights quicker? Slower surely as they all have to stick together at the slowest one's pace?

He's talking about the truck putting kids in danger so it can get through the lights quicker, not the cycle bus.

Seth Brundle

Had this impatient muppet overtake me going into a bend with oncoming traffic on the Aylmer Rd between Lucan and Newcastle yesterday evening. I had put my arm out to indicate for them not to overtake but they continued anyhow.
The traffic before them also overtoook on the approach to a bend but nothing as bad as the cretin in the Hyundai...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOabxj9YTIA

Duckjob

Coming back from a lovely little ride around my local area yesterday

The road outside my estate has this little narrow chicane bit of about 50 yards which is one way at a time, so you need to yield to traffic already coming though it. Due to a bends at both ends, there's no thru visibility until you get to it, so you need to slow down and check if there's anything coming from the other end and stop if necessary.

Its a traffic calmed street with speed bumps etc.

Guy in a Toyota hatchback came up behind me as approached this section, me doing around 30kph.

Just as I was getting near to where you slow and stop if necessary, his patience runs out and he overtakes me.

At that moment, as anyone with 2 brain cells could predict might happen, a car comes around the bend exiting the one way bit and our genius has to hastily move back in in front of me while the other car had to stop dead to avoid a head on collision.

Our genius then goes for gold and charges on through the one-way section with another car already on its way through from the other side. The driver of that other car also has to stop dead in the middle of the section while our genius drives up on the footpath and around them and flies off.

Are they giving driving licences on the back of cereal packets these days ?

MojoMaker

Abject self-importance, no more.

We're all guilty of it, some manage it better than others.

magicbastarder

Effects wrote: »

Three close passes today. I was driving.

i was out in the car the other day and the level of bad driving was horrendous. coming onto the M50, a woman in a beemer could not wait to slip in behind me, and undertook me on the hard shoulder to get in front of me. and at the next junction (i only went one junction along), a lorry driver driving a large articulated flatbed indicated and pulled into my lane with me on the inside of him. i had to slam to avoid a collision.

magicbastarder

'mandatory cycle lane' does not mean mandatory for cyclists, FWIW.
the dutch have a nickname for cycle lanes which are nothing more than a line of paint; they call them murder strips.

buffalo

riewomann wrote: »

I love cycling as much as the next person, but the optics of this are terrible. Its a big two fingers to everyone else and reeks of a "my child is the most important thing in the world, so if I have to incenvenience hundreds of people for them to have a spin, then so be it".

I think it reeks of "I know this strip of paint won't protect my child from drivers who refuse or don't know how to share the road, so I will".

Seth Brundle

riewomann wrote: »

I've being noticing where a parent and child are cycling, the child will be in the cycle lane as normal and the parent cycling parallel to them in the traffic lane.

The parent obviously recognises that cycle lanes aren't safe and offer no protection to the occupants.
Maybe both of them should occupy the driving lane, taking Primary Position as recommended by the RSA.

riewomann wrote: »

I appreciate their will to protect their child, although by cycling in the traffic lane they are holding up traffic. Even where it is a mandatory cycle lane.

A person on a bike is part of traffic according to the law. They are not really holding up drivers, no more than drivers hold up cyclists in town and city centres.

riewomann wrote: »

This type of behaviour will only create further animosity amongst some motorists for cyclists. Surely if your child is ready to cycle then let them cycle, or if not take them off the primary routes where traffic is whizzing by.

If a motorist takes offence at a parent protecting their child then there is something seriously wrong with that person! In terms of the primary routes, there may be no alternative for them.
The roads are for everyone, not just impatient drivers.

riewomann wrote: »

I love cycling as much as the next person, but the optics of this are terrible. Its a big two fingers to everyone else and reeks of a "my child is the most important thing in the world, so if I have to incenvenience hundreds of people for them to have a spin, then so be it".

I agree. It highlights the entitled attitude out there amongst some road users that they are more important than a vulnerable person travelling more slowly.
It might be best for everyone if their driving privilege was revoked.

Dowee

riewomann wrote: »

I've being noticing where a parent and child are cycling, the child will be in the cycle lane as normal and the parent cycling parallel to them in the traffic lane.

I appreciate their will to protect their child, although by cycling in the traffic lane they are holding up traffic. Even where it is a mandatory cycle lane.

This type of behaviour will only create further animosity amongst some motorists for cyclists. Surely if your child is ready to cycle then let them cycle, or if not take them off the primary routes where traffic is whizzing by.

I love cycling as much as the next person, but the optics of this are terrible. Its a big two fingers to everyone else and reeks of a "my child is the most important thing in the world, so if I have to incenvenience hundreds of people for them to have a spin, then so be it".

Rant over.

So many things wrong with this.

1. Cycling two abreast: Perfectly Legal.
2. Cycling in manner to protect a less experience, vulnerable road user from impatient idiots in cars who will do everything and anything to get in front: Good and sensible parenting, most likely as a result of a number of previous bad experiences with poor drivers.
3. Mandatory cycle lane: This means cars can't drive or park in it. Not that people on bikes must use it. The legal requirement for people on bikes to use them was removed years ago because many are unsafe and not fit for purpose.
4. Inconveniencing 100's of people: Really? There were approx 50 - 100 cars behind this parent and child?
5. Having a spin: Cycling is also a means of transport. It is not all about "having a spin". I regularly cycle to places (sports training, the shops etc) with my kids.
6. "the optics of this are terrible": It's not about optics, it's about sharing the road with more vulnerable road users. Sadly, in my experience people in cars are extremely impatient and are more than happy to endanger people on bikes just to get to the next red light 2 seconds faster and frankly that seems like exactly what the situation was here.

The roads are for people, not for cars. When on the roads you will sometimes meet slower moving vehicles / people. Suck it up and act accordingly. If you get delayed for 30 seconds behind a parent and child on a bike it isn't the end of the world.

Rant over too!

magicbastarder

riewomann wrote: »

Probably the wrong forum to bring this up in.

probably the wrong thread anyway, there's no mention of a near miss here.
back on topic please folks; this has the clear potential of just being a lot of back and forth generating heat and not much light

i'll be deleting any continuation of this without further comment/warning.

Seth Brundle

(nothing to do with me)

https://twitter.com/KevSheedy/status/1392869875022970889

RobertFoster

The ones on the main street are great! (for collecting a takeaway, nipping to the ATM, delivering to businesses...)

Seth Brundle

Lost for words...

https://twitter.com/MacL0ve/status/1393476274224603138?s=19

magicbastarder

thankfully a garda saw it.

Seth Brundle

riewomann wrote: »

Where there is a cycle lane, one can pass a cyclist safely despite oncoming traffic as no lane change is necessary. ie cyclist in cycle lane does not affect traffic in regular lane.

Where there is a cyclist in the cycle lane and another cyclist cycling in the traffic lane, one then cannot proceed unness the oncoming traffic lane is clear as you essentially have a cyclist using the regular lane who needs to be overtaken.

I take your point that if it was a regular traffic lane it wouldn't make much difference if it was one or two abreast as the oncoming lane would need to be clear either way (it does make a small difference in time taken to complete the overtake).

I know it is complicated, but it may help to read the post you are commenting on.

Since when do people not need to know the Rules of the Road in order to pass the test?

Seth Brundle

riewomann wrote: »

Congratulations on fulfilling the entitled cyclist stereotype in a record no of characters.

Congratulation on fulfulling the ill-informed self-entitled driver stereotype in a not so-record number of posts :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

riewomann wrote: »

Thank you.

You're welcome

riewomann wrote: »

I am also a cyclist and so am more informed and knowledgeable than others.

Funny thing is, I don't believe you. You seem to think a parent cycling in a position that will protect their child is not a good idea because drivers might get held up. You now come out with some nonsense about overtaking which is all wrong.
I'm not seeing the informed and knowledgeable bit in your posts to be honest!

riewomann wrote: »

Please edit your post accordingly.

No! You're not my mother!

Duckjob

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Bike blind (see sense blaring back and front) or just doesn't give a ****e? answers on a post card please.

I would say a little from Column A combined with a good dollop from Column B.

francois

sy_flembeck wrote: »

I think I had 5 near misses today. One of them was scary. Not one F given by any of them. Very poor driving out there lately

Anecdotal I know, but the standard of driving has seriously declined as things have opened up, and I say this as both cyclist and driver-I've seen more close passes, cut offs and rage incidents in the paste couple of weeks than the last 5 years combined

Dr_Colossus

Not a near miss for me but for on coming traffic.
Cycling along the Porterstown Road this evening and before Porterstown Park or St. Mochta's Church could hear a car behind approaching but surely they'd slow down with the oncoming traffic? No, text book over take given me plenty of room but the oncoming car clipped and then mounted the footpath to avoid him. Bizarre incident, oncoming car didn't even have time to blow the horn so not sure if they even realised there was a problem.
They were stopped at the lights further on past the church so pulled up along side to check their windscreen paper but all tax, insurance and NCT was in order. They never engaged and stayed behind me well past the entrance to Luttrellstown Castle Golf Club and again performed a text book overtake.

magicbastarder

francois wrote: »

Anecdotal I know, but the standard of driving has seriously declined as things have opened up

i'd agree, but; i think the slide has been happening for a year or two now.

Stark

The worst driving I've ever experienced from people was during Lockdown I. Without other cars in the way to slow people down, people just went nuts.

Dr_Colossus

Garzard wrote: »

Clapped out BMW flew up behind, ran parallel to within a couple of inches and knocked me sideways with his left wing mirror I'd say at 30kph.

Didn't manage to recall the full reg. of the vehicle unfortunately, and got blocked from the Cartell site for too many searches when I think I was close to finding it :confused.

Try the ncts.ie website also, have used that a few times to confirm the reg and also helps to check if NCT is in date, guards are more likely to pursue if details are out of date so I usually make a habit of checking paper work rather than engaging with driver if I catch up to them.

In your case however I don't know if I'd have your composure especially to the unapologetic driver and I'd fear I'd have removed the wing mirror.

Seth Brundle

Cork Twitter user RightToBikeIt had this close pass from a driving school trainer recently...

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1394629072983035906

Apparently the RSA took an interest in the incident.

The driving school owner sent this response which leaves me feeling somewhat lost for words...