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

Seth Brundle

When he responds with something to the effect of "the cyclist shouldn't have been there and they were lucky I just managed to avoid them", I don't think they are ready to apologise

buffalo

Eamonnator wrote: »

^^^^^^^
Any hint of an apology?

The first half was promising... "we were about to do everything right (apart from realising there was a big bad van coming), but my inexperienced student panicked and I avoided something worse happening".

I'd expect "very sorry that it happened, and I'll try make sure it doesn't happen again", but instead we get "cyclists should be banned from some roads because drivers". I assume the appropriately named Cars Hill will be the first on the list! :pac:

hesker

I know that road very well.

Complete fail on the instructor’s part. Failed to read the road ahead, failed to anticipate, failed to brake.

People treat that hill like it’s an airport runway. Rushing to beat the car beside them to the merge point at the top.

hesker

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

By the way the worst bit of his response is not the typical "roads are for cars bit"

But this bit......."assuming that i would ever allow to overtake a cyclist when it is not safe and without appropriate distance"

BUT YOU ****ING DID!!!!

That car should have been out into lane 2 when appropriate or slow to the cyclists speed behind the cyclist. Any other maneuver is unsafe

I wouldn’t cycle it either due to the lunatic driving. Used to regularly see a Garda car at that spot in the past but not so much recent years.

Agree learner should have been over in other lane or braked. However if he was in the other lane I wouldn’t be surprised to see the van undertake him with bad consequences

Stark

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Thought of this thread
THE SPACE WE HAVE GIVEN TO CARS
...

This is also pretty great

https://twitter.com/Kjoen2u/status/1279324842593062912

Seth Brundle

CramCycle wrote: »

I could be wrong but the van driver was mid overtake of the car and done nothing wrong. The car was not attempting an overtake (unless I missed the indicator), if he was, he did not look rear ward and then the car speeds up to match.

- Dangerous overtaking
- Failure to leave appropriate distance between you and the vehicle in front
- Failure to yield
- Driving without reasonable consideration
- Driver found to be driving carelessly
- Dangerous overtaking of a cyclist

Poor learner (if he even exists) will have lost his license before he even gets it.

The driving school instructor was absolutely and completely in the wrong. Even if a student was driving*, the instructor is in charge ultimately so they're still in the wrong.
The driving was apalling for someone whose role it is to educate others. They know this which is why they point the finger at everyone else on the road except themselves.
I sincerely hope that the RSA remove them from the list of ADIs.

* from other tweets, I think there might have only been one person in the car!

Stark

Driving instructor completely in the wrong there. I've been in that situation driving before coming up on a cyclist. For sure, the courteous thing for the van driver to do would be to observe ahead, hold back and allow space for the person coming up behind the cyclist to overtake easily. But given most drivers won't extend that courtesy, it's the responsibility of the instructor to make sure he or his student slows well down as soon as they see the cyclist ahead to either give themselves extra time to find a gap to overtake or slow down to the cyclist's speed if necessary until it was safe to do so. From the video above it looks like he put his put to the floor pretty much. Even if he had slowed a little, the van driver would have passed him quickly and he'd be able to overtake safely. Pig ignorant driving overall.

buffalo

Late yesterday morning, Leixlip village, waiting to cross the road at the pedestrian lights at Aldi. Lights go red for road traffic, driver coming down the hill from my right comes to a stop at the line.

I'm about to step out into the road, carrying my son, when I catch some movement out of the corner of my eye. Some eejit of a road cyclist coming down the hill is coming through on the inside of the car. There's not much room, so he has to do a little shimmy to get his handlebars around the wing mirror. He doesn't let that deter him though, and barrels through the red light without hesitation.

As I then take one step out, he's followed by a small group in a mishmash of lycra who come to what I would describe as a sheepish stop. I have a feeling my death stares while standing in the road may have reinforced the red light.

In hindsight, I should have said it to them at the time, but on the off chance any of you are on the forum, tell your mate/yourself to cop on. I get it, it's a lovely hill for descending and a shame to have to come to a full stop at the bottom, but that's no excuse to be an arsehole.

5uspect

I’m not a Lycra clad weekend racer. I commute to work on my bike and I, like the majority of people I encounter along my route, stop at lights and respect the rules of the road. The folks who tend to post here would be of a similar mindset.

This behaviour is of course unacceptable. Sometimes I’ll call out a cyclist for running a red light, I usually pass them out later anyway because I’m on an ebike these days. They just don’t care. The same applies to cyclists without lights in the depths of winter.

The problem is an attitude of impatience, aggression and selfishness on our roads. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a bike, driving a car or a truck. People drive too fast. People don’t stop at red lights. People park their cars up on footpaths, they’ll just be a minute don’t you know?

Why is this? Because people are universally selfish jerks. It’s human nature. There’s been a climate of zero enforcement of any kind of road traffic laws in Ireland and this has festered to the degree where there is no fear whatsoever for the consequences of our actions on the road. Kill someone with your car and you’ll get off scot free.
Bring the Gardai 4K60 360 degree footage of appalling driving and they’ll threaten you and fob you off. The Gardai have a lot to answer for here, they’ve utterly abandoned their duties.

I feel that things are about to boil over. We’ve seen two children killed in as many weeks. My work meant that I was frequently travelling during the lockdowns and the empty roads were treated as racetracks by motorists. Those returning to the roads are angrier and more impatient. More people are out walking than ever still they’re in greater danger than ever. What will it take for action to be taken?

Idleater

5uspect wrote: »

Those returning to the roads are angrier and more impatient. More people are out walking than ever still they’re in greater danger than ever.

Interestingly, no near miss so technically off topic but there is a new (maybe a year - i don't actually remember) 30kmph speed limit in Lucan village. One of the perimeter signs was added to the top of the hill (as opposed to near the school a bit further down where it has been 30 for a number of years). The signs at the school have the "your speed" displays too where my record :rolleyes: is seeing 71.
Anyway today while driving down I was passed by 2 cars who had to stop after 100m tops, i was not on the bike so was on the brakes in the car 30kmph on all displays. I can only pressure I'm the subject of a "forced me to overtake" near miss thread somewhere.

5uspect

I live in Lucan and we do the school run in a cargo bike. Don’t start me on idiots overtaking as we approach red lights.

Chips Lovell

Mod Note

Troll banned

Seth Brundle

Cars cannot cross the solid white lines - these indicate a "mandatory cycle lane" which mean it is mandatory for cars not to enter (stupid naming!).
As for dashed markings, these really mean nothing.

Seth Brundle

The only cycle lanes that are mandatory for cyclists to use are Contra Flow Cycle Lanes
Article 14 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2012

Don't currently have the other legislation details at hand.

Seth Brundle

elchupanebrey wrote: »

A lot of the "cycle lanes" around where I live have a solid line and also have cars parked blocking them and half the footpath. I remember getting beeped by a guy in a truck one day and him pointing at me to get into the cycle lane. He just drove off when I pointed out the 3 or 4 cars parked in the lane 100m ahead:rolleyes:

Not really surprising in my opinion. The vast majority of drivers have no understanding of the laws when it comes to cycling whether it is helmets and high-viz, cycle lanes or even dangerous overtakes.

Breezer

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Not really surprising in my opinion. The vast majority of drivers have no understanding of the laws when it comes to cycling whether it is helmets and high-viz, cycle lanes or even dangerous overtakes.

The particular scenario described would benefit more from an understanding of the laws of physics, which in the eyes of some drivers are trumped by the law of the jungle.

magicbastarder

it depends; some of the dashed cycle lanes actually share space with car lanes, so a car could not physically drive in the car lane without occupying the cycle lane too.
but in general, i think they should only cross into the cycle lane when they're actually *crossing* the cycle lane.

Seth Brundle

VonLuck wrote: »

So I guess I have no right (from a legal sense) to be annoyed if a car is driving or parked in a cycle lane with dashed markings?

Unless there are signs indicating that the driver should not be doing that, I'd say you've nothing to be annoyed about.
In many cases, it's drivers just being lazy. In others, it's poor road design and/or road limitations.

buffalo

VonLuck wrote: »

So I guess I have no right (from a legal sense) to be annoyed if a car is driving or parked in a cycle lane with dashed markings?

I went looking for the SI last night but couldn't find it. Driving in non-mandatory track is definitely allowed. As for parking, the ROTR says:

No driver may park a vehicle in a mandatory cycle track.

A driver may park in a non-mandatory cycle track for up to 30 minutes, but only
if they are loading or unloading their vehicle and there is no alternative parking
available. Remember the basic duty of care and do not obstruct a cycle track.

If a driver parks their vehicle in a cycle track that operates for only some of the
day (shown on an information plate under the cycle track sign), they must move
the vehicle by the time the next operating period starts.

If there is no information plate, it means the cycle track operates all the time
and no parking is allowed.

I'm not sure how you reconcile "park in a non-mandatory cycle track" with "do not obstruct a cycle track", but anyway.

cletus

This bike lane is right before the entrance to my work. There's always heavy traffic in the morning, as the entrance covers 3 different schools. Slow moving/stop start traffic means there's nearly always someone parked across the "straight ahead" cycle lane.

Wishbone Ash

buffalo wrote: »

...I'm not sure how you reconcile "park in a non-mandatory cycle track" with "do not obstruct a cycle track", but anyway.

It means that you must not obstruct the cycle track EXCEPT where you have to load/unload and have no other viable option.

(AFAIK a vehicle loading/unloading must be taxed commercially - i.e. loading your shopping from a supermarket is not permitted).

buffalo

VonLuck wrote: »

So you can park in a non-mandatory cycle track, but maintain a duty of care and do not obstruct a cycle track. Also if there is no information plate you cannot park at all.

Clear as mud.

This was annoying me, so I went digging last night...

SI 332/2012:

36. (1) Save as otherwise provided for in these Regulations and subject to article 5 a vehicle shall not be parked on a public road at a location, in a manner or for a purpose, referred to in sub-article (2).

(2) A vehicle shall not be parked—

(m) in a cycle track where traffic sign number RUS 009, RUS 058 or RUS 059 is provided, or

Those signs are respectively, cycle track, shared path/cycle track and contra-flow cycle track. So no parking in those tracks.

Article 5 (of 274/1998) makes an exception though:

(5) A prohibition on the parking of a vehicle imposed by article 36 (2) (m) shall not apply to a vehicle parked in a cycle track, on the right hand edge of which traffic sign number RRM 023 has been provided, while goods are being loaded in or on to it or unloaded from it for a period not exceeding thirty minutes from the commencement of such parking.

RRM 023 is the line marking for a non-mandatory lane. (RRM 022 is the line marking for a mandatory lane.)

So, if a cycle track has a sign, you're not allowed park in it - no distinction between mandatory and non-mandatory, what matters if there's round blue sign (RUS 009, RUS 058) or a contra-flow sign (RUS 059).

However, if the cycle track is marked with non-mandatory line markings (RRM 023), that restriction doesn't apply to parking while loading/unloading for up to thirty minutes. I can't see a restriction on the type of vehicle.


I am not a lawyer and the Road Traffic Acts are a mess in general and desperately need to be amalgamated into one coherent Act, but that's my reading of it.


edit: posted in legislation thread - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=117280124&postcount=273

Duckjob

CramCycle wrote: »

Doesn't look as bad in the video but the driver merged in on me, phone in hand, child in the back seat who I'd say I scared the sh1t out of. Sorry for the language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYKGIamh3tQ

The dog joining in made the video. Not sure whether he was agreeing or disagreeing with you though, I think he might have been barking something about road tax.

Seth Brundle

RIP.
Watched this movie with my daughter a few weeks ago...

https://twitter.com/getFANDOM/status/1397659467416629248

magicbastarder

that's not loading for me. but i think twitter itself is having a slight panic attack.

Seth Brundle

One of the kids from the movie "School of Rock" was killed by a driver whilst cycling in Chicago
It reads...

'School of Rock' star Kevin Clark dies at 32, per @TMZ
A motorist crashed into him while he was cycling in Chicago

magicbastarder

jeremy vine occasionally posts some corkers, but this sort of this is/was common along strand road when i was commuting. i've wondered if it's still policy to use these little islands on narrow roads.

https://twitter.com/theJeremyVine/status/1398579607490772995

magicbastarder

closest one in a while. dropping down out of the naul, heading for snowtown, doing somewhere between 35 and 40. a guy in a car pulled up at the junction in front of me (he was coming from oldtown, so i had right of way), so i pulled out into the road a little just to make myself look a little more obvious; he looked up towards me, then looked left away from me and pulled out without looking back at me. i missed him by about a metre, and gave him a hell of a lungful. he shouted something back, but it could have been surprise because i do reckon he had no clue i was there. thankfully there were several other people in the car, so at least he had to deal with the embarrassment in front of some others.

then a bit later, heading southbound on the R130, a few km south of garristown, some cock in a golf passed me with maybe 50cm to spare, him doing 60 or 70km/h i'd say.

nilhg

Not a near miss per se but I think what happened this morning was as bad a bit of driving as I've personally seen on an Irish road. I was with one of our club groups this morning with a few new members so we were extra careful to keep things tight and orderly in the group, our route took us up the main Naas-Blessington road through Eadestown.

Traffic wasn't too bad but as we came up to the Church on the corner at Eadestown a call came from behind "car up". I was just rounding the apex of the bend thinking to myself he'll have to wait a minute when he passed me, totally on the wrong side of the road, to be fair to him he was well away from us but he couldn't have had any visibility of what was coming down the road from Blessington.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2028779,-6.5778515,3a,75y,157.86h,84.68t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so-Mw1dQqLeSPJV6jScX4Wg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I was that shocked I only got the 132 KE part of his reg, a black VW passat, hardly much point going anywhere with that.

MojoMaker

Black Faces Matter.

Seth Brundle

Not me but I came across this example of poor driving from one of Dublin's "professional" drivers.
Whilst the driver doesn't close pass the cyclist, it does show how there is a sense of entitlement amongst some (most?) drivers that they should have more priority over vulnerable road users.

Strangely, the drivers agression didn't actually get them further than the cyclist...

https://twitter.com/KevSheedy/status/1399811877547433988

magicbastarder

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^

don't let that video put you off, plenty of safe roads to cycle on in this country

QFT, as i think the cool kids say.
coming into a thread like this is like going into a thread (if one exists) on the football forum called 'tell us about your footballing injuries' which would probably put a non-footballer off ever looking at a ball.
the cycling forum is one of the busiest sports forums on boards, but also possibly a higher active participation rate in the activity than you'd find on some other sports forums. so you'd expect to see quite a few reports here.

in short - the main enemy of the cyclist is not the motorist, it's air. we don't have enough angry threads about air in the cycling forum if you ask me.

Duckjob

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Not me but I came across this example of poor driving from one of Dublin's "professional" drivers.
Whilst the driver doesn't close pass the cyclist, it does show how there is a sense of entitlement amongst some (most?) drivers that they should have more priority over vulnerable road users.

Strangely, the drivers agression didn't actually get them further than the cyclist...

https://twitter.com/KevSheedy/status/1399811877547433988

In fairness to that taxi driver, we was delayed for a couple of seconds from getting to that red light.

In reality, he probably wanted to get through before it changed. I guess he's one of those sh*te drivers that would think nothing of blowing though it on hard acceleration after its already gone red and people are just about to start crossing, and he was p**sed off that he got foiled from doing that someone on a bike in front of him.

Seth Brundle

Another UK police force is able to send out a clear message regarding close passes...

https://twitter.com/policescotland/status/1402226401294491651

Seth Brundle

Hopefully they get the driver and give them a duly appropriate punishment. Scum!
https://twitter.com/SafeCyclingEire/status/1404175366755962881?s=19

Seth Brundle

Update in relation to the chap that was hit by a driver in East Wall...

https://twitter.com/VirginMediaNews/status/1404808412286754816

Seth Brundle

It says a lot when foreign police forces actively criticise examples of bad driving here when my last memory of AGS commenting on an example of bad driving was to defend the drivers by moaning about data protection...

https://twitter.com/SurreyRoadCops/status/1405040503553466368

Mc Love

Dont forget the driver is entitled to their good name

MojoMaker

TrafficWatch.

magicbastarder

i'd go to the gardai with that.

Dr_Colossus

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

This has excellent quality, less than €100 from amazon.de. [I hate buying from Amazon, but was the only option here].

I had to tone down the quality from 4k to 2.7k to extend the battery life to more than an hour.

https://apemans.com/collections/action-camera/products/apeman-4k-60fps-action-camera-a87-touch-screen-20mp-wi-fi-eis-8x-zoom-remote-control-sports-cam-40m-waterproof-underwater-vlog-camcoder-with-mounting-accessories-kit-and-carrying-case

Could you post a picture of it on the bike and as to how inconspicuous it is. Looks like it has one of those additional plastic cases to protect it from the elements which are cumbersome looking and surely a pain. Would it fit under the saddle reasonably well.
Was thinking of getting a gopro sessions before despite battery life being an issue as it's a nice tiny unit but then they ceased production.
Sorry for derailing the thread.

cletus

Anyone here in a Bahrain jersey, going through Naas today? Not the most awful of near misses, but some pretty stupid driving. I was in the car, behind said Bahrain cyclist from the bottom of Ballycane hill to just after the traffic lights on the Dublin Rd. Fella in the car behind me was getting pretty impatient, so overtook me and the cyclist, across a solid white line, into oncoming traffic shortly after the Kilcullen roundabout.

Cyclist was, quite rightly, unhappy

Wishbone Ash

I had a very close pass on the cycle track from Stamullen to Gormanston this afternoon. Ford Transit mini-bus - wheels were inside the cycle track when she passed. The mirror brushed my shoulder. Gave me a right startle. She turned into the next housing estate so I followed. She was totally dismissive and unapologetic when I spoke to her. She claimed (worryingly) that she hadn't passed any cyclist on her route and that I was making it up and more or less told me to go away. (The mini bus was full of children with special needs).

5uspect

link removed - see mod post a few posts on

Read the replies, the individual in the van is apparently a real piece of work.

magicbastarder

VonLuck wrote: »

I'm always wary of Twitter posts like that. A completely innocent individual's life could be ruined because of trial by social media.

+1, and to address the above post - an allegation has been made, a statement given to gardai, but this does *not* remove the 'allegedly' caveat. it being from the partner of the victim delivered on twitter is precisely a he said she said scenario.

i've removed identifying information; if there are statements from the gardai, etc., we can let them stand, but a photo identifying someone accused of some pretty scummy crimes with no proof won't be allowed.

MojoMaker

Let's not be naive here.

robinph

Driver in Arizona crashes into a charity cycle ride, and then the police shoot him.

BBC News - Arizona police shoot driver who crashed into charity bike ride
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57542454

silverharp

interesting point for motorists brought up in this one, dont slow down to let cars out of minor roads

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

cletus

Having watched the video, I think the point re letting drivers out is it's fine in stop start, or heavy slow moving traffic, but if you're lane of traffic is moving along, then stay moving along with it.

I agree that the cyclist did a series of things wrong here

magicbastarder

i had a guy on a scrambler pull a wheelie towards me on the bracetown - kilbride road on saturday. he was accompanied by three other people on similarly loud motorbikes.

that's one thing i'm going to ban when i'm in charge, loud motorbikes. some of them are nearly as loud as a car horn.