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

Stark

I have to agree here, the cycle/pedestrian bridge route is definitely preferable to the alternative of going through the main M50 junction which can feel intense even in a car with some of the crazies.

Route you would take is stay on the N4 until junction 2, then come off towards the Hermitage clinic and take the old lucan road past the Deadman's inn and join the pedestrian/cycle route just before King's hospital school. That'll bring you into Palmerstown village where you can continue on behind the Applegreen into Chapelizod village or re-join the N4 at this point where it's less crazy busy.

I generally find going west to east using the cycle lanes to be a decent enough route. Going west to east is a bit more haphazard

Seth Brundle

I've crossed the M50 via the N4 (inbound) a few times when traffic is quiet but no way would I attempt to cross the M50N slip road during the morning rush.

The cycle path to cross the M50 is fine around there and I tend to use it heading in or out of the city. The only complaint I'd really have is that there isn't a ramp from the bus lane onto the footpath/cycle path meaning that I've to stop in order to get up onto the path.

As for the cycle path along the rest of the N4 - it's shite and is a good way to see a set of road tyres damaged quickly. On top of that, you've pedestrians, dogs and so on using the path. As I'll be travelling in or around 30km/h, I don't think this is suitable when on a glorified footpath. The bus lane is fine despite the odd dickhead driver who feels the need to punish you for existing.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121104153#Comment_121104153

I saw a quote from GoSafe that "The general rule of thumb that we would use is that if you can see the van, you're generally in range." though the y probably would say that.

I'm not 100% sure how the cameras measure speed, and Google isn't providing anything concrete, though I imagine it's radar based. Given that they have to have an image of the offending vehicle as well, I reckon they'd need to have a relatively narrow field of view, which would limit the range somewhat as it'd need to be focused somewhere on the road and if the FOV is too wide, then the plate is likely to be unreadable as it'll be tiny in the image and thus more susceptible to motion blur/noise etc

Idleater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121110097#Comment_121110097

Not if they are only approaching the roundabout

Idleater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121111491#Comment_121111491

Ah, the other right :-)

As a pedestrian crossing correctly at the local mini roundabout, I regularly can be 3/4 of the way across (inbound lane and halfway across the outbound lane say) and some car comes along "nothing on my right (actual)".

When they see me in the middle of "their" lane I either get driven at and berated, driven at and eventually stared at with the astonished "where did you come from" look, or occasionally, they see me and stop correctly and allow me to finish crossing.

fits

Can anyone advise me how not to get killed turning right onto steevens lane on my way to heuston station?. I’ve been roared at twice and nearly taken out by a speeding car coming up the way and breaking a red light in recent weeks

I take a Dublin bike from harcourt street and go via the coombe.

I also nearly got taken out by two motorbikes with pillion passengers who overtook me on both sides at heuston station luas bridge. but that was a freak event and hopefully a once off

fits

Yes that’s the one.

Seth Brundle

It's a dodgy junction even when driving through it.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121113446#Comment_121113446

I absolutely hate it. Going to have to look at getting onto the quays I think.

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121113569#Comment_121113569

They have a cycle light now at the Heuston junction to avoid the 3 lane death manoeuvre. Timings were **** when they first installed it but you're not waiting too long now

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121113569#Comment_121113569

Thanks I’ll try that.

it’s a shame as Thomas street is reasonably pleasant to cycle along

Dr_Colossus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121131855#Comment_121131855

Thanks for posting, good piece. Reading the initial dangerous driving report (link posted in above article) I note she has an update that upon appeal the conviction was reduced to "careless driving", 5 penalty points and a €500 fine. Goes to show it's near impossible to get a dangerous driving conviction in ireland.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121133916#Comment_121133916

I don't mean to sound like an old fart but the Tiktok and all these 'post videos for likes' type platforms really are an absolute scourge when it comes to things like this.

At very least, the perpetrators are the masters of their own demise by posting the video... still doesn't bring the poor dude back though.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121128677#Comment_121128677

Not fun. I got a bee stuck behind my sunglasses coming off the Galibier last year - thankfully not the steeper bit of it, but still doing about 60 admiring the view. I did get stung, and to this day have no idea how I managed to stop and didn't go off the edge/over the bars or come to some other horrible form of cropper

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121133916#Comment_121133916

Sickening. Only positive is since it happened in the US and a former police chief was the victim, the scrotes will face actual justice and not the soft touch treatment they'd receive here.

T-Maxx

Yeah but but but you should've been in the cycle lane...

And I bet you weren't wearing hi-viz either.

T-Maxx

I agree but in this instance it looks like the cyclist was indeed well into the 'lane' - at least halfway across in the hatched area.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121146854#Comment_121146854

if he hadn't he was stupid as traffic could presume he was exiting.

Nope. You don't overtake on a roundabout. The driver didn't misunderstand signals or lack of - the driver was just an ignorant prick who didn't care about anyone else!

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121147158#Comment_121147158

I've seen drivers who ignore hand signals and I'd make a fsirly safe assumption that this driver is no different. They don't care because why should they; they're not going to be punished for being a selfish prick on the road

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121147158#Comment_121147158

I haven't seen any statement that he wasn't signalling. Be that as it may, while I'll personally always try to use hand signals entering or on a roundabout when safe to do so. being able to take evasive action and/or brake to avoid a stupid prick will always trump waving my hands at said stupid prick who will almost certainly ignore them anyway.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121152701#Comment_121152701

Also, if I come up behind someone on their phone I let a roar at them to get off their phones. I didn't think they'd be able to hear me but they can. I have a couple on video, I must put them up here

While I'd be all for this myself, just beware you're not leaving yourself open to GDPR issues by doing so. I stand to be corrected on this, but I think there was a kerfuffle several years back involving the Guards objecting to public posting of photos of cars parked blocking cycle lanes - not sure if it was Boards related or elsewhere

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154700#Comment_121154700

The only point at which posting of number plates becomes a privacy issue is if that number plate is being linked with a known individual/ celebrity. Which is why they get blurred out when celeb cars are shown on the news.

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121154059#Comment_121154059

I do remember this now, but unfortunately it may have changed in the interim. According to https://www.gdprregister.eu/gdpr-faq/ "What is personal data?":

It can be anything related to the person: a name, a phone number, an e-mail address, a photo or a video, an address or location, a number of the bank account, a car registration plate, social media account etc.

I think this is a bit dumb myself since you need knowledge of the individual or access to the vehicle DB to link the two, but I think it's been deemed so on the basis of a test case. There is of course the getout that you can handle personal data from the point of view of reporting a crime, so the Godot like portal will be in line with this. If however on the basis of this you posted photos of a car being someplace it shouldn't to a public forum and had some dick owner with the brass neck to get lawyered up and challenge them, you could end up in bother.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121166962#Comment_121166962

You never know - it could be "Judge" Martin Nolan who would find against the cyclist just because!

T-Maxx

One of the closest and scariest ones I've seen;

https://twitter.com/The_NFRSA/status/1706924920679112792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1706924920679112792%7Ctwgr%5E0274015edbb8ef7f75668b27a69871d959f76046%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloucestershirelive.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fcelebs-tv%2Flady-bathurst-near-miss-bike-8784801

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121168656#Comment_121168656

That's an utter shocker. What's particularly bad is that the truck is already passing 2 cyclists on the other side who should have been visible to the bell-end in the red car. The truck should really have been giving more space as well which would have closed the door if done in a timely manner and I suspect having left it too late MGIF had already started the manouever (the truck does swerve out later) - and there's an oncoming car. They need the book thrown at them

fiacha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121169289#Comment_121169289

Question unrelated to the close pass, but would 50kmph be considered a safe speed to be travelling in those conditions ? Novice cyclist here, so genuinely don't know what kind of speeds experienced riders are comfortable with in poor weather.

Stark

It's frustrating how little of a **** they give about private motorists in bus lanes. And then have the nerve to veto initiatives like cameras on buses on the basis of "it's our job to enforce". Not asking that they spend all their time on it but they could at least go after the low hanging fruit when it's dangled in their face. A good example is the bus lane on the Chapelizod road between Islandbridge and Parkgate Street. The 26 is regularly delayed by about 15 mins by bus lane blockers in the morning and I've often seen marked Garda cars just sitting there like idiots in the traffic jam for the same length of time when they could have used that time to hand out a few tickets and clear out the lane and get moving in the process.

fiacha

In relation to the first twitter post, given the guys comments and his belief that he was 100% correct to "marshall" the driver out of the bus lane I wouldn't be inclined to believe his version of the Gardai's response.

fiacha

A threat or advice ? I have no legal background so feel free to correct me, but would it be the case that once the video evidence is submitted along with a statement the Gardai are obliged to follow up on any other illegal acts that the footage shows ? The clip shows the driver is clearly in the wrong, but what else happened before that or how did the cyclist behave when they decided to block traffic and "marshall" the driver back out of the bus lane ?

I'm sure the driver and their solicitor would insist that the cyclist be charged with any offences they may have committed in the full footage.

Perhaps he was done the favor of being advised of the legal action he might face if the evidence was submitted, and given the choice of pursuing it or dropping it. Or maybe, as some have suggested he was threatened with retaliation for making the Gardai do their job. I've had limited experience with the Gardai in my life, but I've never been given the impression that they would rather make threats against me than do their duty.

Just my 2 cents based on the info I saw in the linked post.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121260204#Comment_121260204

Well hopefully you’ve made him think about it a bit. What a dick.

cletus

Is it just me, or is that video now no longer available

Stark

I think it's a Cork thing especially though. I'm from Cork, moved to Dublin and bad enough as Dublin is, it's a lot easier to cycle here than Cork imo.

fiacha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312208#Comment_121312208

If he changed his road positioning he would run out of footage and wouldn't be able to rage post on Twitter all week :D I'm all for highighting the poor and dangerous actions of drivers / cyclists / pedestrians that we all experience but many of the dedicated posters on Twitter seem to thrive on the attention and over react by aggressivly chasing drivers, getting into aguments with them etc. I've watched some of their video's (can't remember if it was the chap linked above) and they've been outright dangerous in their pursuit of the "offending" driver and seemed to care about nothing other than catching up and gettting into a confrontation. They will defend their "right" to do so in the comments and refuse to acknowledge that any of their own actions were dangerous. I think many of these posters make cyclists look just as bad as the drivers.

You are spot on with the road positioning. I used to be guilty of sticking to the inside edge of the lane etc, but after getting knocked off on a roundabout a few months back I have started taking a much more assertive position on narrow roads / roundabouts and at junctions. It has made a noticeable difference with cars approaching from behind and also puts me in a better position to react to drivers pulling out in front of me. Roundabouts are still dodgy as 99% of people seem to have no idea how to navigate them :D.

Seth Brundle

A few days ago, I saw this vid of a lad who cycles around London with his cat being knocked off by a moped rider. Rather than reprimand the moped rider, the police officer in the car behind could only suggest the victim wear a helmet...

https://twitter.com/sigirides/status/1724088969267191987?t=MB28MjwbKUaSiJ4SSujJ9w&s=19

Now apparently after this went public, he is being told to kill himself...

https://twitter.com/sigirides/status/1724745155981279440?t=fKFM2-ZAwytCjZoGG3dA0Q&s=19

Some people really are vile!

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121378661#Comment_121378661

"Character"? Seems like a nice guy judging from his Instagram. Also disabled (not able to walk due to some muscle wasting issue) so reliant on the bike to get the dog out and about.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121378661#Comment_121378661

The bike is in the middle of the lane and moving away from stationary. He's not turning, he's just starting to move and a wobble should be expected. The moped tried to get through a gap which wasn't there and didn't allow the bike to start moving. Even if they were turning, you don't take your hand off the handlebars when pulling away, and you don't stand at the stop line with one arm out just so that a vehicle pulling up behind you at the junction knows your intentions. They should wait until the bike is moving before making any moves themselves.

Moped entirely in the wrong going for a non existent gap.

robinph

The cat had absolutely nothing to do with what happened, it was just sitting in its basket and minding it's own business. It didn't cause the incident.

The moped was approaching stationary traffic at a junction, and rather than stopping and waiting for the traffic in front to resume moving, they went through close passing a bike which was just beginning to move off. As a two wheeled vehicle themselves they should have been well aware that bikes are unstable at slow speeds and not attempted that move.

I'm not seeing how any blame can be laid on the bicycle for them starting to move when it was their turn to do so.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121381456#Comment_121381456

But, if the cyclist had given a hand signal or looked over his shoulder,

A hand signal for what? They didn't change lane or turn. They veered slightly to the right but that can happen (especially if you turn your head to the right). The cyclist was hit from behind and no amount of shoulder looking will prevent a dipsh1t from hitting you especially with such short notice.

the incident may have been avoided. That isn't victim blaming

Victim blaming is exactly what it is!

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121381456#Comment_121381456

They were moving off from a stop.

How would they be indicating whilst pedalling away from a stand still? It was the first or possibly second turn of their pedals.

Edit: and what would they be indicating for? They were going straight on.

MojoMaker

The main (only?) reason you're not seen by a driver is when they have their head in a phone and "multitasking". Hope you get 100% sorted @monkeyslayer

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121388483#Comment_121388483

Might actually get a reasonable sentence with it being a Garda that she hit. Anyone else on a bike and the same injuries and would be a slap on the wrist at most.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121389363#Comment_121389363

She might even get a few years driving ban!

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121396310#Comment_121396310

I had one last week where a driver entered a roundabout near Grange Castle as I was on the roundabout. Only for me anticipating his move prevented him from hitting me. Again, I followed him to the next set of lights and he apologised and said that he didn't see me (despite front light, street lights, high viz and the fact that I had clearly entered the roundabout as he was approaching the yield line (which he didn't stop at)

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121397909#Comment_121397909

Were you driving a white van near Grange Castle last Wednesday night by any chance? 🤣

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398232#Comment_121398232

I've never liked cycling along that road (R403 Celbridge Rd) and tend to opt for Tubber Lane which is waaaaay more quiet and too narrow for most to try and overtake.

edit: I'm reminded of MINI driver overtaking me just past the junction where your video was recorded...

https://streamable.com/60jq90

JMcL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121397909#Comment_121397909

I had similar, though thankfully did see him in time so his living sh1t stayed in place. It made me aware of what an impediment to vision the pillars on modern cars are, and has been a lesson taken on board ever since.

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398086#Comment_121398086

Getting stuck in traffic and watching you pass them by 😁

Cabaal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121400567#Comment_121400567

Perhaps, but 1. They lorry shouldn't have overtaken and 2. the lorry shouldn't have closed the gap

Cycling was in the process of filtering past slower moving traffic when things started to speed up again.

5uspect

Had a nasty incident last night around 8:20 coming through Liffey Valley and taking the roundabout towards Lucan. Grey Merc with no lights on entered the roundabout behind me crazy close, beeping their horn and then floored it and overtook and left hooked me down towards Fonthill. A couple of drivers stopped to see if I was okay.

My camera’s battery was flat so didn’t capture it.