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

kenmm

RobertFoster wrote: »

Starts on the roundabout near Lidl, heading east: https://goo.gl/maps/H4A5oxGZi9cYQh9UA

This is bound to happen with road design like this. Forcing an off road cycle lane to merge with traffic at the point where the traffic is distracted by other decisions. Same with cyclists, one minute you are happily going along segregated then you have to deal with a change in traffic patterns (bus and traffic etc vs the relative safety of the off road lane).

It seems innocent enough road lay out, but its a mess and i would guess entirely untested.

Would be great to have a AMA with an Irish road planner..

kenmm

ye exactly - its at the stage of why bother? The space would have been better used on wider road.. but I would bet there is some combination of more funding to provide "Cycling infrastructure" mixed with not caring or not wanting to care by conducting research on what makes good infrastructure.

i.e. get XXX € in grants for an off road cycle lane means they fund a significant % of the road upgrade with minimal cost spent on the cycling infra.

tnegun

kenmm wrote: »

This is bound to happen with road design like this. Forcing an off road cycle lane to merge with traffic at the point where the traffic is distracted by other decisions. Same with cyclists, one minute you are happily going along segregated then you have to deal with a change in traffic patterns (bus and traffic etc vs the relative safety of the off road lane).

It seems innocent enough road lay out, but its a mess and i would guess entirely untested.

Would be great to have a AMA with an Irish road planner..

It's poor design but if the bus driver can't handle the distraction of a single straight lane with plenty of room to his right and a bike lane to the left he shouldn't be driving. This guy didn't even get the basics right mirror, signal, maneuver. We were visible to him for at least 20 secs when coming off the roundabout so he had plenty of opportunity to see us.

tnegun

Seth Brundle wrote: »

They had the opportunity to design it right when building their upgrade and chose the sloppy option that meant someone not in a car was a second class citizen :rolleyes:

You want to see what they have done in Maynooth and Leixlip. Some of the newest stretches of bike lanes in the country. No markings, bus stops dropped in the middle of them when ample room exists to move the lane around them. Mixing of right of way at some junctions then loosing it at then next sudden merges with traffic with no real warning for either.

In the video I shared above traveling in the other direction the whole road has been redone but approaching the roundabout the cycle lane turns left as in your example and you then have to attempt to cross 5 lanes of traffic with no dropped kerbs to get to where you are going or cycle several hundred meters in the wrong direction to get to a crossing.

tnegun

Car is king as far as KCC is concerned

QueenMTBee

Vincenzo Nibbly wrote: »

I hope the cyclists are ok.

Does the junction look the same today as it's represented in Google Streetview? There appears to be no Stop sign to notify traffic coming from Bow St onto King St, and no Stop notice painted on the ground. In fact, no line on the ground until the FAR side of of the cycle lane.

I drive that road every day (I'm also a cyclist) and there is a stop sign on the right hand side. Not that most people take any notice of it. You do have to nose out very slowly as it's hard to see the cars / cyclists coming from your right until you are partway into the cycle lane due to the slight bend in the road and the corner of that building blocking the view. And you're also trying to keep an eye out for all the strung out junkies wandering all over the road/footpath.

Utter Consternation

Coming along here yesterday in the cycle lane and a Dublin Bus starts to overtake me and as he is parallel with me indicates to pull into the stop and starts turning in. I just stopped on the road. I think he saw me but just didn't care.

I suspect that drivers are in a rush to pull in here because they're changing shift. It has happened to me more than once along here.

Same sh1t happens with taxi drivers just before there too actually. They never fcuking look and just pull in across you there.

juicer

I always take the lane there even if the cycle lane is clear. It's extremely bumpy with all the potholes.

Utter Consternation

juicer wrote: »

I always take the lane there even if the cycle lane is clear. It's extremely bumpy with all the potholes.

Yeah, it's shockingly bumpy there, around Liberty Hall is lethal too with the way the lanes split up.

kenmm

Stark wrote: »

That spot's one of the worst, I do it every day. The cycle lane line is probably the most dangerous line to take through the road.

yep - and couple with pot holes, uneven surface and all the manhole covers.. very tricky to navigate at times

CramCycle

Got buzzed by a taxi this morning. I had moved into the bus lane to facilitate the left turning car ahead. I had looked behind, loads of room, moved out and was about to pull back in. Taxi had only just caught up, and laid on the horn and skimmed me.

As it turns out, this is the same taxi that has now buzzed me three times on the same road. I think he is targeting me.

Kaisr Sose

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Coming along here yesterday in the cycle lane and a Dublin Bus starts to overtake me and as he is parallel with me indicates to pull into the stop and starts turning in. I just stopped on the road. I think he saw me but just didn't care.

I suspect that drivers are in a rush to pull in here because they're changing shift. It has happened to me more than once along here.

Same sh1t happens with taxi drivers just before there too actually. They never fcuking look and just pull in across you there.

They do the same on Parnell Sq too when changing drivers. Some literally dying to get off shift..
Off topic but what is it with Google obscuring the brand text on side of a Dublin bus but leaving it on the front or not obscuring brand names in adverts or other vans parked on quays, including a Dublin Bus one.

kenmm

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Off topic but what is it with Google obscuring the brand text on side of a Dublin bus but leaving it on the front or not obscuring brand names in adverts or other vans parked on quays, including a Dublin Bus one.

I don't think they obscure brands (its Google!) - I think it was probably picked up as a number plate or similar.

kenmm

Its another spot of town where I find that people are quite happy to blast you while quite obviously driving way above the speed limit..

Usually it picks up pace as people by that time have been stuck on the Quays for an age...

What Username Guidelines

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Agree with Stark below, probably the most dangerous section of cycle lane in Dublin if you stick to it. Cycle it every morning and it's centre of the driving lane each time. Between buses/taxis pulling out and cars veering left from both lanes across and onto towards Beresford Place you get it from all sides.

Only this week I had a chap in a security van blowing and when he caught up to me at the lights before Custom House starting blowing again and shouting out the window how I should be in the cycle lane. All this while the overtaking lane beside him was free. Of course there was a bus parked outside Custom House blocking the cycle lane there and entry to the segregated lane so it was centre lane again all the way to the next set of lights at Memorial Road.

I find the entrance to the orca’d lane the most frustrating part when blocked. Gotta keep up speed when you’ve cars up your ass, but then you’re too fast to enter the lane between orcas, which frustrates the motorists behind you even further. Try to avoid this whole stretch from O’Connell bridge when I can.

Utter Consternation

kenmm wrote: »

Its another spot of town where I find that people are quite happy to blast you while quite obviously driving way above the speed limit..

Usually it picks up pace as people by that time have been stuck on the Quays for an age...

You hit the nail on the head. They think they're in fookin Mondello when they cross over OCB because they've been stuck in traffic for the last half an hour.

tnegun

I thought this was stolen but no, it was pulled in on the site around the corner he had just popped out for lunch!! https://streamable.com/q3lvy he blows through a red light at the end too.

As we were discussing this bike lane earlier here's a sample of the newest stretch complete with a near miss between the car and truck. It's not bad when you're on it but the placement of the bus stops, poor access and the complete lack of a transition at the end ruin it!

https://streamable.com/6f8x4

Only for the first truck sounded his horn it would of been very different.

Had forgotten about this one on the subject of newly built crap bike lanes, bus stop in the middle of it then just dumped out on the road at the end leading to the inevitable! https://streamable.com/bplto

tnegun

Yeah that's it I usually don't use it either, I use the first section and normally merge back at the traffic lights/entrance to the housing estate but there was too much traffic that morning so ended up staying in the lane till that pinch point.

eeeee

Eden quay heading towards the point and crossing the quays before Heuston to get to Parkgate street are the most dangerous bits of my commute.
I cycle in the right most lane on o Connell bridge, and even in the middle of that lane, between the buses, coaches and taxis parked/ pulled in just after the bridge you still get people left hooking you. It's a nightmare.
And that road is in absolute shyte. It's on my way home and I hate it.
I also don't go into the orca lane, cos there's usually a Dublin coach parked at it and the amount of beeping you get for not being in there despite going the same speed as traffic along it :rolleyes:

Hurrache

Where in the city are you coming from to get to the south Quays? If you're any way close to the canal I find it better to go that way and through Kilmainham.

eeeee

Hurrache wrote: »

Where in the city are you coming from to get to the south Quays? If you're any way close to the canal I find it better to go that way and through Kilmainham.

I hate the canal more than the quays :pac:, busy in the mornings and hilly into the Phoenix park.
It's fine, I'm used to it, they're just hideous bits of road design for everyone I think, especially Aston quay.

Not the first time I've seen a red mini mentioned on here and at the strawberry beds.

Kaisr Sose

Seth Brundle wrote: »

YouTube sent me a notification about this a short while ago. Anyone recognize this impatient pr***?

I just knew a car was going to do that. Total lunacy. I guess they all caught up again later on. Driver should get a court enforced vacation from driving for a while.

Edit: Not a recent clip: July 16, 2019.

What Username Guidelines

My wife just got home from a friends house and saw a cyclist down on the Firhouse Road. Gardaí and fire brigade in attendance, and cyclist still on ground being tended to. Fingers crossed it’s not very serious.

Kaisr Sose

Seth Brundle wrote: »

The comment says published on Feb 20th 2020 which is why I posted it.

6 month on, it's still nuts driving. Hope it was reported.
A similar thing happened me just after the garage in scalp on Enniskerry Rd heading towards Kilternan. A car overtook a few cars that were waiting for a straight road without continueous white line. A car coming head on had emergency stop to avoid collision on blind bend , the overtaking car then dived in nearly hitting me (who they could not have seen until then). I had good video and reported it but it was a fleet car and garda dis seem not interested in following up.

Kaisr Sose

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, if you ever want to see the narrowest sliver of a near miss, this is up there with the closest:

Wow!

AndrewJRenko

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, if you ever want to see the narrowest sliver of a near miss, this is up there with the closest:

Sure the cyclist wasn't even wearing hi-vis, how could he expect the van to see him?

MyDarkArts

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, if you ever want to see the narrowest sliver of a near miss, this is up there with the closest:

https://twitter.com/greenlaker/status/1230840656077045760

That was quite a dismount, landed standing on both feet. I don't get off my bike that well, even when the front end isn't being squashed by two tons of metal.

micar

buffalo wrote: »

The ego won out over the id this morning, as I asked one close passing driver wtf was the wrong with him? "Did I hit you? Did I ****ing hit you?" That's the standard - no contact was made, therefore it's grand. *sigh*

"Ah relax " is what I got when i spoke to a female after she overtook me and started to turn left.

After speaking to her I started to move off, she proceeded to continue with her left turn right in front of me..........Jesus wept.

I was on the verge of a going after her to have another chat.

Pinch Flat

hesker wrote: »

Yeah relax. Motorists are excellent judges of distance. See for example this driver’s parking skills I spotted this evening.

[img][/img]https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=503701&d=1582569287

Parked up the the white line. What's the problem?

Kaisr Sose

5uspect wrote: »

Or they left their handbrake off, which I’ve seen done before.

It looks more likely it would roll the other way if that was the case. I would still classify it as poor driving to park a vehicle without applying parking/handbrake.

Pinch Flat

Phoenix park this morning, roundabout at Wellington Monument. I;m coming from Castleknock direction. Motorist blasted though from my left. Been nearly T-boned here a few times, but this one was the closest yet. The cyclists behind me agreed. I must look at upgrading my lights, because a 250 W strobe and constant light is obviously not enough. Either that or I was thinking of getting some red paint and spraying "Bikes" in 12 foot letters with a big arrow pointing right on the road leading to this roundabout, The phoenix park in general needs speed ramps all over it.

I'm sitting here in work shaking - coming down from the adrenaline - and also a sore throat from the roar I left at the car. No one deserves that on a commute through a park off all places.

Two things saved me this morning:
1. I take it for granted that no one has a clue how to use a roundabout, especially when it comes to bikes, so had slowed down.
2. My brakes had being jamming, full of road gunk and braking efficiency had reduced. Had put it on the long finger to sort it out. Took apart both front and rear brakes last night, de-greased and re-lubed and fitted them back. They probably saved me this morning.

Heading towards the canal in Northumberland Avenue this morning and stopped at the Haddington road junction.

White van behind me, revving his engine and as the lights went green, he pushed past me inches from my shoulder and basically shut me out. I banged on the van with my knuckles and got the usual stop, wind down of the window “what’s your ****ing problem pal”

I meant to calmly explain that if I can knock on his van with my hand then he isn’t 1.5 metres away. Instead it came out as “you nearly drove in to me you ****ing ****”.

It wasn’t until I read back the company name and phone number on his van to him that he decided an altercation wasn’t a good idea.

tnegun

That is criminal, it could of ended very badly for the guy on the fold up

Kaisr Sose

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I asked if he was from the station nearby and he said that he was. I mentioned the passes and the phone and he calmly just said “I’m sorry” which kinda caught me by surprise. I’m tempted to pop in and have a word with his senior as I’d have thought someone from the emergency services should know better.

You should. It mght save the same station having to attend the aftermath of his driving.

Hurrache

Mc Love wrote: »

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

This is definitely my first near miss with a pedestrian. In the act of avoiding her, she ran in the direction of where I was going.

Hate to think of what might have been, if i was in a car and not going as slow as I was

I travel Gardiner Street daily, it's usually chock ablock with traffic so every junction you have pedestrians stepping out against their lights, head down, thinking all traffic is stopped. The fact it's downhill towards the Liffey cyclists can get a grand bit of speed, it must by fluke that it's not skittles every day.

CramCycle

Seth Brundle wrote: »

On my way home this evening, I was in the cycle lane along the N4 slip lane outside the Spa Hotel when I was passed by a fire brigade transit van who seemed to be moving a little too close and too fast for my liking.
I passed it as I went up the slip road to leave the N4 (to head towards Leixlip). At the roundabout 100m on the van overtook me as I was on the roundabout. I had already been dominating the lane but that made no difference. I could see him as he was passing and he didn’t seem to give me the slightest glance.
I caught up with him again as he queued on the Liffey bridge going into the village. I knocked on his window to let him know (without anger!) of his poor driving and there he was posting on Facebook. The phone was cast to his left as he looked up at me.
I asked if he was from the station nearby and he said that he was. I mentioned the passes and the phone and he calmly just said “I’m sorry” which kinda caught me by surprise. I’m tempted to pop in and have a word with his senior as I’d have thought someone from the emergency services should know better.

Nothing like the fear of losing your job or the respect of your co workers to make you apologetic, one of the few jobs where he might actually pay a heavy price even if an accident doesn't occur. Depends on the type of person you are, you can report to the station that one of their team had done this and ask that the person in charge talk to them all and remind them, and I am sure they don't need it, to think about the last RTA with a mobile they attended. The other is too dob him in, same affect on the rest of the station, he might just be out of a job. In case you think I am suggesting one over the other, I am not, both are fine. Your call to make. It is a pity though that the same assurance could not be had by reporting people from other work places.

Steoller

I took to the road this morning as the cycle lanes were still a bit glassy, and I didn't fancy hitting the tactile paving tiles going downhill immediately before the roundabout here. The roundabout has been changed recently (tnegun and buffalo were talking about it earlier in the thread). There's now an extra lane on the left, giving two left turn lanes and one right turn. This has introduced a dog-leg to the left in the cycle lane. The tactile paving was installed just before the dog-leg, as the cycle lane and footpath are shared in the re-done junction.

So that was what I was trying to avoid - a downhill approach to icy tactile paving, immediately before a sharp turn.

Most people were able to make use of the two lanes on approach to pass me safely, but there's always one. I got -at best- a foot of space as he went by.

I caught him again at the traffic lights, utterly pointless.

work

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I assume everyone saw the video last week on RightToBikeIt's twitter feed where an dangerous driver overtook him despite an oncoming bus. The car hit the cyclist as it was trying to avoid a head on collision with the bus.
Here, he has merged it and his four other hit's into one video...

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1232355636358320129


Just goes to show how a driving licence in Ireland is treated as a right and not a privilege!

Wow that is seriously scary. Gets the adrenaline pumping watching it. The sad thing is they are most often not prosecuted properly. Attempted murder or manslaughter, dangerous driving or whatever they could be and Statistically are not in any records just classed as another commute.
How many people do not cycle that would because of this behaviour.
Prosecutions need to be 100% with complete lifetime bans from driving along with massive fines passed onto the victims.

Kaisr Sose

work wrote: »

Wow that is seriously scary. Gets the adrenaline pumping watching it. The sad thing is they are most often not prosecuted properly. Attempted murder or manslaughter, dangerous driving or whatever they could be and Statistically are not in any records just classed as another commute.
How many people do not cycle that would because of this behaviour.
Prosecutions need to be 100% with complete lifetime bans from driving along with massive fines passed onto the victims.

Agree fully. Relentless prosecution of these incidents should be a top priority. I don't see this in Ireland.

sy_flembeck

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Not a near miss as such but the driver of a builder's drop side pickup felt the need to slow down and lean on the horn while passing me on the R132 south of Balrothery this evening.

I was in the hard shoulder and not impeding him in any way.

I had a driver fined and points on licence for exactly the same. He had a bit of previous for it I was told, and fortunately he had to be traced through his transport manager. Whether he kept his job or not I neither know nor care

CramCycle

Dear lord, driving today and I was stopped waiting to turn right. Cyclist was coming against me and the car behind them decided to do a slow overtake right as they got to me. I thought the cyclist was going over, can't have had more than a foot of space. He stayed upright but looked shook. Driver didn't even flinch and just carried on.

Pinch Flat

Coming him from work last night late (around 8.30). Stopped at the castleknock gates waiting for a green light. Car comes against me, lights flashing and swerving towards me. Then swerves away and continues down the park. Probably about time we had psychological road side testing as some drivers seem to have real issues

Utter Consternation

Hurrache wrote: »

I travel Gardiner Street daily, it's usually chock ablock with traffic so every junction you have pedestrians stepping out against their lights, head down, thinking all traffic is stopped. The fact it's downhill towards the Liffey cyclists can get a grand bit of speed, it must by fluke that it's not skittles every day.

It is skittles there at least once a week. I've seen multiple aftermaths of cyclists and pedestrians being knocked down there. The junction beside Art Cafe under the bridge is lethal. There's people knocked down wholesale.

Cars turning into Frenchmans Lane are really dangerous for anyone using the cycle lane, particularly if their view is blocked by a Dublin Bus.

Pinch Flat

Taxi driver this morning on the north quays. A "lady" driver this time. She occupied the advance bike box at Capel street bridge then proceeded to beep her way down the bus / bike lane. I undertook her at the winding stair, then indicated right I was going across O'Connell bridge. Aggressive tailgating them tried to cut me off. I had to see what her issue was.

Apparently I should be staying left. "But I'm going right, across O'Connell bridge" I explained. This seemed to confuse her, as cyclists are apparently meant to stay left all the time. I also reminded her that all her behaviour had been recorded on my rear facing camera. Seemed to shut her up when the lights went green. Looks like taxi driving isn't for her.

Kaisr Sose

Near miss last evening passing the entrance to a cul de sac, a food delivery guy cut in front of me at speed, no indication and driving on the wrong side of the road to do so. I had to stop. I got a right scare. These drivers can be very discourteous and their financially motivated impatience makes a lot of taxi drivers look good! These companies making money from the provision of food delivery services need to be more accountable for their contractors. They are responsible for 100's of vehicles speeding about, many hell bent on getting to the next delivery or pickup as quickly as possible. Red lights, stop or yield signs mean nothing. I wonder what AGS view of this collective group is?

Would I be correct thinking they are driving uninsured if they don't have class 2 or 3 insurance? I know this is the case in the UK and cars have been seized for no insurance (even though there was social, domestic and pleasure cover in place)

Ray Palmer

Cycling through Drumcondra yesterday and coming up to the lights by Quinn's. Car parked in the loading bay and bus stopped at the lights. Car pulls into the cycle lane THEN switches on the indicator as I was passing. I shout and stare at him and he continues slowly pushing me with his car towards the bus.
He yells at me for not seeing his indicator!! Apparently right of way, looking where you are going and having no place to go mean nothing.

RGS

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Would I be correct thinking they are driving uninsured if they don't have class 2 or 3 insurance? I know this is the case in the UK and cars have been seized for no insurance (even though there was social, domestic and pleasure cover in place)

I know one or two of the bigger take away companies cover the claims caused by their drivers whilst on deliveries.

kenmm

Deliveroo etc insist on drivers having insurance. UK is different tho - you can pick up extra cover for a cpl quid per shift.

The cyclists on those half electric bikes as well are a complete pain in the hoop - unless of course its my delivery!

AndrewJRenko

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

Would I be correct thinking they are driving uninsured if they don't have class 2 or 3 insurance? I know this is the case in the UK and cars have been seized for no insurance (even though there was social, domestic and pleasure cover in place)

I understand Dominos pay for insurance for their drivers. I suspect that a lot of the other operators have a gap here.