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

benjamin d

magicbastarder wrote: »

i suspect not, nor should there be. you can't use someone else's bad behaviour as an excuse to drive badly yourself.

I'm clearly not saying that the BMW driver in this case is any less to blame if the cyclist was hit, what I'm asking is if there is or should there be a similar assumption of criminal fault assigned to the taxi driver in this case over and above a simple 'parking in cycle lane' if that action directly contributes to a criminal outcome...

TuringBot47

5uspect wrote: »

I reported it to Traffic Watch, lets see if anything happens.

Did you hand signal that you were going to pull out and vear at least 3 meters across the road in front of a faster moving vehicle ?

A cycle lane is a separate lane, so in effect you changed lanes in front of another vehicle at short notice.

micar

Cycling home outward past phibsboro around 3.30 and coming up to Harts Corner.....in the bus lane....guy in a 4x4 goes past on my right and cuts into the bus lane into my path.

I proceed to tell him at the traffic lights that he should not have done that

He said he was 10 foot ahead of me and called me a snowflake.

He simply just didn't get it

downtheroad

juicer wrote: »

Got hit this morning.

Was heading in to town on the Howth road when an oncoming car made a right turn on to the stiles road and t-boned me. Someone had stopped to let him make the turn but he failed to check for bikes in the bike lane.

Had a good few close calls at this spot with traffic pulling out in front of me so was already being wary on approach.

Have it on camera and will be reporting the guards. Can't post link as am new to the site.

Got all his details except mobile number. He claimed he was disabled and can't use a phone. Surely that's not a thing if he's allowed drive a car?

Hope you're ok after that. I was very close to having a similar incident coming home via Howth Road this evening only 200m from where you were hit. A car turning into Ashbrook was very close to t boning me.

3rd incident I've had on that stretch this week. 1 was a driver who overtook me and left hooked straight away to sit at an automatic gate and wait for it to open. I approached his window and he kept telling me he was ahead of me and did nothing wrong. The other was a guy who undertook a car turning into Stiles Road and entered the cycle lane to do so just as I was about to pass him. Of course he didn't indicate.

I see no reason why a lot of that cycle lane couldn't be bricked to stop cars from entering it but it won't happen.

CramCycle

TuringBot47 wrote: »

Did you hand signal that you were going to pull out and vear at least 3 meters across the road in front of a faster moving vehicle ?

A cycle lane is a separate lane, so in effect you changed lanes in front of another vehicle at short notice.

What video are you watching?

Lets put your statement into the real world of facts.
3 metres would have put him across the white line.
Veering implies suddenly, in the video he is already moving out at 2 seconds, gently and expectedly with a clear obstruction in his way.
I do not know if the poster indicated, we will only have their word one way or the other but the one thing we do know is that the intention was clear, any reasonable road user should have seen it as what was about to happen and 2 seconds before the overtake, they are already fully out. There is no indication that the driver slowed or took account of the cyclists position, which they should have done as not doing so is driving without driving due consideration.

The long and short is the driver was speeding, not paying attention and there is nothing else to say IMO

AndrewJRenko

TuringBot47 wrote: »

Did you hand signal that you were going to pull out and vear at least 3 meters across the road in front of a faster moving vehicle ?

A cycle lane is a separate lane, so in effect you changed lanes in front of another vehicle at short notice.

3 meters would have had him in the opposite lane facing oncoming traffic.

What Username Guidelines

TuringBot47 wrote: »

Did you hand signal that you were going to pull out and vear at least 3 meters across the road in front of a faster moving vehicle ?

A cycle lane is a separate lane, so in effect you changed lanes in front of another vehicle at short notice.

What worries me about this post, is that had 5uspect been hit, or even brushed and came off resulting in injury, would gardai or a court think the same? Maybe not the 3 metres part, but the “well you did move out” bull****.

droidus

I cycle the same route every day. She was clearly going too fast and wasnt paying attention in a narrow stretch of road thats usually full of pedestrians, cyclists and delivery vans.

Utterly inexcusable. She should lose her license.

Fian

TBH that pass in Ranelagh looked to me like a punishment pass rather than being inadvertent, to teach you a lesson for pulling out in front of her and getting in her way. Especially as she pulled back inside the central line so quickly.

CramCycle

appropriate action is taken internally

ROFL at this one from DB in response to Suzanne

mr spuckler

CramCycle wrote: »

ROFL at this one from DB in response to Suzanne

Standard response, that and "please complete our webform" :rolleyes:

The pigeon man

Jesus that was the closest I've ever seen without contact, with that bmw driver. The camera probably makes it look further than it was in real life.

A note for those that say he shouldn't have moved out.

He was in a cycle track. It is not a lane of traffic so he doesn't have to yield to cars coming from behind. Any driver passing a cyclist on the right while the cyclist is on the left is overtaking. The driver must do this without inconveniencing the cyclist or else they have committed an offence.

The bmw driver did not show any anticipation for the hazard facing the cyclist.

License should be gone. She was inches from taking his life.

micar

3 incidences on my way home

1) delivery truck parked on double yellow/ bike lane...cycling parallel to the right hand side of the lorry and as I start to over take a car comes from behind to overtake me driving inches from my back wheel...pulled up beside him at the traffic lights and he says I should be in the bike lane. I say what about the lorry parked in it.....no response

2) going past law library up to the lights to the start of constitution hill, green light......guy in van coming from opposite direction decides now is the time to turn right forcing me to skid to a halt in the middle of the road .....completely oblivious to me.

3) passing past phibsboro shopping centre through junction towards Harts Corner, guy in 5 series BWW decides "screw this traffic" I'll pop into the bus lane but screw checking my mirrors or blind spot for the cyclist right beside in the bus lane.

3 incidences in 7.5 km of cycling

AndrewJRenko

micar wrote: »

3 incidences on my way home

1) delivery truck parked on double yellow/ bike lane...cycling parallel to the right hand side of the lorry and as I start to over take a car comes from behind to overtake me driving inches from my back wheel...pulled up beside him at the traffic lights and he says I should be in the bike lane. I say what about the lorry parked in it.....no response

2) going past law library up to the lights to the start of constitution hill, green light......guy in van coming from opposite direction decides now is the time to turn right forcing me to skid to a halt in the middle of the road .....completely oblivious to me.

3) passing past phibsboro shopping centre through junction towards Harts Corner, guy in 5 series BWW decides "screw this traffic" I'll pop into the bus lane but screw checking my mirrors or blind spot for the cyclist right beside in the bus lane.

3 incidences in 7.5 km of cycling

So that's a good day's cycling then, right?

Oberkon

Ronaldinho wrote: »

Slowing down to make a right hand turn having signalled myself and car behind me proceeds to overtake me on the wrong side of the road and on a stretch of road where two cars would struggle to fit through.

Realized just as I was about to make the turn that they weren't slowing down let alone stopping so stopped myself.

Local Garda station who I normally find to be decent had zero interest in listening to my complaint.

Next time someone pulls a stunt like that I'm going to be sorely tempted to see if I can catch them and take it out on their paintwork.

Thats a really ignorant and highly dangerous stunt. I’ve had it a few times happen and it leaves me angry for the day . Essentially it’s risking your life.
Doesn’t surprise me about the cops attitude either unfortunately.

You look behind , indicate in plenty of time but hey I’ll pass you on right and possibly hit you too - but I’m in a rush....!

CramCycle

Interesting find for the day, in an emergency, Schwalbe Marathons provide insufficient grip to stop a collision if someone pulls out in front of you. Managed to scrub enough speed so that I was almost stopped but it was close. One thing I'll say though, driver fully admittted fault and apologised immediately. No harm was done and I appreciated the honesty. We left on good terms. Said he has no idea why he done it, wasn't intentional, he said it was like his mind just didn't process the situation right and he cannot figure out why he done it.

By the colour on his face, or lack there off, I think he learnt his lesson.

micar

Ronaldinho wrote: »

Slowing down to make a right hand turn having signalled myself and car behind me proceeds to overtake me on the wrong side of the road and on a stretch of road where two cars would struggle to fit through.

Realized just as I was about to make the turn that they weren't slowing down let alone stopping so stopped myself.

Have had this happen twice as I am just about to make a right turn into work.

Weepsie

CramCycle wrote: »

Interesting find for the day, in an emergency, Schwalbe Marathons provide insufficient grip to stop a collision if someone pulls out in front of you. Managed to scrub enough speed so that I was almost stopped but it was close. One thing I'll say though, driver fully admittted fault and apologised immediately. No harm was done and I appreciated the honesty. We left on good terms. Said he has no idea why he done it, wasn't intentional, he said it was like his mind just didn't process the situation right and he cannot figure out why he done it.

By the colour on his face, or lack there off, I think he learnt his lesson.

I swear they're partially responsible for my fractured elbow.

CramCycle

CramCycle wrote: »

Interesting find for the day, in an emergency, Schwalbe Marathons provide insufficient grip to stop a collision if someone pulls out in front of you. Managed to scrub enough speed so that I was almost stopped but it was close. One thing I'll say though, driver fully admittted fault and apologised immediately. No harm was done and I appreciated the honesty. We left on good terms. Said he has no idea why he done it, wasn't intentional, he said it was like his mind just didn't process the situation right and he cannot figure out why he done it.

By the colour on his face, or lack there off, I think he learnt his lesson.

I find it hard to get angry with the rare breed of individuals in this country who will own their own mistake. 99% of the time in life you meet the common garden variety idiot who will go the offensive or lie when they **** up.

AndrewJRenko

Not my tweet, but a reasonably accurate reflection of typical experiences when cycling in Dublin;

https://twitter.com/garlittle/status/1216758249338347527

mr spuckler

micar wrote: »

3 incidences on my way home

1) delivery truck parked on double yellow/ bike lane...cycling parallel to the right hand side of the lorry and as I start to over take a car comes from behind to overtake me driving inches from my back wheel...pulled up beside him at the traffic lights and he says I should be in the bike lane. I say what about the lorry parked in it.....no response

2) going past law library up to the lights to the start of constitution hill, green light......guy in van coming from opposite direction decides now is the time to turn right forcing me to skid to a halt in the middle of the road .....completely oblivious to me.

3) passing past phibsboro shopping centre through junction towards Harts Corner, guy in 5 series BWW decides "screw this traffic" I'll pop into the bus lane but screw checking my mirrors or blind spot for the cyclist right beside in the bus lane.

3 incidences in 7.5 km of cycling

When having those conversations with non-cyclists, I often say that my life is endangered by a driver at least once every time I head out on the bike. You can tell they never quite believe me...
Probably similar to everyone else here, I honestly believe that but for my own ability to read the road and plan at all times for drivers to do what I least want them to do I'd have been seriously injured or killed by now.

Edit: And yet I still wouldn't drive to work if you paid me

daragh_

Nearly wiped out here last night around 7.

I was in the bike path - a Beemer came up the filter on the left as I was passing and just kept going. There's a stop sign which they ignored.

Lyzyne Deca Drive, flashing Cree, Hi Viz Jersey and full street lighting are no match for complete lack attention and inappropriate speed.

I managed to escape without coming off by swerving right out onto the road (from the bike path) but for a few seconds it was touch and go. Any traffic behind me and I would have been toast.

Pinch Flat

I work right beside Tara Street. An absolute mess for cycling. It's 3 / 4 lanes in places, all fast moving traffic despite it being a 30kph zone and not even a token bike lane. A complete shambles right in the centre of the city thats 100% devoted to motorised traffic.

Pinch Flat

Duckjob wrote: »

You know what, I only partially blame the motorists who speed there at much >30kph, I blame the fools that designed the road that way and continue to allow the road to remain designed that way.

A 4 lane road, whether in a built up area or not fosters a driving culture that is the opposite of calm, it subconciously tells drivers - "we want to carry as much traffic through here as quickly as possible".

Any signage put in telling motorists to slow down, mind pedestrians, mind cyclists etc. is incongruent with, and is going to be cancelled by the much more powerful subliminal message of how the road looks.

Exactly the same deal with the quays which look like dual carriageways. Why would you have to do 30kph on a dual carraigeway ? It doesn't make sense.
Who plans central city roads like that ? Its the polar opposite of traffic calming . It's nonsense.

Nail on the head

CramCycle

I hit a car this evening. Slow speed and the driver would have you believe it was her fault but I am pretty sure it was 50 50. As always in Stillorgan, cars kept pulling in and parking on the double yellow lines, because, well, why not, they will never get in trouble and who gives a **** about narrowing the roadway and making it more intimidating for VRUs. Anyway, I have pulled out a bit to circumnavigate the latest tool who decides the best double yellow is the one right before a turn. I give a wide berth to avoid the inevitable door opening when the car at the junction turns. They did indicate. Not early enough but they did indicate and I could have reacted quicker. I bent their wing mirror backwards. They apologised repeatedly, I went round to the window, assured them I was fine and told them to pull in further down and we would check was there any damage. I fixed the mirror, no damage. No matter how much I assured her, she was more worried about me than anything else. It was actually lovely, she didn't care about the car, her only concern was me and that spark of humanity was a wonderful thing to see, even if it is rare nowadays.

AndrewJRenko

And by contrast, this idiot very nearly seriously injured a young female cyclist this morning, and didn't seem in the slightest bit bothered by it. Go full-screen on the vid to see clearly what happened.

https://streamable.com/6xkdt

I caught up with her down the road, and after clearly blaming the driver, I suggest she should stay well out from the parked cars. Her response was that, with all the parked cars on the opposite side, she didn't feel comfortable taking the lane and holding up traffic on our side. I'm paraphrasing, but that's the jist of it. I gently tried to guide her into not feeling guilty about taking the space she needs to be safe.

Thargor

Ive been getting the DART into Tara street then walking up towards O Connell Street on the footpath most days for the last 10 years and only in the last year or two have I seen drivers attempting to run this red and nearly plough into pedestrians crossing at every single light change, theres definitely been a significant shift to crazy driving in recent times.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3474691,-6.2549367,3a,75y,208.93h,82.88t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1skGQhpaHy1H_GQI94EMq7iw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DkGQhpaHy1H_GQI94EMq7iw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D135.64952%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

sy_flembeck

Dr_Colossus wrote: »

Ridiculous you can't make a witness statement

Not really, what are they meant to do with it? No complaint from the injured party means legally the incident didn't happen.

Pinch Flat

Thargor wrote: »

Ive been getting the DART into Tara street then walking up towards O Connell Street on the footpath most days for the last 10 years and only in the last year or two have I seen drivers attempting to run this red and nearly plough into pedestrians crossing at every single light change, theres definitely been a significant shift to crazy driving in recent times.

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3474691,-6.2549367,3a,75y,208.93h,82.88t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1skGQhpaHy1H_GQI94EMq7iw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DkGQhpaHy1H_GQI94EMq7iw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D135.64952%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Yeah I work up the road and use that junction regularly enough. It's almost a given someone will run a red these days. It's not just there though - pretty any pedestrian crossing in Dublin is fair game these days.

One near me in west Dublin I use in the evenings - on a fpist chrisfmas fitness drive, so yself anx mrs PF walking the block near where I live every evening. Most times someone will run the red - a N driver the other evening. Good to see he's adapted to the ignorant driving habits so soon after passing his test.

It's near two schools and when I was walking my son to primary school I had to grab him by the hood on more than one occasion to stop him walking out in front of a car, despite it being a green man - it's regularly ignored by motorists, despite being close to two schools. On the bike, I've nearly been rear ended by a car when stopping on red. Beeped then to move a millisecond after it goes green.

CramCycle

CramCycle wrote: »

I hit a car this evening. Slow speed and the driver would have you believe it was her fault but I am pretty sure it was 50 50. As always in Stillorgan, cars kept pulling in and parking on the double yellow lines, because, well, why not, they will never get in trouble and who gives a **** about narrowing the roadway and making it more intimidating for VRUs. Anyway, I have pulled out a bit to circumnavigate the latest tool who decides the best double yellow is the one right before a turn. I give a wide berth to avoid the inevitable door opening when the car at the junction turns. They did indicate. Not early enough but they did indicate and I could have reacted quicker. I bent their wing mirror backwards. They apologised repeatedly, I went round to the window, assured them I was fine and told them to pull in further down and we would check was there any damage. I fixed the mirror, no damage. No matter how much I assured her, she was more worried about me than anything else. It was actually lovely, she didn't care about the car, her only concern was me and that spark of humanity was a wonderful thing to see, even if it is rare nowadays.

They say they come in threes CramCycle so you're up to two now this week who weren't gob****es

A good near miss today. Had the bike locked opposite the local to work shops at lunch time as I'd forgotten my lunch so had to buy something as the canteen wasn't serving anything edible so was waiting to cross the road and fella beside me heads off first and bird **** missed him by a fraction of a second. Had he not moved off when he did he'd have been dive bombed. Pointed it out as I was crossing with him and told him he should do the lotto. Bastard won 50 euro on a scratchy :mad:

McGrath5

Duckjob wrote: »

You know what, I only partially blame the motorists who speed there at much >30kph, I blame the fools that designed the road that way and continue to allow the road to remain designed that way.

A 4 lane road, whether in a built up area or not fosters a driving culture that is the opposite of calm, it subconciously tells drivers - "we want to carry as much traffic through here as quickly as possible".

Any signage put in telling motorists to slow down, mind pedestrians, mind cyclists etc. is incongruent with, and is going to be cancelled by the much more powerful subliminal message of how the road looks.

Exactly the same deal with the quays which look like dual carriageways. Why would you have to do 30kph on a dual carraigeway ? It doesn't make sense.
Who plans central city roads like that ? Its the polar opposite of traffic calming . It's nonsense.

I've cycled it a few times, it feels like the supporting cast of Mad Max is chasing you down.

Meanwhile in the Netherlands....

Pinch Flat

Meanwhile in Dublin we've spent 10 years and as many options trying to get a cycle track along a the liffey .

RobbieMD

Plasmoid wrote: »

Dangerous driving?

I thought the decision to prosecute or not in Criminal Law cases was up to the DPP, not the Gardai. Surely if they'd struck a wall, the Guards would (or hopefully should) be interested in following up regardless of reports from the wall.

The DPP has directed that An Garda Síochana may prosecute a variety of offences without input from the DPP. These are generally on the lower end of the scale and generally offences heard at District Court level. Google DPP general direction no3.

In theory the driver who knocked the cyclist down could be prosecuted under the Road Traffic Act without the cyclist making a statement. In reality they very rarely are.

aloooof

McGrath5 wrote: »

Meanwhile in the Netherlands....

I'm recently back from Amsterdam and all I could help thinking was:
1. "I wish Dublin was like this".
2. "I'd absolutely hate driving in the city".

After visiting places that have gotten it right, it seems so obvious that cities should be built for people and not for cars.

mr spuckler

sy_flembeck wrote: »

No complaint from the injured party means legally the incident didn't happen.

I made a complaint about a collision before (had supporting video evidence), the injured party wasn't found but the case went to court for careless driving.

kenmm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

I work right beside Tara Street. An absolute mess for cycling. It's 3 / 4 lanes in places, all fast moving traffic despite it being a 30kph zone and not even a token bike lane. A complete shambles right in the centre of the city thats 100% devoted to motorised traffic.

ye its manic - got beeped there the other day - not just 4 lanes, but also a series of lights that people want to race.

The 'crime' that I was beeped for.. not going quick enough I guess (despite the garmin reading 32kmph..)

Its practically the only main thoroughfare fair (apart from Port Tunnel) for the whole GC Dock area if they want to go west.

Akabusi

Duckjob wrote: »

I did some travelling (by car unfortunately) around in rural NL in November and what stuck me even more that the number of bikes in the cities was seeing lovely separated cycle tracks running parallel to the roads between cities and towns.,

Even more striking again was seeing cyclists (obviously not half as many as in the cities), but of all ages including schoolkids happily riding these routes even in the most rural parts between cities and towns. I couldn't imagine seeing anything similar Ireland where intercity city/town support for cycling is virtually non-existant.

I think that there, is possible even greater of a marker of a great cycling culture, where ordinary people not only cycling in numbers in the cities, but are using cycle routes to go these longer distances. I think when you remove all the danger and apprehension that goes with having to share the road with (and particularly with hostile) traffic, what you're left with is pure stress relieving enjoyment. I also think if you do that many more people will jump for those options even on longer distances.

The really sad thing is it could be so similar here, if only our policitians would open their eyes, but they still prefer to spend most of their time banging on about electric cars in any talk about sustainable travel.

I know its a bit stereotypical, but my company has an office in The Netherlands and I used to hate having to deal with them. I found them arrogant and over fussy. However, having since travelled over there quite a lot I have found a new appreciation and understanding of them. They do things the right way and don't have our attitude of "ah sure it will be grand". It must be equally frustrating for them to have to deal with us.

CramCycle

CramCycle wrote: »

I hit a car this evening. Slow speed and the driver would have you believe it was her fault but I am pretty sure it was 50 50. As always in Stillorgan, cars kept pulling in and parking on the double yellow lines, because, well, why not, they will never get in trouble and who gives a **** about narrowing the roadway and making it more intimidating for VRUs. Anyway, I have pulled out a bit to circumnavigate the latest tool who decides the best double yellow is the one right before a turn. I give a wide berth to avoid the inevitable door opening when the car at the junction turns.

the new Dublin Academy (Dublin school of grinds) has opened up above Lidl and parents who are happy paying €6k a year in fees are too tight to pay €1 to park in the car park when picking up their kids.

It can be carnage there when the grinds classes chuck out.

crisco10

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Yeah I work up the road and use that junction regularly enough. It's almost a given someone will run a red these days. It's not just there though - pretty any pedestrian crossing in Dublin is fair game these days.

One near me in west Dublin I use in the evenings - on a fpist chrisfmas fitness drive, so yself anx mrs PF walking the block near where I live every evening. Most times someone will run the red - a N driver the other evening. Good to see he's adapted to the ignorant driving habits so soon after passing his test.

It's near two schools and when I was walking my son to primary school I had to grab him by the hood on more than one occasion to stop him walking out in front of a car, despite it being a green man - it's regularly ignored by motorists, despite being close to two schools. On the bike, I've nearly been rear ended by a car when stopping on red. Beeped then to move a millisecond after it goes green.

The Green Man is a guideline at pedestrian crossings. Always think of this heartbreaking story.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/driver-who-killed-child-6-after-breaking-red-light-jailed-for-four-years-1.3735530

I had one a few weeks ago at the pedestrian crossing near Wesley College. Was waiting to cross (with a buggy wearing its Christmas Tree lighting outfit), as I was looking at a green man a car just breezes through at a reasonable speed. I raised my hand and caught the motorists eye in a "WTF " kind of way. He literally shrugged his shoulders.
So this guy was paying enough attention to see my gesture in the dusky light, so I assume he would have seen the solid red he went through. But still proceeded because why not. Why should he wait the 60 seconds it takes for pedestrian crossing.

FouxDaFaFa

crisco10 wrote: »

I had one a few weeks ago at the pedestrian crossing near Wesley College. Was waiting to cross (with a buggy wearing its Christmas Tree lighting outfit), as I was looking at a green man a car just breezes through at a reasonable speed. I raised my hand and caught the motorists eye in a "WTF " kind of way. He literally shrugged his shoulders.

Yeah, had an unusually brazen one at the junction near RTE yesterday (as a pedestrian). Flashing green man, myself and another guy stepping onto the road when he hear a car accelerating like crazy to cross the junction. This is a big enough junction, he would have had a solid red when he took off. By the time he had passed, green man was flashing amber. I gestured at him but he couldn't give a fcuk.

tnegun

The have some crazy setups in the states very nearly caught me out when driving over there too. You can have a green right filter while the pedestrian crossing your driving through has the walk sign displayed. There is a "yield to pedestrians in the crossing" sign somewhere close by but having experienced it from the drivers seat and as a pedestrian it's a shambles!!

cdaly_

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

Yeah, had an unusually brazen one at the junction near RTE yesterday (as a pedestrian). Flashing green man, myself and another guy stepping onto the road when he hear a car accelerating like crazy to cross the junction. This is a big enough junction, he would have had a solid red when he took off. By the time he had passed, green man was flashing amber. I gestured at him but he couldn't give a fcuk.

Many years ago, in conversation with an off-duty cop, he told me they used to carry snooker balls as an aid for urban car chases. It's difficult to drive with a smashed windscreen...

purple hands

Worst left hook I've ever had this morning heading along N Wall Quay with a white Yaris turning up Park Lane...maybe a rental. Not sure how I didn't get knocked down tbh. There was f*ck all on the roads at the time, no need for it at all or driver just didn't look.

Time to invest in a camera methinks

padjocollins

tnegun wrote: »

The have some crazy setups in the states very nearly caught me out when driving over there too. You can have a green right filter while the pedestrian crossing your driving through has the walk sign displayed. There is a "yield to pedestrians in the crossing" sign somewhere close by but having experienced it from the drivers seat and as a pedestrian it's a shambles!!

It's here in germany too and i hate it . even harder to see small kids who are walking or cycling to school and suv's need to see them before they put them under the high bonnet. A nine year old got run over in this manner 10 years ago in Ravensburg, germany where i live. Apparently these kind of accidents are very rare but i'm not buying it. Cars come around bends very aggressively and are supposed to quickly see pedestrians when they are in drive through mode. just 1% of drives making this mistake is a receipe for disaster.

boardbeer

aloooof wrote: »

I'm recently back from Amsterdam

Me too, didn't see you? What routes were you riding?
The thing that impressed me was how spending a little bit more on the cycling infrastructure encourages more people to cycle, and as a result the main roads are a lot less busy, requiring less investment in road building. It's as if spending 1 euro on cycle paths saves 100 euros on roads, and made the whole place more pleasant for everyone.

Pinch Flat

Some retard nearly took out about half a dozen cyclists this morning, just before the h'penny bridge. Decided the queue of traffic to O'Connell Street wasn't for hit, so swung left across a lane full of cyclists head straight on. Guy that he nearly hit looked pretty shook.

It's hard to know which strategy is going to change the current thinking on the north and south quays regarding safe, segregated cycle lanes..

Vincenzo Nibbly

No stopping at the Stop sign for this chap - he's in too much of a hurry to bother looking properly before pulling out. Caught him at the next lights and he was very apologetic albeit classic SMIDSY. I asked which of the two very bright front lights he didn't see... You can't see if you don't slow down too look mate!

https://streamable.com/var69

kenmm

Vincenzo Nibbly wrote: »

No stopping at the Stop sign for this chap - he's in too much of a hurry to bother looking properly before pulling out. Caught him at the next lights and he was very apologetic albeit classic SMIDSY. I asked which of the two very bright front lights he didn't see... You can't see if you don't slow down too look mate!

https://streamable.com/var69

Ouch - close one there!

I often wonder (and it's been much debated, even illegal at one point) if the flashing lights cause confusion with a certain demographic of driver).

There are a wide variance in bike lights and we don't do much to standardise this (like for example car lights) or test drivers on this (i.e. testing eyesight or something specifically for flashing or other bike lights).


**Of course here, the driver should have at least made an attempt to wait to check if there was any traffic to yield to! NOT suggesting otherwise**

Vincenzo Nibbly

kenmm wrote: »

I often wonder (and it's been much debated, even illegal at one point) if the flashing lights cause confusion with a certain demographic of driver).

There are a wide variance in bike lights and we don't do much to standardise this (like for example car lights) or test drivers on this (i.e. testing eyesight or something specifically for flashing or other bike lights).

That's true, I wonder if some kind of standardisation would help. Speaking for how I approach lights, solid bright front and rear on the bike, flashing front and rear on the helmet. It's served me well so far except with this hurried gent. I think most drivers do get that many people on bikes use flashing lights, but maybe it makes it more difficult to judge approach speed.. needs more research!