I nearly caused an accident

[largeredwineplease]

Sorry, I’m not sure why I’m posting I’m just really shaken up.

I was just driving home along a 60mph rural road (although it’s not possible to actually go that fast). I pulled out at a T junction to turn right, onto another road, (I checked left and right two times each as it’s another 60mph and there’s corners not too far away each side so vehicles can suddenly appear) and the road has high trees one side so is fairly dark even in the middle of the day. As I pulled out there was suddenly a cyclist by my car that was also on the same side of the road I was (so going in the same direction). I pulled out right by him, I totally didn’t see him. I’m in such a shock and I’m so upset with myself. I’ve been driving 20 years and never done this before.

He was obviously really angry that I pulled out on him, he stayed right in the middle of the road round the corner and once I could overtake when the road straightened out I did, I wound down the window to apologise, which I did, but he just told me to fuck off and look where I’m going and put his middle finger up at me. I was upset at the whole situation so I did end up telling him to get some hi vis. In my defence he was wearing all black, black bike, black trainers, black trousers and black jumper.
My daughter has a pony (and I used to have a horse) so I do understand how vulnerable cyclists are on the roads. However my daughters insurance for her pony would be invalid if she didn’t wear hi vis whilst riding and had an accident

Do you think the cyclist will call the police? Could I be fined/prosecuted for not paying attention whilst driving? Although I didn’t actually hit him. It was a genuine mistake but would they believe me?

Also to be fair I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have killer him (by accident) I’d just pulled away at a junction so must’ve been going 10-15 mph approximately.

*Victim blaming based on clothing?

You almost killed someone (by accident) and it's suddenly their fault

Op I could understand if it was dusk but you posted at 14:17 so this happened before then. It is perfectly possible to see a black clothed cyclist at this time. It is a moving object coming towards you as you've looked.
Most motorcyclists are dressed in black because of the leathers, what if you hadn't seen one of them. You would have possibly killed him.
You are to blame. Not the cyclist.
However I doubt nothing else will happen. He was vented at you and that will be the end of it.

SummerHouse Agreed. I’m very grateful I didn’t hit him and will be so much more careful. And I really don’t blame him for his reaction, I just hope later he realises it was a genuine mistake and I’m sorry.

notacooldad I did put it was on a road with high trees one side (and hedges the other) which cause shadows and makes it surprisingly dark. It was a rural road, not a single track lane, but not much wider. I take my daughter and her pony along similar roads so I do understand hi viz is needed all times of the day, not just dusk. Like I said I’d only just pulled away so I wouldn’t have killed him, I’m not sure people are saying that.

Victim blaming 😂, Wakey Wakey Wokey Wokey

Report you for what ? You only say you nearly hit him but sounds like a mistake.
Cyclists don’t always realise they are in a blind spot sometimes and as for wearing dark clothing idiot .
My dh has said recently the amount of cyclists he passes in dark clothing no lights at night is ridiculous.

Like I said I’d only just pulled away so I wouldn’t have killed him, I’m not sure people are saying that.
A car just pulled away on me. This was about 27 years ago. The car at the give way had stopped and just pulled out as I was cycling in front of it so no speed at all.
I was off work for 7 months, needed physio and was on painkillers for ages. I did nothing wrong. The motorist just 'didn't see me.
I got told by the nurses, doctors and everyone who dealt with me how lucky I was because my head didn't hit the ground in a certain way, even though I had a helmet on.
I'm am still a cyclist and also a driver but still get twitchy when I'm at a give way and there's a cyclist approaching after all these years. I've also had to many drivers pull out on me because they can't wait a few seconds for me to pass. They scare me to death.

I’m honestly not trying to excuse myself by saying I’d only just pulled away. I’m really sorry that happened to you and I’d have felt more than horrendous if I’d have caused today. I was only trying to make the point I was going fairly slowly, but I understand that I still could’ve caused a horrible accident.

islockdownoveryet To be honest now a little time has passed and I’m thinking more clearly I do think reporting me for not hitting him is probably extremely unlikely. I was just really upset that I almost really hurt someone and probably was just thinking ‘what if’. He luckily was fine and is hopefully just annoyed that I was an idiot and who didn’t see him, and I hope he realises my apology was genuine.

I doubt they will report this.

I hope you are feeling calmer now.
It js always a shock when something bad could have happened.

You are just shaken OP . Don't dwell. He will defo not report and should not have been so sweary to you. Men again and their aggression!

I live rurally and cyclists can gain immense speeds on the undulating rural roads. Now you see them now you don't! Maybe he was speeding?

I occasionally used to ride my bike , for fitness,but realised rural roads were to risky- mainly the isolation & the white van man incidents i had, trying to talk to me etc... but also traffic.

I appreciate this may not be a popular opinion but ,cyclists on the rural roads i and others use to drive on , actually cause holdups and generally are a pita. They are not commuting as outside office hrs and in the middle of literally no where. If he was not there one second then there the next , he may have been speeding and he also has a responsibility to be aware of joining junctions.

Don't worry anymore OP. He has probably not given it a second thought. If you ever see him again..... this is why we have evolved to have a middle finger!

Thank you for the replies. You’ve made me feel (slightly) better about it. I’m just kicking myself for not seeing him, I know those roads well. On a sunny weekend you can’t drive along the 1 mile stretch without a cyclist being there so I know they’re there. I just completely missed this one, and I hope I never do again.

Oh op I can sympathise. I had similar this morning. Cyclist at a roundabout completely hidden by my A pillar. Never happened before.
Realistically it wasnt even close and neither of us had to brake, or avoid each other. However it still makes you feel shit that you just didn’t see them.

You’ll just be extra vigilant next time ... as will I, now I know my a pillar can swallow people.

I appreciate this may not be a popular opinion but ,cyclists on the rural roads i and others use to drive on , actually cause holdups and generally are a pita. They are not commuting as outside office hrs and in the middle of literally no where. If he was not there one second then there the next , he may have been speeding and he also has a responsibility to be aware of joining junctions
This is a mad post.
Cyclist have the same right to be on the road as anyone else. Tractors are a pita and hold traffic up in rural areas so do slow drivers, do do horse riders. All like cyclists are allowed on the road!
You say they are cycling in the middle of no where? Well it would be much worse if they were cycling in the town or city. They definitely would be pita there!!

You say be should be aware of joining Junctions. He has an expectation that a car driver isn't going to pull out on him. Even if this case was an accident there are too many drivers who want to beat the cyclist and pull out the excelerate fast just because they can.
What do you expect him to do at a junction. If he starts slowing down he will still get hit if the driver thinks they've got enough time to pull out. Its not practical to slow down at every single junction especially when you have right of way.
By the way how do you know they are not commuting because it is outside office hours. If I can cycle in to work my hours are all over the place. Tomorrow for example I'm on a 3/9 and Wednesday I'm on 11/7 so not typical office hours.

If it us a country road the speed limit is possibly anything from 30 to 50. Its unlikely he was speeding. He could be going very fast admittedly.

i live rurally and cyclists can gain immense speeds on the undulating rural roads. Now you see them now you don't! Maybe he was speeding?
It was a 60mph road even down a hill with the wind behind them the cyclist is not going to be going 60mph

I expect he was shaken up, more so than you were, he'd be the one going to get hurt. He won't report you, but if he did have a camera you might end up on YouTube.

I'm a cyclist, but a while ago I nearly missed a cyclist wearing high vis as the yellow blended in to the new leaves growing on the trees he happened to be going by at the time. So high vis is not always a solution. It's just a case of always being aware there could be a cyclist and looking out for them. Although if you were turning right and he ended up in front of you he must have gone in front of your car so not seeing him whatever colour he was wearing is not great.

No I completely admit is wasn’t great I didn’t see him.
I’m not trying to excuse it, but the T junction is at an angle, like a Y shape. We both came from the top of the y, I was almost looking behind to see what was coming in his direction. So it wasn’t like I could see him coming from my passenger window so I had a chance to stop. Once I realised he was there he was infront of me. I do appreciate hi viz won’t solve everything, but having ridden my horse on the road a lot I know you have a much butter chance of being seen when wearing it. That was the only point I was trying to make.

Just relax now op!
Everyone is ok.

EvilPea My car does have a large A pillar which I’ve never really liked. We were thinking of replacing it later this year but I might do it sooner as it does make it more difficult to see.
It really does make you feel like shit doesn’t it. I’ll definitely be more vigilant next time.

notacooldad I know I need to. I’ll go have a glass of wine and try to chill out.

"You say be should be aware of joining Junctions. He has an expectation that a car driver isn't going to pull out on him. Even if this case was an accident there are too many drivers who want to beat the cyclist and pull out the excelerate fast just because they can".

She did not see him . All applies to car users and cyclists. The cyclist should be travelling at at a speed that allows to them to react/stop/ evade, like motorists are required to. Good job OP followed that.

Every cyclist i have seen here on rural roads, all men, all in lycra, no back pack , just a water bottle , no change of clothes on board for work. Just a load of old fellas clogging up the rural roads...speeding! .

"I expect he was shaken up, more so than you were, he'd be the one going to get hurt".

I doubt it, he was the one with all the expletives after OP apologised. Op is the one here who has been hurt by the encounter.

I'm sure you know OP but if you mix up your colours of hi viz it makes it even more effective, so if you're out walking with your daughter for eg then she wears pink, you wear orange and the pony wears green. Each hi viz is more effective in different situations

I'm glad you've been able to calm down a bit. I've just ordered a dashcam off the back of this thread which I've been meaning to do for ages

I had EXACTLY this happen to me a year or so ago, except it was a motorcycle. Same scenario.

I was incredibly shaken up for a number of days. I still think about it a lot, but it doesn't dominate my thoughts. I have learned from it though and now do a triple, quadruple check at junctions especially if the road is dark due to trees etc.

Have a stiff drink and focus on the fact all is ok

I doubt it, he was the one with all the expletives after OP apologised. Op is the one here who has been hurt by the encounter
Sounds like shock to me.
I have done exactly the same to the guy who knocked me over when I was stationary at a give way , giving way to him. He cut the corner and drove straight at me. He was turning right. Knocked me over and started shouting ' where are your lights'
It was 11.15am in August in a nice clear day. When I told him they were under his fucking car and I was getting the police to sort it out he soon changed his tune!