to think that if you cycle up a road on the left hand side of cars, you can't blame the passenger if you get a door in your face

[amispartacus]

It looks like the cyclist was on the inside. No cycle lane but there is one coming up. The cars are queued. Passenger door is open. Cyclist is on the ground.

I cycle a lot. I don't go past cars on the inside. You are vulnerable. If you have to overtake queuing cars, do it on the outside. Then go to the cycle lane.

The person was the transport secretary.

Yes, the passenger should have looked BUT the cyclist shouldn't have been there.

How is the cyclist supposed to get to the cycle lane, then?

They cycle with the flow of traffic until they get to it.

Equally to blame.

The passenger should have looked before opening the door. The cyclist should not have been undertaking.

How is the cyclist supposed to get to the cycle lane, then

Carefully. Expecting the unexpected.

How is the cyclist supposed to get to the cycle lane, then?

By cycling with the traffic rather than trying to get past the traffic.

Defo the passenger's fault. I did this once when the car I was in was parked, and I was getting out. Cyclist braked before he hit the door fortunately, but gave me a stern telling off. Which I deserved.

You should never open a car door unless you've looked first. Common sense really.

Carefully. Expecting the unexpected.
He must have forgotten to bring his crystal ball with him that day.

Seriously, OP, have a go at cycling through London WITHOUT riding on the left of queued traffic. You can't. You'd go nowhere and get a huge amount of abuse from drivers for taking up space in the lane. If you cycle on the right you run the risk of colliding with oncoming traffic and cars turning right.

You can't win as a cyclist in London though there are PLENTY of cyclists in London who ride like complete arseholes

What's the point of cycling of you have to stop with the cars. Cycle lanes are on the left anyway...

Car driver should have looked

Seriously, OP, have a go at cycling through London WITHOUT riding on the left of queued traffic

If you cycle on the left, how fast would you go? I've cycled in London. I know what it's like. Cycling on the inside is dangerous, especially at speed.

It's the rule of the road Giles. Same rules don't apply for a cycle lane, as you are in your own lane so technically not part of the flow of traffic on the road.

rent you've got it right. Cyclists can't win. Most cities can't cope with cars and bikes (I live near Cambridge and you have to have eyes all over your head to keep a track of where bikes are).

OMG, how mortifying for Grayling.

I didn't think you were supposed to get out of a car in traffic? Shouldn't the taxi have pulled up somewhere safe to let him out?

I always look out for cyclists when turning left. Just because I worry that the cyclist hasn't seen me indicating and they might be coming up on my inside.

totally the cyclists fault- he was speeding up the inside of the lane of traffic and should have been WATCHING FOR HAZARDS ahead. I get so sick of cyclists behaving as if they are entitled to fly along anywwhere they like completely ignoring anyone else.

The car was not parked. In fact it was just before a sign that said End of no parking or stopping area, then followed by double yellow lines.
And quite a distance from the kerb.

The passenger was not supposed to get out in that spot, as the car was not parked. It was in the middle of traffic.

So, the passenger was unreasonable.

Erm, joystir the cyclist was acting perfectly legally, it's called filtering. Check your Highway Code Rule 211 FFS.

Some really ignorant people on this thread- if you are unsure of the rules of the road you shouldn't be driving!

Carefully. Expecting the unexpected.

aplies to opening car doors as well I should imagine.

Check your Highway Code Rule 211 FFS

It is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are coming up from behind, coming out of junctions, at roundabouts, overtaking you or filtering through traffic.

Always look out for them before you emerge from a junction; they could be approaching faster than you think. When turning right across a line of slow-moving or stationary traffic, look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you are crossing.

Be especially careful when turning, and when changing direction or lane. Be sure to check mirrors and blind spots carefully.

Doesn't really mention coming up at speed on the inside.

I am flabbergasted that there's any discussion of this. The passenger was wrong, end of. How do you even know that the cyclist was 'belting along', looks quite a reasonable speed to me. Of course they cycle up the inside, with caution, ever watchful, but it impossible to guess that a random car in a traffic queue is going to wallop the door open without looking.

I'm not sure what a cyclist faced with a line of cars is supposed to do but go up the inside so as to get to the front of the queue, ideally into one of those cycle box thingies. That's one of the great joys of cycling, overtaking stationary cars in traffic. And before you go complaining about some sort of perceived unfairness of this, what you would rather? That they all go by car instead thus tripling the traffic?

I remember listening to an interview with a cycling organisation on the BBC. They said cycling on the left was a major factor in accidents in London and that anyone cycling in the city should be cycling defensively.
Every time there is one of these accidents, I just wish cyclists would heed the advice from the organisations that are set up to help them.

If you're stupid enough to cycle up the inside of standing traffic I can't muster much sympathy to be honest.

It was the passengers fault, the car wasn't parked, it had just pulled up in traffic and the passenger taken the opportunity to get out.
If the cyclist had done what he was supposed to, i.e. cycled on the outside, then he would have been sandwiched between 2 rows of traffic and doubled the risk of being injured.

The car may have been in a line of traffic, but it was so close to the kerb, the passenger was able to step out onto it when he got out.

The cyclist fell onto the pavement after managing a tight manoeuvre between the car and a lamppost.

I was surprised the handlebars made it through.

"When turning right across a line of slow-moving or stationary traffic, look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you are crossing."

Doesn't really mention coming up at speed on the inside.

It does say to look for cyclists on the inside, though.

That was not supposed to be a spot to drop off passengers, anyway.

Rule 67

Look well ahead for obstructions in the road, such as drains, pot-holes and parked vehicles so that you do not have to swerve suddenly to avoid them.

Leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened or pedestrians stepping into your path

Or the cyclist could have correctly occupied the middle of one lane and risked the abuse, haranguing and possible ramming of drivers behind