Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To always wait for a very big gap to overtake cyclists

115 replies

ladymabel · 26/05/2018 16:49

My question - how do mumsnetters overtake cyclists? I’m a new driver. There’s loads of cyclists where I live on both the urban and country roads. They give me the heebie jeebies.

People ahead of me overtake them with ease without crossing the centre line but I just can’t do that. I have to wait for a big gap ahead and go into the other lane to overtake.
I only drive a small car! Is this something I should continue to do or do I majorly need to assess my spatial awareness.
I know you shouldn’t pass them on blind bends but even on a slight bend I won’t overtake as it just doesn’t feel safe to me.
I actually feel cyclists should ride in the middle of the road so everyone would treat them like passing cars.
Tips and hints welcome

OP posts:
lljkk · 26/05/2018 21:27

Agree that death threats are totally unacceptable.

If she was obeying the speed limit she was probably still going at least 20mph.
Helmets are only reasonably protective for speeds up to about 12-14mph (legal reqt).
Car going 20mph, hitting cyclist, the cyclist is now effectively going >= 20mph when they hit (whatever they hit).
Helmet would make feck all difference for saving the cyclist's head.
I suspect driver was going a lot faster than 20mph, obvs.

SalveGrumio · 26/05/2018 21:38

Two abreast is actually what the highway code states. Its for safety. If you haven't got enough room to overtake two abreast, you haven't got enough space to overtake one.

Cyclists swerve to avoid potholes, drains and things that can make them fall. Dh came off his bike recently because a car didn't give him space and he hit a raised bit at the wrong angle. Luckily he fell inwards.

lljkk · 26/05/2018 21:39

I thought Highway Code no longer recommended 2 abreast, that stopped being recommendation about 20 yrs ago. Happy to be corrected.

FindoGask · 26/05/2018 21:44

I'm a commuting cyclist and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for leaving a big gap - fast close passes are really scary when you're on a bike.

SalveGrumio · 26/05/2018 21:48

Sorry, you are right. Rule 66 says should never ride more than 2 abreast. But it's not actually illegal to ride more than 2 abreast.

It recommends single file on narrow roads on corners. But most cyclists keep in 2s for safety.

AllMYSmellySocks · 26/05/2018 21:49

YANBU. My driving instructor also told me to treat them as though they were a slow moving car. If you wouldn't overtake a car, don't overtake the cyclist. I do see people overtaking very close though. The other week I was the first car behind a long queue of school kids on their bikes clearly doing cycling training. It was a NSL road but the school is only 20m up the road so I just stayed back (some looked pretty wobbly and there were cars coming the other way so didn't even think to overtake). Some idiot three cars back decides he can't wait one minute and speeds past them with around 50cm to spare bloody ridiculous.

Ruffian · 26/05/2018 21:54

My friend killed a cyclist who swerved in front of her as she overtook him. She was obeying the speed limit but he hadn't taken safety precautions (no helmet etc

this is precisely why you need to give a lot of room when overtaking a cyclist - you don't know when they might have to swerve due to uneven road/pothole or if they lose a bit of balance momentarily by being passed at speed - even if it is the speed limit for the road it might well be too fast to pass a slower moving cycle.

Helmets are not compulsory and do not protect in all circumstance so you cannot use that to blame the cyclist for their own death. ffs

Comps83 · 26/05/2018 21:59

Yes . Leave big gap. Don’t let drivers behind you pressure you into doing something stupid.
I just nearly had a head on collision with someone overtaking a cyclist on a blind bend. Better safe than sorry

GrumpyOldMare · 26/05/2018 22:08

As a cyclist that cycles along a busy main road to work,thank you for bring considerate and giving us space.I find most drivers do give us room,it's (in my experience) mainly lorry drivers and ''white van men/women'' that don't seem to see us.There are times we do wobble/swerve to avoid rubbish/pot holes/get caught by a gust of wind,so a few feet of wobble room is appreciated.

lostinsunshine · 26/05/2018 22:12

I always leave a big gap but I leave a bigger gap for horse and rider.
Wish cyclists would stop riding two or more abreast on a main road.

DitheringBlidiot · 26/05/2018 22:14

I learnt to drive in a UK city very famous for cyclists. They don’t need as much room as a car by any stretch of the imagination, but as you get more confident on the road then you’ll get better at judging when or when not to go.

Grandmaswagsbag · 26/05/2018 22:17

I was told leave a coffin length gap. That always stuck with me. My dh had a very nasty accident recently off his bike and he would be dead if it wasn’t for his helmet. If there had been a car involved he definitely would be regardless.

foxycleopauper · 26/05/2018 22:18

You should give as much space overtaking a cyclist as you'd give a car.

Please always take care driving near cyclists. My brother was cycling and was hit head on by a car, he bounced off the windscreen and broke his neck, shattered his eye socket, smashed some teeth. Luckily he's OK now but he very easily may not have been.

I'm always hyper vigilant now!

specialsubject · 26/05/2018 22:24

thank you to all who take care. some of the tragedies on here were nearly mine. there have been long lasting effects but it could have been much worse.

that cyclist is someones child, sibling, spouse, parent.

Echobelly · 26/05/2018 22:25

I leave lots of room... DH is a cyclist and really hates it when people pass too close!

FermatsTheorem · 26/05/2018 22:27

Thank you OP and all the others on this thread. Yup, as much space as a car is right. If you hit a big pot-hole (and the roads are full of those after this winter - never seen them this bad before), you can wobble in any direction.

Doh9899 · 26/05/2018 22:30

Legally you have to move into the other lane and treat them like a car incase they fall or swerve

malfoyy · 26/05/2018 22:30

I was stuck today behind 6 cyclists on a bendy lane and it was ten minutes before it was safe to pass. Big queue of cars up my backside and I didn't care. I'm waiting till it's safe.

I always give enough room to allow for cyclist falling over and me not running over their head.

Imchlibob · 26/05/2018 22:32

You are 100% correct.
Yes there are a lot of drivers who don't leave enough space when overtaking. They are bad drivers, and the reason for cycling deaths. Don't copy them.

AndhowcouldIeverrefuse · 26/05/2018 22:34

Yanbu and thank you OP!

YessicaHaircut · 26/05/2018 22:37

Thank you OP and others who are considerate. I cycle daily and the number of near misses I’ve had due to cars passing too close, too fast, pulling out without looking etc is scary. It’s very frightening every time it happens. So please carry on as you are!

SemperIdem · 26/05/2018 22:39

Cyclists often irritate the fuck out of me with poor road etiquette.

However I leave a huge gap when overtaking, always. I don’t want to be responsible for killing someone’s relative because I couldn’t wait a few seconds to be safe. I don’t need to be anywhere that much.

dementedma · 26/05/2018 22:42

"2cm of polystyrene does not protect the cyclist from 1.5 tonnes of car, travelling at 40 to 60mph, they offer little in the way of real terms protection"

This. So, am going to get absolutely flamed here, but have to ask - given the above, why on God's earth do people choose to gamble with their lives by riding fragile contraptions a couple of inches wide in traffic which is bigger and faster than they are? In even the tiniest of bumps/collisions, regardless of who is at fault, the cyclist is always going to come off worst. Most cyclists (round here anyway) do not signal when they are about to swerve, turn or change direction, and their vehicles don't have indicators or rear view mirrors to improve their spatial awareness of traffic flow. Why the fuck risk your life like that?
And don't say to get fit. there are a million ways to get fit which dont involve risking your life (or worse, your toddler's life) in moving traffic.
I give cyclists a very wide berth as they are are utterly unpredictable and usually unstable (the vehicles, not the riders....) as evidenced here by cyclists talking about having to swerve suddenly to avoid pot holes, drains, falling etc. I genuinely do not understand why people choose to do this.

SalveGrumio · 26/05/2018 22:44

It's better for the environment? Why do people choose to drive cars which pollute and kill thousands of people each year- just the air pollution.

Because its free? Because if everyone drove properly it wouldn't be as risky?

SalveGrumio · 26/05/2018 22:45

Signalling before you swerve is pretty hard to do, as you probably don't have time. They should signal to turn though.