Not overtaking cyclist

[creampuffs]

I was driving down a very narrow twisty road 20mph speed limit when I caught up with a very slow cyclist. Double white lines down centre of road, lots of blind bends. Had to slow to 10mph at one point. Cars started queuing behind me getting irate and beeping because I couldn't overtake. One even went round me and the bike at one point. But I honestly couldn't see how to pass safely. It would have meant risking either a head on crash or knocking over the cyclist. Got to the end of the double white lines and finally had a clear view to overtake when not 1 but 2 of the cars behind me decide to overtake us aggressively. Was I really unreasonable to wait until it was safe to overtake? Left feeling quite upset and rattled by the other cars' behaviour as clearly everyone else thought I should have just overtaken.

Ywnbu - the other drivers are dangerous idiots.

If it's not safe, it's not safe. My friend ended up in intensive care with a smashed pelvis after a similar incident where somebody did overtake. It was early morning and dark, a winding road, and the overtaking driver must have thought the odds were stacked in their favour. She was driving on the other side of the road and they ended up in a head-on collision. She survived but it was touch and go.

When I've got those sorts of drivers behind me I always think of that incident. I'd rather we were delayed and alive rather than dead.

It's illegal to cross the double white lines to overtake.

I really worry about people who get angry and impatient when held up on the road for a minute or two. Says a lot about how little it must take in their lives to make them mad.

Country roads bring out the knob in people.

We have a lot by us, so we know how they work. Many people appear not to. They don't even to assist to know which side of the line to stay on.

But anyway.

Dh driving today. He's more assertive than me. We got overtaken by a car on a twisty country lane today (Capel curig area). Bloke then overtook the 2 cars in front.

He ended up at the same red light in the end, but could have killed himself and others to get there. Twat.

And with cyclists, it's a whole car width now isn't it?

Hmm I'm sure you.could have managed it!

Depends whether they're solid lines or not.

You cannot overtake on solid double whites, but if one side of the lines are broken, you can over take in certain circumstances, including to overtake a cyclist if they're travelling at less than 10mph.

www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/how-to/overtaking-safely-on-the-road-guide/

They all will be soon under current proposals

I'm a cyclist and a car driver You were right......and THANK YOU!

Or the other cars were just lucky they're was nothing coming the other way...

OP - you did the right thing, I dread coming up behind a cyclist on some roads round here for exactly the same reason.

Slightly concerning so many posters don’t know the solid line rule and when you can and can’t drive over it

OP, v hard to tell as we only have your side. You could either be lacking in spacial awareness and confidence behind the wheel (worrying) or the other three drivers were arseholes (not unheard of). Guess we’ll never know.

Exactly this. People are incredibly impatient. When I am on a bike myself I always give a very clear signal if I am turning left and will be out of their way in a few seconds and yet they still scream past me because they can't wait those few seconds.

If you have an accident, feeling intimidated by impatient drivers behind you won't be a good excuse.

The fact that 2-3 cars decided to scream past you indicates they are impatient and don't mind risking a head-on collision. It has no bearing on your driving abilities at all. I often see people overtaking cyclists coming towards me and they seem to think I can just disappear.

I agree that people often need loads of space when a small amount will do, but that does not apply to overtaking cyclists, where you (a) go on the other side of the road and (b) should not expect oncoming vehicles to disappear.

Is this road called P.... L...? Sounds familiar

If it happens again and you know you’re not going to overtake for a bit (eg because you know that particular stretch of road), then you can drop back from the cyclist to allow cars to overtake you and then overtake the cyclist in 2 separate manoeuvres. My car has crap acceleration so what’s not safe for me to do might still be safe for someone else.

You did the exact right thing, OP.

Sorry you were being pursued by such enormous twunts, hun.

Hope you gave them the bird as they passed you.

You were right to wait until you thought that it was safe. I live quite rurally, lots of twisty roads and have been in the situation you describe on more than on occasion. Unfortunately, other drivers can be impatient but fat better to let them get their knickers in a twist than to be pressured into a manoeuvre that could be risky for both you, the cyclist, oncoming traffic etc.

As someone who primarily cycles as transportation, usually with a toddler on the bike, THANK YOU for not being a twat. Although in fairness if I think drivers are going to overtake me dangerously, I just make it impossible to do so.

Far better, not fat better

If you don’t think it’s safe, don’t overtake. It’s that simple. I don’t think you did anything wrong. Could be that your judgement was off, but you have to err on the side of caution when it comes to these things.

You did the right thing op.

You may well have misjudged it but I’d rather someone misjudge something and be overly safe and the worst consequence be I’m stuck behind traffic and get somewhere a few minutes slower than I planned than someone misjudged something and end up taking a life (and also making me get somewhere slower due to them causing an accident)

I'm really grateful for careful drivers like you @creampuffs always trust your own senses and intuition. Don't be bullied or pressured into taking risks, it's your vehicle, they have no right to tell you how to drive. If the road is narrow and winding, then it's completely untenable to overtake so you did the right thing.

since the Highway Code changed back in Jan this year, I've notice that people are much more careful passing me on my bike, so you probably were unlucky to have several arsehole boy racer types impatient drivers bunched together.

Living in a rural area means people are generally used to being patient, there's no point chomping at the bit, they may as well take a deep breathe and wait their turn! If it was in London they probably weren't used to that etiquette.

Better safe than sorry OP. People are ridiculously impatient when driving. I'd rather be beeped at than in a head-on collision with another car.

You did the right thing!

You did the right thing. Double lines blind bends, not sensible to overtake when it's dangerous.

If other people want to risk a head on crash, that's their choice, I'd rather be 5 mins late than have a trip to the hospital. Or worse. I'll pass when I can see it's safe, not take a gamble.

Exactly that
I drive a low powered 1.2 and I don't have the power to overtake when someone else might be able to