Is it me or the cyclist?

[bettyfreddy]

I've just had an incident with a cyclist who was very angry and is going with his footage to the police. I'm quite shaken by it and it was honestly an accident. I was driving.

So I overtook the cyclist along with maybe 2 other cars in front of me. Carried on driving for around 300 yards and slowed down for the queue at the roundabout ahead.

As I began to move forward slowly - it wasn't my turn to leave the round about, there was a car in front of me - the cyclist shot by me on the left hand side of the car. I honestly didn't see him. He was absolutely cycling at quite a speed. I stopped as soon as I saw him (car in front had gone) and he went in front of my car and started swearing at me.

I didn't move the car, let him go round the roundabout.

I was dropping my son off at pre school which is just round the roundabout so he clearly saw where I was going so came to 'speak' to me. He called me a dangerous driver and he was going to show his footage from his cycling helmet to the police and to expect them to call round.

I apologised and said I genuinely didn't see him. I moved my car forwards at about 3mph probably, he just shot by me. Granted I should of checked my wing mirrors but it wasn't my turn to leave the round about so I was just slowing cruising along.

I can take it if I'm at fault and I really did apologise to him.

As a PP pointed out bikes of any type are allowed to filter e.g. undertake.

However the cyclist or biker should be aware - bikers are taught this cyclists are not - that larger vehicles may not see them.

It was absolutely about the roundabout. It's a really wide road before the roundabout and there were no cars coming on the opposite side so I definitely gave him plenty of space.

He also told me I should of checked in my wing mirror to see him approaching which yes I shouldn't of done and apologised for.

My car slowly crept forward, he was cycling at quite a speed. Too fast in my opinion as he was approaching a roundabout

I imagine he was squeezing down your left side and you started moving forward and frightened him.
He shouldnt have done it if there wasn't space and you should have checked your mirrors.

No I was turning right. It's just a mini round about, no seperate lanes or anything like that. And I had stopped in stationery traffic and was just slowly moving my car forwards when he passed me.

I don’t think I turned my car to the left. I don't see why I would of done that on a straight road.

Incorrect about undertaking - cyclists can filter through slow moving traffic on the left and the right legally. While not explicitly stated in the highway code, the fact it is allowed can be seen in at least three rules.

Highway Code Rule 160 states that road users should ‘be aware of other road users, especially cycles and motorcycles who may be filtering through the traffic’ and Rule 88, in relation to manoeuvring, states that road users should take care and keep speed low ‘…when filtering in slow-moving traffic’. Furthermore, rule 211 says that ‘it is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are filtering through traffic’.

Rule 211 states that drivers should ‘look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic'.

Definitely invest in a dash cam. They can be saviours against twats like this.

And yes I would put a month's electricity money on him not approaching if you were a bloke

Never admit whether you checked or not.

If you filter through traffic you have to be aware that larger vehicles may not see you if you go into their blind spot. So where appropriate you take up primary position and not hesitate to tell larger vehicle drivers where to go if they don't like it. Though in larger towns and cities you are likely to be joined by other cyclists/bikers where you are waiting.

Cyclists are perfectly entitled to filter through stationary traffic but the key thing is they have to do this slowly and with care, preferably on the right hand side of traffic rather than the left, not just barrel down the inside at speed.

Sounds like he was in the wrong.

Yes I think so. I did apologise to him for not checking. I should of stood up for myself more really but I was shaking.

Unfortunately since the highway code changed it has been misinterpreted by many cyclists and made them even more entitled. The new section says you may ride in the middle of the carriageway if it is necessary in order to be seen by drivers, but many cyclists have interpreted that as meaning you may cycle in the middle of the carriageway regardless if it's necessary at all times for no reason whatsoever, especially while riding 3 abreast. Personally I think it has been done this way intentionally to cause more animosity on the roads so the government can introduce by stealth insurance and tax on cyclists. Bit of an own goal none of them will see coming while they are all verbally abusing drivers and kicking our cars as they ride past demanding the entire road to themselves lol

He was absolutely cycling at some speed, especially considering he was approaching a roundabout too.

Rule 88, in relation to manoeuvring, states that road users should take care and keep speed low ‘…when filtering in slow-moving traffic’.

This is the issue 9 times out of 10 in situations like this - they don't. When I went for my motorbike licence many years ago the instructors always said that filtering should be speed of traffic plus no more than 15 mph, purely so you've got room to stop if something unexpected happens. It's good advice

Yeah but we've got one person's weird that the cyclist was going fast and they don't use their mirrors or know if they were driving in a straight line or not.

So we lack a reliable narrative

The cyclist was wrong. They usually are at fault to some degree, contrary to what the cycling propaganda movement would like to have us believe.

Almost all incidents involving cyclists involve them either making a dangerous/illegal manouvre, or not being seen by other road users. In these instances the cyclist is at fault, including where they are not seen, because their actions (either in terms of how they position their bicycle, riding in a sensible manner for the prevailing road, weather and traffic conditions, or in what they wear) are the cause of their accident.

It's a good idea to get a dashcam to back up your position when a cyclist kicks off at you.

I don't understand what's gone wrong.

Or the police can seize your dashcam and use it to provide evidence of your own terrible driving.

Many drivers have been convicted of various crimes - driving and non- driving related - using evidence provided by their own cameras.

One fairly major organised crime boss had his dash cam on every time he went to visit his main warehouse of drugs and stolen goods.

So dash cams are great and I would definitely recommend one but only if you are actually a great, safe driver - everyone thinks they are a good driver but often are not. (and also not if you are a gangland boss).

Rule 76 for cyclists states Check that you can proceed safely, particularly when approaching junctions on the left alongside stationary or slow-moving traffic. Watch out for drivers intending to turn across your path. Remember the driver ahead may not be able to see you, so bear in mind your speed and position in the road.

Rule 78 states Watch out for vehicles crossing your path to leave or join the roundabout, remembering that drivers may not easily see you.

How far from the roundabout were you when you over took? Was it obvious you were going to wait at the roundabout after passing him, requiring him to pass you again?

I was perfectly in line with the other cars. I really don't think or even imagine why I wasn't straight. But equally as I've said, it was all in a split second and I could easily start second guessing myself.

So I overtook the cyclist along with maybe 2 other cars in front of me. Carried on driving for around 300 yards and slowed down for the queue at the roundabout ahead.

This is the bit that struck me. You'd overtaken a cyclist and within 300 yards slowed down to join queuing traffic. Where did you think the cyclist was going to go?

If you'd only just overtaken him, and knew you were approaching slow traffic, you should have been watching your mirrors to see where he ended up - cyclists will nearly always catch up/overtake again in these situations.

You don't have a clue what you're talking about. Any of it.

Ah, sounds like you were creeping.

I think he got way too het up about it and you didn’t do anything wrong, but this drives me bats as well. Stationary line of cars, on bike, looking to move over from left to right and someone will just randomly start rolling forward at 1mph even though they’re not actually going anywhere yet. It’s not world ending but even at 1mph a car will knock a cyclist off. People do it at traffic lights all the time, I don’t think they even realise they’re doing it but I hate it!

+1

Nothing in the narrative mentions anything dangerous or risky. A bike ride past a car. So what?

There's missing information.

He’s a twat. I’m a cyclist and I don’t undertake cars at junctions. I sit in line like everyone else unless there’s a special bike lane.

Even then I’m cautious and won’t undertake right at a junction. It’s really a dangerous thing to do coz people aren’t expecting you to be there and you could easily get knocked off.

Would love to see some actual data showing that cyclists are "usually at fault" or have you as I rather suspect just pulled that out your arse?