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A cautionary tale

My wife was travelling through a local roundabout the other day.It has recently been changed and drivers are mistakenly cutting across others simply because they are not reading the road signs. A guy cut in front of my wife and she sounded her horn. He stared at her unaware that he was in the wrong. He was around 70 and driving an Audi TT. He then drove behind her about a foot away from the back of the car. What an idiot. So many nutcases on the road. And somebody you would expect would be a little more competent!
 
This both amused & confirmed my views on road behaviour:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-58651321

I would like to see a more wide ranging road safety campaign from this government.
Officers said a total of 10 prosecutions, for driving without due care and attention and contravening double white lines, would result from the operation.
Maybe I’ve misunderstood the rules, but I thought you could cross a solid white line to, either, pass an obstruction, or overtake a cyclist or slow moving vehicle like a milk float. If so, then the white line offences must be for something other than overtaking a cycle and mentioning them here is misleading. Have I got it wrong?
 
Maybe I’ve misunderstood the rules, but I thought you could cross a solid white line to, either, pass an obstruction, or overtake a cyclist or slow moving vehicle like a milk float. If so, then the white line offences must be for something other than overtaking a cycle and mentioning them here is misleading. Have I got it wrong?
Solid white line can be broken for slow moving vehicles, it is defined as being below 10mph. I doubt the cyclist is question was being that tardy. If you read the article one of the cars in question was pulled over as the passenger used an abusive gesture when passing the cyclist.

Out of circa 120 passes, 20% were deemed as close or dangerous. Rather worrying.

This was a police operation so I assume they know the law;)
 
The Highway Code r169 states that slower moving vehicles should pull in when safe to do so if a queue builds up behind them. I wonder if the cyclist in the report Woodface has posted ignored that rule, and thus aroused the ire of the driver who gesticulated.
 
The Highway Code r169 states that slower moving vehicles should pull in when safe to do so if a queue builds up behind them. I wonder if the cyclist in the report Woodface has posted ignored that rule, and thus aroused the ire of the driver who gesticulated.

I doubt it. Some people are just ****ers and some of those ****ers drive cars whereas others ride bikes. You get good and bad with all forms of transport, sadly it’s the way of the world these days.
 
The Highway Code r169 states that slower moving vehicles should pull in when safe to do so if a queue builds up behind them. I wonder if the cyclist in the report Woodface has posted ignored that rule, and thus aroused the ire of the driver who gesticulated.
It was a police operation. Which bit don’t you get? Why would they stop vehicles for no reason.

Safe pass distance to cyclists is 1.5 meters minimum.

The driver executed a perfect pass, gave the rider plenty of room, it was his passenger who gesticulated out of the window so was given ‘advice’.

It is very rarely ‘safe to do so’ for a cyclist, not sure a cycle counts as a vehicle also. Ultimately we have to share the roads & a bit of good grace towards vulnerable road users is really welcome.
 
I doubt it. Some people are just ****ers and some of those ****ers drive cars whereas others ride bikes. You get good and bad with all forms of transport, sadly it’s the way of the world these days.
I quite agree, as I’ve said before drivers of motorised vehicles should take extra care around the more vulnerable idiots & ****ers ;)
 
Had an incident yesterday, quite amusing in retrospect. Three of us were cycling down towards Ecclesall Road South from the Peaks towards Sheffield; it’s quite a fast road, 50mph limit. We were in single file, taking turns on the front as we descended into a slight headwind, probably doing about 35-40 mph.

As we approached a side road we noticed a car on the opposite side was turning left with another car at the giveaway line about to turn right into the carriageway we were on. As you would expect the driver edged out to gain a better view, we were a little concerned that she was going to turn across us, thankfully she stopped & we carried on. About 5 minutes later she caught us up & I commented to my friend that she was probably unaware how frightened we were that she would turn into us; we then noticed that she could barely see over the steering wheel. Not ideal, but no harm done thankfully.
 
It was a police operation. Which bit don’t you get? Why would they stop vehicles for no reason.

Safe pass distance to cyclists is 1.5 meters minimum.

The driver executed a perfect pass, gave the rider plenty of room, it was his passenger who gesticulated out of the window so was given ‘advice’.

It is very rarely ‘safe to do so’ for a cyclist, not sure a cycle counts as a vehicle also. Ultimately we have to share the roads & a bit of good grace towards vulnerable road users is really welcome.
But something in her conduct offended the passenger.
 
Today I came across a cretin at Gisburn who decided to reverse back onto the mini-roundabout. Amazingly it wasn't an Audi but a blue Citroen Picasso.

He gestured me to overtake him so he could continue his cretinous behaviour. Fortunately he'd left enough room on the inside for me to get through and this seemed the safest option.

I checked my mirrors once I'd passed him and he was now reversing onto the roundabout! What was wrong finding a safe place to turn around which would be safer for him and his passengers who may well have been his own family.
 
it’s quite a fast road, 50mph limit. We were in single file, taking turns on the front as we descended into a slight headwind, probably doing about 35-40 mph.

As we approached a side road we noticed a car on the opposite side was turning left with another car at the giveaway line about to turn right into the carriageway we were on.
No criticism of your speed but would you have been able to stop had she pulled out?
I've not ridden anything with "brake blocks" for a while...
 
No criticism of your speed but would you have been able to stop had she pulled out?
I've not ridden anything with "brake blocks" for a while...
No, probably not but as we were all drivers we anticipated the likely behaviour of the motorist & would have hopefully been ok. One of my mates was riding in discs so he would have perhaps fared better?

I have a friend who doesn’t drive, he doesn’t really have the same road sense & has had a few near misses & hits. Not necessarily his fault but anticipating other road users behaviour is pretty important IME.

It’s an odd one isn’t it? On faster roads I generally try to go as quickly as possible as the alternative is often more dangerous.
 
No, probably not but as we were all drivers we anticipated the likely behaviour of the motorist & would have hopefully been ok. One of my mates was riding in discs so he would have perhaps fared better?
This is good. I agree that discs would be better.
How grippy are the tyres?

I have a friend who doesn’t drive, he doesn’t really have the same road sense & has had a few near misses & hits. Not necessarily his fault but anticipating other road users behaviour is pretty important IME.
I agree. Getting training for cars and bikes is easy but are there any organizations to do this for cycling?

It’s an odd one isn’t it? On faster roads I generally try to go as quickly as possible as the alternative is often more dangerous.
I agree (again) keeping a reasonable pace is less likely to cause frustration with vehicles behind.
 
This is good. I agree that discs would be better.
How grippy are the tyres?


I agree. Getting training for cars and bikes is easy but are there any organizations to do this for cycling?


I agree (again) keeping a reasonable pace is less likely to cause frustration with vehicles behind.
I’ve nearly lost my rear end doing an emergency stop when a car pulled out on me but did keep upright. Cycling proficiency is still offered in schools but I would like to see more training for car drivers in terms of how they behave around vulnerable road users. I believe this is totally inadequate, they just don’t anticipate because they don’t understand how a cyclist needs to be given room to avoid hazards in the road (potholes, uneven surfaces, glass etc which don’t really effect cars to the same degree).
 
Are you for real? It was Dame Sarah Storey, cycling on a road. It’s also a bit more difficult for her to give a hand gesture.
I've never heard of her but to you she's absolutely perfect then, incapable of doing anything which might upset other road users.
 


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