Just why can't drivers...

[Tizme]

...Look beyond the end of their car bonnet?

I know it's a generalisation, but yesterday out on a ride a had two shining examples.

First one, climbing a very narrow country lane (single car width with occasional passing places) 4x4 approaches, drives beyond the passing place (on his left) and suddenly realises that I am not stopping (or I may not be able to get going again, I've just climbed the steepest -19% - part), so then starts to reverse back pulling over to his left at the same time, completely blocking my way forward unless I switch over to the "wrong" side of the road, when he sees me not going for this option he stops dead. I then point to the car directly behind me and shout "so where is she (the other driver) supposed to go?" He finally realises that he will have to pull back in to the passing place. The surprised look on his face when he saw the other car - priceless!

Second one, climbing through a local village (with a 20mph speed limit) driver revving and pushing to pass, eventually forcing me over to let him passed, only to have to stop 10 seconds later to join the queue of traffic that could be clearly seen when he was getting huffy. As I passed I leant over and said, "was it really worth the effort?" and then went on passed the queue (stuck waiting for someone to reverse[badly] in to a parking slot).

[[XAP]Bob]

It's not failure to observe... it's that they love traffic jams so much they'd risk your life to join one for a few extra seconds.

[BakfietsUK]

It's a matter of misplaced personal pride to get past a cyclist and do it in the most obnoxious way possible. Yes [XAP]Bob they certainly must love traffic jams and there sure are many others who have the same irrational attachment. I would like to see the Police (don't laugh) tackle this sort of thing but alas it does not seem to figure in their priorities, Not in the last twenty years anyway.

[drossall]

It's not failure to observe... it's that they love traffic jams so much they'd risk your life to join one for a few extra seconds.

+1

[awavey]

theres obviously an element of "must get infront of cyclist" at play, and you do get a good view from a bike, or at least a good experience of how to look ahead at things, how those cars then interact with other road users or hazards,but I do think increasingly, that some people do literally just drive to whats immediately ahead of their bonnet,not whats 10metres or even closer infront of them, they are literally re-actively driving to the things directly infront of them and not proactively making decisions. which is kind of scary when you think about it.

classic example I was at a set of traffic lights the other week on my commute, and caught up alongside this car who had just passed me who had then had to stop suddenly, and ahead of us another car did that classic pulls out of a drive onto a road and then blocks most of the lane we were in and just hopes someone takes pity on them in the other lane to let them in thing,

now it was a clear blockage to our side of the ride as none of the oncoming traffic were playing ball with this guy, and yet this car next to me, when the lights went green still tried to race me away from the traffic lights, and your thinking hold on this guy is so obsessed with clearly trying to make sure they get ahead of me, as the next obstacle, they cant see that they are accelerating towards a parked car completely blocking their path, the increasingly closer next obstacle.

My way through was clear as the blocking car was trying to edge forward all the time and there was enough of a bike sized gap at the side of the road for me to easily breeze through, but there was no car gap to get through. so what was the car next to me trying to achieve did they hope to pull enough of a nose ahead of me to then turn into block my progress, so that theyd dealt with me as an obstacle and then could react to the blocking car obstacle.

it was bizarre, I just couldnt work out what they were thinking other than they were driving to a next obstacle kind of mentality, trying to deal with me as the immediate obstacle in their mind had completely blinded them to the quite obvious obstruction ahead, and of course once their car blockage was finally clear and the caught me up again, I got a not giving you any space close pass

[Phil Fouracre]

All very worrying! A bit like cars following during an overtake, they just keep following the car in front, whatever the situation! No thought that there might not be any space, or that an obstacle might appear. Do they feel lonely? and feel the need to stay close to other cars!

[Richard D]

Happens to me ALL THE TIME. Caused by an unhealthy dose of "must get in front". I usually cycle past them with a shake of the head.

[The utility cyclist]

MGIF and/or not looking or planning much beyond your bonnet is careless driving at best, far too often a totally avoidable situation occurs that ends with someone being harmed or worse.

Even the action that does not make contact but induces alarm or fear is in itself a common assault.
It's all too easy for motorists to do what they please whenever they like because no-one in power/has authority to do something gives a flying one to the extent that causes drivers to think twice or respect human life. Yet they'll be the first ones to shout/call the police if someone were to swing something harmful near their person elsewhere.

[Richard D]

Every action that does not make contact just encourages them to think what they did was perfectly acceptable, so they never change. And getting the Police to prosecute for careless driving - let alone assault - is nigh on impossible unless there was actual contact, and probably injury as a result

[Phil Fouracre]

A bit like the worst drivers in the village, driving past pedestrians/kids, are the ones with 'mind my child' stickers in the rear window!

[The utility cyclist]

Every action that does not make contact just encourages them to think what they did was perfectly acceptable, so they never change. And getting the Police to prosecute for careless driving - let alone assault - is nigh on impossible unless there was actual contact, and probably injury as a result

And by not doing anything break their sworn oath/attestation.
They can't see how the inaction leads to greater and greater harm and ever dwindling standards that kill and maim tens of thousands every year

[eileithyia]

If it's any help they are not much better on other roads with other road users, 2 journeys on motorways recently I have seen drivers totally unable to control their speed to suit the car in front, constantly 'catch-up' then jab on the brakes, open the gap then drive back into it and repeat.....

[meic]

I drove back on the A40 today, which was all single carriageway and i was halfway down a tailback behind a HGV which nobody could pass.
I played the game of anticipation, to avoid ever having to touch the brakes and minimise the accelerator.
This often meant allowing a gap of 500 metres to grow between me and the car in front so that I didnt have to brake when the tailback reached a hill/roundabout etc.
You can imagine how this gap drove some cars to insanity and how they had to do a manic overtake to get from my bumper driving smoothly to the bumper of the oscillating car in front of me so they could use up lots of fuel braking and accelerating all the time.

[reohn2]

...Look beyond the end of their car bonnet?......

It's because some people can't see past the selfishness if own existence.
When you're the centre of everything,everything revolves around that belief.
Motorists have become that selfishness because no one challenges their selfishness,I could give lots of examples two of which happened today.
Of course they're in the minority but they're a PITA to ordinary people who realise they're just like anyone else and that nothing is really gained by these idiot's PITAness

[Phil Fouracre]

PITAness, yes! I like that word, it has a certain ring about it