Near miss with a pedestrian

[Patrickpioneer]

Just got back from my morning ride and while I was going down hill a man ran in front of me, I shouted, he moved, I swerved and hit the brakes. I looked to see if he was OK and all he did was start running across the road again to the shop! I said more naughty swear words then than I have so far this year. I must have missed him by inches and my speed must have been close to 20mph? Was it Ballantine who said pedestrians are awful, well that one scared the poo out of me this morning.
Patrick

[pwa]

That reminds me of a doddery old lady who drove her car out in front of me from a side road on the left as I cycled down Bathwick Hill in Bath.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.3815712 ... 6?hl=en-GB

She came out at about 5mph and I was going pretty slow, but the steep gradient meant it was hard to lose much speed and I drifted towards her as if in a slow motion crash. Somehow I avoided a collision. My awareness of the lady's advanced age spared her from what would otherwise have been a strong expression of my concern.

[mjr]

Well done on being able to avoid them. Please keep riding so you can stop within what you can see to be clear - even allowing for other road users doing strange things!

[pwa]

Well done on being able to avoid them. Please keep riding so you can stop within what you can see to be clear - even allowing for other road users doing strange things!

Sometimes you can get caught out even when you have done everything right. When I was in my teens I was nearly knocked off my bike by a pedestrian who stepped out into the road backwards, while still talking to someone on the pavement. She had shown no sign that she might step out, and was not even facing the road when she did. I was about 13 years old and cycling up this moderately steep hill, so my speed was very low, about walking speed. Probably around here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@53.5934183 ... 6?hl=en-GB

[mjr]

Sometimes you can get caught out even when you have done everything right. When I was in my teens I was nearly knocked off my bike by a pedestrian who stepped out into the road backwards, while still talking to someone on the pavement. She had shown no sign that she might step out, and was not even facing the road when she did. [...]

I feel that probably meant you were passing too close to a pedestrian too fast, within a step of them. I don't think the pavement/road kerb matters for distance, but I know others disagree.

[Psamathe]

Sometimes you can get caught out even when you have done everything right. When I was in my teens I was nearly knocked off my bike by a pedestrian who stepped out into the road backwards, while still talking to someone on the pavement. She had shown no sign that she might step out, and was not even facing the road when she did. [...]

I feel that probably meant you were passing too close to a pedestrian too fast, within a step of them. I don't think the pavement/road kerb matters for distance, but I know others disagree.

I'm unsure about the "...so you can stop within what you can see to be clear" (applied to all forms of transport). My concern is that our transport system does not seem designed and that were everybody to e.g. drive in such a manner it would often grind to a halt. Maybe more true of cars than bikes but I'm often frustrated waiting to pull out onto a roundabout when streams of cars turn left without indicating so you have to wait on the assumption they are/might be going straight ahead. But then even if they indicate you are making assumptions about their (intended) behaviour that might be incorrect. Result is that to for the traffic system to move you have to make assumptions about the behaviour of other vehicles.

I don't disagree with your "so you can stop within what you can see to be clear" but I'm uncertain about the practicalities given how our infrastructure seems to have evolved.

Ian

[pwa]

Sometimes you can get caught out even when you have done everything right. When I was in my teens I was nearly knocked off my bike by a pedestrian who stepped out into the road backwards, while still talking to someone on the pavement. She had shown no sign that she might step out, and was not even facing the road when she did. [...]

I feel that probably meant you were passing too close to a pedestrian too fast, within a step of them. I don't think the pavement/road kerb matters for distance, but I know others disagree.

As I remember it (circa 1974!) I was probably 4ft out from the kerb, she was on the footpath, stationary and facing away from the road as she talked to someone. Bizarrely she suddenly and rapidly strode backwards into the road, beginning to rotate as she did so but with her head still facing the other person. Her speed was about the same as mine, i.e. brisk walking speed. I veered out further as she careered into me. It was almost a point blank lunge that she did. I guess she thought no noise meant nothing to turn around and look for. She biffed into the side of me and I wobbled but kept going.

[mjr]

I'm unsure about the "...so you can stop within what you can see to be clear" (applied to all forms of transport). My concern is that our transport system does not seem designed and that were everybody to e.g. drive in such a manner it would often grind to a halt.

That claim is often made and I think it's complete bull [inappropriate word removed]. Progress through junctions would probably happen at slower speeds but the compensation would be higher capacity and probably faster journeys on average - but maybe not for the individuals currently driving quickly through (entering at the entrance most able to cope with high speeds) and it seems like many motorists are willing to screw all others if it means they arrive a few seconds sooner - a tragedy of the commons - and so they perpetuate this idea that if they're not given completely free rein to drive recklessly then roads will gridlock, economies will fail and the sky will fall. Far more gridlock is caused by motorists colliding and obstructing roads for hours, sometimes days, than would ever result from driving a bit more gently.

Maybe more true of cars than bikes but I'm often frustrated waiting to pull out onto a roundabout when streams of cars turn left without indicating so you have to wait on the assumption they are/might be going straight ahead. But then even if they indicate you are making assumptions about their (intended) behaviour that might be incorrect. Result is that to for the traffic system to move you have to make assumptions about the behaviour of other vehicles.

Up to a point, but those assumptions should be based on their actual actions. If they have started heading off the roundabout, you pull out and they then jerk round towards you, I believe it's also their responsibility to decelerate so they don't run into the back/side of you... in other words, the rapidly-disappearing French/Belgian approach of traffic joining a roundabout having priority wasn't completely without merit if people drove how they ought! The problem is that of course this doesn't work well if there are many people turning right (left abroad) and the roundabout is near its maximum capacity.

If you're getting frustrated, please stop driving. There's far too many frustrated motorists on the roads already.

[Patrickpioneer]

Another thing I will add from this morning now I am more calmer? when i did stop and look around to see if he was OK I must have been thirty foot further down the road than him, and that was in dry conditions and I think I lifted the back wheel, later it was raining (I got soaked) so things could have been worse. As Major Bloodnock used to say in the Goons, 'it was damned close'
Patrick

[Psamathe]

.....

Maybe more true of cars than bikes but I'm often frustrated waiting to pull out onto a roundabout when streams of cars turn left without indicating so you have to wait on the assumption they are/might be going straight ahead......

......
If you're getting frustrated, please stop driving. There's far too many frustrated motorists on the roads already.

It's a trivial frustration, a thought "why can't they ..." then gone seconds later. More irritation at the lack of consideration some show to other son the road. Afraid (or glad) I'm not the sort of motorist to bother getting angry and taking it out on my accelerator pedal.

Suggesting that I give-up driving is just pathetic.

Ian

[fastpedaller]

Well done on being able to avoid them. Please keep riding so you can stop within what you can see to be clear - even allowing for other road users doing strange things!

Unfortunately it's impossible to make allowance for all strange happenings, otherwise you would be braking at every side road etc 'just in case' and probably be rear-ended by someone 'doing a strange thing' like travelling too close to you!

[Cyril Haearn]

Well done on being able to avoid them. Please keep riding so you can stop within what you can see to be clear - even allowing for other road users doing strange things!

Unfortunately it's impossible to make allowance for all strange happenings, otherwise you would be braking at every side road etc 'just in case' and probably be rear-ended by someone 'doing a strange thing' like travelling too close to you!

Better to go just a bit slower, if someone follows too close don't try to accelerate away, maybe pull over to let them by (do NOT signal!)
Driving slowly might make normal drivers mad, but probably more alert too

[Phil Fouracre]

I'm with mjr on this one! It might be frustrating/irritating, but, in the interests of self preservation, it has to be the way to act. I cycle in the same area as him, notorious for anything from old ladies in the ubiquitous Yaris, to bloody great tractors - all driving erratically, and at speed, around narrow country lanes!! Serious observational skills and anticipation needed at all times

[[XAP]Bob]

The person behind you isn’t your responsibility, I do lift off (not brake) for most aideroads... it just makes sense.

[Patrickpioneer]

when it comes to road craft one of the best books I have is the police motorcycle handbook, but like most things I have to keep going back to it and re read it.
Almost two years ago a friend was on his bike going down hill around a blind bend, coming up the other way was a car overtaking a group of cyclists, what happened we don't really know, the air ambulance took my friend to a special unit who put him in a coma for two months. He wont ride a bike again and has still trouble walking after all this time.
Patrick