Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

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beanboyyy
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Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by beanboyyy »

Was on the way to the supermarket today and started to overtake a cyclist, there were no cars coming the other way and i judged it to be a safe overtake. However as i started to pull out and accelerate the cyclist signalled right, preparing to turn from a major to minor road. Now i haven't driven for 6 months so my judgement was off and at the time i decided it was safer for me to carry on overtaking him wide rather than push hard on the brakes (i think the fact that the junction was a long way off made me feel reassured he wasn't going to lurch to the right too quickly). He checked behind him while i was overtaking (i assume he could hear me accelerating round him but it may also just have been a routine check) and was obviously annoyed at me and rightly so.
I realised straight away that this was my fault and i feel incredibly bad about potentially giving him a fright. Anyway, was just going to say to cyclists always be aware that there are idiota like me on the road and that sometimes mistakes are just a genuine judgement error rather than people trying to act like a dick, although i think more often than not these accidents are caused by people acting like *****. Was also going to say thing i believe this situation could maybe have been avoided if the cyclist had not been riding in the gutter and had maybe made eye contact with me to make his intensions clearer. He did turn round, but then did not signal for another 5-10 seconds, hence why i didn't think he was turning right. Was also just going to ask everyone, when you're being overtaken can you generally hear it, and furthermore has this kind of thing happened to anyone else?
Vorpal
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by Vorpal »

Welcome to the forum.

You may be in for some criticism.

I think that most cyclists have experienced an overtake like that. I used to get it pretty regularly on one junction, and learned to move out for the turn extra early, there. It still happened from time to time after that.

As for the cyclist's road position, they would have been better off not riding in the gutter, but that's how most people were taught until about 15 years or so ago, and some authorities, or teachers continued teaching that, even after the introduction of Bikeability. Drivers need to expect cyclists to use a variety of road positions. And while they can use road position to indicate that they will turn, the Highway Code only says to move to the middle, not when or how much in advance of the junction. The look over the shoulder should have been an indication that they were about to make a maneuver.

Whether the cyclists was signalling or not, it was indeed poor judgement to overtake there.
The Highway Code* wrote:Do not overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example:

approaching or at a road junction on either side of the road
* https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... 159-to-203

Drivers should review the Highway Code regularly and situations which require that sort of judgement should be handled with an adundance of caution at the best of times.

So, next time you will cycle instead of driving? ;)

edited to add: I think it's good that you have acknowledged your error will hopefully learn from it.
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Jdsk
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by Jdsk »

Welcome.

Responders might like to take into account that this is a new poster who has only joined today...

Jonathan

PS: Morning, Vorpal. That isn't the official Highway Code. It's a strange site which unfortunately comes up high in searches. The text that it shows has been an accurate copy so far...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... 159-to-203
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Best to give up driving, I think
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Vorpal
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by Vorpal »

Jdsk wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 9:40am
PS: Morning, Vorpal. That isn't the official Highway Code. It's a strange site which unfortunately comes up high in searches. The text that it shows has been an accurate copy so far...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway ... 159-to-203
Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it. I have to admit that I just looked to see if it 'looked right', and didn't notice that it wasn't the correct site.
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eileithyia
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by eileithyia »

Well done for being conscious of the situation and 'owning' up... but as a cyclist I would question if you were not totally 'at fault'. It's not clear how close to the cyclist you were as you started the overtake and when he started to signal, had I been cycling along the road I would a, have been listening for cars and conscious of a change in engine tone, b, would have been checking over my shoulder to assess the situation long before signalling my intent to turn. Had i seen an approaching vehicle I would either have delayed and waited until you had passed then repeated look signal maneouvre.... rather than stick my hand out and expect a closing vehicle to suddenly change their approach to overtaking.
Occasionally I might begin to signal as a vehicle begins to overtake (especially if we are closing in on my junction) in order to signal to the next car(s) following that I am intending to turn and hope they give me the space I need....

As driver I watch for cyclists who do start looking over their shoulder as an indication that they are about to do something such as change direction.
Don't beat yourself up too much

I might add i have commuted in some very heavy traffic situations so have spent a lifetime trying to judge approaching traffic, potential gaps and appropriate timing for making a turn, it's often difficult to assess from both sides.
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beanboyyy
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by beanboyyy »

To be honest the whole situation was slightly strange, he was clearly aware of my presence and he didn't appear exactly shocked to see me come past. We were a few metres from each other at all times and it wasn't like an accident was imminent but i still made the wrong call and definitely feel now i had time to brakw firmly without much risk. I would say that the fact that he stayed in the gutter even when signalling right made me think he knew i was there and i do feel that despite my wrongdoing, we were both trying to make sure that the situation stayed safe
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Cowsham
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by Cowsham »

Vorpal is right -- NEVER overtake at a road junction -- that's what the long white lines are there to tell you. I've known of 3 fatalities recently in our area because of people doing this.

Eg Two cars usually ( your example was car and bike ) approaching a side road to the right on the main road at speed and another car from the side road decides the main road is clear for him to turn left onto ( which at that moment it is ) and pulls out left. At that same moment one of the cars on the main road decides to pull out and overtake the other. You can imagine the rest.

My cousin failed his driving test when he attempted to pull out of a junction but stopped when he saw the cars on the main road overtake so both parties are wrong ie the overtaker and the puller outer.

Btw I like the new term " idiota " for a collection of idiots. :)
Last edited by Cowsham on 22 Apr 2021, 10:15am, edited 2 times in total.
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freeflow
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by freeflow »

The only issue here is how much of a gap there was between the OP and the cyclist.
tatanab
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by tatanab »

The rider really should have LOOKED BEHIND BEFORE SIGNALLING. As with the driving mantra, mirror - signal - manoeuvre. Or perhaps in this case the rider was behaving like a motorist and using a signal to mean "I want to move out, please let me at some time in the future". As a cyclist/motor cyclist/car driver I was taught that a signal means "I am making this manoeuvre NOW" - having checked it is clear of course.

Eye contact is a complete red herring. How do you make eye contact with the driver 100 yards back and through a windscreen and at least one pair of glasses? You cannot. What it does show is that you are looking behind so you are likely planning a manoeuvre - fair warning to those behind.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
It happens to all of us for sure.
The other day I went around a car parked on the road, builders van coming the other way and he slowed to a near stop and put his arm up, I might have slightly misjudged how wide the gap was well how narrow it was.
Even with the best driving and the best intentions you're going to have some friction some times.

Wait till you're turning right on a bicycle, and I will sit upright and stick my long arms out with my fingers stretched out.
Twice I have had this, after looking to see that the car is not going to overtake me and is not indicating.
Most cars roofs will fit under my arm When I'm doing this, not a very nice feeling when a car does that to you, That's overtake you whilst passing underneath your arm!
And no indication either.
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beanboyyy
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by beanboyyy »

Yeh i guess that's why it was slightly odd because the actions of the cyclist almost felt more like 'I'm going to move in the future' as he looked after signalling rather than before and maintained his position on the far left of the road. Doesn't excuse my actions but slightly strange nonetheless
Marcus Aurelius
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by Marcus Aurelius »

Mistakes are what they are, we all make them. Making a complete balls up of an overtake, in a car, past a cyclist, who had clearly indicated their intention to move, isn’t a ‘mistake’ it’s total incompetence behind the wheel. I’ve found myself in a similar position to the cyclist in question, whilst riding, and had a similar thing happen. That driver ended up being spoken to by the police and given a driver education course, because I had it on camera. I have sympathy for mistakes, I have no sympathy for dangerous incompetence, by drivers.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
The important thing here is that you remain safe and fully aware of what was happening and so did the cyclist.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Scared a cyclist on the road today, my fault

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Marcus Aurelius wrote: 22 Apr 2021, 10:19am Mistakes are what they are, we all make them. Making a complete balls up of an overtake, in a car, past a cyclist, who had clearly indicated their intention to move, isn’t a ‘mistake’ it’s total incompetence behind the wheel. I’ve found myself in a similar position to the cyclist in question, whilst riding, and had a similar thing happen. That driver ended up being spoken to by the police and given a driver education course, because I had it on camera. I have sympathy for mistakes, I have no sympathy for dangerous incompetence, by drivers.
Very black and white.
The OP says that the junction was a "long way off", if it truly was then the car driver is not so wrong.
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