Tractor reverse ramming

[Debs]

On a ride yesterday, my usual rural country lane course, a nominated national cycling route.

Cycling slight-downhill gradient around 20mph, suddenly a tractor + trailer pulled out of a field though a gate without giving way, far too close for comfort.

I needed to brake very heavily over bumpy tarmac ground to avoid impact with trailer.
This brought me too close to the rear of trailer, so i slowly freewheeled to gain more space behind.
The tractor + trailer kicked up a huge amount of dry soil dust like a brown cloud, as it sped up to 15mph or so.

I lingered feathering the brakes & freewheeling within 5 meters or so behind over a short distance but tractor driver quickly slowed down for bend in road. No brake lights or number plates on trailer. Then he very suddenly broke hard to an abrupt stop and immediately proceeded to reverse ram me - by then within 2 meters behind trailer.

Had no time at all to get out of the way, the trailer quickly came back and shunted against my front wheel pushing me back a few inches, knocked me off balance but didn't fall over... for a second or two believed i was going under the trailer, but it came to a stop in the nick of time.
I was busy screaming very loudly at this point but don't think the tractor driver could hear me over the noise of his engine.

I quickly dismounted bike to climb up on grass verge, the earth kerb was 18" high so this took a few seconds, as soon as i got up on the verge the tailer was reversing again and shoved the rear wheel of my bike as i got off the road.

Standing on the verge looking at the driver in the cab, a 40 something man who looked completely oblivious to the accident he could have caused on the road.
There was another tractor + trailer oncoming which he was backing-up to make room for a pass, all his attention would seem to be on the oncoming tractor.

Don't think the driver even knew i was there at all - until i remounted by bike in front of his tractor [ as we glared at each-other ] and rode away.
He followed me for 200 meters before turning off into a side road.

[Cowsham]

You were lucky not to be killed !

I'd try to find out where the farmer belongs to warn him what had almost happened and maybe prevent another accident with a worse outcome.

[Pebble]

If following a big vehicle you really need to stay back and keep yourself in the drivers mirrors or they won't know you are there. Were they leading grass for silage? job & knock contractors, they don't take prisoners, often under huge pressure if they are cutting a long way from the steading.

[Mike Sales]

I used to take a pull off tractors, when they were slower and I was faster. Needless to say I always took a lot of care.
Once in France I was at it again, getting a nice pull into a persistent head wind for a few miles. The driver looked round at me and signalled before slowing to turn. He clearly knew all about cyclists and their draughting ways.

[Debs]

If following a big vehicle you really need to stay back and keep yourself in the drivers mirrors or they won't know you are there.

This is completely irrelevant in the detail of my incident ^

Big vehicles should never drive straight out from a field onto a public highway without looking left & right and giving way if necessary.

He broke the highway code very badly.

[531colin]

If following a big vehicle you really need to stay back and keep yourself in the drivers mirrors or they won't know you are there. Were they leading grass for silage? job & knock contractors, they don't take prisoners, often under huge pressure if they are cutting a long way from the steading.

Yeah, its silage time.
I understand time pressure, but I don't think its a reason or excuse to risk causing me serious injury.

[rjb]

Tractors only need to display a number plate on the back of the tractor. Often hidden by the trailor, and none on the front. occasionally If the trailor has a visible number plate (usually covered in mud or worse) it may be different to the one displayed on the tractor but still allocated to the same farmer.

[Chris56]

If following a big vehicle you really need to stay back and keep yourself in the drivers mirrors or they won't know you are there.

This is completely irrelevant in the detail of my incident ^

Big vehicles should never drive straight out from a field onto a public highway without looking left & right and giving way if necessary.

He broke the highway code very badly.

Completely agree that he broke the highway code badly and there is no excusing his actions. That must have been scary and I don't think you could have done anything to avoid that if they pulled out without looking.

I also agree with what Pebble said - if they've already made one dangerous manouver then they are likely to make another one that you have little control over. In those cirumstances its always best to protect yourself by allowing extra space so you are less likely to come into harms way.

[Pebble]

If following a big vehicle you really need to stay back and keep yourself in the drivers mirrors or they won't know you are there. Were they leading grass for silage? job & knock contractors, they don't take prisoners, often under huge pressure if they are cutting a long way from the steading.

Yeah, its silage time.
I understand time pressure, but I don't think its a reason or excuse to risk causing me serious injury.

It is absolutely no excuse at all, it is often ridiculous the way they drive, they verge on the reckless to keep up with the cutters. When I see them coming I get off the bike and off the road, I shouldn't fee I have to, but I know whats coming. If I see one about to exit a field and go in the same direction, I will stop and wait to make sure its in front.

If following a big vehicle you really need to stay back and keep yourself in the drivers mirrors or they won't know you are there.

This is completely irrelevant in the detail of my incident ^

Big vehicles should never drive straight out from a field onto a public highway without looking left & right and giving way if necessary.

He broke the highway code very badly.

Just to be clear Debs, I am 100% on your side here. They're a type and class of vehicles to keep well away from, sadly they seem to be a law to themselves

I only mentioned the mirrors as i feel it is a point that can't be mentioned too often - spent a lot of time in big vehicles and you just can't see what is really close behind, yes they should be designed better, but they are what they are.

Govnor is right about having a camera, I have ridden with one for may be the last 20,000 miles - It gives me come back and an opportunity to reply

[francovendee]

I have a great deal of respect for the farmers and when meeting one on a track we pull over and let them pass.
I dislike the amount of dust they kick up, especially at the high speed they travel.
Our biggest danger comes when two tractor drivers stop alongside each other to discus something.
Squeezing past and them not seeing you and moving off always worries me. We do call out but it's hard to get heard over the sound of the engines.

[thirdcrank]

Debs

I share your feelings about what happened but I'm not clear about your reason for posting, not least because this type of thing generally attract advice about what you should of done. In the absence of corroboration this sort of thing isn't going anywhere - and corroboration eg from camera footage might make little difference these days.

[Oldjohnw]

I always assume that a tractor will pull out. They have no more right than anyone to be there but it is their working environment.

[Vorpal]

A number of posts have been removed.

[Debs]

I always assume that a tractor will pull out. They have no more right than anyone to be there but it is their working environment.

On a couple of occasions been held up with cows crossing the road there, on the way to milking. They have someone in the road to warn the traffic so it's perfectly safe and not a problem. This is why the tarmac is so bumpy, what comes out the back of cows would seem rather corrosive to tarmac!

But the tractor [in question] didn't stop or hesitate at the gate, driving at speed though the open gate onto the road, probably didn't look, perhaps a SMIDSY. Totally obscured by hedgerows from my field of view.
There was no warning signs to suggest any tractor activity, nor anyone in the road to warn oncoming traffic.

The road looked normal as in peaceful and quiet on approach. In 18 years of cycling on that road, this is the first time i've seen a tractor emerge from that gate, and it came out without any legal requirement to give way to road traffic.

One can summarise it was lucky no one got killed or injured, nor no damage done. Could have been a lot worse.
Having a camera on board is a good idea, shame it has to come to that tho'.

[wjhall]

....

Cycling slight-downhill gradient around 20mph, ...
The tractor + trailer kicked up a huge amount of dry soil dust like a brown cloud, as it sped up to 15mph or so.

I lingered feathering the brakes & freewheeling within 5 meters or so behind over a short distance ...

Tractors are huge and dangerous, and tractor drivers probably assume you will get out of the way. The only thing this driver seems to have done correctly is to slow down for the bend.

However, as someone pointed out, this post will lead to comments on your actions:

The DoT manual "Driving" recommends vehicle spacings of one yard per mph in normal traffic, a derogation from the full stopping distance at high speeds, more than it at low speeds. At 15 mph that means fifteen yards behind, not five metres. For dangerous vehicles best to allow more, preferably half the county.