Is it a, see how close we can get the HGV to the cyclist ?

sore thumb · Post by **sore thumb** » 17 Jun 2015, 11:20pm

This close pass was seriously close.

A Hingley Transport HGV towing a TATA Steel trailer on 17th June 2015 at approx after 1700.

BX62 EVK

https://youtu.be/kTkWPxxW28Q

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 17 Jun 2015, 11:36pm

You're riding too close to the curb if you were further out s/he wouldn't have attempted the 'squeeze past' overtake.
That doesn't excuse the maniac behind the wheel though :evil:

sore thumb · Post by **sore thumb** » 17 Jun 2015, 11:38pm

He probably would have.

mercalia · Post by **mercalia** » 18 Jun 2015, 12:00am

contact the HGV owner and let them see the video?

Post by **Vorpal** » 18 Jun 2015, 6:10am

If you rode out a bit more, at least you'd have a bit of 'escape room' when the lorry came close.

It doesn't excuse the lorry driver. I'd complain to the company.

A1anP · Post by **A1anP** » 18 Jun 2015, 7:31am

If you look at the SLOW painted on the road just before the lorry overtake, the rider seems to be heading over the S. I don't do an awful lot of driving in busy traffic, but that's where I'd probably put myself. Should he have been riding over the L or even further out?

Edit: look about 29 seconds in

sore thumb · Post by **sore thumb** » 18 Jun 2015, 7:38am

It's funny isn't it that it's a reflection of society that the first thing we do is criticise the victim because of a few inches.

Shows what a vehicle society we are and its influence it has on us even as cyclists.

sore thumb · Post by **sore thumb** » 18 Jun 2015, 7:40am

Being a few inches over obviously justifies the driver of this HGV and his actions.

pwa · Post by **pwa** » 18 Jun 2015, 7:42am

TATA are a big company and would not like their brand being associated with dangerous driving. Report it. You might have been a little further out, but you were not riding in the gutter. The lorry gave you enough room at first but pulled in too soon. Probably unintended, but that's not much consolation.

Sore thumb, I think the comments about positioning the bike are intended as advice on how to deter bad driving, to help the OP. The comments about the lorry have been mainly to report it.

A1anP · Post by **A1anP** » 18 Jun 2015, 8:13am

I'm not blaming you, just trying to understand the advice given. I would have ridden exactly as you were doing.

sore thumb · Post by **sore thumb** » 18 Jun 2015, 8:27am

I've decided to contact the company again and withdraw my complaint.

As I now understand that the close pass was completely my fault and the driver was justified in his actions due to the fact that my road positioning was slightly out.

I've also contacted my local MP, county council and highway agency of my suggestion of painting a thin blue line on every road in Britain at a specific distance from the curb.

This will have two outcomes. One it will show cyclist exactly where they need to position themselves on the road to remove any risk of injury and show other road users exactly were cyclists belong on the road.

It will also allow a presumed liability of the cyclist too.
As if the cyclist is not cycling on the blue line and they get hit then they accept full accountability of the accident with not fault of the motorist

This incident has also educated me as a driver. I know understand that if I pass a cyclist and they are not a specific distance from the curb I can now pass them as close as I can without any recourse for myself.

(Sarcasm post)

beardy · Post by **beardy** » 18 Jun 2015, 9:05am

This incident has also educated me as a driver. I know understand that if I pass a cyclist and they are not a specific distance from the curb I can now pass them as close as I can without any recourse for myself.

I think that you will find that there is no recourse for a driver no matter where the cyclist is.
That probably even includes if they are on a cycle track separate from the main carriageway.

Come to think of it you can even contact the cyclist without any criminal recourse but it may increase your insurance premium.

AlanJ · Post by **AlanJ** » 18 Jun 2015, 9:07am

Sore thumb, the comments about positioning is intended as advice. Further out the lorry would still have passed as close and pulled in just the same but at least you'd have a bit of escape room, you shouldn't have to escape but cyclists tend to lose arguments with lorries. You were not at fault.

Post by **Mick F** » 18 Jun 2015, 9:47am

A1anP wrote:If you look at the SLOW painted on the road just before the lorry overtake, the rider seems to be heading over the S. I don't do an awful lot of driving in busy traffic, but that's where I'd probably put myself. Should he have been riding over the L or even further out?

Edit: look about 29 seconds in

This is a subject I've been thinking about raising many times on here over the years.

I was going to ask folk which letter in SLOW they ride over. More often than not (in traffic), I hit the gap between the S and the L.

reohn2 · Post by **reohn2** » 18 Jun 2015, 10:15am

beardy wrote:I think that you will find that there is no recourse for a driver no matter where the cyclist is.
That probably even includes if they are on a cycle track separate from the main carriageway.

Come to think of it you can even contact the cyclist without any criminal recourse but it may increase your insurance premium.

That's the sad state of affair's unfortunately.
The UK's roads has a bullying culture to it and no more so than toward cyclists,with some motorists thinking cyclists shouldn't even be on the roads at all for a variety of reasons,but see us a freeloaders who don't pay our way,and others show open hatred toward us.
The judiciary for the most part are useless with so many miscarriages of justice where cyclists have been killed or badly maimed as to be laughable,if it weren't so tragic,which just makes makes matters worse.

My post above is not victim blaming but advice on how to counteract such driving,Vorpal mentions also that the further out in the road you ride the more of a safety margin you have to your left.

I stand by my first post,the OP has nowhere to go other than the pavement,the truck has oncoming vehicles and cares nought for the cyclists safety.
IMHO if the OP was further out the truck would have needed to go further out and wouldn't have attempted the manoeuvre,if s/he did the OP would have somewhere to move to the left,in his own created safety margin.
That's the whole strategy of secondary position riding,being further out having a safety margin,making oneself more visible so you aren't mistaken for a pedestrian in the peripheral vision of drivers,and closing possible gaps down with oncoming traffic so drivers won't risk it.
It also keep the cyclist away from puncture causing roadside debris,drainage gulleys and some potholes.

At 20/21 seconds in the video the OP looks down as a Merc overtakes he's barely further out than the width of a drainage gulley I'd say approx 350/400mm,when the truck passes he's no further out.
Sadly with some drivers don't realise their effect on slow two wheeled vulnerable road users(because they don't for the most part use a bicycle),and that they will wobble if passed close and fast,if that vehicle is a truck it's all the worse for a cyclist with potential disaster for the cyclist.

I'm sorry if the OP thinks that's victim blaming it's not meant to be.
I'll repeat,the driver is a maniac,but it's the culture and lack of effective policing and penalties that's afforded him/her that madness.

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