Reporting dangerous drivers

Frank said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road, and
sometimes I am talking inches.

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.
It nearly makes me want to give up cycling all together.
You only need to be hit once, and your dead, or F%$ed up for life.

I hate bikeways, and sidewalks, because Pedestrians also hate us, but thats
another story.
Frank

if your in Vic its illegal to ride on the footpath (unless oyur under 13 or accomponying someone who is)

Greetings,
Tell us something else new. Like many other things,
I live with it, but I don't have to like it. I don't have any answers
either. My first line of defence is a rear vision mirror attached to my
glasses, at least that way I see the [censored] coming, at least some of
the time.
Regards,
Ray.

Frank said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road, and
sometimes I am talking inches.

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.
It nearly makes me want to give up cycling all together.
You only need to be hit once, and your dead, or F%$ed up for life.

I hate bikeways, and sidewalks, because Pedestrians also hate us, but thats
another story.
Frank

"Frank" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road, and
sometimes I am talking inches.

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.
It nearly makes me want to give up cycling all together.
You only need to be hit once, and your dead, or F%$ed up for life.

I hate bikeways, and sidewalks, because Pedestrians also hate us, but

thats

Quoted message said:

another story.
Frank

The thing to do is to "register a complaint".
There is no formal procedure, you just sort of complain. The police may or
may not write anything down, but most police, being suspicious of nearly
everybody, make their own notes, either written or mental, to help them keep
an eye on things. If someones name keeps coming up I'm sure the police will
look into it. Also if the driver does harm someone the police may have other
complaints of the same driver to help in their investigations. Remember, the
squeaky wheel gets the oil!

Marty

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> "Frank" == Frank <[email hidden]> writes:

Frank> I always stay well out of the lane,

Maybe that's part of your problem. The worst thing you can do is cycle
in the gutter, you've got to put yourself out there and dominate the
space you need, especially in busy traffic.

I'm sure the legal eagles on the newsgroup will correct me, I believe
the law says something like "stay as far left as is safe to do so." I
interpret that as making sure that I've got enough room on the left to
dive in to if I need to.

In the Melways (I know it's not law) the section on cycling specifically
advises cyclists to cycle at least half a meter from parked cars, for
their own safety from inattentive motorists opening doors on them and to
help motorists see them.

I cycle mainly on Nepean / St Kilda and generally don't have any
problems. Springvale and Blackburn Road are busier and narrower, now
and again I'll get tooted (my reaction to that is to smile and wave, why
get stressed?) but I do not get brushed past.

It feels weird at first but dominating the space you need to stay safe
is the only way to go, and once you're used to it cycling becomes a lot
more pleasurable :-)
--
Regards
Euan

"Frank" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road, and
sometimes I am talking inches.

Not surprising in a traffic system that says that human-powered,
non-polluting vehicles travelling at 20-30 kmh are equal to motorised,
fume-belching, 1-10 tonne cars and trucks travelling at 80-110 kmh. The
European approach is far better - in a collision a driver is assumed to be
at fault and has to prove that they didn't cause the collision. As a result
motorised vehicles treat cyclists with much more respect.

Quoted message said:

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

Generally a waste of time unless you have witnesses. Even then you'll have
to push it with many police. Incidents that don't involve personal injury or
property damage are generally placed at a fairly low priority.

Quoted message said:

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.

This is probably your main problem. It is your right to claim the road space
required to ensure you can travel safely. In some situations this may extend
to taking the whole lane (eg. downhill or flat road with narrow lanes and
slower moving traffic). I always ensure I have a minimum of 1 metre between
my bike and the gutter to avoid gravel, broken glass, potholes, scrap timber
etc. On top of this, if vehicles start cutting close by my shoulder the best
strategy is to actually _move out_ to claim more road space. Then the
[censored] begin to realise that, as the road rules clearly state, they must
change lanes to overtake. The problem with gutter crawling is that the
approaching motorist sees you as not really part of the lane or ignores you.
Hence they slip by without changing lanes or even giving any room.

Experienced cycle commuters and tourers will tell you, to gain respect and
road space you must claim your space. I've experienced this very clearly
when cycling with kids in a child trailer. The obvious width of the trailer
ensured that traffic always gave me heaps of room, changing lanes even on
fairly busy main roads, where a solo cyclist may face your problems.

Remember you are an equal vehicle so claim your lane for safety, it's your
right.

Cheers
Peter

"Frank" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road, and
sometimes I am talking inches.

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.
It nearly makes me want to give up cycling all together.
You only need to be hit once, and your dead, or F%$ed up for life.

I hate bikeways, and sidewalks, because Pedestrians also hate us, but

thats

Quoted message said:

another story.
Frank

I was riding through Sydney's Royal National Park a while back. I had a
Commodore with Canberra plates "near miss" me and the occupants tossed a
beer bottle out as well. Such is life. Anyway, that night I was reading our
local paper which reported on people using firearms to hunt deer in the
Royal. It said Police were talking the matter very seriously and to contact
them if you had any info. The penny dropped! I contacted the Police and gave
them the rego number of the Commodore that nearly hit me! LOL. "Yes officer,
I saw a rifle being pointed out of the rear window......."

"Peter Signorini" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The
European approach is far better - in a collision a driver is assumed
to be at fault and has to prove that they didn't cause the collision.
As a result motorised vehicles treat cyclists with much more respect.

This isn't universal across all Europe countries - yet. Hopefully it will
be soon though. They were talking about introducing this last year in the
UK and you should have heard people whinge and moan. Many of them actually
said that cyclists would be deliberately causing accidents with drivers so
that they could claim for a new bike!

Graeme

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Frank" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road,

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sometimes I am talking inches.

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.
It nearly makes me want to give up cycling all together.
You only need to be hit once, and your dead, or F%$ed up for life.

I hate bikeways, and sidewalks, because Pedestrians also hate us, but

thats

Quoted message said:

another story.
Frank

The thing to do is to "register a complaint".
There is no formal procedure, you just sort of complain. The police may or
may not write anything down, but most police, being suspicious of nearly
everybody, make their own notes, either written or mental, to help them

keep

Quoted message said:

an eye on things. If someones name keeps coming up I'm sure the police

will

Quoted message said:

look into it. Also if the driver does harm someone the police may have

other

Quoted message said:

complaints of the same driver to help in their investigations. Remember,

the

Quoted message said:

squeaky wheel gets the oil!

Marty

Marty might have an idea that could work in given time. If most cyclists

could report a certain action made by an unsafe motorist or an arrogant or
just plain danger to cyclists types, and if possible record the rego and the
police were to take it serious enough to take down the info only just to
file it in the computer.

If this particular motorist, is involved with either hit and runs, collision
with cyclists or even other vehicles, if their rego comes up, then it could
be said that driver has some kind of history.

The only problem i can see here though,(there must be away around it) is if
the car changes ownership, somebody could be unfairly targeted but
otherwise, by creating a history of regular offenders, usually in the same
areas, it could work...especially if the car is unique or has a unmistakable
paintjob/features, however it must be asked, would anyone be
bothered????????

DJ

Maybe the future will soon bring inexpensive lightweight helmet cams
recording forward & rear vision simultaneously?
Showing footage to the police should be interesting, backing it up with a
written complaint.
I've always been persistent with my written complaints to try to ensure
"something" is done.

It's not always practical to take possession of a busy narrow 60-80kph road
with no verge......it'd be dangerous to do this on the Sunshine Coast, QLD.

Rob

"Frank" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have many times, cars and trucks just miss me when I am on the road, and
sometimes I am talking inches.

If I report these drivers to Police, is it a waste of time.
I would think so, as how would I prove it anyway.

I always stay well out of the lane, but some [censored] just can't help
brushing past you at speed.
It nearly makes me want to give up cycling all together.
You only need to be hit once, and your dead, or F%$ed up for life.

I hate bikeways, and sidewalks, because Pedestrians also hate us, but

thats

Quoted message said:

another story.
Frank

"Ray Peace" <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

My first line of defence is a rear vision mirror attached to my
glasses, at least that way I see the [censored] coming, at least some of
the time.

I don't want to see them coming! What's the point of
knowing someone is gonna 'get close' if you're already
riding as far left as possible?
It could even make it worse - knowing some P-plater
commondore driver or tradey is coming up on you - you
could panic and become unstable/move right, whatever..

hippy

"Rob & Shel" <[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Maybe the future will soon bring inexpensive lightweight helmet cams
recording forward & rear vision simultaneously?

What do you mean "future"? You can buy a lipstick cam
for ~$100 and connect it to a (not so inexpensive)
handycam in your backpack/camelbak. I'm not sure
about the split fore/aft vision as I've never seen that
done before. Relatively cheap helmet-cam is certainly
possible though.
Hmm.. I should duct-tape my Sony to my helmet for
my next commute!! :-D

Quoted message said:

It's not always practical to take possession of a busy narrow 60-80kph

road

Quoted message said:

with no verge......it'd be dangerous to do this on the Sunshine Coast,

QLD.

I've never thought of claiming the lane as such. It'd
generate too much anger and someone would run
me over intentionally for it I'm sure! In peak hour
I'd be the bane of everyone behind me - a LOT of
people. As much as I'd rather them on bikes I'd
rather not make hundreds of the idiots even more
angry than normal. Come too close to me though
and you'd better hope I don't catch up at the lights.

hippy

[QUOTE=hippy} Come too close to me though and you'd better hope I don't catch up at the lights. hippy[/QUOTE]

I'm with you on that one Hipster. Nearly put my fist through a truck window a few months ago. Scared the [censored] out of the "Norms" sitting three abreast (or should that be three agut). Wiped the stupid smiles of their face. (Hope their names weren't Barbaro)!!!! :eek: