A bit too early in the morning?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Tina Eager
Had a near miss with a cyclist this morning, trying to put it down to it being 7am and not everybody
being at their brightest.

On my way to work in the car, driving through early morning residential streets of the kind where
there are very few people/cars moving at that time. Downtown Herne Bay - not exactly a heaving
metropolis.

On this particular road I was turning into there is a narrow section controlled by traffic lights
and I was pulling up to a T junction with the lights about 10 yards to my left. The lights were on
green my side ( you can see them from round the corner). Suddenly, as if by magic, a guy on a cycle
comes through the narrow section (and he must have come through against the lights) at fairly high
speed and tries to turn right into the road I was about to turn out of. He almost ended up sitting
on the bonnet of my car! He didn't actually corner, just swerve towards the turning in an arc rather
than at a right angle, and he crossed the dotted lines on the wrong side of the road! Lucky for him
I was able to slam on the brakes, but it was a near miss. As good as a mile maybe but still too
close for comfort.

Anyway, no harm done but it made me think. What if he had ended up embedded in the front of my car?
Injuries to him for sure (btw given the lycra I suspect it was a "him" - women don't tend to come
in that shape, but with the helmet on I couldn't see for sure so it may have been a female).
There's a small question of insurance, and my no claims discount and all sorts of stuff round that
scenario. That's without the possibility of serious injury to him, hospital, blood and guts all
over the place.

Anyway, if it was you ... wake up please! Tomorrow I might not be quite as alert! You also owe me a
pint to restore my shattered nerves!

- Tina Eager

why you worried about no claims- it would only be lost if he claimed against you, because he was an irresponsible cytclist then he probably didnt have 3rd party insurance so damage to your car would be coffed up by you, then if you could track hime down or if he didnt die youd have to persuade him or take him to court, a pita none the less

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

Quoted message said:

Tina Eager said:

Had a near miss with a cyclist this morning, trying to put it down to

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

being 7am and not everybody being at their brightest. On my way to work in the car, driving
through early morning

residential

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

streets of the kind where there are very few people/cars moving at

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

time. Downtown Herne Bay - not exactly a heaving metropolis. On this particular road I was
turning into there is a narrow section controlled by traffic lights and I was pulling up to a
T junction with the lights about 10 yards to my left. The lights were on green my side

(

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you can see them from round the corner). Suddenly, as if by magic, a

guy

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on a cycle comes through the narrow section (and he must have come through against the lights)
at fairly high speed and tries to turn

right

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

into the road I was about to turn out of. He almost ended up sitting

on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the bonnet of my car! He didn't actually corner, just swerve towards

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

turning in an arc rather than at a right angle, and he crossed the dotted lines on the wrong
side of the road! Lucky for him I was able

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

slam on the brakes, but it was a near miss. As good as a mile maybe

but

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

still too close for comfort. Anyway, no harm done but it made me think. What if he had ended
up embedded in the front of my car? Injuries to him for sure (btw given

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lycra I suspect it was a "him" - women don't tend to come in that

shape,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but with the helmet on I couldn't see for sure so it may have been a female). There's a small
question of insurance, and my no claims discount and all sorts of stuff round that scenario.
That's without

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

possibility of serious injury to him, hospital, blood and guts all

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the place. Anyway, if it was you ... wake up please! Tomorrow I might not be

quite

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

as alert! You also owe me a pint to restore my shattered nerves!
- Tina Eager

why you worried about no claims- it would only be lost if he claimed against you, because he was
an irresponsible cytclist then he probably didnt have 3rd party insurance so damage to your car
would be coffed up by you, then if you could track hime down or if he didnt die youd have to
persuade him or take him to court, a pita none the less

This thread is very difficult to understand.

Tina Eager said:

Had a near miss with a cyclist this morning, trying to put it down to it being 7am and not
everybody being at their brightest.

Sounds like empty streets complacency syndrome - there's never a car there in the morning as he cuts
the corner and one wasn't expected. Put it down to just one of those near accidents which according
to another thread, don't happen.

As for insurance, if it was enough to damage the car it is unlikely he could run away and almost
everyone has third party liability insurance through one route or another which would pay out in
those circumstances.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

elyob said:

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lycra I suspect it was a "him" - women don't tend to come in that

shape,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but with the helmet on I couldn't see for sure so it may have been a female). There's a
small question of insurance, and my no claims discount and all sorts of stuff round that
scenario. That's without

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

possibility of serious injury to him, hospital, blood and guts all

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the place. Anyway, if it was you ... wake up please! Tomorrow I might not be

quite

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

as alert! You also owe me a pint to restore my shattered nerves!
- Tina Eager

why you worried about no claims- it would only be lost if he claimed against you, because he was
an irresponsible cytclist then he probably didnt have 3rd party insurance so damage to your car
would be coffed up by you, then if you could track hime down or if he didnt die youd have to
persuade him or take him to court, a pita none the less

This thread is very difficult to understand.

Well as I see it , we have a car driver that was pulling out of a side road that is complaining that
a cyclist turned across them.But I may be wrong.

--
Marc Stickers,decals,membership,cards, T shirts, signs etc for clubs and associations of all types.
jaceeprint.demon.co.ukjaceeprint.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Tina Eager said:

Had a near miss with a cyclist this morning, trying to put it down to it being 7am and not
everybody being at their brightest.

On my way to work in the car, driving through early morning residential streets of the kind where
there are very few people/cars moving at that time. Downtown Herne Bay - not exactly a heaving
metropolis.

On this particular road I was turning into there is a narrow section controlled by traffic lights
and I was pulling up to a T junction with the lights about 10 yards to my left. The lights were on
green my side ( you can see them from round the corner). Suddenly, as if by magic, a guy on a
cycle comes through the narrow section (and he must have come through against the lights) at
fairly high speed and tries to turn right into the road I was about to turn out of. He almost
ended up sitting on the bonnet of my car! He didn't actually corner, just swerve towards the
turning in an arc rather than at a right angle, and he crossed the dotted lines on the wrong side
of the road! Lucky for him I was able to slam on the brakes, but it was a near miss. As good as a
mile maybe but still too close for comfort.

Anyway, no harm done but it made me think. What if he had ended up embedded in the front of my
car? Injuries to him for sure (btw given the lycra I suspect it was a "him" - women don't tend to
come in that shape, but with the helmet on I couldn't see for sure so it may have been a female).
There's a small question of insurance, and my no claims discount and all sorts of stuff round that
scenario. That's without the possibility of serious injury to him, hospital, blood and guts all
over the place.

Anyway, if it was you ... wake up please! Tomorrow I might not be quite as alert! You also owe me
a pint to restore my shattered nerves!

Although I don't condone cyclists who ignore red lights, from your description it sounds like you
were also partly at fault. Whether or not you ought to turn into a road depends on whether the road
is clear, not on whether it ought to be.

Perhaps slowing down a bit more at that turning might help?

--
Daniel Auger - [email hidden] (Please remove Granta to get a valid address.)

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

Quoted message said:

Although I don't condone cyclists who ignore red lights, from your description it sounds like you
were also partly at fault.

Let's not be too harsh. The tone is much less combative than others we've seen on a similar topic,
and I like the line about owing the OP a pint ;-)

Truth is, all road users have brown trouser moments every now and then. The problem for cyclists, of
course, is that our bodywork is a bit more fragile. Which does suggest that maybe we are more
careful than people give us credit for, since the injury rate is certainly not orders of magnitude
higher than for car drivers, surrounded by safety cages, airbags and seat belts.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗

Just zis Guy said:

Quoted message said:

Although I don't condone cyclists who ignore red lights, from your description it sounds like
you were also partly at fault.

Let's not be too harsh. The tone is much less combative than others we've seen on a similar topic,
and I like the line about owing the OP a pint ;-)

Truth is, all road users have brown trouser moments every now and then.

I think the universal lawis "Anyone that suprises us scares us , so it must be them that was in the
wrong" , this applies whether you are walking, cycling or motoring.

--
Marc Stickers,decals,membership,cards, T shirts, signs etc for clubs and associations of all types.
jaceeprint.demon.co.ukjaceeprint.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

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

Quoted message said:

I think the universal lawis "Anyone that suprises us scares us , so it must be them that was in
the wrong" , this applies whether you are walking, cycling or motoring.

How true those words are even today.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Daniel Auger
On 8 Sep 2003, Tina Eager wrote:


Although I don't condone cyclists who ignore red lights, from your description it sounds like you
were also partly at fault. Whether or not you ought to turn into a road depends on whether the road
is clear, not on whether it ought to be.

Perhaps slowing down a bit more at that turning might help?

--
Daniel Auger - [email hidden] (Please remove Granta to get a valid address.)

But the OP had not yet made the turn, she was about to turn left out of a side road at T junction. She jammed on the brakes to avoid the collision. How can she be at fault at all ? From my reading the cyclist cut the corner, the OP stated that the rider was on the wrong side of the dotted line, that is, the drivers side. The driver can not be at fault if she stopped in her lane and the cyclist was on the wrong side of the road. The driver took evasive action which is the correct thing to do, what more could she do ?

The tone of the posting is not mean't to castigate all cyclists IMHO, just a wake up call to us. No need to be apportioning blame, as the OP said no harm was done.

Oops I snipped the wrong part of the reply ! Sorry, I hope you get the gist

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

Quoted message said:

elyob <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

why you worried about no claims- it would only be lost if he claimed against you, because he
was an irresponsible cytclist then he probably didnt have 3rd party insurance so damage to
your car would be coffed

up

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

by you, then if you could track hime down or if he didnt die youd have to persuade him or take
him to court, a pita none the less

This thread is very difficult to understand.

Well as I see it , we have a car driver that was pulling out of a side road that is complaining
that a cyclist turned across them.But I may be wrong.

I think it was the worlds longest sentence mixed with a dashing of bad spelling that flummoxed me.

I had a near miss which I'll share to show you shouldn't take anything on trust:

Bus, stuck in traffic, about 1.5m from kerb with a (useless, but that's another story) cycle lane
between. It's been there, about 50m short of the bus stop, for at least one traffic light cycle.

I go past on the inside (yes, I know, but there was no easy way to the offside from where
I started).

Halfway past, someone pops out of the centre doors, right in front of
me. I hadn't even seen they were open.

But I stopped dead and she never knew I was there until I spoke to her. So, like the OP, I'm glad it
was me and not someone less awake/alert.

Colin McKenzie

Quoted message said:

I had a near miss which I'll share to show you shouldn't take anything on trust:

Bus, stuck in traffic, about 1.5m from kerb with a (useless, but that's another story) cycle lane
between. It's been there, about 50m short of the bus stop, for at least one traffic light cycle.

<etc.>

Bus drivers are expressly forbidden (in London at least) from opening their doors at anywhere
other than bus stops for this very reason. If this had turned into a nasty incident (and I'm very
glad you had your wits about you) both you and the bus passenger may have had a claim against the
bus company.

--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute and benefit.

MSeries said:

But the OP had not yet made the turn, she was about to turn left out of a side road at T
junction. She jammed on the brakes to avoid the collision. How can she be at fault at all ?

Well, at the very least she's driving without proper observation, since depsite all the assurances
motorists come up with, cyclists don't appear out of nowhere.

Quoted message said:

From my reading the cyclist cut the corner, the OP stated that the rider was on the wrong side of
the dotted line, that is, the drivers side.

I don't think you can tell much at all from teh description, actually, because teh description is
too vague. For example, she says the cyclist didn't actually corner, but then she says he did make
the turn. Also, teh story doesn't quite hang together in that she describes observing the cyclist
come through the pinch-point, which is 10m away, but had to slam on teh brakes to avoid said
cyclist, who didn't make a sudden manouver. I'm not sure slamming on of brakes is compatible with
observing a cyclist make a progressive manouver from that distance.

Quoted message said:

The driver took evasive action which is the correct thing to do, what more could she do ?

Take teh action earlier and thus avoid slamming of brakes?

Also, how credible is it that a a cyclist would ride straight into the front of a car that's been in
plain view for some time, without taking any evasive action? What seems a good deal more credible is
that a motorist didn't observe properly, assumed a road was clear based on circumstantial evidence,
was surprised when a cyclist 'appeared' in front of them, slammed the brakes on without cause, and
then wanted to let off steam about it. Then again, as I said, the account was so disjointed that
just about anything could have been what actually happened..

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

marc said:

I think the universal lawis "Anyone that suprises us scares us , so it must be them that was in
the wrong" , this applies whether you are walking, cycling or motoring.

I must be getting tired I read that last line as - walking, cycling or moroning.

--
Mark

On 8 Sep 2003 21:42:44 GMT someone who may be [email hidden] (Tina Eager) wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

On this particular road I was turning into there is a narrow section controlled by traffic lights
and I was pulling up to a T junction with the lights about 10 yards to my left. The lights were on
green my side ( you can see them from round the corner). Suddenly, as if by magic, a guy on a cycle
comes through the narrow section (and he must have come through against the lights)

Or perhaps the person who programmed the lights assumed that all vehicles travel at car speeds. In
which case the cyclist could have passed "his" traffic light when it was green, but by the time "he"
got to your end the light for the other direction was green. This is far more common than some
people think, though may not apply in this case.

Quoted message said:

at fairly high speed and tries to turn right into the road I was about to turn out of. He almost
ended up sitting on the bonnet of my car! He didn't actually corner, just swerve towards the
turning in an arc rather than at a right angle, and he crossed the dotted lines on the wrong side
of the road!

Foolish of him.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Daniel Auger said:

Quoted message said:

On this particular road I was turning into there is a narrow section controlled by traffic
lights and I was pulling up to a T junction with the lights about 10 yards to my left. The
lights were on green my side ( you can see them from round the corner). Suddenly, as if by
magic, a guy on a cycle comes through the narrow section (and he must have come through against
the lights) at fairly high speed and tries to turn right into the road I was about to turn out
of. He almost ended up sitting on the bonnet of my car! He didn't actually corner, just swerve
towards the turning in an arc rather than at a right angle, and he crossed the dotted lines on
the wrong side of the road! Lucky for him I was able to slam on the brakes, but it was a near
miss. As good as a mile maybe but still too close for comfort.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Although I don't condone cyclists who ignore red lights, from your description it sounds like you
were also partly at fault. Whether or not you ought to turn into a road depends on whether the
road is clear, not on whether it ought to be.

Perhaps slowing down a bit more at that turning might help?

Well it was just as well I was slowing down. It's what I do before I reach a turning from which I
intend to turn out. I was pulling *up* to the junction with the intention of pulling out. Had I been
pulling out there's no way that cyclist would have crossed the dotted lines at the junction without
being airborne.

--
Tina Eager

Quoted message said:

Anyway, no harm done but it made me think. What if he had ended up embedded in the front of my
car? Injuries to him for sure (btw given

the

Quoted message said:

lycra I suspect it was a "him" - women don't tend to come in that

shape,

Quoted message said:

but with the helmet on I couldn't see for sure so it may have been a female). There's a small
question of insurance, and my no claims discount and all sorts of stuff round that scenario.
That's without

the

Quoted message said:

possibility of serious injury to him, hospital, blood and guts all

over

Quoted message said:

the place.

and what about your nerves OMG I've hit a fellow cyclist
- even if he is a prat