Video: Motorist drives into cyclist at roundabout- "Why segregated cycle infrastructure is needed"

Zebulebu wrote:

This doesn't 'prove' that separated cycling infrastructure is needed at all. It proves that the pillock driving the car needs to have his/her license revoked until they can prove comprehensively that they know how to drive. It's not hard FFS, to look RIGHT when you enter a fucking roundabout. They would have hit a car, bus or truck exactly the same as they hit the cyclist - they clearly do not understand how to use roundabouts.

They wouldnt have hit a car, its just cyclists are the right size to hide behind the A-pillar, as the car turns the cyclist is kept in the blind spot.  Had this happen to me twice recently, you (cyclist) are forced to react  either slowing or speeding up to change your position relative to the driver and their a-pillar, as they damn well arnt going to check behind it as they should (as we see here). 

cdamian wrote:

Getting segregated cycle infrastructure right at roundabouts and crossings is a hard problem to solve.

The light the driver is stopped at is the segregated cycle path.  Round the outside, stopping and waiting (twice) at every entrance/exit, probably only to rejoin the road anyway.  Thats why i dont generally bother unless it actually helps, but then i know drivers are like the one in the video so im prepared to stop if i can see they arnt. Sad situation.

cdamian wrote:

Getting segregated cycle infrastructure right at roundabouts and crossings is a hard problem to solve.

Not really, just ask the Dutch.  

Suspect the driver didn't look round the A-pillar.  When I learnd to drive we were not trained how to look.  Modern cars are even worse that the older ones as the a-pillar has got thicker and more steeply raked to make cars more crash proof, but I am not aware of any improvements in driver training in how to look for things. 

As for how fast the driver stopped - I think its a bit harsh to judge them on this.  We are taught not to stop on roundabouts, and not to get in the way.  Something went bump and they didn't know what it was, then they had to do something wierd (stop in a place that they are trained not to, and work out what went bump).  Not looking properly is the crime here.  

Must be Mad wrote:

Well - the motorist clearly 100% at fault.

But I would also suggest that the cycliest could have been a bit more aware, spotted the bad driving, and moved out of the way.  [Not saying it was their fault at all - but eating tarmac is a high price to pay for being in the right]

 

Agree entirely, which is why I always try to make eye contact with drivers in such situations. If you don't see them look at you then be prepared to stop. Has saved me numerous times.

Grahamd wrote:

 

Agree entirely, which is why I always try to make eye contact with drivers in such situations. If you don't see them look at you then be prepared to stop. Has saved me numerous times.

I'm a fan of this, but I also always keep in mind the WestMidland police advice that it's not eyes that run you over, so also have a look at the wheels to see what they're doing, just to make sure.   

If I've got someone on my wheel trying to squeeze through when there isn't space, I find it's generally (not always) useful to keep turning back and making as much eye contact/waving as possible. This almost always works when out riding with the lad. Still get called a wanker on occasion, but I'll take that deal. 

It's almost as if by making eye contact, they suddenly realise you're a fellow human being who they can't just crush under their mighty wheels

Grahamd wrote:

Must be Mad wrote:

Well - the motorist clearly 100% at fault.

But I would also suggest that the cycliest could have been a bit more aware, spotted the bad driving, and moved out of the way.  [Not saying it was their fault at all - but eating tarmac is a high price to pay for being in the right]

 

Agree entirely, which is why I always try to make eye contact with drivers in such situations. If you don't see them look at you then be prepared to stop. Has saved me numerous times.

I've experienced quite a few drivers look right at me, and then pull out right in front of me anyway. Some of them incredibly dangerously.

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Grahamd wrote:

Must be Mad wrote:

Well - the motorist clearly 100% at fault.

But I would also suggest that the cycliest could have been a bit more aware, spotted the bad driving, and moved out of the way.  [Not saying it was their fault at all - but eating tarmac is a high price to pay for being in the right]

 

Agree entirely, which is why I always try to make eye contact with drivers in such situations. If you don't see them look at you then be prepared to stop. Has saved me numerous times.

I've experienced quite a few drivers look right at me, and then pull out right in front of me anyway. Some of them incredibly dangerously.

Same here. Looking at them helps, but sometimes they'll stare you right in the face and continue to drive at you on to the roundabout. 

3mkru73 wrote:

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Grahamd wrote:

Must be Mad wrote:

Well - the motorist clearly 100% at fault.

But I would also suggest that the cycliest could have been a bit more aware, spotted the bad driving, and moved out of the way.  [Not saying it was their fault at all - but eating tarmac is a high price to pay for being in the right]

 

Agree entirely, which is why I always try to make eye contact with drivers in such situations. If you don't see them look at you then be prepared to stop. Has saved me numerous times.

I've experienced quite a few drivers look right at me, and then pull out right in front of me anyway. Some of them incredibly dangerously.

 

Same here. Looking at them helps, but sometimes they'll stare you right in the face and continue to drive at you on to the roundabout. 

 

Yes I don't think that whole make eye contact thing works, alot of them will just prioritise their car moving over you because you are just a cyclist,in fact I'm convinced many look see you & pull out just because you are a cyclist and they are already thinking about not wanting to have to overtake you

Awavey wrote:

3mkru73 wrote:

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Grahamd wrote:

Must be Mad wrote:

Well - the motorist clearly 100% at fault.

But I would also suggest that the cycliest could have been a bit more aware, spotted the bad driving, and moved out of the way.  [Not saying it was their fault at all - but eating tarmac is a high price to pay for being in the right]

 

Agree entirely, which is why I always try to make eye contact with drivers in such situations. If you don't see them look at you then be prepared to stop. Has saved me numerous times.

I've experienced quite a few drivers look right at me, and then pull out right in front of me anyway. Some of them incredibly dangerously.

 

Same here. Looking at them helps, but sometimes they'll stare you right in the face and continue to drive at you on to the roundabout. 

 

Yes I don't think that whole make eye contact thing works, alot of them will just prioritise their car moving over you because you are just a cyclist,in fact I'm convinced many look see you & pull out just because you are a cyclist and they are already thinking about not wanting to have to overtake you

Nothing you can do will change a driver, but anything you can do to be better prepared should be done. 

Awavey wrote:

Yes I don't think that whole make eye contact thing works, alot of them will just prioritise their car moving over you because you are just a cyclist,in fact I'm convinced many look see you & pull out just because you are a cyclist and they are already thinking about not wanting to have to overtake you

I suspect with some motorists, making eye contact leads them to believe that you've seen them and that since you're 'only' a cyclist then therefore you will give way to them...

Must be Mad wrote:

Well - the motorist clearly 100% at fault.

But I would also suggest that the cycliest could have been a bit more aware, spotted the bad driving, and moved out of the way.  [Not saying it was their fault at all - but eating tarmac is a high price to pay for being in the right]

 

Bollocks to that. The exact same thing happened to me nearly 20 years ago and you can look all you like at people in the eye, if they don't stop and you're in the firing line, there is very little you can do about it. 

What reaction should the acutely aware rider have to move out of the way? Go front or back? Jump onto the grass verge of the roundabout? If the car moves in at 10 km/h, it'll cover the (max) 3m between the line and the rider in just over 1 sec. Doesn't give much time to take evasive action!

Yorkshire wallet wrote:

SNAFU it seems.

Will probably end in thread with bikelikebike telling us all drivers have no biological ability to see cyclists or whatever the troll was last time.

I reckon it'll be the "hug the kerb" defensive riding theory again and possibly dismounting the bike when crossing road junctions.

It looks to me like the driver was so oblivious that they didn't even realise that they'd hit another road user.