Near Miss of the Day 56: Three close calls in 15 minutes

Not so much at fault for the actions of the driver but at least partly at fault for putting themselves in a shit position.

I once held my line in the knowledge that a car was trying to overtake when their wasn't space. I was right but in a lot more pain than the twat in the car!

Riding to influence other drivers' behaviour is one thing, being at fault is another. I think that's being mixed up here.

Absolutely FK, hundreds of decisions a minute but that's why I'd always be cautious, especially at a particularly horrible roundabout as that looked. We saw 3 incidents in 15 minutes there so an hours commute a day suggests you're at risk a couple of thousand times a year. I'd try and mitigate a bit of that. Also, it appears they're making plenty of ground on the cars so winning at commuting, I'd try not to join them in the race to the front.

I agree with BehindTheBikeSheds and Kinghorn, from what I can see of the video, the cyclist's secondary position is too close to the kerb, which does tempt motorists to try and squeeze by. In the third incident, by being so far over to the right the cyclist left room for a car to squeeze up the inside. Leave a gap and they will. Primary means taking the centre of the lane, so a car cannot occupy the same space as you.

Some of the filtering looked a little suspect too - if you stop with cars either side of you, you're inviting being squeezed because motorists rarely check their nearside mirror, even though they should. You need to be able to adopt a primary position when you come to stop and not try and create your own lane.

Simply riding a little further out for secondary position, and more the centre of the lane for primary, may make an unpleasant commute slightly less unpleasant.

I agree with the 3rd being partly the fault of the cyclist. If you're filtering then you really should get yourself back into a decent position, I'd normally try and dib in about 3 cars from the front. As you passed the car on the right then they could argue you weren't looking to do what one would in "their" lane, you've also got the danger that the car on the right feels the same (or doesn't see you) and you could end up in a very shitty metal sandwich.

You can argue that you filtered and at whatever point the car sees you then the sensible thing for it to do would be proceed with caution but on that one I feel you put yourself in danger.

Holy mother of fecking feck, that Mini pass was lethal. 

Probably confirmation bias but drivers of those round here seem to have no idea how wide their cars are. Perhaps they think they're pootling around in a '70s Mayfair?

The third one was your own fault, you wasn't in prime position! Prime position is center of the lane, you was right over to the right and pretty much in the 2nd lane.

if you had been in the center of the first lane, then that car wouldn't have room undertake you!

Vid starts off with a red light jumping (amber gambling at best) HGV, what a surprise!

Not your fault for the close passes but do ride wider, it might actually make fucktards especially in big wagons think that they have to move into the next lane to overtake you. You're inviting them to stay in the lane and squeeze you.

Have cycled on similar types of roads as part of my commute in the past, my first commutes were on a busy single going onto a dual that entailed mixing with wagons of all sizes from a big industrialised area as well as plenty of cars and double decker buses, this was back in the mid to late 80s. Still drivers were actually better then, my main gripe was all the cack coming from the cocoa plant that really got in your throat.

I'd still commute on roads like that now but I wouldn't enjoy it in the slightest.

I challange anyone to have a commute worse than this?

Fuck me. I don't know whether to be impressed by the balls of that guy to even attempt that commute or utterly depressed about just how shitty the driving standards and road infrastructure are in our large cities.

If I had to do that commute by bike or car I would move. 

That looks one of the crappiest commutes ever!

Ah, Birmingham.  Home of Operation Close Pass, so these things don't happen anymore.  Also the home of the twat who passed me so closely on Thursday that his wing mirror whacked against my handlebars

Yes, it was dark.  But that's no excuse when my bike had TEN working lights on it.  It also had a working camera, so I've sent the footage to West Midlands Police.  Let's see what - if anything - happens.

Am I correct in thinking that the second time the Acumix driver passes, at about 1:30, he does so safely?

Strange world, innit!

All pointless overtakes as well, the lot of them. Dear motorist, what’s your average speed in the city? Slower than mine. Now, picture an old lady, riding a sit-up-and-beg bike. Let’s chuck a little dog in a front basket in there too. Guess what? You’re slower than her too. Please do use that information wisely.