Near Miss of the Day 847: Careless caravan close call causes cyclists concern

I agree. It's difficult to tell from the video, but it looks safe to overtake except for oncoming vehicles, i.e., there is visability. I understand taking primary position where the road doesn't facilitate passing, but does this mean doing the same when there is oncoming traffic on an otherwise good road? This would seem quite difficult to judge.

I'm not sure I understand this; "It looks safe to overtake except for oncoming vehicles" which means it's not safe to overtake as the driver cannot give adequate space (as seen) because of said oncoming vehicles. I don't wish to pre judge I just don't understand what you are implying in your comment.

You could say any form of defensive road craft can be turned around into a form of victim blaming.
I certainly have positioned my car to dissuade someone overtaking before a bend.

It was only just wreckless!

Doubling up would have been better.
" sent my friend into the gutter. "
They were already in the gutter !

make the driver overtake you, rather than giving them just enough room to squeeze through

Very difficult to execute this counsel of perfection on this road, by the look of it. My fault, in the case below, was even contemplating cycling on this road near Blackpool

https://upride.cc/incident/pe69ooc_clio_closepassspeed/

The vehicle has now had no MOT for 5 months. Maybe it's been written off?...

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That was absolutely shocking.  I know as cyclists we bare the brunt of this kind of driving but the disregard to the drivers coming the opposite way and themselves is unbelievable...it only takes a slight deviation for someone to come out of that a lot worse.

As I see it, the problem there is that you would be playing a game of Russian Roulette with somebody else unidentified firing the gun.

With the traffic headed into the sun on a fast road, that's the circs where the dangerous driver killed Councillor Paul James 2 years ago.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/paul-james-councillor-cour...

Personally I won't take the lane where the traffic can be doing more than say 30mph, and I certainly won't on country A roads. Just too dangerous.

On that kind of road you can take the lane as a group two abreast. You present as a vehicle to the driver. I've never had an incident in a group, aside from complaints, of course.

As a single rider, you have to be able to observe traffic, so mirrors are key, shoulder-checking is too unbalancing to do on a frequent basis. So the theory is to take a strong position, and either be convinced you've been observed and move to a position to allow a pass without creating aggravation (in their minds, assume the worst) or get out the way as much as possible if the car language is too aggressive.

As an individual, it is much harder but with a group more doable.

This is where radar helps. Although I do have small mirror, when the sun is bright and low, it's hard to see with it what is coming. WIth radar you get a beep, a warning colour and a speed and then crucially if they are slowing. Enough time to adjust your position (or jump in the hedge).

It's counter-intuitive, but I've found taking the lane to be safer when riding into the sun, especially on a 'fast' road. You can get hidden in the shadows if you ride at the edge.

Partly it is how drivers scan the road. They are only thinking car/lorry, so they don't even try and assess the margins.

When you walk in the road or cycle, it dawns on you that you need to be more aware, so you will tend to include the margins. People also believe their field of active, accurate vision is much wider than it really is. A cyclist or walker moving along the road doesn't create enough lateral movement to trigger peripheral vision which is mainly about movement, not detail). The angle of detailed vision is amazingly small - about a 50p at arm's length.

I think that is why so many drivers unintentionally close pass.

I think it is also why many drivers think they have the ability to drive without concentration. When you are continually scanning the road for hazards, checking the surface for potholes, contemplating the clues far ahead as to what is about to occur, it is a full time task. If all you are thinking about is following the car in front, you can believe you've got capacity for other things.

Usually this would be the port of call but given the incline of the road and the tailback, along with the blinding sunlight and limited overtaking space, the pressure to be courteous and allow overtaking space was great. But the thing is they could have overtaken if they used the white lines in the middle. Other cars had done so and it was fine. Hence we were riding in the gutter. But the caravan decided not to make full use of the overtaking space.

Laurian wrote:

the pressure to be courteous and allow overtaking space was great.

Psychological pressure always less than Physiological pressure on the scale of Consequences...

"He was well intentioned" is a kind epitaph.

I'm glad that you lived to tell the tale, but your safety is more important than a momentary inconvenience to other road users. #TravelKind