You’ve probably heard a ‘cyclists must wear hi-vis’ argument before, whether from a morning talk show ranter, anonymous Twitter account or even a UK police force, but today’s Near Miss of the Day perfectly demonstrates how sometimes even when you’ve taken every reasonable step to make yourself visible you can still be on the receiving end of dangerous driving…
This one happened at a mini roundabout and shows, Cyclegranny says, what happens when “bad road design meets [an] idiot driver”. “She was looking right and not ahead when she reached the junction, so I think I was invisible,” the rider said.
I should have been a fighter pilot. I escape a bonnet ride on the way home. Driver fails to see me on a mini roundabout. Tell me again about hi-viz and lights! pic.twitter.com/R31Vxz31JM
— Cyclegranny ?♀️ (@anneramsey740) November 28, 2022
What’s more, having predictably quickly caught up with the driver now waiting at the next red traffic light, Cyclegranny explained the incident was on camera and would be going to the police, prompting the driver to run a red light and flee.
I told them I had it on camera and was reporting it to police and she took off like that.
— Cyclegranny ?♀️ (@anneramsey740) November 28, 2022
> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 – Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?
Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.
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> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
37 thoughts on “Near Miss of the Day 838: “Tell me again about hi-vis and lights!” — Cyclist narrowly avoids collision at mini roundabout”
She saw you, she couldn’t
She saw you, she couldn’t overtake so decided that your life wasn’t worth sh1t!
I suspect CycleGranny will be
I suspect CycleGranny will be having a visitation from the police for that one. On camera instigating a road rage incident which caused the ‘victim’ to flee the scene (for their safety), which in turn nearly caused a collision.
Such vigilanty activities must not be tolerated, innocent motorists could feel embarrassed by being called out for their actions!
You’re funny.
You’re funny.
The absolute temerity of
The absolute temerity of “cycling granny” to pursue an “otherwise law abiding motorist” and threaten them with the police! Well it’s about time that “cycling granny” should realise that they have absolutely no chance of being successful with a complaint. Car is King. Long live the King.
Motorist was clearly
Motorist was clearly threatened by the entitled cyclist and worried about the threat the invasion of privacy could pose so had to leave the scene in fear of their life. After all – would *you* go around randomly filming women? Plus the bad faith actions of the cyclist have been proved by them needlessly posting the footage online.
How’d I do?
oooh, I like the randomly
oooh, I like the randomly filming women angle… completely missed that one. I need to add ‘voyeuristic pervert’ to all the other failings of filthy lycra louts.
I hope the police take action
I hope the police take action.
The cynic in me says they
The cynic in me says they will take action but for the rlj and not for nearly killing someone ?
The extra cynic will be that
The extra cynic will be that they won’t prosecute the RLJ as the driver was getting away from the “deranged cyclist” threatening them, especially as there is no sound.
PSNI. So zero chance of any
PSNI. So zero chance of any action.
is that really bad road
is that really bad road design ? or just bad driving ? I dont think alot of drivers approaching roundabouts like that look properly and often make the decision to turn before theyve even got there and arent slowing/being prepared to stop.
Id swear also that another car ahead of them thinks about stopping at the traffic lights and then decides nah sod it.
Quote:
I suspect they did jump it, but they could argue they had already crossed the line on Orange/Green and the traffic queue stopped them from continuing.
As for your first comment, just bad driving, as evidenced with her “getaway” at the end.
I suspect she thought that
I suspect she thought that the cyclist was turning right and decided not to wait until it was clear that they were, and undertook anyway.
what right turn ? its a 3
what right turn ? its a 3 way exit/entry mini roundbout.
Has a certain individual been
Has a certain individual been banned from the comments?
Nigel has
Nigel has
*pedantry* One incarnation of
*pedantry* One incarnation of the most obvious current manifestation of “Nigel” has… */pedantry*
That’s kind of a shame that
That’s kind of a shame that we don’t have a figure of fun…no actually whoopee!!!!!
Don’t think so, he’s just
Don’t think so, he’s just busy self-righteously revelling in a cyclist getting killed elsewhere. He’ll get to this when he’s got time.
I see all the nutjobs on
I see all the nutjobs on Twitter are stating it is the cyclists fault for having a flashing light. Apparently you can’t be seen with one. Before any of the resident nutters decided to jump in with the same argument, she had a fixed and flashing light.
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
FTFY
Sad but so very true
Sad but so very true
I struggle with finding any
I struggle with finding any possible logic in the statement that you can’t be seen with a flashing light. Can’t be looking for very long if the argument is they looked in the “off” segment and if the argument is they are blind d by the flash then they clearly saw something was there. My money is on a failure to make sufficient observations, or more likely failure to look at all!
LeadenSkies wrote:
Bingo.
If flashing lights were a problem then all cars would be like Audis and not have indicators fitted.
but remember that all those
but remember that all those clever optical illusion/magic eye tricks are based on the fact what you see is translated by your brain into a pattern that it recognises and it tends to ignore things it doesnt, whilst treating driving as an autopilot mode, sounds like a lethal combo and often is.
and if the pattern is 4 wheels steady lights, stop, else carry on its clear, then we will always fall in the bucket the brain is ignoring and hence the “I didnt see you” or “flashing lights cant be seen” whilst its in autopilot mode. It requires the driver to make a concious observation of no I need to double check its clear, not assume its clear because my brain is being clever only showing me half the information at roundabouts or junctions like that.
as I said before I think the drivers decision to make that turn happens before cyclinggranny is even within sight, theyre driving a quick glance cant see a vehicle, carry on mode
You may be right and it’s
You may be right and it’s frightening that some drivers think a quick glance, some way before the junction is enough of a look on which to base a decision to pull out. I was taught, and still practice, at least two looks in each direction, physically moving my head between each so as to eliminate A Post blind spots, using a proper scan of whole field of vision, properly focussing on three or four different points across that field to eliminate the tendency for your brain to fill in the image with what it thinks should be in the bits the eye doesn’t register if you simply move in one continuous sweep. It takes a second or so to look properly but it is time well spent.
You hit the nail squarely on
You hit the nail squarely on the head there. I for one was taught how to look (as part of Army driver training) 1st look is for cars etc, 2nd look is for motos and 3rd look is for bicycles. All three looks with head moving to eliminate A pillar blind spot.
The missus gives me constant grief about it.
Spangly Shiny wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYJYA0P5ls8
Or, how about the alternative version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c2ZF_Ksv0s
I’d kind agree that you are
I’d kind agree that you are invisible with ..
– flashing light
– steady light
– wheel reflectors
– reflective rims (good old Marathon Plus)
– Proviz 360 jacket
– Proviz gloves
Totally invisible…
https://youtu.be/_AIssivzUvA
Had this exact move pulled on
Had this exact move pulled on me in the past. I ended up between the driver and an island in the middle of the road shouting “what are you doing” at a very surprised driver.
The driver didn’t look properly and so had no idea the cyclist was there, likely as a result of the cyclist being behind the very thick/raked A-pillar and the driver not moving their head. It’s a classic example of Convergent Directon Decreasing Distance. Probably the driver was actually relying on peripheral vision to see cars.
In the driver’s position following my error and faced with an angry figure and bright lights I might well run the red to get away. This doesn’t make any of it right. Shit driving from start to finish.
Well done to cyclegranny for
Well done to cyclegranny for avoiding a collision. Obviously a very experienced cyclist.
If the police don’t take action on that one we really are in trouble. I look forward to an update. Do we know which force it is?
Bungle_52 wrote:
Anne lives and works in Belfast so it’s the PSNI; unfortunately judging by her previous experience getting action from them is a lottery to say the least.
If the police don’t take
If the police don’t take action on that one we really are in trouble
They won’t and we are
The sheer fucking audacity of
The sheer fucking audacity of shitty motorists!
That was a truly terrible
That was a truly terrible ‘near miss’. I hope the driver is prosecuted.
Cyclegranny. You rock!
Cyclegranny. You rock! Cracking bit of camera kit too!
I hope they get chains. Bad drivers should be jailed for their law breaking Shenanigans.
They should gert corporal
They should gert corporal punishment for that.