Near accident...who was in the wrong?

[morphix]

This weekend I nearly had my first road accident (collision with a fast moving car).

Luckily I wasn't going very fast and a disaster was narrowly avoided. I'm wondering however who was to blame..I feel it was either entirely my fault or partly my fault, I must confess I was a bit tired that day and probably not paying as much attention as I should of...

Here's a picture which best explains what happened...

The while line is me and the black line is the motorist.

I was planning to take the same route the motorist took, but there was a lot of oncoming traffic and I didn't feel confident going into the middle of road where it forks off, so I continued on up and then made the right turn and just at that moment this people carrier zooms past me going at least 30mph and narrowly avoids hitting me.

I was just wasn't expecting it. As it looks to me like it was going up into a buses only lane (see the zoomed up section)..

I admit I should of waited on the giveway a bit longer, checked for oncoming traffic, and hand signaled, but it seemed like the driver just wasn't looking there was a cyclist half way across the giveaway and he didn't slow down or make any allowance.

Who was in the wrong?






You can see the road here on Google Streets.

 

[eddieo]

I think you should have carried on in the right hand lane irrespective of what car driver was doing

The thing is, a mistake in a car can mean a bump and lots of hassle, same thing on a bike can cost you your life.

do you have a reverse mirror?

 

[JuicyBike]

That cycle lane should be extended to include the junction.

 

[tillson]

You effectively turned off the road into a side road. You then rejoined the original road at the Give Way, but didn't Give Way, nearly getting yourself wiped out in the process. Perhaps it would have been best to continue with a 1 meter gap between you an the kerb for as long as necessary and then to blend into the right hand lane when safe to do so.

Edit:

Having re-read your account, I can't understand what is happening. It looks to me as though the road ahead is one-way, busses in the LH lane, cars in the RH lane. How can there be on-coming traffic? Unless of course you were cycling towards us in the picture, in which case an arrow wouldn't have been an extravagance.

Second Edit:

No that can't be right either. If you were planning on taking the same route as the car, he would have to be going away from us in the picture. I'm confused now, but then again, I am easily confused these days.

 

[morphix]

I think you should have carried on in the right hand lane irrespective of what car driver was doing

The thing is, a mistake in a car can mean a bump and lots of hassle, same thing on a bike can cost you your life.

do you have a reverse mirror?

I do have a mirror but it's a bit useless and needs sorting out, keeps moving. I think you're right, my mistake was not staying in the right lane and that probably confused the other driver, assuming he was even paying any attention to me.

 

[morphix]

You effectively turned off the road into a side road. You then rejoined the original road at the Give Way, but didn't Give Way, nearly getting yourself wiped out in the process. Perhaps it would have been best to continue with a 1 meter gap between you an the kerb for as long as necessary and then to blend into the right hand lane when safe to do so.

That seems a fair assessment I think I was rather foolish and lucky not to get in hospital. Lesson learned!

 

[BrianSmithers]

I do have a mirror but it's a bit useless and needs sorting out, keeps moving. I think you're right, my mistake was not staying in the right lane and that probably confused the other driver, assuming he was even paying any attention to me.

My twopence worth is you should have stayed in the right lane (or have born in mind that by turning left you lost any right of way) but the mirror issues interests me.

I would think many of us novices would appreciate advice on good branded mirrors. My own experience of two I've owned is the first fit in the end of the handlebars and had a "wide angle" view that was superb but being where it was it got knocked every time I put the bike in the shed and utlimately broke. The 2nd I fitted will certainly show headlights creeping up behind but the "view" just isn't as good as the first.

So advice please?

- Brian

 

[Kenny]

Quote ; (I was planning to take the same route the motorist took, but there was a lot of oncoming traffic and I didn't feel confident going into the middle of road where it forks off,)

I have been in similar situations many times and sometimes you can feel a bit fearful taking the correct line or maybe feel a bit obliged to pull over a bit to let cars past.
One of the great advantages of an electric bike is that the extra speed helps you stay with the flow of the traffic more and cars are not bearing down on you so fast so have more time to pass you safely. I also think a good mirror is a must to keep an eye on whats going on behind you.

 

[tillson]

That seems a fair assessment I think I was rather foolish and lucky not to get in hospital. Lesson learned!

I always think that an approach like yours, a willingness to accept that you could do things better next time, is the best safety device. I've had a couple of close scrapes myself through poor decision making on my part, but I always admit to myself that I was in the wrong and thankfully there have been no repeat performances.

I can't always pre-plan for what someone else is going to do to put me in danger, but if I take one idiot out of the equation (me), then the risks are immediately reduced by 50%

 

[flecc]

Excellent post Tillson, that attitude has kept me safe all my life. I always maintain that I'm a learner driver/rider etc, since I cannot know every possibility of what can happen on the road.

 

[morphix]

You effectively turned off the road into a side road. You then rejoined the original road at the Give Way, but didn't Give Way, nearly getting yourself wiped out in the process. Perhaps it would have been best to continue with a 1 meter gap between you an the kerb for as long as necessary and then to blend into the right hand lane when safe to do so.

Edit:

Having re-read your account, I can't understand what is happening. It looks to me as though the road ahead is one-way, busses in the LH lane, cars in the RH lane. How can there be on-coming traffic? Unless of course you were cycling towards us in the picture, in which case an arrow wouldn't have been an extravagance.

Second Edit:

No that can't be right either. If you were planning on taking the same route as the car, he would have to be going away from us in the picture. I'm confused now, but then again, I am easily confused these days.

Just to clarify, when I said "oncoming traffic" made me less confident to continue my intended course...I meant traffic coming down that side road when I eventually went up...

It was one of those situations where there was traffic coming towards me, traffic building up behind me, buses coming down that buses-only road towards me and cars too, and I thought oh hell!... and just lost my confidence to stay in middle of road. It was a busy Saturday afternoon. I guess I'm just not used to riding on busy roads yet only been riding since Feb of this year and have mostly avoided busy roads..this particular road is right in the town center so gets lots of fast moving traffic.

In hindsight, I might of been better just carrying on up that side road to the top, then around onto the buses only lane rather than trying to tackle that busy road.

 

[funkylyn]

This weekend I nearly had my first road accident (collision with a fast moving car).

Luckily I wasn't going very fast and a disaster was narrowly avoided. I'm wondering however who was to blame..I feel it was either entirely my fault or partly my fault, I must confess I was a bit tired that day and probably not paying as much attention as I should of...

Here's a picture which best explains what happened...

The while line is me and the black line is the motorist.

I was planning to take the same route the motorist took, but there was a lot of oncoming traffic and I didn't feel confident going into the middle of road where it forks off, so I continued on up and then made the right turn and just at that moment this people carrier zooms past me going at least 30mph and narrowly avoids hitting me.

I was just wasn't expecting it. As it looks to me like it was going up into a buses only lane (see the zoomed up section)..

I admit I should of waited on the giveway a bit longer, checked for oncoming traffic, and hand signaled, but it seemed like the driver just wasn't looking there was a cyclist half way across the giveaway and he didn't slow down or make any allowance.

Who was in the wrong?






You can see the road here on Google Streets.

It looks to me like you were both wrong......surely the car shouldnt have been going any further up that road ?
And you should have looked first regardless......it could have been a bus......so you have been doubly lucky ........

Lynda

 

[jerrysimon]

I agree a great strategy/attitude. I am always amazed how people react when you say sorry when you know you are in the wrong. Mostly they say no problem and part without any ill feeling. I also try and respond in the same way when people say sorry to me.

With these dark nights cycling home, I continue to be shocked by the many manic riders who always seem to never have any lights on their bikes.

This is my third winter commuting and again I find myself slowing my city commute time down, to take account of the unpredictability of these types of riders coming round blind corners on the wrong side of the cycle way.

Regards

Jerry

 

[morphix]

Quote ; (I was planning to take the same route the motorist took, but there was a lot of oncoming traffic and I didn't feel confident going into the middle of road where it forks off,)

I have been in similar situations many times and sometimes you can feel a bit fearful taking the correct line or maybe feel a bit obliged to pull over a bit to let cars past.
One of the great advantages of an electric bike is that the extra speed helps you stay with the flow of the traffic more and cars are not bearing down on you so fast so have more time to pass you safely. I also think a good mirror is a must to keep an eye on whats going on behind you.

Yeah that's exactly it, it's hard to keep your nerve and maintain confidence on busy roads, even though we have as much right to be on the road and even if we're going slower and holding up traffic a bit during these situations...I guess confidence comes with experience of riding on the roads more. I don't really enjoy busy roads myself and always prefer quieter routes if available.

 

[morphix]

It looks to me like you were both wrong......surely the car shouldnt have been going any further up that road ?
And you should have looked first regardless......it could have been a bus......so you have been doubly lucky ........

Lynda

You know, I can't be sure the driver did go up that buses-only road on reflection but I seem to recall he did. He may have just continued up that side road and the whole near-collision could of happened earlier before the giveway which looks a bit faded doesn't it.. The annoying thing is, I was actually filming this ride and had my camera on (or so I thought) but it turns out it stopped recording about 5 minutes earlier..how annoying! so now I'll never know for sure.

It doesn't alter the fact I should of checked carefully for oncoming traffic behind me and hand signaled making the right turn, can't expect car drivers to anticipate what you're doing, even if your bike is facing like it's going to make a right turn I guess..

 

[mike killay]

I suppose I must be over cautious about these sort of junctions. Anyway this looks really confusing, is there any advance warning for motorists that the road on the right is only for buses? What does that single no entry sign refer to? What is that apparent 'Keep left' bollard and what is the inner lane it guards?
Personally, I would have kept on in the left hand road, stopped and crossed it at right angles when the traffic was clear. Are cycles allowed to use bus only roads? Could it be that the car drivr did in fact go down the left hand road and was expecting you to do likewise?

 

[morphix]

I suppose I must be over cautious about these sort of junctions. Anyway this looks really confusing, is there any advance warning for motorists that the road on the right is only for buses? What does that single no entry sign refer to? What is that apparent 'Keep left' bollard and what is the inner lane it guards?
Personally, I would have kept on in the left hand road, stopped and crossed it at right angles when the traffic was clear. Are cycles allowed to use bus only roads? Could it be that the car drivr did in fact go down the left hand road and was expecting you to do likewise?

I'm pretty sure cyclists are allowed to use buses-only lanes as I do it daily and even had police behind me several times on the same road as they use it too regularly to get across town quickly...someone do correct me if I'm wrong here though. It could be the police never bothered to stop me as they were normally doing 60mph and in a hurry!

 

[morphix]

I suppose I must be over cautious about these sort of junctions. Anyway this looks really confusing, is there any advance warning for motorists that the road on the right is only for buses? What does that single no entry sign refer to? What is that apparent 'Keep left' bollard and what is the inner lane it guards?
Personally, I would have kept on in the left hand road, stopped and crossed it at right angles when the

traffic was clear. Are cycles allowed to use bus only roads? Could it be that the car drivr did in fact go down the left hand road and was expecting you to do likewise?

I agree this whole junction looks rather confusing and badly planned out to me from a cyclists prospective..it would be better if there was a wider safety area? in the middle where the road forks, so cyclists can be safe to stop there until traffic passes before entering the road..

Surely where the giveway is, that should of be horizontal on that side road, since there is only one way traffic can go, down? It doesn't seem to make sense to put it where it is, unless it was done before the "buses-only" lane was introduced. If the giveway was made horizontal and further back, there could be a "middle lane" area for cyclists and pedestrians to stop between the two roads free of traffic.

This is how I think it should be:

 

[mikep]

What a nasty ill thought out junction, putting the end of the cycle lane actually on the side road (if I'm reading the road markings correctly).

As in your sketch above the only safe solution for cyclists is to continue the cycle lane ahead of the side road markings.

I suppose the problem is that whoever is responsible for the junction design, the markings will not be changed because no-one died (as yet).

 

[wurly]

I think i would have dived up that left hand side also if you say there was that much traffic around you.
It's better than being wiped out by a driver who isn't taking very much care. Rejoining the right hand bit is where you probably went wrong. I've had a few escapes like that, but now take extra caution and just assume that other drivers will not have seen me. Mirrors are the best addtion to my bike without doubt, but even stopping and looking behind is the best defence.

I also have a really bright red led torch that i run during daylight, it's far too bright for twilight or night time, but that really grabs drivers attention and they do tend to give me more room because of it.