Stupid Cyclist!

estebanrey

estebanrey

estebanrey

Soldato
Joined
8 Mar 2007
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So I nearly killed a cyclist and I'm annoyed because I know that some on here will say I was at fault and worse the law would probably have agreed. The reality in my view is the opposite.

I'm coming up the high street and want to turn left into a narrow side road. I can see a car coming out of the road I want to go into so I indicate left, stop completely, and wave the person out. She doesn't move but in return she does and action with her hands what seems like waving me in (which is hindsight may have been a warning but if so it was stupid) so I start to turn in.

SCRRREEEETCH, I hear as a turn my head and see a bike riding up the inside of my car and only just managing to stop withing half a foot of the car, he looks at me horrified before cycling off. I didn't react at the time as I was a bit shocked too, and embarrassed as this was a busy pedestrian high street.

I didn't check my mirrors before turning but that wouldn't have mattered anyway as he would have been in my blind spot and nor did I turn my head. But here is my brief mitigation for that, it's a high street with people walking across where I'm turning in, I have to make sure no pedestrians are coming and can't deviate from that. But anyway, that's why I think under law I was in the wrong

But whatever you think about that, here's why I don't think in the real world I am. When I cycle (which isn't very often I admit) I think predicting what other road users are doing is still part of my duty, like it is for all road users in all vehicles. Now imagine you are the cyclist, you are approaching a stationary vehicle that is indicating left, the road you are using has no vehicles on the other side of what is rather wide road. Do you...

A) Ride up the inside of the car because it is your right of way and the driver should look out for you?

or..

B) Use common sense and ride around the car on it's right hand side?

A couple more things before I get slated, there is no cycle lane on the road for me to drive over and I was stationary for around 20 seconds before I made the turn so I didn't just overtake him and immediately cut off his path and he had plenty of time to make a decision approaching me. In fact I don't think I overtook him at all, he must have come out of another side road earlier.
 
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Sounds like you were in the wrong (both of you were in the wrong to be fair) because you were sitting waiting long enough for a biker to catch up to you, thus you should have known he was about. Now it may not be entirly your fault but the whole "I can't deviate my eyes from the road I'm trying to go into" makes you sound like a terrible driver. :)

Of course, in reality we all make mistakes, so why are you so bothered?
 
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you should have checked your mirrors before moving, blindspot or not, try and make sure you correct this behaviour.

cyclist was wrong also, he should have pre empted your manoeuvre, seeing you were intending to turn left and either slowed down, or went around.

no one was hurt matey, cool down grab a beer, and learn from it.

and live to fight another day on this planet.
 
I cycle every day and I agree, the cyclists fault.
I never ride up the inside of a vehicle if it is indicating left.

However I had my worst 'left hook' last monday when I was riding at 20 mph and I knew a car was overtaking but it then proceeded to left hook me, lost control and he ended up on the pavement just missing a garden wall and parked car.
No doubt it was my fault.
 
You were indicating left, the cyclist has got to be a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic to undertake a car that's indicating left.
 
Both at fault,

You didn't check your mirrors properly before turning after being stopped, very minor though.

Cyclist technically undertook you and it would be quite clear you were intending to turn - Stupid

Mainly his fault but live and learn.
 
You are both partially to blame, cyclist more so maybe, you should always check your mirrors when indicating and then when turning.

He should have known better than to try and get past a car indicating left.

As above, no one was hurt so learn from it and don't get worked up over it.
 
Wrong of the cyclist, but you should have still been aware (just as you'd expect him to be aware) that he was coming up your inside. Whenever I see a cyclist I try to always keep an eye on them. You never know what they might do.
 
beachBOYken said:
you were in the wrong.

you should have checked your mirrors and also turned your head to check your blind spot
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Even if he did check his mirrors, an approaching cyclist cannot undertake like that. He had right of way unless it was a cycle lane.

I would have continued to turn left. I wouldn't be expecting a car/motorbike to overtake me on the right side if I was turning right for example.

Like I've said in earlier threads. Cyclists are highly unpredictable and the onus is unfairly on the car driver to allow room for every scenario.
 
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Both in the wrong. You should have double checked your mirrors, regardless of whether there was a blind spot or not. The cyclist should never have chosen to undertake a vehicle indicating left that is letting another vehicle out.
 
It would be nice to know when you reply if you are also a cyclist.

I am a cyclist and I blame the cyclist in this incident, I wouldn't blame the driver at all and in fact I would apologise.
 
Both at fault, he shouldn't have done what he did but the whole point about drumming observation into you when learning to drive is because not everyone behaves as they should and you need to make these checks before committing to your own manoeuvres.

Ultimately, i'd rather have performed a check that I shouldn't need to if everyone behaved and avoided an accident, rather than be in an accident but be 'in the right'.

Your observation skills sound somewhat lacking though, if you don't feel you can maintain a proper appreciation for what is behind your vehicle as well as monitoring your intended destination. How do you cope turning right out of a junction when you need to look both ways? :p
 
I'm another that cycles every day. The cyclist is clearly at fault here, even on the assumption that you passed him earlier and were therefore aware of him.
 
Someone turning right out of a junction needs to look both ways. That is the difference. If you were facing someone turning right out of a junction, would you slow down in case they pull out in front of you?

I never do unless they are a cyclist. No appreciation of closing speed.

90% of cyclists may be good but 10% are dangerous. 99.99% of drivers do what you expect.
 
Car indicates to turn left, cyclist ignores it and passes on the left side....

Retards everywhere.
 
Both equally at fault. Cyclist was beyond stupid to undertake a car indicating left, but you should have been aware of the cyclist. If he was in your blind spot when you were turning, he would have almost certainly been visible in your rear mirror for some time before that.

Hopefully two lessons have been learnt:

Cyclist - don't ride like a 'tard
You - be more aware about what is around you, because unfortunately stupid people exist (in all modes of transport)
 
PooBrain said:
Cyclists ought to get back on the path and pedal slowly. They do not belong on the roads.
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Nice trolling, but roads are fine as long as the highway code is followed so that everyone can predict how people will act in any point in time. That goes for everyone though.
 
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