20 cm away from death

[Origamist]

I think Mags may be wrong on one fact "they made eye contact". I don't doubt Mags thought that and it may have influenced his approach - but people can glaze over and not be registering what their eyes are seeing. My wife assures me I'm a master of this!.

You're isolating a single factor when you need to consider all of the circumstances that led Mags to ride in the way he did - such as the HGV apparently slowing on the approach, the fact that it was clear to the cyclist's right, Magnatom reached the RaB first and expected the HGV to give way to the right / circulating vehicles as it should have done - the issue of eye contact was just another indicator that would have led Magnatom to believe the vehicle would have given way. When combined, it is very easy to see why Magnatom rode in the manner he did - it was just that the clues and cues were misleading (or better, open to misinterpretation). The crux of the matter is that HGV did not follow the rules of the road.

Generally though, I agree with you about eye contact - it cannot be relied upon. That said, I always prefer to engage with a driver in this manner, if at all possible (assuming they're looking, not obscured by heavily tinted windows, etc) as it is a pretty good indicator of intent, but certainly not a foolproof one.

 

[Theseus]

Most cement trucks I have seen have a sign on the back warning cyclists not to filter up the left. I have always heeded this sensible advice.

 

[661-Pete]

Most cement trucks I have seen have a sign on the back warning cyclists not to filter up the left. I have always heeded this sensible advice.

Of course. But this does nothing about the trucker who overtakes you and then left-hooks you. Or does what Magnatom's tanker driver did.

As it happens I was close to being left-hooked by a lorry the other day. Not a tanker or cement truck, but one of the less-common wagon-and-drag type: a rigid lorry pulling an equal-sized trailer. I was not filtering past him: he was overtaking me and then about to turn left. Scary, but I got suspicious of the driver's intentions even as he started to overtake me, so I was on my brakes as soon as he indicated left and before he cut across my path. Beyond a bit of tut-tutting and shaking my head, I thought no more of it. A very mild incident compared to this thread.

 

[661-Pete]

Sorry but the above is rubbish (I'll refrain from saying bollox as I am trying to change my posting style)

It would take an age for the cement to go off in the back of a cement mix truck.

So: how long then? I'm sure it has happened.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_mixer

Concrete mixers generally do not travel far from their plant, as many contractors require that the concrete be in place within 90 minutes after loading. If the truck breaks down or for some other reason the concrete hardens in the truck, workers need to enter the barrel with jackhammers; dynamite is still occasionally used to break up hardened concrete in the barrel under certain circumstances.

 

[Brahan]

Brahan: I live in West Sussex as you do - seemingly. And I've been cycling here for 30 years plus. I've never had anything remotely close to this happen to me. OK I did once have a car hit me on a RAB. But it was a glancing blow from behind, just took my rear wheel. I had already passed the driver's lane, he just shot out too fast. Nothing remotely like this! And I've cycled plenty on pretty 'hairy' West Sussex roads: A23, A24, A272, A264 etc. etc. No: this is the exception to cap all exceptions.

Yes the A264 is a horrible road, particularly at the moment with all the potholes. On that subject - How come motorists can detect a pothole from a mile off (and take evasive action) but seemingly not see a cyclist?

Maybe I haven't explained what I meant clearly enough.

My point is that we cyclists have to deal with this level of stupidity and incompetence far too often. I'm not blaming him but had Magnatom been on the brakes 5 seconds earlier then there wouldn't be an incident to report. It's just that drivers are going to do their thing, they're not going to see us, they're not going to slow down, they see where they're going to go and they go, and often without a thought of anyone else on the road. Thankfully however, most of the time the cyclist is in a position to deal with the situation without crashing. In Magnatom's case it seemed that it was the duo of luck and reactions that saved his bacon, not the two most reliable comrades when your life is on the line.

 

[BentMikey]

Sorry but the above is rubbish (I'll refrain from saying bollox as I am trying to change my posting style)

It would take an age for the cement to go off in the back of a cement mix truck.

I'm not sure this is correct. It would depend on the particular cement mix and the length of the journey to the construction site. I've seen numerous construction programmes where cement trucks are being turned away because they've taken too long to get to the site.

 

[Browser]

So: how long then? I'm sure it has happened.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_mixer

Uder these circumstances, it will happen. The quoted text you posted stated that:

"If the truck breaks down or for some other reason the concrete hardens in the truck, workers need to enter the barrel with jackhammers"

Well, under these circumstances, what else is supposed to happen?
Truck breaks down = drum stops turning, concrete willset.
Concrete hardens = concrete is setting.

The implication I picked up from the presious poster was that mixer drivers are either paid by the mile or per load delivered, hence the need for speed.

 

[Coco]

I've seen numerous construction programmes where cement trucks are being turned away because they've taken too long to get to the site.

I'm sure there is more interesting TV than that available

 

[fossyant]

I'm sure there is more interesting TV than that available

Top Gear of course....

 

[SBH]

Of course. But this does nothing about the trucker who overtakes you and then left-hooks you. Or does what Magnatom's tanker driver did.

As it happens I was close to being left-hooked by a lorry the other day. Not a tanker or cement truck, but one of the less-common wagon-and-drag type: a rigid lorry pulling an equal-sized trailer. I was not filtering past him: he was overtaking me and then about to turn left.

What always amazes me is how, for so many motorists once they have completed their overtake, the cyclist ceases to exist in their mind. There's this almost certain blind-spot in the non-cycling motorist's brain that tags the cyclist as 'slow moving obstacle' such that, once they're past you, you're no longer there.

Back on topic, glad you're okay Magnatom. Watching your video this morning really makes you think! While there are some impatient, ignorant and downright dangerous nuggets out there on the roads, most of the incidents I've see are down to a lack of care, awareness and thinking. I wonder which category your would-be 'death by dangerous driving' cretin falls into?

 

[classic33]

Your life in their hands?

Life without Road Tax

Actually, I do have insurance

Dealing with f**kwits (this might need a bit of work before WH Smiths stock it)

Well they(WHSmiths) can get you a copy of "How To shoot In The Woods" & its followup "Up shoot Creek". So maybe not that much work required.

 

[jig-sore]

What always amazes me is how, for so many motorists once they have completed their overtake, the cyclist ceases to exist in their mind. There's this almost certain blind-spot in the non-cycling motorist's brain that tags the cyclist as 'slow moving obstacle' such that, once they're past you, you're no longer there.

+1

 

[661-Pete]

As soon as cement is mixed with water, it will start to set. Simple. It's a chemical process, no power on Earth can stop it happening - eventually. I believe that the continual rotation of the truck's cylinder slows down the process, but it's still inevitable - given time.

I reckon however that it's the driver's fear that he'll be stuck with a load of undeliverable - and unpourable - concrete - that eggs him on to drive at excessive speed and take unreasonable risks. Or - as Bentmikey points out - the fear that if he's late the site foreman may reject his delivery and he'll lose his bonus: concrete which is poured too late may appear to pour OK, but may be shorn of some of its strength. Whatever the reason, I've seen these lorries driven more aggressively than other types of lorry.

 

[Ashaman42]

On one of the hills on my commute I will often pull into a side road or driveway if I have a bigger vehicle approaching behind me, basically anything bigger than a van.

Well I'm glad I did the time it was a cement mixer as when it went past me I saw it was sloshing a near constant stream of cementy water that was falling a foot or two to the left of the rear end.

Had it overtaken me riding along the road I'd have been rather soggy, as it was I was turning round in the side road in order to rejoin the main road and escaped.

 

[classic33]

In trying to get the registration number have you tried windows movie maker. It may enable you to go through that piece "frame by frame". Work with/from which ever gives the better result.