An apology from a motorist

[PhilDawson8270]

I realise there is always a risk trying to describe a road in just words, but I was overtaking him well before the junction, I was actually overtaking the parked cars before the cyclist came into view but pulled out further to give him enough room. I wouldn't have just scratched my car, it would have been a head-on collision with the car trying to turn right.

So parked cars, and a cyclist, and a junction and you still didn't use both sides of the road to complete the pass?

Unfortunately, as well intended as your post is. You attempted to make a pass where it was not safe to do so, instead of waiting for there to be more room available.

 

[growingvegetables]

Been there, got the T-shirt! I've been caught in that cyclist sandwich more times than I care to remember.

Couple of things - first, there's a lot of people will appreciate your posting!

Second - if that had been me, adrenalin would have been flowing. At the point you tried to talk, I'd have been literally shaking and terrified. A few minutes later comes the anger. And later still, reflection on what had gone wrong ... and how several vehicles had endangered me through complacency? Nothing wrong with what you did after the incident ... made the attempt to apologise, but recognised that it takes a good while for me to reach that rational Zen state when "normal conversation" is possible.

Third - a chance for some learning? I've no interest in apportioning blame - I'll just make a general observation. I can think of several junctions I regularly ride; they look completely innocuous - absolutely nothing challenging about them. And you'd be surprised just how often I get squeezed by a driver casually and complacently trying an overtake just before/on the junction; realising "Oh ****!"; and cutting in on me. Umm - hence the HC advice on NOT overtaking at junctions

You've posted very positively - I hope my reply comes across as in the same spirit?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Umm, the lady has thought it through and deemed it something to appologies for

They seem to be apologising for scaring them due to the actions of another. Without actually acknowledging that from the information provided, the scenario was in their own making.

 

[Globalti]

Was the central dividing line solid or broken?

I can't understand why you couldn't brake to avoid the car that wrongly turned right in front of you. It sounds as if he started the chain of events but you had no safety margin.

 

[Jody]

....................he was at the rear side panel of my car

The cyclist was behind me to the left

Which was it? Side or behind, as he cant be in two places at once.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

No, I couldn't have stopped without hitting the other car, I had to move out of his way. The cyclist was behind me to the left but because I had to swerve into the junction gap, it will have been into his oncoming path which is what will have frightened him. I was aware of his position and knew that swerving would not hit him but was not ideal either.

It's hard for us to judge exactly how it happened. More useful though to think about how to stop it happening again.

 

[Markymark]

Right, you overtook a bike with seemingly enough room with an oncoming car. The is how the HC says you should overtake a cyclist.

Notice how they're all the way on the other side of the road. You would not have attempted this if there was an oncoming car.

Secondly, why are you overtaking anyone in a 20mph zone in the approach to a junction? 20mph are slow residential areas. I'm suring waitin behind the cyclist would have delayed you no more than 30 seconds.

 

[Dec66]

Mistakes all round, but thank you for coming on, explaining your version of events, and apologising. Had I been the cyclist I'd have been shaken up and perhaps a bit shouty, but the fact that you apologised there and then would have gone a long way to calming me down.

We all make mistakes, and it takes a big person to admit them.

 

[ApologeticMotorist]

He was to the side but behind if you get what I mean? Not directly behind my car because I was quite far out into my lane/the next lane. The car turning right was travelling in the middle of the his lane, then suddenly pulled into my path ahead to pull level with the junction but with his wheels into my side of the road. He was travelling really fast as well. This driver didn't even maintain enough distance for me to overtake the cars which I was doing regardless of the cyclist.

The road is quite wide on both sides and is separated by two broken white lines and cross hatch markings. There is no way I could have stopped in time travelling forward without having a head-on collision.

 

[cd365]

So someone comes on here to apologise for some poor driving just in case the cyclist posts on here and ends up with some snotty replies. Hands up who has never made a mistake whilst sharing the nations roads. Some people need to learn to wind their necks in.

 

[ApologeticMotorist]

Markymark, I was giving him just slightly less room than on the picture but the road is much wider than that so I didn't have to go that much into the next lane and there are also cross hatch markings which give more space. Thank you for posting that picture though, that is the room I normally give or there abouts.

Our local council have put in place loads of 20mph zones, including through the main town. This particular road has houses down one side and at this time it is heavily parked up bumper to bumper. It was only a few months ago a 30mph zone.

 

[glenn forger]

No - the driver is not claiming it was not her fault.

Please do not be so aggressive.

Read the OP. See the sentence that contains the word "fault"?

 

[Dec66]

Right, you overtook a bike with seemingly enough room with an oncoming car. The is how the HC says you should overtake a cyclist.

Notice how they're all the way on the other side of the road. You would not have attempted this if there was an oncoming car.

Secondly, why are you overtaking anyone in a 20mph zone in the approach to a junction? 20mph are slow residential areas. I'm suring waitin behind the cyclist would have delayed you no more than 30 seconds.

That's the ideal scenario... But you should know, living in London, that most of the time you get about half of that. It's unavoidable, particularly where cars are parked on both side of the road.

I'm also sure that if the OP could wind back the clock, she would wait. She has made a mistake and is big enough to come on and apologize for it.

She could have just said nothing, and saved herself some grief. Or do what some drivers do, by telling the cyclist to "f*** off and pay some road tax/get some insurance/get a car/use the cycle path/etc".

 

[glenn forger]

She still thinks it wasn't her fault. Breathtaking.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

He was to the side but behind if you get what I mean? Not directly behind my car because I was quite far out into my lane/the next lane. The car turning right was travelling in the middle of the his lane, then suddenly pulled into my path ahead to pull level with the junction but with his wheels into my side of the road. He was travelling really fast as well. This driver didn't even maintain enough distance for me to overtake the cars which I was doing regardless of the cyclist.

The road is quite wide on both sides and is separated by two broken white lines and cross hatch markings. There is no way I could have stopped in time travelling forward without having a head-on collision.

You shouldn't have been overtaking at a junction, regardless of how clear the road is. The highway code is quite clear on that matter too.