Another cyclist down

[Slick]

I wonder if Spring and Autumn are worse times for cars hitting cyclists due to dazzling low sun shining on windscreens misty with plasticiser film or just moisture?

My last two close passes were by elderly men driving tiny cars and heading towards the sun. I don't believe either driver actually saw me. Older drivers sometimes don't use the demister on low speed to ventilate the car as they believe it's only for the first few minutes in the morning. It's why they often drive huddled in hat, coat and gloves with little holes wiped in the condensation.

That's probably true but a bit early for the sun to be that low is it not?

 

[Globalti]

How so? The sun is low for about an hour after sunrise and before sunset and at the moment that's around commuter time.

For the last couple of weeks heading SE on my route to work over the Haslingden Grane road at around 07.30 I've been blinded by the sun right in my eyes as the road climbs gradually.

 

[Slick]

How so? The sun is low for about an hour after sunrise and before sunset and at the moment that's around commuter time.

For the last couple of weeks heading SE on my route to work over the Haslingden Grane road at around 07.30 I've been blinded by the sun right in my eyes as the road climbs gradually.

Maybe it's a geographical thing but I have seen a serious head on crash caused by low winter sun but if I remember correctly it was much later in the year and I personally haven't had any issues whilst out on the bike yet. Just my experiences though.

 

[Slow But Determined]

Funnily enough I was driving into low sun yesterday and actually said to my passenger this would be a bad time to be cycling as I could see next to nothing.

I suppose as a cyclist it would be something I would think about but a non cyclist probably wouldn't.

 

[Globalti]

The sun doesn't even have to be shining in your eyes, just illuminating the grey plasticiser film or moisture inside the windscreen is sufficient to blind a driver.

You can sometimes be driving behind a car and wondering if the driver can actually see anything. I'm afraid I classify this kind of driver as just stupid, along with people who post videos filmed in portrait or leave dog poo hanging in plastic bags on bushes.

 

[Mrs M]

There’s far too many Mr Magoos on the road and the low sun just makes things worse.
I try to avoid these times or go out in very bright clothes and lights a plenty, also sticking to off road or shared paths whenever available.
Very sad to hear about these latest casualties.

 

[raleighnut]

Awful news RIP

 

[mjr]

You or I don't, but Joe D. Mail will think it's the work of Satan and Richard Nixon.

Which is why the police deserve criticism for saying that in https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/5002/Witness-appeal-after-cyclist-dies-in-A303-collision

RIP all.

 

[mjr]

Funnily enough I was driving into low sun yesterday and actually said to my passenger this would be a bad time to be cycling as I could see next to nothing.

So you flipped down your sunglasses, set your sun visor to block out nearly all the sky, dropped your speed due to the reduced visibility or in the worst case, pulled over and waited the 30 minutes it takes the sun to set before you continued, rather than driving blind, right?

https://www.wheels.ca/news/sunrise-sunset-driving-tips-to-keep-you-safe-during-both-events/ although I think the last one is iffy.

 

[Globalti]

Not so iffy. That's a pretty well-written little piece actually.

 

[JPBoothy]

So you flipped down your sunglasses, set your sun visor to block out nearly all the sky, dropped your speed due to the reduced visibility or in the worst case, pulled over and waited the 30 minutes it takes the sun to set before you continued, rather than driving blind, right?

https://www.wheels.ca/news/sunrise-sunset-driving-tips-to-keep-you-safe-during-both-events/ although I think the last one is iffy.

The problem is that you may be perfectly comfortable with the conditions one minute, but then turn a corner and find that it is like somebody shone a search-light onto your windscreen. As already mentioned it is a good time to stay off the main road and, if necessary 'share' the path with others until conditions improve.

 

[Mo1959]

Terrible. Is that not the second in Fife in just a few months?

I think so. Sure there was one around a month or so ago.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Very sad news, RIP all.
Some roads on Mull are twisty and narrow, you can't see what's round the corner.

 

[mjr]

I wonder if Spring and Autumn are worse times for cars hitting cyclists due to dazzling low sun shining on windscreens misty with plasticiser film or just moisture?

It's difficult to tell, but it looks like Spring is the worst in the UK. I threw the just-published RRCGB 2018 tables into a stats package and the rate that accidents happen seems fairly constant over most of the year but for a noticeable surge around April.

Although, if we suspect people cycle a bit less in winter, then the rate that accidents happen seeming fairly constant would mean that winter has a higher risk. As usual, we are limited by how little cycling trip data we have.

In case anyway has a copy of R (from r-project.org) to hand, here's what I was looking at. I'm a bit rusty at this language and I apologise for some of this terminology ("Accidents"!) but it's what RRCGB still uses:

Accidents <- read.csv("Accidents_2018.csv")
Casualties <- read.csv("Casualties_2018.csv")
Vehicles <- read.csv("Vehicles_2018.csv")
cycles <- subset(Vehicles, Vehicle_Type==1)
cycle_accidents <- subset(Accidents, is.element(Accident_Index, cycles$Accident_Index))
plot(sort(as.Date(cycle_accidents$Date, "%d/%m/%Y")))

 

[mjr]

The problem is that you may be perfectly comfortable with the conditions one minute, but then turn a corner and find that it is like somebody shone a search-light onto your windscreen.

It shouldn't be a problem. It should be a quick adjustment to a reasonably forseeable change in conditions: the sun rises and sets every day!

As already mentioned it is a good time to stay off the main road and, if necessary 'share' the path with others until conditions improve.

I am not comfortable with advice that seems like blaming cyclists for riding on roads at certain times.