Cyclist dies after hitting water filled pot hole

[bancrobba]

Tragic event.

Rain sitting in holes on tarmac, in the dark, make them impossible to avoid. I was talking about this the other day to a friend after ploughing into a thankfully quite shallow one. I was lucky and escaped with sudden jolt and scary wobble. Fortunately traffic was light, but still a frightening experience.

 

[fossyant]

My 80 year old father hit a water-filled pothole yesterday, fell off his bike and broke his shoulder and his pelvis Probably the end of his 40+ years of cycling

Oh no. Not good that. GWS.

 

[markharry66]

A lot of it must or is possibly down to bad planning end of September bottom of my road was re surfaced.
Finished half way up the hill why the didnt bother with the extra 300 yards who knows.
Since then they have dug it up at least 3 times for different reasons.
We are only in January and we already have temporary lights and the tarmac up again.
Surely cant be good for a decent road surface to be continually dug up.

 

[subaqua]

A lot of it must or is possibly down to bad planning end of September bottom of my road was re surfaced.
Finished half way up the hill why the didnt bother with the extra 300 yards who knows.
Since then they have dug it up at least 3 times for different reasons.
We are only in January and we already have temporary lights and the tarmac up again.
Surely cant be good for a decent road surface to be continually dug up.

you would be surprised the amount of sub surface damage to services that can occur when resurfacing. when I worked on the faults team for the DNO we always knew there would be calls to recently resurfaced roads for emergency repairs. There are instances where Highways dont coordinate with Planned utility works but these are rare now the streetworks licence system is in place .

 

[Phil Fouracre]

Horrible, and very sad. But, I'm not sure about some of the comments on here, why not look where you are going? alright, there will always be the exception, but surely self preservation trumps everything else. Riding too close to the bike in front, or too close to the kerb, not anticipating, why? Riding into a puddle, and 'not expecting there to be a pothole under it', why not?

 

[al78]

Horrible, and very sad. But, I'm not sure about some of the comments on here, why not look where you are going? alright, there will always be the exception, but surely self preservation trumps everything else. Riding too close to the bike in front, or too close to the kerb, not anticipating, why? Riding into a puddle, and 'not expecting there to be a pothole under it', why not?

That is true to a point but sometimes it is difficult to spot potholes even when you are looking for them. I've nearly got caught out myself and I cycle in a county where the country lanes are generally in a poor state so I'm used to avoiding them regularly. Any advocation that requires people to be perfect is flawed. People are not robots.

 

[sanddancer]

Just been reading it on road cc .
another cyclist died by there

http://road.cc/content/news/174678-triathlete-killed-after-hitting-pothole-–-one-two-cyclists-killed-near-rugby

 

[Phil Fouracre]

That is true to a point but sometimes it is difficult to spot potholes even when you are looking for them. I've nearly got caught out myself and I cycle in a county where the country lanes are generally in a poor state so I'm used to avoiding them regularly. Any advocation that requires people to be perfect is flawed. People are not robots.

Sorry, yes I've got every sympathy, but, as I was trying to point out, a bit of common sense and desire for self preservation certainly helps. Not asking anyone to be perfect, why would, or should, people be robots? If you think it's ok to ride flat out, nose to tail with other cyclists round blind bends, or through puddles, you really would be stupid. Drivers are criticised for driving like morons, or perhaps robots! Yet cyclists do it and suddenly........! I still don't see what's so difficult to understand about riding (or, for that matter, driving) at a speed where you can stop in the distance that you can see you be clear?

 

[Lemond]

Sorry, yes I've got every sympathy, but, as I was trying to point out, a bit of common sense and desire for self preservation certainly helps. Not asking anyone to be perfect, why would, or should, people be robots? If you think it's ok to ride flat out, nose to tail with other cyclists round blind bends, or through puddles, you really would be stupid. Drivers are criticised for driving like morons, or perhaps robots! Yet cyclists do it and suddenly........! I still don't see what's so difficult to understand about riding (or, for that matter, driving) at a speed where you can stop in the distance that you can see you be clear?

Ah, you've made the classic mistake of applying some common sense. This is an internet forum and common sense doesn't apply here. It's better to keep your thoughts to yourself, blame the driver, and move along. It's just easier that way.

 

[glenn forger]

I still don't see what's so difficult to understand about riding (or, for that matter, driving) at a speed where you can stop in the distance that you can see you be clear?

Absolutely. A driver driving in accordance with the Highway Code would NEVER collide with a cyclist who stops suddenly or falls sideways. It simply cannot happen. So why isn't the driver being asked why they could not avoid the collision?

 

[Phil Fouracre]

I agree wholeheartedly, why isn't the driver being asked exactly that? My comments were purely from the point of view of the rider, and trying to avoid falling off in the first place. Not victim blaming just totally pissed at the sad waste.

 

[Milkfloat]

Absolutely. A driver driving in accordance with the Highway Code would NEVER collide with a cyclist who stops suddenly or falls sideways. It simply cannot happen. So why isn't the driver being asked why they could not avoid the collision?

My understanding from people connected to the club is that the lady went a significant way sideways as she came off. None of the reports suggest that the driver was giving less space than they would another car. There is such a thing as a tragic accident, but I guess time will tell in this case.

 

[glenn forger]

None of the reports suggest that the driver was giving less space than they would another car.

Exactly.

 

[mustang1]

My next car will be a SUV/4x4. Going on road is just as bad as going off road. You can make fun of Chelsea tractors, but when Chelsea is as bad as a rutted farm road, then you'll see!!

On this morning's bike commute I saw a pot hole that may even have trashed my cx-sized wheels before toppling me over the bars.

 

[sidevalve]

I smell the usual 'somebody else's fault' tirade here.
FACTS
1 - how far can a fall 'throw you' - right over the road if at any speed.
2 - which way was the car travelling anyway ? The statement 'passing' could mean either way.
3 - sorry but the usual 'the road should be ok so I'll just blast on' seems to have been in force.
4 - ride through a pothole that I have no idea how deep it is - clever.
5 - 'victim blaming' well sorry but there is a time when every adult DOES have to take some responsibility and even if they seem to be the 'victim' then that doesn't mean they are 100% totally pure and blameless - get over it.
6 - blame the driver or the council - hmm blame ANYBODY but the rider with no facts or any real idea what happened.
7 - public roads are not racetracks either for stupid car drivers OR cyclists
8 - 'be able to stop in the distance you can SEE to be clear' - everybody says it applies to drivers - nobody seems to want it to apply to cyclists - why ?