how much room should a cyclist give a to a car when overtaking?

[slowmotion]

When passing a line of parked cars, I try and stay about four feet out. That isn't quite far enough if somebody flings open the door but it's a start, and if you look to see if somebody is in the seat, you are in with a chance. In London, most people in cars realise why we ride "in the middle of the road". The only aggro I have had in the last five years was from non-locals in a hurry to get to a show. They had little idea about London traffic. If it's queueing traffic, I go up the outside absolutely as wide as I can, ever mindful that somebody might do a sudden U or right hand turn, or for somebody to come in from a road on the left having been "flashed" by a vehicle in the queue. Going up the inside of moving traffic is a no-no to me unless I can be absolutely sure that they won't squeeze me or turn left. With big or long vehicles, I don't even consider it unless they have nowhere else to go except sit in the queue ahead.

The only time I was "offed" was at the front of a line of cars waiting at a red light. I went up the inside at about 3mph, very cautiously. The passenger next to me flung open the door to get out when my pedal was halfway across it. Within a split second, I was on the pavement with my bike on top of me. There was absolutely no time to react. I was OK, he was apologetic. No harm done except for a foot long gash from my pedal in the immaculate white paintwork on the door of a brand new Toyota Prius.
It's just common sense but we all have a tendency to cut corners. Take care.

 

[Sandra6]

Overtaking a moving car?? I'm not likely to be doing that any time soon.
If I pass a parked car I go as wide as I safely can to avoid being doored - had a couple of close calls in the past.
I did think about the whole filtering thing a while ago, because if a car passes me I want a good distance, but if I'm in a bike lane alongside stationary or slow moving traffic I'm putting myself much closer to the cars than I'd want them to put themselves, if that makes sense. It's that weird sense of protection a bit of green paint on the road gives you!
I don't tend to filter unless I have at least the width of a cycle lane on my side though.
I guess you have to give yourself as much room as you feel safe with.

 

[Peter Armstrong]

If I look at it the other way around, is there a point that the cyclist is at fault for riding to close? We as cyclists shout abuse, shake our heads or wave our arms when a vehicle passes us to close. But is there a point when a driver would have a reason to remonstrate back to a cyclist if they come to close? I know some people will say the difference is that people in cars are protected and the cyclists are not, but regardless I’m sure most drivers would not want to put a cyclist in danger, and if a cyclist has put themselves in danger, a driver may want to let them know. Personally I would never want to be involved in an incident with a car or a cyclist so would be angry if someone purposely put themselves or me in danger or potentially doing so.

 

[T4tomo]

Dooring is very common (at least my line of work - personal injury claims - makes it seem like it is), so where possible overtake wide enough so that the occupant of the vehicle you're overtaking opening the door won't take you off. In reality it's not always possible, so if you're overtaking closer make sure you are looking for people in the cars - they probably won't be looking for you.

and watch out for lemming pedestrians crossing though lines of stationery traffic, normally blind infront of a bus or similar

 

[SamC]

and watch out for lemming pedestrians crossing though lines of stationery traffic, normally blind infront of a bus or similar

Oh yes. And if they do see you, they have a habit of changing direction at the very last minute and putting themselves right in your path .