In defence of motorists

[cd365]

Glad you enjoyed it

 

[threebikesmcginty]

So let me get this straight. You went out in your car, overtook someone, no-one was inconvenienced or put in danger.

Great story, thanks for posting

Cycling to work this morning, I dropped my water bottle and ran over it, I also had to stop to make a minor adjustment to my saddle - that interesting enough for you, rich?

 

[BSRU]

Cycling to work this morning, I dropped my water bottle and ran over it, I also had to stop to make a minor adjustment to my saddle - that interesting enough for you, rich?

Did you record it all on video for uploading to YouTube?

 

[asterix]

Glad you enjoyed it

The main thing is that you have learned a lesson.

 

[mickle]

"At what distance does the advice "approaching or at a road junction on either side of the road" come into play? At 200 yards away with NO traffic in front of me I judged this to be perfectly safe."

 

[cd365]

That I have, that it is not always easy for a motorist to judge a cyclists speed so I will try to take that into account the next time I want to gesticulate to a passing motorist.

 

[fyfeg]

cd365, I have some sympathy with you here BUT your overtake was not safe at the start BECAUSE you are not supposed to overtake near a junction.The highway code is very clear about this and your scenario is probably the reason why. You miss judged the cyclists speed and you assumed an upcoming junction would remain clear. I'm sorry but I can only give your driving a 6 out of 10 . Don't do it again and we'll say no more about it!!

 

[tyred]

Is it just me or should the driver joining the main road have looked in both directions before pulling out? I always do and it worries me how many people don't.

 

[mickle]

That I have, that it is not always easy for a motorist to judge a cyclists speed so I will try to take that into account the next time I want to gesticulate to a passing motorist.

Isn't it stating the bleedin' obvious that a competent driver should have the ability to accurately judge how fast another road user is travelling? If you don't have this ability you need to learn it or stay off the road.

 

[cd365]

I thought I was more of a 7 lol
How far away from a junction should one be before judging if it is too close?
I live in a city and junctions/side roads are very frequent so does this mean that no car should ever overtake a cyclist in a city environment?

Last night as I was driving home from work, as I approached a side road, the third one in less than a hundred yards, I spotted two cyclists pootling past the side road, as they were alongside the side road 3 cars overtook them, plenty of space and caused no concern to the cyclists, should the first car driver have practically stopped his car, let them go past the side road and then overtook them once they were past it?

Luckily as I overtook them they had gone past the side road.
Though I did wind my window down shouting "use the cycle path", "you don't pay road tax" and pass them within 6 inches of my wing mirror at 90mph whilst beeping my horn

 

[4F]

I spotted two cyclists pootling past the side road,

Glad you managed to judge their speed accurately this time

 

[cd365]

Isn't it stating the bleedin' obvious that a competent driver should have the ability to accurately judge how fast another road user is travelling? If you don't have this ability you need to learn it or stay off the road.

Plus every drivers spatial awareness should be to an incredibly high standard? Accurately judging how fast every other road user is going is very difficult and impossible for any person to say that they always get it right. I have already said in that instance I misjudged the cyclists speed, who hasn't misjudged anothers speed?

Basically what you are saying is that anyone who has ever misjudged the speed of another road user should stay off the road? Awesome, no one will ever use the roads, will save the country billions in repair bills.

 

[asterix]

That I have, that it is not always easy for a motorist to judge a cyclists speed so I will try to take that into account the next time I want to gesticulate to a passing motorist.

From this and your other posts I wonder if you are quite new to driving. In France recently qualified drivers display an 'A' on their cars.

This has interesting effects and appears to divide such drivers into 2 groups:

1. those who drive carefully and well. Any errors they make through inexperience will be mitigated by their cautious speed and tendency to slow down in case of danger.

2. those who resent the implication and drive fast and dangerously in order to show that despite the 'A' they are a superb driver. They overtake even on blind bends and the crests of hills!

Fortunately 1 is less common than 2 and 2 usually calms down after a while.

 

[cd365]

Glad you managed to judge their speed accurately this time

Only cause they had hi-vis and helmets on

 

[cd365]

From this and your other posts I wonder if you are quite new to driving.

I have been driving over 20 years, have a full clean licence, and have passed the advanced motorcycle training and have been riding motorbikes for over 20 years too.

Some of my comments have been tongue in cheek which you seem to have missed