SMIDSY isn't just for bicycles

[guitarpete247]

I was on the way to work a couple of weeks ago approaching this junction. 2 cars were coming towards me. 1st indicated left and turned into side road. 2nd came on towards me when Discovery waiting to come out of junction on the right pulled out. It hit the car which swerved into middle of road heading towards me. Only just swerved back in time to avoid hitting me.
This is a junction I am dreading having to cross if I do start commuting.
2nd accident I saw in less than 7 days in this short stretch of Watling Street. 1st was lorry pulling out of here into the path of an Eddy Stobart.

 

[Jim_Noir]

I was in Morrisons today and a woman ran her trolley into me and said "Sorry mat I didn't see you"... was my fault as I was in black with no lights.

 

[Foghorn_leghorn]

Perhaps your visibility would be increased if on the rear of your vehicle you had an enlarged version of your avatar?

Nah, that would be a big advert in favour of a rear end shunt!

 

[tyred]

I had a strange one yesterday evening while driving out of a car park. There were two women walking towards me, talking to each other, one was pushing a pram. They were walking on the road so to speak even though there was a perfectly good footpath. I slowed down, they kept coming. I stopped. She then hit the front of my car with the pram. Guess what, she said, "sorry, I didn't see you!" How can you not see a bright blue car with dipped headlights from point blank range when it is directly in front of you?

 

[Jezston]

Driving along this morning (yes, I was using my car) at 30 mph, in a 30 limit, following another car with nothing in front of it .....

There was a small van waiting to come out of a side road. As the car in front got close the van suddenly came out. Loud crunch noise followed, lots of braking. I missed the back of the one in front by a good 50mm.

I got out to see if anyone needed help. The driver of the van was getting out of his passenger door. The driver of the car in front seemed OK but couldn't get out.

A great deal of force later the driver's door of the car in front of me came open, so did the van driver's mouth. Out of it came those immortal words "Sorry Mate I Didn't See You".

This was from someone who'd been waiting, being approached by a Renault Megane painted bright red, with its dipped lights on. I just managed to stop myself either saying something rude or laughing.

Better not put any more down in case I have to appear later as a witness, other than to say that fortunately the only physical injuries to the people were some cuts and bruises.

There are times when I wonder if it's safe to go out on the roads, not just on a bike but at all. In the words of Dad's Army's Private James Frazer, "We're all doomed I tell ye".

This is why I find it annoying the media with their coverage of camera-cyclists seems to be focusing on a 'war' between motorists and cyclists.

We should be pushing that cyclists want more done about idiots on the road, no matter what form of transport they use, the same ones that cut up, tailgate and cause 'accidents' with other motorists - because those idiots aren't just a threat to our insurance premiums, they are also a serious threat to all of our lives.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I had a strange one yesterday evening while driving out of a car park. There were two women walking towards me, talking to each other, one was pushing a pram. They were walking on the road so to speak even though there was a perfectly good footpath. I slowed down, they kept coming. I stopped. She then hit the front of my car with the pram. Guess what, she said, "sorry, I didn't see you!" How can you not see a bright blue car with dipped headlights from point blank range when it is directly in front of you?

Because you're thinking about something else, nattering to your mate, concentrating on the occupant of the pram, or whatever. It's understandable, if slightly irritating, and is why it's not enough for cyclists to simply be visible at night: we have to actually SHOUT about our presence on the road, thereby attracting the attention of the dozier end of the motoring spectrum.

I speak as someone who inadvertently ran a red (not amber) light in an artic a few weeks back, not because I was in a hurry but because I was looking at something further up the road and never even noticed the traffic lights. How can anyone miss a big disc of bright red LEDs on a ten foot tall pole? Well, I did.

 

[HLaB]

Its going back a while now, but I remember sitting in my car at the queue to the Old Forth Road Toll Bridge; the one that was there every morning and night! When a 4x4 came into the back of me; you guessed it SMIDSY. So yes SMIDSY isn't just for bicycles but the difference is whilst my car had a small dent in the bumper, if I had been on a bike it would have hurt a lot more

 

[tyred]

It just begs the question about what can be done to reduce road accidents as everyone is capable of lapse of concentration.

 

[benb]

It just begs the question about what can be done to reduce road accidents as everyone is capable of lapse of concentration.

The sooner we have cars controlled by computer the better.

 

[BSRU]

The sooner we have cars controlled by computer the better.

As long as it not running a Microsoft operating system.

 

[BSRU]

When you've seen someone pull out in front of a Police car, with headlights flashing, blue lights on and sirens blaring all you can do is hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

But it happens, because we're human. Because you've seen it happen doesn't make it common. I'm a pretty good driver and I can count on the finger of one hand the number of times I've run a red light because I just didn't see it over the last 22 years, but anyone standing by the Bristol Road in Gloucester two weeks ago who happened to watch me go blithely sailing through, hitting the brakes when (far too late) I realised what I'd done might conclude "look at that, bloody lorry drivers, always jumping red lights". Which is fair enough, but inaccurate: it's not a thing I make a habit of doing, and I'm usually very good at driving well ahead of myself, slowig down well in advance without using the brakes, and so forth.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

But it happens, because we're human. Because you've seen it happen doesn't make it common. I'm a pretty good driver and I can count on the finger of one hand the number of times I've run a red light because I just didn't see it over the last 22 years, but anyone standing by the Bristol Road in Gloucester two weeks ago who happened to watch me go blithely sailing through, hitting the brakes when (far too late) I realised what I'd done might conclude "look at that, bloody lorry drivers, always jumping red lights". Which is fair enough, but inaccurate: it's not a thing I make a habit of doing, and I'm usually very good at driving well ahead of myself, slowig down well in advance without using the brakes, and so forth.

And I should add, this is exactly what I'd have concluded if I'd been standing on the pavement watching myself ...

 

[asterix]

Yes, I am still reliving the moment when just outside Orleans having stopped at Carrefours (cr4p hypermarket) to grab a sandwich, at the first roundabout I pinched the outer lane a bit. In the mirror I saw this driver on the offside having to stop rather sharpish. It's those dodgy Brits in their RH drives, they probably thought.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

And again, SMIDSY isn't just for bicycles...yep, the first words the driver says...

The comment at the end sums up why

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]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqnRIeRT2hs[/media]