the other day at work, I nipped out at lunch to grab a butty, was in the queue when I heard a scream.

turned to see a big contruction lorry (rigid type with open top metal body for carrying rubble) pulling over and the driver running to see the cyclist he'd just crushed against some railing by turning too tight.

tons of people started helping, cutting his clothes off etc.

Now obviously that was horrible, and I really felt for the poor guy lying on the floor, but what really got me mad was this guy who walks over, gets his camera out, takes a photo of the poor sod on the floor and walks off smiling.

I didn't quite realise what he had done at first, but as I stood there thinking about I realised that I;d seen it right!

Ambulance turned up and rushed the guy off, who later died of his injuries. 25 years old and leaves his girlfriend.

Makes me want to hunt down the sicko and punch him in the nose!

No doubt his pictures will be on some website. As for punch on the nose its not enough.

I'm a fairly new cyclist and, I will admit, still a bit of a big girls blouse when it comes to cars and traffic.
Incidents like this make me realise that there is real potential for it all to go horribly wrong.

I was recently asked to do a charity ride - Glasgow to Edinburgh and in the process of agonising over whether or not to do it, I asked another friend who is much more seasoned than I am if he wanted to do it too. He flat out refused as the roads are too dangerous and he stays to the canal paths and cycle paths.

This story kind of makes me want to stick with that cautious approach.

I know what your saying Zil - its city riding that is the problem imo. Those metal railing mean you have no where to go if a bus or similar doesn't give you enough room.

I commuted for years on a push bike and was fine, but it doesn't stop you thinking about the poor bloke seeing the lorry side getting closer and having no where to go - it must have been a terrifying few seconds

I'm cycling quite a lot at the moment and the risks are very high in traffic as drivers not respecting cyclists space needs is a huge problem. The classics are people trying to get past you as you come out to overtake a parked car and drivers overtaking you and turning left accross your path - which is scarily common.

I can't comment on this particular incident - but I have seen cyclists dive into spaces where they shouldn't ever go. Maybe the cyclist wasn't there when the lorry started his turn?

I know that if there's a large lorry on the inside lane of a roundabout I won't go past him on the outer (nearest the roundabout) lane as I know that the middle of the trailer will take part of my road space.

As for the photographer - sounds like a swift kicking is in order!

One of my fathers drivers had a woman under his truck, she had tried undertaking when the truck was stopped at some traffic lights at a point where the n/s kerb was high. Cyclist injury/death's are fairly common in Cambridge with a high percentage being students from abroad . I know what you mean about the guy with the camera

give him 1 from me 2!!

I use Cars, Motorbikes, Cycles and walk in London, and i can honestly say that most cyclists are oblivious to the dangers such as the ones below.

Ive seen a similar incident on London Wall where a cyclist whent under the wheels of a dust cart because he tried to squeeze past between the lorry and the kurb, but didnt make it to the front before the lights went green.

It does annoy me that the arrogance of Cyclists often puts them in danger of either being injured, or damaging someones car - which of course they are not insured to repair.
That doesnt mean that im saying the poor guy got what was coming to him, far from it, but the Driver / Cyclist relationship is far from rosy mostly because of what ive said above.

On the flip side, ive also seen cars deliberately endangering cyclists or not even aware of their presence. This is a failing on the drivers part, as he/she should be aware of their surroundings before moving off. - Remember the mirror procedure from when you passed your test?

Anyway, thats my bit said. All we can do is learn from it, and pray for the family - if thats what youre into. A poor shame.

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Originally posted by Dangle_kt
I commuted for years on a push bike and was fine, but it doesn't stop you thinking about the poor bloke seeing the lorry side getting closer and having no where to go - it must have been a terrifying few seconds

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I've been a regular cyclist for a long time. Training 400 miles a week in the past when racing and regular commuter in traffic.

That sort of accident is all too common. Let's assume the driver didn't overtake and turn left (common) and the cyclist went down the inside of the vehicle (common), it still shouldn't happen but trucks have a lot of blind spots. The latest cars are almost as bad for visability.

I know from previous threads on here there's a few who are cycling regularly. So here's my rules for riding in traffic.
DON'T overtake down the inside of moving traffic.
DON'T go down the inside of a stationary vehicle (indicating or not) unless you can get past the front of it (ie. don't get stuck on the inside of a truck, in its blind spot).
DON'T go through red lights, ride on pavements or the wrong way down one-way streets.
DON'T antagonise drivers (you know what would annoy you)
DO overtake on the outside.
DO wear bright clothing.
DO use lots of lights with good batteries especially at dusk/dawn (LED lights dim a lot as the bat's get low).
DO acknowledge other drivers courtesy and your mistakes.
DO assume everybody wants to kill you, will under-estimate your speed, turn without indicating, etc.

I could go on but thats the lift savers. Personally I find very heavy traffic safer than light/medium traffic; I'm fastest then so the danger is generally in front where I can see it, not coming up behind.

adrian

ps. if you do ride regularly, join the CTC or BritshCycling and you'll get third party insurance as part of the membership.

[Edited on 15/8/09 by adithorp]

I feel for the driver and the cyclist. The photographer is just another sick Fu**er that this society appears happy to put up with

I'm with the rest of the folk on here who can't understand why cyclists undertake you. I mean for a start its a motoring offence ( unlees you're signalling right) . Many cyclists ( i'd say 85%) put/get themselves into stupid situations on the road.
I once had a cyclist come up the inside of me while i was sitting at lights ( out of gear and handbrake on). He thought he'd be smart and nip left under a red light. His brake lever hit my door mirror and threw him over the handle bar ( TWAT) the police at the other side of the lights seen it all happen.

"... I mean for a start its a motoring offence ( unlees you're signalling right).."

It's also an offence to do over 30 in a 30 zone...or manouver with out checking it's safe to do so...or...

However a few years ago a cyclist was prosecuted for this and the Judge ruled that it was legal to undertake in queing traffic where 2 or more lane were moving at different speeds...and if there was room for the cyclist then that constituted a lane. Not sure on that myself but either way, it's not a capital offence and the driver isn't enpowered to be judge, jury and exocutioner!

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It's also an offence to do over 30 in a 30 zone...or manouver with out checking it's safe to do so...or... However a few years ago a cyclist was prosecuted for this and the Judge ruled that it was legal to undertake in queing traffic where 2 or more lane were moving at different speeds...and if there was room for the cyclist then that constituted a lane. Not sure on that myself but either way, it's not a capital offence and the driver isn't enpowered to be judge, jury and exocutioner!

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Agreed. I have close calls with cyclists myself and I'm aware of the danger.

As a driver I don't asume cyclists are going to follow the "rules" but then as a cyclist (or driver) I don't assume drivers will either!

Assume people want to kill you and if they don't it's because they haven't seen you!

adrian

Last week there was a guy who committed suicide in Leicester. He somehow managed to strangle himself using a window which was on the 7th floor of a tower block. Apparently people were taking pictures with their phones.
Pretty damn sick.
I wonder if they would like it if one of their family members copped it and passers by were taking pictures?

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Originally posted by omega 24 v6
I'm with the rest of the folk on here who can't understand why cyclists undertake you. I mean for a start its a motoring offence ( unlees you're signalling right) .

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Worst offenders round here are stationary buses that pull away as soon as they indicate without looking in mirror or to side. I have been passing them a few times and had to bang on the side to be noticed. I hate adult cyclists who use the pavement in built up areas but I see why they do it rather than risk life and limb.

These are similar arguments to the ones to be had for Scooters and riders on "L" plates.

I regularly see some horriffic riding from inexperienced scooter riders, which endangers them, cyclists, and other motorists.

You shoulnt be allowed to ride a motorised bike (whatever size) on L Plates. Its too dangerous for everyone else, as well as your self.

I wouldnt want to ride a bicycle in the city any more though. Every day, there is a near miss of some description unfolding in front of you.

I think a major problem cyclists have is that we're treated as (at best) 2nd class citizens.

I find a lot of less confident riders are forced into the gutters by bad drivers, which makes the riding harder and less safe - risk of clipping kerb, having to pull out to dodge drains, idiots etc, then back in to avoid the bad drivers.

As such, you end up with people who can just about ride a bike weaving in and out, concentrating on trying to say upright, rather than on the road and staying alive.

Course, there are just idiots who ride stupid and don't give themselves escape routes, there's no way to account for another human's stupidity, especially if they're in a car.

Whenever possible at lights and in towns I put myself into the traffic, not hugging the kerb and trying to get ahead, drivers don't seem to like it much, but I'd rather they know I'm there (and hate me a bit) than not, and kill me.

this is probably it

Tragic story for the cyclist and the lorry driver and all related, and I'll comment if ever all the details are known.

Cyclists have the same rights as motorists on the road (irrespective of insurance/rfl issues) - to the extent that if you are hit by a car pushing a bike across a pelican crossing, you will be treated as a vehicle, not as a pedestrian.

As for undertaking, you are perfectly entitled to do so so long as the vehicles you are undertaking are going slower than the limit - eg if you're on a motorway and the traffic in lanes 2 & 3 are doing less than 70 (ie through congestion) you are perfectly entitled to do 70 in lane 1, resulting in a legal undertake.

Filtering past traffic is fine on a bike to. The only rule that applies is "if you get it out, make sure you can get it in".

Ie, if you filter down the outside, or do a bit of offsiding, then make sure there is a gap you can get back into, without antagonizsing anyone.

ATB

Simon

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As for undertaking, you are perfectly entitled to do so so long as the vehicles you are undertaking are going slower than the limit - eg if you're on a motorway and the traffic in lanes 2 & 3 are doing less than 70 (ie through congestion) you are perfectly entitled to do 70 in lane 1, resulting in a legal undertake.

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Originally posted by omega 24 v6
I'd be interested to read where you got that from as IMHO and my understanding of the highway code is that you can/should undertake ONLY if the vehicle is signalling right.

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Originally posted by omega 24 v6

The grey area for me is that a bike can (has the space) to undertake within the same lane as the car it is undertaking even though it is NOT signalling right.

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