Was filtering down Myreside Road this morning. When the lights changed, the car in front failed to move. Turned out the driver was engrossed in a novel. Makes a change from smartphones I suppose.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11258 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 4 years ago #
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There is literally no hope for the justice system.
Posted 4 years ago # -
'Sheriff Gillian Wade found the charge not proven and said: “I found this a very difficult case to deal with."'
Wait a minute, it's difficult so you just brush it aside? Surely the fact he was on the wrong side of the carriageway and smashed into 2 vehicles is enough to be dangerous driving. Whether he was asleep or not is irrelevant.
Posted 4 years ago # -
The driver claims that he "blacked out", rather than fell asleep, so there was nothing he could have done to prevent it happening. I have no idea how plausible that is, or how one would prove whether he "blacked out" or fell asleep.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Ah, the Queen Street dustbin lorry defence.
So long as it doesn't subsequently emerge that he had experienced previous similar episodes and not declared them...
In the case of the Great Heck rail crash, the prosecution produced evidence showing that the defendant had stayed up the previous night talking to another party on the phone. Presumably the police could have looked for evidence of possible sleep deprivation in this case; I've no idea whether they did.
(It is fortunate for me that I don't make a living driving heavy vehicles, or trains, or flying aircraft. With my irregular sleep patterns I'd be having to declare myself unfit to work every other day.)
Posted 4 years ago # -
I think it should be fairly easy to prove that he has suffered previous episodes of 'sleep' and is knowingly prone to them when overtired.
Posted 4 years ago # -
If the guilty charge can't be proven based on the driver stating they experienced blackouts then presumably until there is a medical explanation their driving licence should be revoked. Yet more evidence we live in a crooked society.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@acsimpson - just in case you missed it, the article does mention that his license was suspended for a while (doesn't say how long, but obviously less than 18 months):
"Whyte said he had undergone numerous medical tests, but they had been inconclusive and he had not suffered any similar blackouts since and had his driving licence restored."
Posted 4 years ago # -
Hopefully that means he won't be employed in a similar capacity again. Unfortunately a lack of employment doesn't make us safe.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yesterday evening I was approaching the Robin's Nest pub on Gilmerton Road, heading South.
There were two cars in front of me and then another cyclist, who was in a weak primary position (Slightly left of centre) and moving relatively slowly (10-15 mph). One driver floored it and overtook the cyclist, and then the cyclist moved about a metre further right to move into the filter lane turning right in Ellen's Glen Road without indicating - it's not usually possible to indicate at this point, since the road is so badly potholed that you need both hands on the handlebars - particularly if you're going slowly.
The remaining driver took issue with this and honked at her, and then undertook her and stopped in front of her in the filter lane.
I honked back in return (airzound), but unfortunately I think the cyclist who was now in front of me thought I was also honking at her. I shouted to the driver (a pensioner, who now had their driver's side window wound down) that "I've got a horn as well, whee!" and that she "needs to re-take her test", and then apologised to the cyclist and pointed out that she did nothing wrong and how much it annoys me when people try to overtake at junctions, abuse their horn, and cut in like that.
The driver went off up Ellen's Glen Road somewhere, and we both waited for a few seconds to make the turn, by which point the driver was long gone.Annoyingly my front camera died in the rain last week and I'm still waiting on the replacement. The rear footage doesn't show anything of relevance, and the audio is too poor to be of interest.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Turning right while going uphill on Gilmerton Road is not easy. I totally failed yesterday and just had to stop at the kerb to let the thundering herd past.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I hate that right turn into Ellen's Glen for exactly that reason. I try to keep out in the centre from about the front door of the Robin's nest, and indicate from there. Unfortunately if you're in strong primary you run the risk of cars heading into town running into you because they veer out past the parked cars. I'd say about 1 time in 4 I get overtaken on that right turn filter, whilst indicating right.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Road surface on Gilmerton Road is dangerous especially in that area, but apparently not bad enough to be fixed. I agree, all this signalling stuff is fine with a decent road surface. And of course, motorists in a self=induced rush often give no allowance to cyclists for road surfaces or anything else.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Road surface on Gilmerton Road is dangerous especially in that area, but apparently not bad enough to be fixed.
I was told in November that resurfacing on that stretch would begin in January. I've now asked what's happening.
Posted 4 years ago # -
if you're in strong primary you run the risk of cars heading into town running into you
The centre-line there has been worn away....
Posted 4 years ago # -
The guy yesterday evening in the transit van with a trailer, driving over a blind bend, into bright, low sun, steering with his wrists and clutching a phone in both hands. It looked like he was recording a video of the car in front.
Heading West along Craig's Road, just before it meets Maybury Road (as he came over the hill). If my camera wasn't broken, I'm sure it would have been clearly visible, since the sun was behind me and clearly lighting the back of the phone.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I cycled 20 odd miles in Midlothian today and only shouted at one driver; a minor miracle given that I was on some of the busiest roads. Said driver decided to overtake at ~40mph with oncoming traffic.
Later, I was filtering past the long line of traffic queueing in the bus lane on Ferniehill Drive. A lorry driver apparently saw me in their wing mirror as they suddenly started steering right to let me past. When I turned round to wave thanks I realised they were actually texting and paying no attention to me whatsoever.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I've been pootling out through Dalmeny Estate to South Queensferry, Winchburgh, Broxburn and then back along the canal recently. Mostly off road, and the sections that are on road are pretty free from traffic. Must less stressful than cycling through town as I usually do, but still yesterday I had two incidents that spoiled it for me.
First was at the King's Theatre junction, as I was turning right from Gilmore Place. Lights turned to green, a cyclist followed by a driver came out of Tarvit Street, heading straight over along Gilmore Place. The driver throught that a good time to overtake the cyclist was immediately after the junction, while he was alongside me (stopped in the ASL, indicating right). My outstretched right arm clipped his wing mirror as he cut the corner into the ASL (Though he didn't seem to notice).
Second was on Gilmerton Road, heading South at The Robin's Nest. I was turning right into Ellen's Glen Road, and was in the middle / right of the lane, but wasn't indicating because I was standing on my pedals and holding on for dear life over the awful pockmarked road surface.
White van man coming the other way (North on Gilmerton Road) decided that my cycling which didn't affect him in any way was in some way upsetting to him, so he blasted his horn, pointed towards the pub / gutter and shouted something which I can only assume was "I have an extremely small penis!" as he passed me. I would have pointed my middle finger skywards at him if I was able to cycle one handed, change gears, brake and turn at the same time.Posted 4 years ago # -
@edinburghcyclingcam, that is why I spotted you on canal near broxy where the surface was tarred then
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yup, that would probably have been me - I didn't spot you!
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yes, was a spot involving processing of your coupon and the black Tee shirt with red razor blade motif with young cider drinker of Summerhall.
Two of us, me on spesh Tricross and Tom on first version of spesh Sirrus with handlebar extensions.
Tom complaining of fixed wheel problems and gears crunching. Total fail after ravelrig hill which was lucky as he could push home.
The big question is where does the tarmAc end? Before starting again near Linlithgow?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Two zoomers this morning.
Tailgated, peeped at whilst in the city bound bus lane at Meadowbank by te driver of a wee Forth Demolition van. My lack of response to his horn use made him overtake me and cut across me to get into McDonalds Drive Through. Fingers crossed he falls victim of a staff hygiene issue.
A wee while later I squeeze in front of Taxi #699 who is occupying a large part of the Corstorphine bound cycle box at Morrison Street/Haymarket.
He then tried unsuccessfully to overtake me whilst I was attempting to shimmy right over both sets of tram tracks.
This clearly enraged him as when I signaled I'd move left into the bus lane he cut me up, yelled obscenities whilst alongside me and accused me of "zig-zagging" across the road.
If the tram tracks are deemed road, he was't wrong there.
Both zoomers have been reported.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Cycled back from the station, top of Bank Street a guy cuts across a cyclist heading up the Mound. Fluo jacket, obvious body-cam. She shrieks in terror and he yells 'F*** off!' as he speeds off, tyres chirping.
I got the same treatment from a guy blindly following the car in front, turned right in front of me on the 'quiet route' through the Grange-y bit of Sciennes. Told me he'd a dash-cam and I was tempted to get the cops to look at the footage. Then he offered to fight me but I declined.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Blue merc driver wearing an Edinburgh University top on Queen's Drive this morning, who must have been doing 40+ mph to overtake me, only to brake.
He got a blast of my air horn and then a certain digit extended in his direction, and then when he got stuck in traffic 10 seconds later he said "My speedometer's <rule 2>'d mate" when I asked if it was his brakes or his speedometer that's faulty. I'm amazed that I managed to resist the temptation to take a swing at his mirror - maybe my lack of recent incidents has been having a calming effect.
I'll be uploading that video and reporting him to Edinburgh University tonight / tomorrow (camera is back, hooray).
Posted 4 years ago # -
Two incidences this morning of drivers about to pull out from a side road into my path – and then realising they weren't going to make it in time as I hared towards them.
I don't often feel the need for my as-yet-unfinished dual horn setup in the torpedo, but I could've used it today.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@EdinburghCycleCam Fine for speeding... fine for broken speedometer... what's your preference sir? Both?! Excellent choice. :D
https://www.askthe.scottish.police.uk/content/Q601.htmPosted 4 years ago # -
The driver intentionally revving their engine behind me on Viewforth Bridge this morning who then overtook fast (but leaving a reasonable gap) when the road widened out again, only to join the traffic queue at the lights further down.
Posted 4 years ago # -
@LivD - Unfortunately the police need to catch the driver speeding with a speed camera to charge them - apparently even if you go bombing past a police car which is doing the speed limit, the police can't charge you with speeding. This is coming from officers who came to see a video of someone doing what I'd estimate to be 50 mph on Queen's Drive (I was doing 30 mph at the time). they said "He's clearly speeding, but unless we know the exact speed, we can't charge him".
I suspect that if the police did go and visit the driver, they'd find his speedometer is working perfectly, he's just an idiot - and I'm not going to waste their time on an idiot driver who wasn't actually driving dangerously (citation needed).
Posted 4 years ago # -
When I clicked on askpolice link!
Posted 4 years ago #
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