This made me jump this morning. I was shaking for the next couple of minutes!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11253 posts)- Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
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Posted 9 years ago #
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@Kenny that was a bit scary. Unfortunately very common.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Kenny I come along there every day and have had similar experiences with buses although they dont go by quite as quickly! I now position myself further to the right to prevent them doing that. Of course I now get grief from cars for "hogging" the bus lane.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Yeah, this is why I try to position myself in the middle of the lane, @CJC / @paul.mag, to try to prevent such a thing happening. However, apparently I need to be in an even more primary position!
Posted 9 years ago # -
Stasi or not, there should be zero tolerance of aggressive driving from commercial drivers.
For taxis, report them to licensing@edinburgh.gov.uk
For others, report them to their employers.
Why? For the sake of the children.
My 14 year old daughter had a taxi driver try and push her off the road this afternoon. She was too shaken to get the details. She pulled over, composed herself and returned home safely.
So for her sake, and the sake of us all, report the aggression or carelessness of commercial drivers even if you feel you're big enough to cope with the occasional close pass.
Robert
Posted 9 years ago # -
Roibeard - that sounds awful. I know when I'm really shaken I'm often not composed enough to get details... I hope your daughter is ok, along with the rest of your family...
Posted 9 years ago # -
No video for either of today's incidents.
On a group ride this morning, 13 of us two abreast, somewhere out east of Edinburgh on a reasonably straight road. Car attempts to overtake us, despite another car coming towards him. He realises just in time that he's not going to make it when he's nearing the head of our group, and slams the brakes on, as does the car coming towards him. They stopped less than 10 metres from each other, head-on, somehow avoiding a collision and also avoiding slamming into the side of us. Much shaking of heads from group of cyclists.
Then this afternoon, I'm walking the dogs, going across a pedestrian crossing near the foot of Drum Brae South, next to Templeland Road. I wait for it to go red, and then start to cross. Car coming up the hill stops. Bus coming down the hill slowing down on inside lane. All looking good, I'm walking over the crossing on the green man. Then I notice a red car flying down towards me, completely unaware that his light is red. I spot this, so pull the dogs back and stop in the middle of the road. Red car then spots me and somehow emergency stops with screeching tyres, coming to a halt inside the crossing. Expletives quietly uttered by me, as I continue on my way...
I don't think I'll go out again today.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I'm not having a good time of it at the moment. This morning's event was captured on camera, and thankfully I anticipated what was about to happen so had the brakes on nice and early.
Heading along the empty bus lane on St. John's Road going into town, there's a fellow cyclist ahead of me. Cars queued on right. Car up ahead turning right across us into side road on our left, nearly doesn't see cyclist ahead, but thankfully they stopped as cyclist swerved, anticipating car not stopping. I see bike swerving, and anticipate that the car will now go for it; which it does. Brakes on, swerve round back of it.
Car windows looked very misted up towards the back, so I suspect the driver couldn't see properly.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Blue Ford Focus FH07 OUF driving along Grassmarket this morning, playing a game on his phone. Caught it on camera, but it's not very clear. Did get a bit angry with just how stupid his actions were. Felt I should have kept my cool with him.
I'm not sure it's worth reporting as the footage isn't very good, and I'm very busy today.Posted 9 years ago # -
Several vehicles driving too close and changing lanes without indicating heading up the hill to the roundabout at Picardy Place from Leith. Quite threatening. So much so that the cyclist ahead of me just bailed and started walking his bike. Instead I made use of my SQA BSL Level 2 to indicate my feelings using both manual and non-manual signals.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Driver of dark coloured estate car was so annoyed that my presence had caused them to be unable to overtake a stationary bus that they then accelerated past me and bus as bus was pulling away from the stop. The car was on the wrong side of the road, at speed, for what felt like a long time. No danger to me personally, but jaw-droppingly scary aggressive driving. (I wonder if bus drivers report stuff like this, given that they should have footage of it?)
Posted 9 years ago # -
Blue Citroën estate last night going east along Lower Granton Road whizzed past with very little spare room. The "WAAAAAAAAY TOO CLOSE" as it went past must have been heard by the child on the left back seat, which was peering back at me along Starbank Road. Fortunately the driver's window was also slightly open for the "MORE SPACE NEXT TIME, PLEASE" when the motor traffic finally reached a standstill at the Craighall Road roundabout.
Posted 9 years ago # -
abus joinery van who nearly took me out while I waited behind Murray Moves van at intersection admiring its 'cyclists stay awesome' sticker...
Murray moves starting moving forward slowly (there was a cyclist in front of him too, i think) as the lights changed, when the Abus joinery massive side mirror appeared inches from my head. as in, i looked straight in the window and let out an expletive.
one of those times when overtaking on the left and getting into the ASZ would have been a good idea, if only the cycle lane wasn't blocked with a 'roadworks ahead' sign....
Posted 9 years ago # -
Wee grey Smart, which spent too long hesitating behind me before deciding that there was sufficient time/space to get around me before a traffic-island-pinch-point on Saughtonhall Drive, when there was not.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I suppose I should have realised that the car that ran a red light behind me as turned right from Colinton Road onto Myreside Road last night would be the kind of driver who would then overtake me just as I was trying to pull our round the first set of parked cars on Myreside Road. They came so close and so late that I had to brake hard to avoid hitting the parked cars.
Posted 9 years ago # -
This morning, it wasn't exactly "rubbish" driving but I had a serious hit due to a car right-turning into me on the junction of Slateford Road and Hutchison Crossway. As I was driving along the red cycle lane, the car appeared out of a gap in the slow-moving traffic and ran, or tried to run, right through me. The trike is pretty crushed, of course and unusable. The police turned up, took statements, and said that they'd like to see the video footage which shows the whole thing. The car driver was really nice, quite apologetic, and said that he hadn't seen me (because a recumbent trike is very low, I believe him) and I certainly hadn't seen him until the last instant. So it's not really "rubbish driving" but a really nasty accident. The hospital say nothing is broken but I'm certainly in pain. If I had been on a normal upright bike, it wouldn't have protected me from the front of the car and I'd be totally flat. Of course, maybe he'd have seen me if I'd been on a normal bike ..
Posted 9 years ago # -
My daughter is reading the blog with me .. I see above, a post, anticipation is key. Yes it is, and if I had anticipated more what was to happen this morning, I wouldn't be writing this. I'll definitely try to learn something from it ..
Posted 9 years ago # -
Not a good week for CCE-ers.
Very sorry to hear this alan. Glad it was not worse, but very sad to hear you are in pain and trike is write-off.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@alanr that is terrible. Hope you recover well and get new trike and any new kit needed out of the driver's insurance.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Thanks so much for your kind thoughts - not really sure what to do diffferent in future .. after all, I was in the bike lane and yes, there was a gap to my right in the traffic, but if I were to slow or stop every time one of those happened in rush-hour traffic, I'd never get anywhere .. I'll need to have a think what to do better in future. Maybe I should upload the collision video (just the collision part) to say youtube and CCE-ers could advise what to do different - what does everyone think?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Alan, really sorry to hear about the way your day turned out. For what it's worth, while nerves are thin and hearts are racing, I'd keep your video out of the public gaze until you have a resolution to the incident, so that nothing in your case is jeopardised.
And for what it's worth, the standard of driving from motorists this week has been shocking. I don't know if there's something in the water. Mostly it's pure, unadulterated impatience on their part.
It's as though a bicycle—indeed, the strangest form being mine—instills a lack of recognition in the driver, whose own sense of presence on the road is then jarred by the nonconformance, invoking a head-down, tight-chested, press-the-accelerator primal response. Escapism on their part might be indistinguishable from a testosterone-fuelled superiority complex.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@alanr really sorry to hear of your crash and I hope you recover soon. It does sound like it qualifies as rubbish driving: drivers must have an obligation to look properly before carrying out a manoeuvre.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Another cyclist seriously injured this morning near South Quensferry, doesn't look good...
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1488610424728468&id=1396473497275495
Posted 9 years ago # -
@alanr - I am in no way victim blaming here, because clearly you were not in the wrong, but I do agree with your daughter that anticipation is key. I can't quite decide whether your comment is referring to my post / video or not, but either way, I always try to be paranoid and anticipate everyone doing something stupid - that goes for drivers, cyclists, peds, dogs, _everyone_.
The thing is, no amount of anticipation will avoid all incidents, so it is impossible to know whether you could have avoided the situation this morning. Also, as you rightly say, if you were to slow down at every potential situation, then you'd never get anywhere!
I for one would be interested in seeing the video.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Another cyclist seriously injured this morning near South Quensferry
Phew - a quick check to ensure someone I know from SQ who would have been there at that time has identified that they did indeed post a Strava ride after getting to work this morning. therefore it can't be them. Fingers crossed to whoever it is.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Thanks all for your kind thoughts. I would like to put the crash sequence up at some point, if only to learn, what could I have done differently? That's one of the great virtues of headcam footage, training yourself in doing it better. Fortunately, the video makes it clear that the driver is not at all a bad guy, but rather a good guy. However, I guess I'll have to get video-editing software to just cut out the crash sequence, because the whole video is 20 mins long, and the crash takes all of 5 seconds. I'll look into it.
Posted 9 years ago # -
And obviously, my thoughts go out to all the other crash-victims of today, and indeed this week. I hope they're no worse injured than I am.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Quite a sequence here of CCE near misses, falls and then Alanr's trike strike.
Can see that this is where bike lane leaves bus lane and changes direction slightly. Also note that the centre of the road has no filter lane and cross hatchings on this screen shot. But right turn is allowed?
Hutchison Crossway / Slateford Road by LaidBackBikes, on FlickrPosted 9 years ago # -
Yes, indeed, right-turn is allowed. And that is precisely where the accident happened. Thanks for putting this up. That piece of road certainly needs careful watching; in the last six months I've had one or two slightly scary moments but this is the first full-power crash I've ever had. I wouldn't recommend it ..
Posted 9 years ago # -
I go down that bus lane then bike lane very regularly. No excuse really for the driver as if no traffic out to alanr's right then clear view of him. Just blind to the bike I am afraid to conclude.
Sun was quite blinding tonight but not sure about this morning. Not a great place to be trying to turn right.
Posted 9 years ago #
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