Need To Vent This Out Sorry

[laumk7]

On the way home from work I'm pottling along 20mph thanks to new restriction come to a usually busy mini roundabout in the dark...

... And nearly mow down a pedal cyclist crossing my path, no lights, no reflectors, no high vis, not even wearing light clothing or a light coloured bike! I really didn't see him at all until he was in front of my headlights!

I'm eating myself up over what could've happened considering his positioning in front of my car when I spotted him in his dark clothing and dark dirty bike in the dark...

Hopefully I didn't also just completely shred my brakes doing a full on emergency stop

I'm kinda on the side of cyclists on the road but when they don't even help themselves what can we do?

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

[Celticfan]

I had one the other day, just shot off from the pavement straight across the road without looking either way! Again, no lights or visibility aids.

At least I wasn't going too fast as most of our roads around here are 20mph.

Still a prat!

[Brigante]

I had the exact same thing the other day, cyclist drops of the pavement directly in front of my car diagonally across the lane. Emergency stop, almost rear ended and he then preceeded to purposly hold up the traffic by weaving side to side across the lane so no one could overtake.

We then come up to a red light and he mounts the kerb like a cyclist/pedestrian hybrid, pedals along the path the distance between the lights and drops back down onto the road just clear of the red light the queue of cars was still stuck at.

Green light and a few yards down the road stuck right back behind him weaving about the lane

[Phil 87]

Yeah I think some of them have a genuine death wish. I generally have no problem with cyclists if they make themselves visible and ride appropriately. I think the worst one I saw was a kid on a BMX riding slowly along a country road, in the middle of the road just after a blind corner

[jeebowhite]

I go with the mantra - if your not going to be seen then your playing chicken. I have this all the time where in the darkl, the ninja cyclist comes out, rides straight over a crossing. I must admit, in some cases I have seen them pap themselves!!! one day these idiots will push there luck once more. If I hit a cyclist in the dark - I have a dashcam to back it up. I would then push for compensation for repairs to my vehicle, and stress caused by there idiocy!

[Phil 87]

I suppose it's another reason to be extra vigilant at night because a ninja cyclist could appear from any shadow.

The worst example I know of was on a police show a while back, a drunk cyclist with no lights or reflectors was riding along an unlit dual carriageway at night, and was hit by a girl in a Mini. She didn't see the cyclist because this happened on a bend, and thought she hit an animal or something. I think she got to her parents' house with a smashed windscreen and her dad called the police, who then turned up and said it wasn't an animal but a cyclist she hit, and he had died.

I don't think she was charged for anything because it was the cyclist's fault, riding drunk and invisible on a dual carriageway at night. I don't know who to feel more sorry for though, I mean that could have ruined the girl's life knowing that she killed someone, even if there's nothing she could have done differently.

[jeebowhite]

I remember that episode quite well! she handed herself in at the station I think is the only thing one of us may have remembered differently, but yeah, she left a piece of the headlight chrome at the scene.

As you say though, drunk ninja on a cycle, pitch black, unsuitable roads - she was let off with nothing more than horror in her eyes and a lot of sleepless nights.

[B13]

Poor girl!

:(

My bike is matt black, so even during the day, I wear bright colours and/or reflective gear. Same with horse riding: be safe, be seen.

Numpty cyclists drive me NUTS!! I've been cycling for years, pay road tax and do everything I can to obey the rules of the road. Be it in the van, on my bike or on a horse.

Sent from Ye Olde iPadde using Ford OC

[jeebowhite]

I must admit I'm. Y youth as a cyclist I was more reluctant of obeying every Road rule, things like red lights I would advance and sneak through or I would get flashed by a speed camera, but I always did what I could to be seen. If if was daytime u would wear an open work shirt of bright colours so it flapped around (rather than reflective) but I was seen, I would always wear a pair of trouser clips that where reflective and had all lights and reflectors present. At night, I would wear more reflectors and even an open flapping reflector shirt to draw more attention.

It doesn't take much, but if you want to get home that night, it doesn't cost much to buy this stuff. If you are a cheapskate, go on the likes of alibaba, might take a month to get here but I recon you could kit yourself out with all safety gear for under a tenner

[Figgis41]

Id look at the facts of your quick reactions, and you were wise enough to stick to the 20mph in that area saved a complete fool from a bad accident, i would not beat myself up about someone elses short comings and hopefully the chap on the bike saw some sense and got some kind of lighting after his near miss.

[MattDRX]

When there is deer in the road? Seriously proper agging subject. Loathe cyclists right now. Screamed at one the other day for cycling on the path, pressing the button at the traffic light not waiting for it to go red and just leaps across the other path. Prick. Run him over next time.