On 20/05/2015 18:00, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 17:53, Mrcheerful wrote:
On 20/05/2015 17:34, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 17:14, Mrcheerful wrote:
On 20/05/2015 17:10, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 16:28, Mrcheerful wrote:
On 20/05/2015 15:32, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 15:18, Mrcheerful wrote:
On 20/05/2015 13:25, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 13:08, Mrcheerful wrote:
On 20/05/2015 10:44, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 09:47, Mrcheerful wrote:
On 20/05/2015 09:08, Bod wrote:
On 20/05/2015 09:02, Mrcheerful wrote:
Recumbent rider failed to notice the likelihood of a car door
opening,
failed to pass sufficiently wide and due to his type of
machine
and
its
condition, fell off and died. Viable transport?

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/...e-died-9290908














Hmm! The lady said "Mrs Jackson said: “I consider myself to
be a
careful and competent driver. I feel very sorry that the
cyclist
died
but don’t think there’s anything I could have done
different to
avoid
this accident.”

How about looking before opening her door?
She *obviously* caused the accident by her
carelessness.

Recumbents are very low to the ground and would be easy to miss
with a
quick glance in a mirror.
The cyclist was also careless, he would have seen the vehicle
stop
and
would know that the likelihood is that a door will open soon
after, he
failed to allow enough room or stopping distance to avoid the
possibility, his machine was of such a type and in such poor
condition
that he left it all too late to slow, stop or otherwise avoid
the
obvious obstacle.

"a quick glance"!?
Unlike you, I look *very* carefully before opening my car doors.
She was to blame, unless you strangely consider that the
accident
would've happened even if she hadn't opened the door?
She opened her door carelessly, resulting in his death.
How you can side with her is beyond me.

I do not side with her. She failed to look enough, however the
cyclist
could also have avoided the incident by being more observant. As
the
most vulnerable one he needed to take the most care, yet he
clearly
did
not.

How on earth can a cyclist avoid a car door suddenly being opened
when
you're a few feet away from the door and travelling at around
15mph?
I've had several close calls like that when I've been cycling.
Car drivers are notorious for not seeing cyclists and not just
door
openings, but many don't look properly at junctions. I've had many
just
pull out dangerously because they haven't seen me. They only seem
to be
looking out for cars etc. Too much of a hurry and not enough care.


It is called anticipation and is a part of defensive
driving/riding.
The
cyclist is the vulnerable one and will usually be hurt in any
collision,
why on earth would the cyclist not do everything in his power to
make
his journey safer? Relying upon other people to be perfect is not
the
way to travel safely when using any form of road transport. Saying
its
someone else's fault does not help when you are dead or seriously
injured.

I always try to anticipate, but it's not always possible to
anticipate
car doors suddenly opening. If you cycled, you'd know what I mean.


If you cannot anticipate that the driver's door is likely to open
soon
after a car has pulled up, then perhaps you should not be using the
roads.

A safe speed and machine coupled with a suitable distance from the
car
would mean that cyclist would likely still be alive.


So tell me how you stay a doors width away from parked cars when
you're
driving your car and the road is just not wide enough without going
over
the white centre line?

You stay at a speed that will allow you to stop, you observe whether
there are people in the cars that might open a door, you use the
horn if
needed.

Come on! you know that is not always possible. I've been driving for
over 50 years and have *never* had an accident, BUT I've had a lot of
close calls in cars. I don't believe that you've never driven close to
parked cars out of necessity on narrow roads in traffic doing about 30
mph.
In that situation, if a driver justs decides to open their door when you
are within a few yards of their door and the road is too narrow to drive
around it and it's too late to brake. You WILL hit the door.


And if I am in a car and that happens then the probability is that I and
my passengers will be uninjured, the cars will be insured and no lasting
problems will remain. A cyclist cannot be in that position and hence
should and must take extra care.

Agreed and I do when on a bike. You can be as careful as you like, but
it can and does happen fairly frequently. Quite a common accident,
apparently.

Then the people involved need to improve their act.