Almost Wiped Out

I was almost in a collision with a very long double container lorry the
other day. I was cycling on a single carriageway road with a 60mph speed
limit about 1 metre from the grass verge. The lorry overtook and gave quite
a wide space, however, as soon as the cab had passed me he began to move
back in to the point where I had to take evasive action by moving to the
grass verge and slowing down. It was scary, but I managed to avoid a
collision.

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

Any comments would be appreciated.

AndyC wrote:
I was almost in a collision with a very long double container lorry the
other day. I was cycling on a single carriageway road with a 60mph speed
limit about 1 metre from the grass verge. The lorry overtook and gave quite
a wide space, however, as soon as the cab had passed me he began to move
back in to the point where I had to take evasive action by moving to the
grass verge and slowing down. It was scary, but I managed to avoid a
collision.

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

Any comments would be appreciated.


You were doing the right thing - and it paid off!
Whatever you do don't cycle closer to the edge.



--
Peter (Prof) Fox
Multitude of things for beer, cycling, Morris and curiosities at
http://vulpeculox.net

AndyC wrote:
I was almost in a collision with a very long double container lorry the
other day. I was cycling on a single carriageway road with a 60mph speed
limit about 1 metre from the grass verge. The lorry overtook and gave quite
a wide space, however, as soon as the cab had passed me he began to move
back in to the point where I had to take evasive action by moving to the
grass verge and slowing down. It was scary, but I managed to avoid a
collision.

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

That metre to the left stopped you from getting squished. Keep it
there, only use it in emergencies, it is your friend.

I learnt it on a bicycle, I was taught it on a motorbike, always give
yourself somewhere to go.

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AndyC wrote:

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

If anything, ride slightly further out. I've been in exactly this
position myself, my old route to work ran along just such a road
(51°36'59.94"N 1°15'29.18"W on your friendly Google Earth shows the road
complete with articulated lorry).

You can try contacting the firm that owns the vehicle and asking them to
remind their drivers that cyclists are not stationary, so pulling in
when only the cab is past can be lethally dangerous, and sometimes that
has the desired effect.

In the end, though, I got so sick of being carved up by Hanson's drivers
that I found a different route.

Guy
- --
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

** Please see http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk/wiki/Troll_code **

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"Tosspot" wrote in message
...

That metre to the left stopped you from getting squished. Keep it there,
only use it in emergencies, it is your friend.

I learnt it on a bicycle, I was taught it on a motorbike, always give
yourself somewhere to go.

Thanks for the replies. In this instance I suspect the driver was being
forced over by oncoming traffic ahead, but it was difficult for me to see as
we were on a bend. The lorry also took a long time to pass so I suspect that
it was doing no more than 40mph at the time. However, if I were a wider
vehicle such as a tractor, I suspect that the driver would not have risked
such a manoeuvre to start with.

I also wonder though, whether drivers pass too close to try to intimidate or
force the cyclists to cycle at the edge of the road, but maybe I am being
cynical here. Where there is no oncoming traffic, most (most!) drivers give
a good 2 metre width distance, but if there is oncoming traffic, they tend
to leave less space and only slow down if they really have to. The dilemma
is when there is oncoming traffic: do you move to the left to allow them
more space to get by? stay 1 metre out to give yourself a somewhere to go
when they come too close? or ride even further out forcing the traffic to
pass safely?

The final option is of course to take the B road through the village instead
which although is a bit longer, seems to be a hell of a lot safer.

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 06:35:12 -0000, "AndyC"
wrote:

I was almost in a collision with a very long double container lorry the
other day. I was cycling on a single carriageway road with a 60mph speed
limit about 1 metre from the grass verge. The lorry overtook and gave quite
a wide space, however, as soon as the cab had passed me he began to move
back in to the point where I had to take evasive action by moving to the
grass verge and slowing down. It was scary, but I managed to avoid a
collision.

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

Any comments would be appreciated.



Research has shown that the further you are away from the curb - then
the nearer vehicles will pass you.

You need to move in and give the overtaking traffic more space.

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 07:56:28 +0000, Peter Fox
wrote:

AndyC wrote:
I was almost in a collision with a very long double container lorry the
other day. I was cycling on a single carriageway road with a 60mph speed
limit about 1 metre from the grass verge. The lorry overtook and gave quite
a wide space, however, as soon as the cab had passed me he began to move
back in to the point where I had to take evasive action by moving to the
grass verge and slowing down. It was scary, but I managed to avoid a
collision.

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

Any comments would be appreciated.


You were doing the right thing - and it paid off!
Whatever you do don't cycle closer to the edge.

Hello its "Pretentious Prof"

No he wasn't - he was doing totally the wrong thing.

So you would ignore the research which has shown that the further out
you are, then the nearer vehicles will pass you?

--
I encourage my children to wear helmets. (Guy Chapman)
Some evidence shows that helmeted cyclists are more likely to hit
their heads. (Guy Chapman)
I have never said that I encourage my children to wear helmets. (Guy
Chapman) - proven to be an outright lie.
He then quickly changed his web page - but "forgot" to change the date
of last amendment

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:07:36 +0000, Phil W Lee
phil(at)lee-family(dot)me(dot)uk wrote:

"AndyC" considered Sun, 26 Oct 2008
06:35:12 -0000 the perfect time to write:

I was almost in a collision with a very long double container lorry the
other day. I was cycling on a single carriageway road with a 60mph speed
limit about 1 metre from the grass verge. The lorry overtook and gave quite
a wide space, however, as soon as the cab had passed me he began to move
back in to the point where I had to take evasive action by moving to the
grass verge and slowing down. It was scary, but I managed to avoid a
collision.

So, has anyone here got any advice as to the best way of avoiding this type
of incident? I tend to ride about a meter from the grass verge at about
18-20 mph On this particular road I could move closer to the verge but if I
do so the traffic tends to leave less space to pass and does so at a higher
speed.

Any comments would be appreciated.

You do talk ****e Anchor.



You could brake hard as the truck comes alongside, but it can be
difficult to make much progress if you have to keep doing that.
Other than that, I really don't think there's much you can do to
prevent trucks pulling in on you in this way, unless the problem is
that he overtook when there was insufficient space

snip

The available space was reduced significantly because he insisted on
being a meter from the grass verge.

We should also ask - was there a cycle path adjacent to the road?


BTW, the speed limit for an HGV on a single carriageway is 40mph, and
50mph for large commercials (the ones like trucks but with smaller
wheels, that don't need an HGV licence).

Good - one - pity he didn't have a laser speed check device with him.

More irrelevance from Anchor.


If you are doing 20mph, and he is doing 40, it will be a 29 foot per
second speed differential, so with a 55 footer (normal two container
layout is 2x20ft containers + 15ft of tractor unit), if he takes less
than 2 seconds to pass you, he's speeding (and complaint + tacho is
sufficient evidence).


What do mean "he's speeding"?

There is no evidence of this whatsoever. (More Anchor ****e)


Having made sure that she was
ok, I went ahead on my (faster) bike and stopped him at the next
roundabout, and had him in tears

You really are a hard-man Anchor - well done.

(ie - ffs get a life)

--
Commenting on a legal gate in a public park: I'd think it comes under
the heading of "causing an obstruction", and should be investigated by
the police as such. Phil W(anker) Lee - well known Psycho-list

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:03:12 -0000, "AndyC"
wrote:

snip

The final option is of course to take the B road through the village instead
which although is a bit longer, seems to be a hell of a lot safer.



And there in a nutshell is the answer.

Should cyclists actually be banned from that route if there is a
better alternative?
It may be worth contacting the council and suggesting this

--
Commenting on a legal gate in a public park: I'd think it comes under
the heading of "causing an obstruction", and should be investigated by
the police as such. Phil W(anker) Lee - well known Psycho-list

On Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:43:36 +0000, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
wrote:

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In the end, though, I got so sick of being carved up by Hanson's drivers
that I found a different route.

Guy

Guy is this really you - the PGP thing doesn't seem to be working all
the time.

I suspect not - as this is excellent advice to the OP - I take it you
are agreeing with my idea of using the B-road.

--
I encourage my children to wear helmets. (Guy Chapman)
Some evidence shows that helmeted cyclists are more likely to hit
their heads. (Guy Chapman)
I have never said that I encourage my children to wear helmets. (Guy
Chapman) - proven to be an outright lie.
He then quickly changed his web page - but "forgot" to change the date
of last amendment