why are motorists so impatient to overtake ,(dangerously)

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why are motorists so impatient to overtake ,(dangerously)

105 posts & 51 voices | Started 1 year ago by project | Latest reply from DezB

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miketually - Member

druidh - Member
For the same reason that so many cyclists refuse to stop at a red light.

"So many" = 2%

Two percent of cyclists "frequently" jump red lights.

That compares quite well to the 2.8% of drivers who use their mobile while driving or the 100% of drivers who frequently exceed the speed limit*.

Some pedestrians are dicks, but as a group rarely kill or seriously injure anyone. (Apart from murders and that.)
Some cyclists are dicks, but they rarely kill or seriously injure anyone.
Some drivers are dicks, and they frequently kill or seriously injure people.

*source: my eyes. May not be statistically accurate sample.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lifer - Member

The ones that annoy me the most are those that accelerate to get past you when you start signalling right.

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

prezet - Member
This morning's ride almost all the cyclists on my commute jumped at least one red light. If we want drivers to respect us as fellow road users then we need to stop giving them ammunition that we're a danger to ourselves and others.

At every set of lights I stop at (which is all the red ones) at least one car nips through on red pretty much every time.

Posted 1 year ago #
johnners - Member

I'm getting a feeling of deja vu here...

Yeah, it's just project pretending to be affronted by the same thing he was affronted by 7 months earlier, and posting the same link to him riding in the gutter.

Recycling the same old thing is making him look even more desperate for attention than usual.

Posted 1 year ago #
Kryton57 - Member

I think there needs to be some education for motorist regarding bikes here, and some empathetic use of the road by both parties.

Case in hand; I was cycling down single and a bit sized country lane on the road bike a while back, when a car came up behind me. Now, said road was littered on the l/h edge with pot holes and puddles (suspected potholes) so while I was milling along about 15mph, I was busy looking for a place to pull over to the left and let said car past - which I did eventually.

Needless to say, this took longer than 5 seconds, which resulted in a honking of horn and tirade of abuse when he eventually passed me.

However, If I were in the car, I would have been aware of the situation and been more patient knowing that I'd eventally get past, the other alternative being that I'd hasseled the cyclist into a pothole resulting in said cyclist under my wheels as best.

If the driver had known this - would he have been more patient?

Posted 1 year ago #
D0NK - Member

Some pedestrians are dicks, but as a group rarely kill or seriously injure anyone. (Apart from murders and that.)
Some cyclists are dicks, but they rarely kill or seriously injure anyone.
Some drivers are dicks, and they frequently kill or seriously injure people.
Nice summary Mike, I want that repeated everytime RLJing is brought up in a "motorist does something dangerous" thread.

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

looking at your vids you need to move a couple of feet to the right.

What bollocks. You can't tell from the videos what his road position is. And you can't comment on it unless you ride the same roads.
I know he put his video up inviting comment, but the sheer arrogance of people on here telling other people how to ride on the road astounds me.

This was this morning. I'm almost in the middle of the road, as I'm aware drivers want to overtake approaching the bridge and I don't want them to. Still this idiot tries to squeeze in front of me. Tries... and fails

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClCjpHqdZrw

Posted 1 year ago #
ourmaninthenorth - Member

However, at this point, the motorbike behind him saw this as an opportunity to undertake the car, and came between us at a fair old ****ing speed!!!! I nearly ****ing shat myself. ****ing idiot!!!!

Had that in Moss Side once - only it was a scooter zipping between me and the bus. I caught the scooter and was about to remonstrate when I realised where I was....

Posted 1 year ago #
ourmaninthenorth - Member

Some drivers are dicks, and they frequently kill or seriously injure people.

When I have the inevitable "cyclists jump red lights conversation", I tell people that they can expect cyclists to change their behaviour when drivers stop killing 10 people a day on our roads.

Posted 1 year ago #
mrdestructo - Member

Yesterday morning walking to work (too short to cycle really, don't benefit from the exercise) I'm walking over a two lane bridge where congestion and vehicles blocking the gutter area cause issues for cyclists.

I was walking up the centre of the path, having passed someone oncoming, moving over to the left where I belong safely, when a cyclist, at speed, hit my right hand from behind with his handlebar, and continued riding off without making any sign he knew it had happened (when you strike your handlebars on anything you very well know you've done it!)

I only roughly saw his bike, his build, hair (no helmet) age and trouser type as I wasn't wearing my glasses. I thought about hanging around the bridge this morning to catch him and give him a good talking to, but had something else to do.

It doesn't matter if on foot, bike, motorbike or car, "you're in my bloody way" is the urge that gets into them and sanity and logic is lost in the race to overtake (un)safely.

Posted 1 year ago #
SiB - Member

Project.......I often ride along Brimstage bends on my commute, sometimes cutting through the lanes to Storeton as in your video or continuing along Brimstage road to Clatterbridge roundabout (not a nice roundabout on a bike!). As someone has mentioned earlier I often go on the pavement by craft centre heading towards Heswall as there are NEVER and pedestrians there and it is a bitch of a road in rush hour due to narrowness and bends, I know you shouldnt have to but sometimes it makes life so much easier/safer. other times I ride well away from kurb hoping mororists wont overtake.......but they do!

The morning commute the other way going towards Clatterbridge is a different story and sometimes makes me feel very smug.....cars overtake me by Heswall Hills station and its a great feeling to overtake them as they wait to join Clatterbridge roundabout, if they've got their windows open I'll always give them a cheery "good morning", must wind some drivers up so much (which isn't a good thing!).

I know your ride shouldnt be dictated by bad drivers/roads but have you ever considered going to the little roundabout at Storeton, down Storeton Lane (a 60mph road but much nicer to ride on than Brimstage Rd) towards Heswall, left along Barnston road to Clegg Arms Roundabout etc etc.....its a much nicer ride as much wider road. If you only ride on Brimstage Rd from craft centre to the road leading up to Leverhulmes manor then just use the pavememnt

Posted 1 year ago #
kimbers - Member

this morning was a shocker for me, must be the sunshine- 10miles into london nearly taken out by 3 taxis and a white van all overtaking me to turn left, i think the white van may have hit somehing round the corner as there was a skid and a bang

all 4 of them had me skidding to a halt

didnt see 1 cyclist jump a red which is quite rare in london, did see a few cars do it though! including a security van nearly get taken out by a bus and had to reverse back

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

It doesn't matter if on foot, bike, motorbike or car, "you're in my bloody way" is the urge that gets into them and sanity and logic is lost in the race to overtake (un)safely.

Yeah - but in case you were wondering this is a BIKE FORUM.

Where CYCLISTS can air their grievances and complaints. Or are you saying we shouldn't?

Posted 1 year ago #
prezet - Member

Two percent of cyclists "frequently" jump red lights.

I would dispute that based on the numbers I see doing it daily. I'd say it's almost 2% of road using cyclists who DO stop for red lights.

I'm also seeing a massive jump in the number of people now cycling to work, which is great to see, but they see other cyclists jumping reds and think it's ok to do so. Which it's not.

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

Does anyone remember this......

Well, cycling out on Wokingham Road in Reading on Sunday some feckless driver beeped his horn and started gesticulating at the 'cyclepath' on the pavement. Now I could have argued with him that by being in the carrigeway I have right of way and therefore safer than being on the pavement where signs explicitly sate give way to pedestrians, side streets, lamposts etc. But I didn't, I calmly knocked on his window at the George traffic lights, waited for him to get his words in first, then simply said "button it fatty" before observing his goldfish impression and waitign for the lights to change.

Happy days

Posted 1 year ago #
richmtb - Member

TINAS I doff my cap! I've long ago given up arguing with car drivers and find that calling them fat, or slagging their car is the best course of action!

Posted 1 year ago #
surfer - Member

What bollocks. You can't tell from the videos what his road position is. And you can't comment on it unless you ride the same roads.

I think you can and I dont want to be critical of Project but he should be further out on that stretch as it runs for a few hundred yards and is uphill which means drivers percieve you are holding them up.
I live about a mile away and I ride that regulalrly and whilst the drivers are absolute ***ks he should be further out in my opinion.

Posted 1 year ago #
surfer - Member

I had a similar incident (passing the farm in the opposite direction about 300yds from the OP's post) to the Golf except he cut across more sharply meaning I ran into the back corner of his car.

His passenger windows was open so I asked him in no uncertain manner what he was doing!! I think he may reflect on that one!

Posted 1 year ago #
scu98rkr - Member

Well, cycling out on Wokingham Road in Reading on Sunday some feckless driver beeped his horn and started gesticulating at the 'cyclepath' on the pavement. Now I could have argued with him that by being in the carrigeway I have right of way and therefore safer than being on the pavement where signs explicitly sate give way to pedestrians, side streets, lamposts etc. But I didn't, I calmly knocked on his window at the George traffic lights, waited for him to get his words in first, then simply said "button it fatty" before observing his goldfish impression and waitign for the lights to change.

The thing with that cycle path is it could be good !
The road has 3 advantages

1. Both the road and the pavements are very wide
2. The street lights are actually set back almost in people gardens.
3. Side road entrance are generally large with good views.

to improve it they need to do a couple of things

1. Remove remaining street clutter ie telegraph poles and set them back like the street lights.
2. Paint on proper cycle lanes that extend across the side roads giving right of way to cyclist/pedestrians.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lifer - Member

scu98rkr - Member
Paint on proper cycle lanes that extend across the side roads giving right of way to cyclist/pedestrians.

Communist.

Posted 1 year ago #
D0NK - Member

3. start nailing drivers ears to their dashboards for not only ignoring "giveway to cycle lane" markings but inching out half way across the carriageway.
There's a contraflow inset to the pavement style one near us, all the drivers I see pulling out of side streets ignore the road markings.

Posted 1 year ago #
mrdestructo - Member

@DezB

It doesn't matter if on foot, bike, motorbike or car, "you're in my bloody way" is the urge that gets into them and sanity and logic is lost in the race to overtake (un)safely.

Yeah - but in case you were wondering this is a BIKE FORUM.

Where CYCLISTS can air their grievances and complaints. Or are you saying we shouldn't?

Yes, I know that, this is about a psychology crossing the boundaries. It's a human societal impulse and is not just related to those behind a steering wheel. If you don't explore all avenues then you are being blinkered and possibly discluding reasoning for this behaviour.

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

ourmaninthenorth
When I have the inevitable "cyclists jump red lights conversation", I tell people that they can expect cyclists to change their behaviour when drivers stop killing 10 people a day on our roads.

And we'll have the "cyclists on pavements" conversation when drivers stop killing one pedestrian a week on the pavement.

Posted 1 year ago #
miketually - Member

prezet

I would dispute that (2% of cyclists jump red lights) based on the numbers I see doing it daily. I'd say it's almost 2% of road using cyclists who DO stop for red lights.

Ah, actual anecdotal evidence.

Posted 1 year ago #
tarquin - Member

Just pull a U turn infront of me like I'm not there, then when I have moved to the right to avoid running into the back of your car dither around.

Could have tapped on the car window, motorist oblivious to me being next to them.

Posted 1 year ago #
prezet - Member

Ah, actual anecdotal evidence.

Indeed - and I'm guessing the rest of the road using public notice the same, rather than the facts and figures stated in your fancy pants articles.

Posted 1 year ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

project - Member

TJ ever tried defying 20 plus tones os steel driven by a nutter who has decided he IS going to overtake just so he can get to the pub earlier.

Yes - frequently.

What bollocks. You can't tell from the videos what his road position is. And you can't comment on it unless you ride the same roads.
I know he put his video up inviting comment, but the sheer arrogance of people on here telling other people how to ride on the road astounds me.

This was this morning. I'm almost in the middle of the road,

~Wahts more - I can see you were not "almost in the middle of the road - but by being a bit wider as you were you at least had somewhere to go. You are well to the left of centre of the lane. Its quite clear.

Waht a lot of folk need to be able to accept is that there can be something to learn about road positioning and awareness. However critisising someones riding is like critising their driving or childcare. some folk just will not have it.

Posted 1 year ago #
Karinofnine - Member

In my opinion some motorists are impatient to overtake because:

Some of them just aren't thinking at all - thinking about dropping the kids off/their day at work/what to have for tea

Perhaps some of them feel beleaguered because (if you are employed) we pay two lots of tax to buy our cars, two lots of tax for repairs/accessories/spares, three lots of tax for roads (AND pay to park), two lots of tax for vehicle excise licence (which many people still believe is "Road Tax" - it isn't), two lots of tax for the Congestion Charge and three lots of tax for fuel. Grrr.

Some probably misjudge speed/distance.

A few may be outright psychopaths who have been brutalised in some way and have no feelings of empathy.

We seem, when on our bikes, to be seen as a nuisance, shouldn't be there/haven't "bought" our right to be there.

We need a massive government-funded ad campaign to raise awareness.

And for cyclists to stop jumping red lights - it detracts from our position as legitimate road users.

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

scu98rkr - Member

The thing with that cycle path is it could be good !
The road has 3 advantages

1. Both the road and the pavements are very wide
2. The street lights are actually set back almost in people gardens.
3. Side road entrance are generally large with good views.

to improve it they need to do a couple of things

1. Remove remaining street clutter ie telegraph poles and set them back like the street lights.
2. Paint on proper cycle lanes that extend across the side roads giving right of way to cyclist/pedestrians.

to improve it they need to do a couple of things

It's the driveways that scare me, it's a PITA enough riding allong a road occasionaly dodgeing cars inching their way out into trafic without playing russian roulette agaisnt school run mums who probably don't expect you on the pavement.

A better bet would be to remove all the islands from the middle of the road and replace them with zebra crossings. Then move the carrigeway into the middle with cycle lanes on both sides. It's got the potential to work quite well as the road wide all the way through Winnersh to the Woosehill roundabout.

I'm not a fan of pavement cycle paths, especialy in towns. They should either be within the road itself (with a solid white line, and red no stopping lines) or seperate sustrans style paths entirely.

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

dezb; every time this comes up you come across like you have nothing to learn. is that the case?

I certainly know that i could do with some more training.

Posted 1 year ago #
Mr Agreeable - Member

There's a huge gap between the way driving is presented by the mainstream media, the car industry, etc:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7jiTlv9wwI

and the reality (NSFW audio)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYlHpYTx388

I think it's what psychologists would term "cognitive dissonance".

Arguments about the "legitimacy" of a road user group are a load of bumwash. Learner drivers, or anyone doing 40 in a 50 limit, get almost exactly the same treatment.

Posted 1 year ago #
DezB - Member

I can see you were not "almost in the middle of the road - but by being a bit wider as you were you at least had somewhere to go. You are well to the left of centre of the lane. Its quite clear.

Sometimes you talk such utter bilge. How can you tell - where is the camera? Jeez.
Still that same old arrogance means you won't be told eh?

dezb; every time this comes up you come across like you have nothing to learn. is that the case?

Tell me what have I to learn? How to be safe on my commute? I've been doing it for 20 years without injury, how much safer do I need to be?

Posted 1 year ago #
thomthumb - Member

Tell me what have I to learn? How to be safe on my commute? I've been doing it for 20 years without injury, how much safer do I need to be?

no your right; your the best cycle commuter going. as you were.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nick - Member

What's needed is a calibrated speedo displayed in the video, then you could send the video of cars overtaking when there is a solid white line while you are going faster than 10mph to the police.

Posted 1 year ago #
ransos - Member

This morning's ride almost all the cyclists on my commute jumped at least one red light. If we want drivers to respect us as fellow road users then we need to stop giving them ammunition that we're a danger to ourselves and others.

You don't get bikes on motorways. You do get motorists who speed, tailgate, and use their phones. Clearly, they have no respect for careful, law-abiding motorists, so what makes you think that perfect cycling behaviour is going to change anything?

(Note: this is not a defence for RLJing)

Posted 1 year ago #

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