I nearly killed a cyclist tonight.

I say killed but being hit at 70mph and not wearing a helmet can’t end good.

I was driving along a very dark stretch of dual carriage way, the A55 on the North Wales coast when all of a sudden there was this tiny red LED light and a bloke on a road bike riding down the middle of the 1st lane. I slammed on, couldn’t go anywhere because a Range Rover was about to overtake, I must have come within a few meters of his back end.

At this point I didn’t know what just happened, the Range Rover and I pulled off at the next junction, he had a bit of a rant at me because I slammed on, he didn’t see the cyclist until he was level with me.

The other driver phoned the Police but I walked up to the exit slip of the junction to wait for this cyclist and pull him in.

He turned up, and as much as I wanted to drag him off his bike and beat sense into him I pointed out what just happened. He was all in black with a tiny single LED light (cheap Knog type thing) and no reflective kit at all, wasnt even wearing a helmet! Although he was quite aplogetic I don’t think he realised what just happened and I was in quite a state of shock, I still am.

I’ve never come so close to anything like that before, I was shaking like a leaf when I pulled up and got out of my car.

It’s a long shot but if that cyclist (on a red Ribble road bike) is on here and you’re reading this you will know who you are. If you’re going to pull a stunt like that again riding down that stretch of road at night get some better lights and some reflective clothing, a helmet might be a good idea too. Thank god it didn’t but tonight could have ended pretty badly for both of us and there was a good chance that you would not have been going home tonight.

The police didn’t come because the cyclist cracked on but using a side road rather than the A55.

That was probably the worst experience I’ve had.

I hope to god he’s ridden home, sat down and had a long hard think about what happened and I’m so glad it passed without anything serious happening.

but but but he was a cyclists, it must be your fault (and don’t start a helmet debate)

Sounds like you both had a lucky escape and the range rover driver was a bit of a prick (no surprise there)
I hope the cyclist has learnt an important lesson there.

To be fair the Range Rover driver was ok after, I think he had a bit of a shock too, just the initial reaction to what happened. Once we’d had a quick chat it all fell into place for him.

If you had killed him, you would have needed a good brief to avoid prison.

Highway Code, rule 126.

Stopping Distances. Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear.

Rule 59

59
Clothing. You should wear

a cycle helmet which conforms to current regulations, is the correct size and securely fastened
appropriate clothes for cycling. Avoid clothes which may get tangled in the chain, or in a wheel or may obscure your lights
light-coloured or fluorescent clothing which helps other road users to see you in daylight and poor light
reflective clothing and/or accessories (belt, arm or ankle bands) in the dark.
And Rule 60

60
At night your cycle MUST have white front and red rear lights lit. It MUST also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85). White front reflectors and spoke reflectors will also help you to be seen. Flashing lights are permitted but it is recommended that cyclists who are riding in areas without street lighting use a steady front lamp.
Law RVLR regs 13, 18 & 24

The car stopped in time, by the description given the cyclist did not follow the rules for them, taking a small leap the light suggested/mandated should be one bright enough to be seen.

As with so many cases, the cyclist may have technically been within his rights but ended up dead, not much consolation really.

Highway Code, rule # 101

Make yourself visible to other road users at all times and don’t ride in the middle of a 70mph lane on a dual carriageway.

i meet quite a few “idiotic” cyclists on the local Galloway roads at nights dressed in the entire ninja black stealth suit, some of them don’t do themselves any favours in the slightest and just have a single teeny blinky rear light.

The darwin award is overdue for a few of them.

something other than a vehicle on dual carriageway shocker – some sympathy with the OP as agree can be very scary when you spot someone just in time – but you did spot them

what’s a

70mph lane

?

The A55 is a ‘special’ road and has restrictions similar to a motorway along much of it’s length. The OP is not specific as to where the incident took place, but it is highly likely that a cyclist should not have been there, lit and visible as the sun or not.

The A55 is a ‘special’ road and has restrictions similar to a motorway along much of it’s length

Tis true I’d forgotten that – guess the cyclist was lucky didn’t collected by an irish trucker trying to catch the ferry

What’s a 70mph lane? , I dunno bout your opinion but i consider somewhere where it;s incredibly irresponsible to dress in black with no reflective flashing on clothing or your bike, I guess if you’re in a car travelling at 100ft+ per second then a single blinky rear light is kinda hard to see if that’s all the cyclist was relying on to alert other road users to their presence and i can sympathise with the driver, it’d be a heart stopping moment as it’s not always obvious to judge road position/closing speed on such a small visable dot, personally if i’m out at night i use a static 30 lumen rear led, reflective banding and a USE 80w flashing rear light.

Plough into a cyclist at 70 and it probably doesn’t matter if they are wearing a helmet.. just saying.
Luckily you knew what the red dot was and hit the brakes when you did.. many may not have noticed until he bounced over the roof.

I think the fact that the rider was dressed in dark clothes, with no reflectives, and shit lights is the problem.
the fact that he was not wearing a helmet hardly matters.
well done the op for stopping him and telling him so.

Good work OP, sounds like a you handled a scary experience well.

Yes well done OP,

I for one am going straight out to get a helmet just in case a driver fails to see me whilst in the 70 mph lane, it’ll make all the difference I’m sure.

Btw if you couldn’t overtake because a land drover was in the second lane overtaking you, how was he affected sufficiently to get out and discuss the incident and didn’t you also feel like beating him senseless for speeding?

Btw if you couldn’t overtake because a land drover was in the second lane overtaking you,

No he wasn’t. Re-read the original post.

Sounds like the RR was close behind and just pulling out, so the OP couldn’t be safe moving over and the RR was still affected by the braking.

OP – good job getting out and warning the cyclist. Helmet isn’t relevant, lack of lights, reflectives and common sense is.

I’m astonished people are having a go at you. If it was a black unlit car with no reflectors travelling at 30mph, everyone would be calling them an idiot.

Just because someone is on a bike, it doesn’t make them right – and just because someone is in a car it doesn’t make them wrong. People need to take some responsibility for their own safety.

I say killed but being hit at 70mph and not wearing a helmet can’t end good.

Sorry, but I kinda switched off from reading after this point.

but felt the need to post anyway 🙂

Just because someone is on a bike, it doesn’t make them right – and just because someone is in a car it doesn’t make them wrong. People need to take some responsibility for their own safety.

The point we should all remember.

Just because someone is on a bike, it doesn’t make them right – and just because someone is in a car it doesn’t make them wrong. People need to take some responsibility for their own safety.

This ^

The frustrated dads are getting a bit carried away, ” re read this” , ” remember that” .

Before you could make any kind of worthwhile judgement you would need to hear from the cyclist, until then the OP’s first line strongly indicates he hasn’t got a clue (sorry) what he’s on about.

For that reason. I’m out.

Frustrated dad? Huh?

What makes you think people have kids, want kids or are frustrated in some way based on a post on an internet forum?

I’d agree that the first line (mentioning the lack of helmet) does distract from the overall point. No helmet is going to help in the situation described.

The frustrated dads are getting a bit carried away, ” re read this” , ” remember that” .

Before you could make any kind of worthwhile judgement you would need to hear from the cyclist, until then the OP’s first line strongly indicates he hasn’t got a clue (sorry) what he’s on about.

For that reason. I’m out.

Interestingly all of your posts in this thread so far seem to indicate you haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.

Just because you have a right to dress like a ninja and ride on a dual carrigeway with only one crappy light to help you be seen doesn’t mean its a good idea. Why would you want to do anything other than make yourself very visible? It doesn’t matter whose fault it is when you get hit by a car while on a bike, the cyclist always comes off worse.

Agreed on it being sensible to make yourself more visible but I’m still trying to work out why the police were called.

Sounds to me like a catalogue of errors by our friend on his bike.
Got caught out late, crappy get you home rear light, so i’ll Ride down the A55, because its a “trans european Highway” that links Ireland with europe! Whats the worst that could happen.
If you know the road you just wouldn’t ride your bike on it.
If fact anything slower that 50mph stands a good chance of being knocked in to next week.

To the OP, sounds like you were on the money, if you weren’t there at that moment, the faster moving harder to stop rangie…… well lets not go there.

I’m off up the A55 now i kid you not.

“but I’m still trying to work out why the police were called.”
“The A55 is a ‘special’ road and has restrictions similar to a motorway along much of it’s length.”
Because the cyclist was probably in breech of the above restrictions, and a causing a hazard.

Sounds like IanW has a red Ribble and rides the A55 🙂

How this exchange can be reduced to a typical STW argue fest beats me…

Oh and 8ozs of polystyrene vs 1.5 tonnes of 70mph metal… Really?

Maybe he was forced to work late, maybe he got lost, it got dark and got caught out without propper night gear. It happens.

There are some 100kph roads around here. I generally do 60 to 70kph if its pitch dark, sometimes there are other things in the road that should or shouldnt be there.

How this exchange can be reduced to a typical STW argue fest beats me…

Then in the next breath……

Oh and 8ozs of polystyrene vs 1.5 tonnes of 70mph metal… Really?

Ironing ?

Agreed on it being sensible to make yourself more visible but I’m still trying to work out why the police were called.

Concern for safety of the cyclist? I’ve rang them before due to seeing someone on a push bike riding with no lights on busy road.

could be worse……..

Police brand cyclist a ‘dummy’ after having to escort him from hard shoulder of M1

<resists temptation to make petty comments in return>

Over and out.

Just because someone is on a bike, it doesn’t make them right – and just because someone is in a car it doesn’t make them wrong. People need to take some responsibility for their own safety.

Hear, hear!

Stopping Distances. Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear.

this gets trotted out every time we discuss cyclists in NSL dual carrigeways at night or in fog. Except you can ‘see’ the road is clear of cars as there are no lights, and dipped car headlights are about the same distance as a 30mph stop. Do you stick to 30 on the motorway after sunset?

Hear, hear!

+1 😀

Maybe he was forced to work late, maybe he got lost, it got dark and got caught out without propper night gear. It happens.

There are some 100kph roads around here. I generally do 60 to 70kph if its pitch dark, sometimes there are other things in the road that should or shouldnt be there.

This, to a certain extent. Trouble is there are relatively few sections of the A55 which can be avoided using alternative minor roads, unless they’ve laid on something for cyclists since I last drove it, and obviously with a load of mountains in the way, detours would be massive. In a couple of places, the A55 is all you’ve got.

I still wouldn’t do it though. Absolutely terrifying prospect. But perhaps he had no money for the train, and no-one to ring for a lift?

In a couple of places, the A55 is all you’ve got.

And, knowing that you’re going to be riding on that sort of road, regardless of the time/conditions/circumstances, anyone with half a brain would have a set of good lights with them at ALL times, at the very least.

(and don’t start a helmet debate)

Unfortunately he already did with his first sentence. That OP would have read so much better if all mentions of a helmet had been removed from it.

Hear, hear!
+1
+1

I see this guy most mornings – I think he has a very strange attitude to safety – all in black, crap lights. But one of the black items he commutes in every day, summer & winter, is a full-face helmet. Maybe he’s resigned to not being seen, but thinks his lid will save him cos it’s got a chin guard. Weirdo!

Think the OP did an excellent job in the circumstances, could have been a tragedy for all involved. There but for the grace of God go all of us who drive.

Think the petty arguing and point scoring reflects poorly on those involved, but it is Monday and I’m grumpy