So, while filtering past stationary traffic this morning I pass a big truck to be greeted by a car pulling out through the queue. The driver must have been looking the other way at the oncoming traffic because they sped up to nip out, narrowly missing the back of my bike by what ‘felt’ like about an inch. See fig.1
[sup]fig.1[/sup]
Just thought I’d post here as a quick reminder to watch out for this when filtering… I usually look out for this sort of thing, and I like to think I’m pretty observant but this almost caught me out. If I’d been travelling any slower the car woulda gone straight into the side of me, or me into the side of the car.
I think pretty well every motorcyclist has this (very common) experience and learns this particular lesson, it’s nigh on impossible for car drivers to look out for overtaking bikers at junctions like that, which is why it’s illegal to overtake at junctions (but we all do it).When filtering, always do it slowly and expect something unexpected to emerge not just from big gaps, but from little ones as well, as a friend of mine learnt to his cost the other week.
If there’s a vehicle emerging from a junction, assume they haven’t seen you and let them go, unless you get eye to eye contact and they let you through.
Glad you weren’t hit on this occasion, and I hope it’s the last incident you have of this kind.
As said, a classic collision scenario for us. Without being there this morning we’re all guessing. With no on coming traffic a road position to consider as a biker is 4-6ft to the right. It buys you more time, you can see further into the gap, if the driver was looking in your direction he’s see you earlier. There could have been merit in using the horn prior to crossing the gap. We are afraid to use the horn as its intended. I had conversation with a family today, I asked them if any of them could remember the last time they hooted at some one. They, like most, are surprised that I use my horn nearly every time I ride or drive. If we got it right in our driving plan, when the twit does pull out on us we should not need to hoot in many cases.
Sometimes we cant help getting collected, but most of the time we can reduce the chances. Chuck in some good luck and we’re looking good!
Well done you for getting away with it. Thank you for the reminder.
Car pulling out has a statutory duty of care to ensure it is safe before doing so and should be aware of the possibilities of a filtering motorcyclist.
The only time there may be some contrib would be if it could be proven that the speed of the motorcycle was excessive for the conditions, but even then that to a large degree is nullified by Davis v Schroggins (2006) where the filtering motorcyclist was filtering at over 50 MPH and was not held liable.
IIRC that case was about a vehicle pulling a U-turn out of a queue of stationary traffic - a very different scenario to passing a side turning as the Highway Code specifically advises against overtaking on approach to, or at a junction.
I can’t see how either of us could have been at fault - the truck blocked the view entirely. It may be illegal to overtake at junctions, but the junction wasn’t visible from behind the van. I guess I’m lucky that there was no collision and no insurance related blame to be placed - what an ordeal that would have been…
Blame / highway code advice / who was in the right or wrong etc. isn’t really the issue.
It’s a fact that people will pull all kind of stupid moves, legal or otherwise, and you have to build that into the way you ride - you have to try and learn to anticipate what others might (and might not) do and be as prepared for that as you can.
You also have to bear in mind that the average driver isn’t used to the way bikes differ from cars on the road in terms of position - if they are turning right from a minor to a major and they have a gap between cars to move out, they will be looking to their left for a gap on the far side of the road to complete their manouvre - as far as they are concerned the traffic in the left lane has stopped so they’re good to go.
Surely it’s better to anticipate - and avoid - a collision rather than crash and then argue over blame ?
IMO there’s something missing from HGV training…or maybe road markings?..bear with me… Cars or trucks or buses very often leave a gap to allow others to get out of/into junctions. The trouble is more often than not they leave such a small gap filtering bikers have a poor chance of registering the hazard and reacting to it. After a few similar close shaves in the past I now try to always assume that beyond the truck/bus is a pedestrian/emerging cyclist/turning car. In reality this means I filter past the vehicles I can see over/through and if I get to a truck or bus and can’t see whats beyond it and can’t give it a wide berth then I slow it down and edge forwards until I can. It’s annoying and so prevalent in gridlocked London that I almost think there should be a hatched or red zone at junctions that queueing traffic can’t enter. I think it would prevent quite a few accidents.
There are ‘KEEP CLEAR’ boxes but sometimes they are even more dangerous as some cnuts see them as a green-light indication that the lane is clear and zoom out looking only to their left ( yes I’m talking about you Mr Previa driver who - when you saw eventually saw me - looked at me liked I’d dropped in from Mars)
Regarding not being able to see there was a junction, if you overtake you have a duty in law to make sure the manoeuvre was save so you should have passed the lorry as if there was a junction unless you could see there wasn’t, just as the car should have undertaken the manoeuvre as if there was a vehicle about to overtake the lorry even if the lorry blocked the view.
There are 3 fab posts below (Marklid, Pyro & Lessismore) IMHO.
Pyro got it spot on as you’re unharmed and giving us this opportunity to debate what has happened with us all.
Mark is so right in what he said about managing our own safety.
Lessismore gives advice that has save me hitting pedestrians crossing between stationary lines of traffic, even scooters and other motorcycles!
In total gridlock on the A406, guy ran out in front of me from in front of a lorry to my right 2wks back. The lorry was in the 3rd land. I had not anticipated that at, I had slowed because of the white van to my left (middle lane) where I thought it possible for a scooter to emerge as we were passing a sliproad joining the carriageway. If it would have been a row of cars to my left I would certainly have been travelling a few miles an hour faster and may well have hit him!
Top stuff.
