Staying safe on the commute?
Discussion
Hi All,
Just wondering if we have any sort of advice thread, or good links to cycling safely? I've been reading https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/roa... this and I know a lot of it is common sense, but part of good driving and cycling also comes from experience. Driving an MX5 I'm used to drivers not seeing me coming and placement of blind spots etc. When cycling and approaching traffic lights where traffic hasn't just stopped I won't filter to the front in case traffic moves off and I stay directly behind the car in front to take the primary position behind them. I won't go down the inside even in a cycle lane if traffic is congested and too close to the parked cars, or likely to move over if emergency vehicles coming towards them etc. I like to think I try to keep safe. Some of the cycle lanes before I get to the CS3 are real pinch points.
Commuting home yesterday I'm out of the cycle lane and in the edge of the road (as cars parked close to, or in the cycle lane). I'm outside of the dooring zone and yet still a car parked to my left, but facing me starts to pull out and I stop in time and he stares at me, I wave him out and he apologies/says thanks. Essentially he was edging out to look if clear to pull out, but rather than do in small increments he stuck half of his front grill out in one go until he stopped when he saw me and I stopped. So I'm thinking should I be even further out more towards the middle of the road and more into the priority position. It's a wide road and traffic can safely pass me on this stretch as they'll move out to the middle of the road.. If I'd been further forward or a wider car (or the car more over to the left I'm sure even the two cars would have clipped each other and he's taken the 'any car coming will move over, or stop attitude.
In this photo I'd have been parallel to the Mercedes A Class and the empty space between the VW and Ford Transit would have had the car facing me, no sudden turning off wheel, flashing of flights, or indicator to tell me they're pulling out. In hindsight I'm thinking I should be taking more of a priority position even further away from the dooring zone and be taking up as much space as a car here? Although I feel I'd nearer to the centre white line and nearer to oncoming traffic for this drive to have seen me?
Just wondering if we have any sort of advice thread, or good links to cycling safely? I've been reading https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/roa... this and I know a lot of it is common sense, but part of good driving and cycling also comes from experience. Driving an MX5 I'm used to drivers not seeing me coming and placement of blind spots etc. When cycling and approaching traffic lights where traffic hasn't just stopped I won't filter to the front in case traffic moves off and I stay directly behind the car in front to take the primary position behind them. I won't go down the inside even in a cycle lane if traffic is congested and too close to the parked cars, or likely to move over if emergency vehicles coming towards them etc. I like to think I try to keep safe. Some of the cycle lanes before I get to the CS3 are real pinch points.
Commuting home yesterday I'm out of the cycle lane and in the edge of the road (as cars parked close to, or in the cycle lane). I'm outside of the dooring zone and yet still a car parked to my left, but facing me starts to pull out and I stop in time and he stares at me, I wave him out and he apologies/says thanks. Essentially he was edging out to look if clear to pull out, but rather than do in small increments he stuck half of his front grill out in one go until he stopped when he saw me and I stopped. So I'm thinking should I be even further out more towards the middle of the road and more into the priority position. It's a wide road and traffic can safely pass me on this stretch as they'll move out to the middle of the road.. If I'd been further forward or a wider car (or the car more over to the left I'm sure even the two cars would have clipped each other and he's taken the 'any car coming will move over, or stop attitude.
In this photo I'd have been parallel to the Mercedes A Class and the empty space between the VW and Ford Transit would have had the car facing me, no sudden turning off wheel, flashing of flights, or indicator to tell me they're pulling out. In hindsight I'm thinking I should be taking more of a priority position even further away from the dooring zone and be taking up as much space as a car here? Although I feel I'd nearer to the centre white line and nearer to oncoming traffic for this drive to have seen me?
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