Driving - when your senses prove right

[securespark]

I bumped into a kid once. I was only going slowly and had nearly come to a halt when I hit him.

He wasn't looking my way at all and just ran out. After the impact, he stumbled and carried on to the other side of the road, narrowly avoiding being hit again.

His Mum heard the skidding and commotion (days before ABS) and rushed out. The first thing she said?

Not "How are you, darling?", but "'Ow many times have I told you about the Green Cross Code?" .....

A cop turned up in less than a minute. He interviewed me, looked at the skid marks and said, "I can see that you weren't speeding and I can smell that you've not been drinking. Good luck with the insurance!"

My insurance company suspended my NCD for 10 years (until the kid was 21) as he had until that age to decide to make a claim.

The thing that most upset me was that I rang the hospital to check how he was.

The nurse answered, "Very well, no thanks to you!"

I was so taken aback, I didn't have the presence of mind to reply, but if I had, I would have replied, "He is very well because of my careful driving!"

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The nearest I came to injuring someone, was in my early days and on the motorbike, at a crossroad controlled by lights. Lights were green for me, so I carried on, but part way across the quiet junction, a mother stepped out to cross with three youngsters all holding hands, to cross, directly across my path. I had nowhere to go at all. My wheels locked up with the braking, and I laid me and the bike flat on the tarmac trying to stop. Luckily, no one was hit, but they were quite frightened by the incident. As I picked myself up, the mother apologised.

 

[motorbiking]

Not commenting on the above, but any time you hit a pedestrian who is half way across the road, you are going to have some difficulties. It’s more than enough time to stop, assuming they wren’t running.

I always find it funny that cyclists go for the bell and shout if there are pedestrians in the road. They have the same obligation to stop for pedestrians as cars, lorries and motorbikes.

The other day I was crossing the road in London and a cyclist riding the wrong way in a one way street just rang her bell at me with no attempt to stop.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I always find it funny that cyclists go for the bell and shout if there are pedestrians in the road. They have the same obligation to stop for pedestrians as cars, lorries and motorbikes.

There is always the chance that the person is deaf too, and simply will not hear them.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I bumped into a kid once. I was only going slowly and had nearly come to a halt when I hit him.

He wasn't looking my way at all and just ran out. After the impact, he stumbled and carried on to the other side of the road, narrowly avoiding being hit again.

His Mum heard the skidding and commotion (days before ABS) and rushed out. The first thing she said?

Not "How are you, darling?", but "'Ow many times have I told you about the Green Cross Code?" .....

A cop turned up in less than a minute. He interviewed me, looked at the skid marks and said, "I can see that you weren't speeding and I can smell that you've not been drinking. Good luck with the insurance!"

My insurance company suspended my NCD for 10 years (until the kid was 21) as he had until that age to decide to make a claim.

The thing that most upset me was that I rang the hospital to check how he was.

The nurse answered, "Very well, no thanks to you!"

I was so taken aback, I didn't have the presence of mind to reply, but if I had, I would have replied, "He is very well because of my careful driving!"

Without meaning to take my own thread OT, this is why I can't get my head around folk who drive/ride at obviously excessive speeds in built up areas, especially very built up e.g. housing estate with narrow streets and lots of parked vehicles.

There's a narrowish street I sometimes drive with quite a bend on it. Cars are parked on the inner side so you drive on the outer side regardless of which way you're going and it's difficult to see ahead that much. I take it slowly and it's a good job because a few times I've met cars coming the other way going a fair bit quicker. If I was doing their speed there would likely be only one result.

 

[Odds]

I always find it funny that cyclists go for the bell and shout if there are pedestrians in the road. They have the same obligation to stop for pedestrians as cars, lorries and motorbikes.

The other day I was crossing the road in London and a cyclist riding the wrong way in a one way street just rang her bell at me with no attempt to stop.

Haven't had a bell on a bike since i was a kid: they still sell them?
Fair point on stopping for pedestrians but blind jay walkers are a damn menace.

 

[motorbiking]

A bell is a legal requirement when the bike is sold new.

While pedestrians need to get their heads out of their phones, we need to do our best not to run them down.

If there are cars lining a residential road, I’ll be doing less than 20mph. I don’t need a speed limit sign to tell me to do that.

I need to stop in the distance I can see is clear. That might be to the next parked car. There are plenty of dual carriageways with 30 limits where it would be safe to do 50+. The speed limit can’t know what you can and can’t see

 

[Odds]

A bell is a legal requirement when the bike is sold new.

Never in all my days have i had a new bicycle sold to me with a bell.

 

[motorbiking]

Reflectors on pedals are also a requirement when sold. It’s why high end bikes are sold without pedals. Clip ins can’t be sold fitted (legally) unless they have reflectors.

There have been a couple of attempts to get contributory negligence reductions for cyclists who remove them.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Then the sellers are being naughty, we have bells on all our bikes and use them frequently, I hate the ****s on the cycle paths who race up behind you and expect you to know someone is there, I'm pretty aware when pootling about with the sprogs etc but every now and then some idiot appears from nowhere, dicks.

 

[foxhole]

Which is why youngsters (especially boys), are a menace on the roads.

Part of growing up , males get testosterone boost at age five then as they grow , they are naturally challenging them selves which is part of evolution ( from when we were hunter gatherers).So young males tend to take greater risks .
You also find females tend to freeze when danger threatens while male tend to run, again evolution the male trying to draw the attention of the threat.
Often surprised a woman 3/4 of the way across a road only for her to freeze then backtrack even though only a few steps from safety of opposite kerb. Seems illogical but not when you take into consideration evolutions reaction to fight or flight when in danger .

 

[DiyNutJob]

you ever get feelings/senses like this that end up being right?

Nope. I was in the middle lane going constant speed. A stupid young woman entered the dual carriage way to my left. Sudden, she just pulled out into my lane. I had to swerve right. Had there been anyone on the outside lane, I would have been a goner. I get a sense I am a lucky guy in these situations. There is someone in the sky looking out for me.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Nope. I was in the middle lane going constant speed. A stupid young woman entered the dual carriage way to my left. Sudden, she just pulled out into my lane. I had to swerve right. Had there been anyone on the outside lane, I would have been a goner. I get a sense I am a lucky guy in these situations. There is someone in the sky looking out for me.

Towing, all three lane fully occupied, I had an Asian woman drive up the slip road alongside me, matching my speed perfectly, and completely oblivious of my presence in L1. I had blow the horn to wake her up, and ready myself for her pulling out into the side of me.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

A bell is a legal requirement when the bike is sold new.

While pedestrians need to get their heads out of their phones, we need to do our best not to run them down.

If there are cars lining a residential road, I’ll be doing less than 20mph. I don’t need a speed limit sign to tell me to do that.

I need to stop in the distance I can see is clear. That might be to the next parked car. There are plenty of dual carriageways with 30 limits where it would be safe to do 50+. The speed limit can’t know what you can and can’t see

We're a weird lot us humans. You could have someone who thinks it's fine to drive at excessive speeds, whether that's 30+ in a built up busy 20 zone or whatever. But I'd imagine if one of their nearest/dearest was seriously injured or killed by a speeding driver, they'd be beyond furious.

 

[johnny2007]

Towing, all three lane fully occupied, I had an Asian woman drive up the slip road alongside me, matching my speed perfectly, and completely oblivious of my presence in L1. I had blow the horn to wake her up, and ready myself for her pulling out into the side of me.

Yes, that's a classic.
I once saw a woman joining the motorway IN the side of a lorry.
The lorry driver didn't even realised that little car that got dragged and then span around and ended up against the wall on the left.
The car was a write off.
The woman was ok and was complaining that the lorry driver had done something wrong.
Yes, yes, he was driving in his lane under the speed limit and should've stopped an 18 ton lorry to let the lady in...how inconsiderate!