Near Miss of the Day 307: “The closest I've come without being knocked off.”

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

OldRidgeback wrote:

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

Unfortunately, only if anyone can be @rsed to enforce it! 

OldRidgeback wrote:

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

We are both aware of that and I suspect the driver was as well, however twats are twats all the time. 

She has also been beeped because she was walking on the pavement and a car driving up it to a "parking space" was being held up. As seen below, essentially it seems the council deemed the footpath a parking area instead and removed the bollard by the gulley to allow everyone to drive on or off from there. However drivers decide they have right of way over peds there so don't like being held up. 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5359934,-1.8892733,3a,75y,321.92h,88.52t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sdRVPpnWqxWrgge0IalxdBg!2e0!5s20150501T000000!7i13312!8i6656

(The streetview was taken with some of the businesses closed so at least 7 cars are missing off the usual scenario there.)

OldRidgeback wrote:

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

I've just been trying to find that to no avail. Do you have a link?

hirsute wrote:

OldRidgeback wrote:

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

I've just been trying to find that to no avail. Do you have a link?

I suspect it would be classed as not following road signs if they have a blue arrow indicating the route past it that is ignored. Not specifically a ruling on the actual refuge itself. 

hirsute wrote:

OldRidgeback wrote:

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

I've just been trying to find that to no avail. Do you have a link?

Ummm - I can post a copy of a Fixed Penalty Notice my son got?  Caught on camera ignoring the "Keep Left" sign?  Silly pillock

hirsute wrote:

OldRidgeback wrote:

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

I've just been trying to find that to no avail. Do you have a link?

More specifically, it's an offence to pass the wrong side of the "keep left" arrow, which is normally placed on a lit bollard on the island / refuge. The reference is Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions 2016, Schedule 3 Part 2 item 3 (diagram 610); plus Sch 3 Part 4 paras 1 - 4, but in particular para 3: "...vehicular traffic passing the sign must keep to the left of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the left, or to the right of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the right."

quiff wrote:

hirsute wrote:

OldRidgeback wrote:

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

I've just been trying to find that to no avail. Do you have a link?

More specifically, it's an offence to pass the wrong side of the "keep left" arrow, which is normally placed on a lit bollard on the island / refuge. The reference is Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions 2016, Schedule 3 Part 2 item 3 (diagram 610); plus Sch 3 Part 4 paras 1 - 4, but in particular para 3: "...vehicular traffic passing the sign must keep to the left of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the left, or to the right of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the right."

Thankyou, a comprehensive answer.

(wonders if bicycles count as vehicles in that para !)

hirsute wrote:

quiff wrote:

hirsute wrote:

OldRidgeback wrote:

Going past a traffic island/traffic refuge on the wrong side is a traffic offence. 

I've just been trying to find that to no avail. Do you have a link?

More specifically, it's an offence to pass the wrong side of the "keep left" arrow, which is normally placed on a lit bollard on the island / refuge. The reference is Traffic Signs Regulations & General Directions 2016, Schedule 3 Part 2 item 3 (diagram 610); plus Sch 3 Part 4 paras 1 - 4, but in particular para 3: "...vehicular traffic passing the sign must keep to the left of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the left, or to the right of the sign where the arrow is pointed downwards to the right."

Thankyou, a comprehensive answer.

(wonders if bicycles count as vehicles in that para !)

A less comprehensive answer this time - 'vehicle' doesn't appear to be defined, either in the regs, or by cross reference to other legislation. Nor is it defined in e.g. the RTA1988; it appears to be given its natural meaning. Other wording in the regs suggest that bikes are vehicles though - e.g. elsewhere they provide that a cycle lane may not be used by a vehicle other than a pedal cycle. I used very occasionally to ride / scoot carefully the other side of islands in City traffic, but have now stopped in case the police consider this 'invalidates' any footage I might have cause to send them.

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

My Mrs was almost knocked down when crossing at one of those by a car going the wrong side. They then shouted abuse for not looking before crossing (even though she was looking at the legal traffic side and the road stated "look left"). The stupid thing was there was not even a reason for them to be on the wrong side (apart from being arseholes) as there was real traffic on the correct route. 

Personally I don't mind a solid barrier being between me and a muppet but to give out to a person they could have killed with their impatience, good grief

bike_food wrote:

What an absolute bellend, you can usually hear them coming, no change in engine tone, clearly not slowing, gonna squeeze through no matter what. Just have to put it behind you and try and enjoy the rest of your ride.

I was out riding the other day, approaching an island, like the ones for pedestrians crossing the road. I've taken primary to go through to prevent getting squeezed on the way through. I hear a car approaching, and there's no change in engine note at all, he's definitely not slowing. I'm just wondering whether he's not looking and is about to hit me, when he just sails through on the right hand side of the island. Fucking taxi drivers.

vonhelmet wrote:

bike_food wrote:

What an absolute bellend, you can usually hear them coming, no change in engine tone, clearly not slowing, gonna squeeze through no matter what. Just have to put it behind you and try and enjoy the rest of your ride.

I was out riding the other day, approaching an island, like the ones for pedestrians crossing the road. I've taken primary to go through to prevent getting squeezed on the way through. I hear a car approaching, and there's no change in engine note at all, he's definitely not slowing. I'm just wondering whether he's not looking and is about to hit me, when he just sails through on the right hand side of the island. Fucking taxi drivers.

I've had that happen numerous times, and not taxi drivers.  Those are the kind of people the cycling safety team should be concentrating on.

burtthebike wrote:

vonhelmet wrote:

bike_food wrote:

What an absolute bellend, you can usually hear them coming, no change in engine tone, clearly not slowing, gonna squeeze through no matter what. Just have to put it behind you and try and enjoy the rest of your ride.

I was out riding the other day, approaching an island, like the ones for pedestrians crossing the road. I've taken primary to go through to prevent getting squeezed on the way through. I hear a car approaching, and there's no change in engine note at all, he's definitely not slowing. I'm just wondering whether he's not looking and is about to hit me, when he just sails through on the right hand side of the island. Fucking taxi drivers.

I've had that happen numerous times, and not taxi drivers.  Those are the kind of people the cycling safety team should be concentrating on.

I get that frequently on my commute into work (it seems to be worse in the mornings): long straight road with a 30mph speed limit, and with pedestrian refuges (with those hatched sections of paint to stop motorists running into them).

https://goo.gl/maps/duxi2wD9NKb5SR1X6

I'm travelling in the direction shown on the Streetview link above, and I regularly have cars passing the refuge on the wrong side of the road, because their drivers can't bring themselves to wait for a few seconds.  I mean - how many microseconds does it take for a cyclist to pass through a six feet long pinch point??