In my post earlier this week (see Determination) I talked about determination and asked if this was an essential attribute for continual cycle commuting. Although it is useful I would say a far more important attribute is vigilance. Sharing the road with other vehicles is normally completely fine, but sadly there are a minority of drivers who are either too inattentive or disregarding of other’s safety.
It is very rare that I come across these, apart from the selfish cretins who shout out the window at me. However, this week I came across 3 drivers on the commute that could have caused serious damage if I was not paying attention.
Mr Mercedes
Firstly was Mr Mercedes and happened 2 minutes after leaving home. Upon leaving his housing estate and entering the roundabout I was already on, he decided that he could barge on through ahead of me. I saw him coming from my left and noticed that he showed no signs of slowing down. Not wanting to be squashed or thrown over his bumper I slowed down and took the inside lane on the roundabout. If I had not done this I really don’t think he would have seen me and stopped.
Mr BMW
Secondly was Mr BMW on my journey home. I was heading through the Gogar roundabout on the edge of Edinburgh and just cruising round as I knew the lights would be red. Obviously Mr BMW decided that he could not wait to get to the lights so barged on past, on the inside! I posted about Operation Close Pass a couple of weeks ago and this is a classic case of impatience and not giving cyclists enough room. Normally if you get a close pass it is by someone overtaking on the right hand side. You can imagine my surprise on seeing and feeling him inches away on my left. I just can’t imagine why someone would drive like this, it’s not as if my bright red lights on the back, or reflective rucksack make me difficult to spot!
Mr Jag
Thirdly it was Mr Jag’s turn to nearly mow me down. I did not have my camera recording for this one so have no footage. However, it was almost an exact replica of Mr Mercedes’ maneuver. This time it was heading along Maybury Rd in Edinburgh which has a roundabout in the middle. I was heading straight ahead, in the left of two lanes. When I was nearly at Mr Jag’s entrance I could see that he was carrying a lot of speed and in no way slowing down. This time I had to move to the outside lane which was thankfully empty and could do nothing but shake my head at him as he sailed on past. Fair enough he waved an apology as he finally spotted me but again, if I had not been alert to the danger it could have ended badly!
Vigilance
These are the only 3 dangerous encounters I have had all year after 1,600 miles. It’s strange that they all happened in the same week. However, they do serve to highlight both to me and any other cyclists using the road that you can never be too careful. Continue to pay constant attention to what is happening around and always expect the worst from other road users. I find that cycling really awakens my senses and I am constantly looking, listening and thinking as I make my way. This is no bad thing because as well as keeping me safe, it helps to waken me up in the morning and clear my head in the evening.
As well as dangers from other road users, you need to keep an eye out for potholes, debris, puddles and even pedestrians who can sometimes step out in front of you.
It’s impossible to eliminate danger completely, but by staying vigilant you can help to minimize the risk. With experience you also begin to predict when someone has not seen you so can take preventative action, as I had to this week.
Stay safe out there!
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Ross C
Martin Gemmell
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