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news
Near miss of the day 34: A non-vehicular near miss
An interesting twist for today’s near miss in that for once it doesn’t involve a car, van or truck.
Instead it features that other old staple which will be familiar to many cyclists – the pedestrian who steps out into the road without looking.
This particular incident took place in July 2012 on Gatton Park Road in Reigate.
The cyclist clutches at his brakes, but is forced to ride behind the walker to avoid a collision. For their part, the pedestrian seems largely oblivious to what happens.
Over the years road.cc has reported on literally hundreds of close passes and near misses involving badly driven vehicles from every corner of the country – so many, in fact, that we’ve decided to turn the phenomenon into a regular feature on the site. One day hopefully we will run out of close passes and near misses to report on, but until that happy day arrives, Near Miss of the Day will keep rolling on.
If you’ve caught on camera a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with another road user that you’d like to share with the wider cycling community please send it to us at info [at] road.cc or send us a message via the road.cc Facebook page (link is external).
If the video is on YouTube, please send us a link, if not we can add any footage you supply to our YouTube channel as an unlisted video (so it won't show up on searches).
Please also let us know whether you contacted the police and if so what their reaction was, as well as the reaction of the vehicle operator if it was a bus, lorry or van with company markings etc.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- jaysa 2 sec ago
Another vote for Shimano QRs....
- AidanR 2 min 35 sec ago
It's not about "policing" the road. Riding in primary doesn't give you powers of arrest. ...
- andystow 20 min 47 sec ago
Same. I also have gone through a bunch of their tyres, and only the extralight disappointed (torn sidewall) but the standards are fantastic....
- thax1 35 min 20 sec ago
Same back then. Oh, also Codeine. https://www.dopeology.org/people/Sean_Kelly/
- chrisonabike 2 hours 18 min ago
Indeed - but it's no more inconsistent than our current road design - very often UK high streets are "for shopping" and also a busy through route....
- mike the bike 3 hours 48 min ago
If you ask the world's leading economic commentators how many people have been rescued from abject poverty by capitalism the average answer would...
- The Larger Cyclist 4 hours 12 min ago
loads of parking
- brooksby 4 hours 57 min ago
I hate it when I can't find the obvious source of a puncture.
- don simon fbpe 7 hours 1 min ago
Now, if we're talking gravel bikes, that's a whole different story. Gimme, gimme, gimme! Apologies for the Facebook link....
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36 comments
So cards in spokes is the retro new way? They’ll hear you coming.
Why cyclists sometimes don’t use cycle paths? Path zombies. Mobile phones and headphones.
I find cycling cycling Tourette’s very useful. Just shout a swear word every 50 yards (10 in inner city) just so the peds are aware.
They should pay road tax and be licensed...
I'm really not sure why this has been given a near-miss, if you want to include pedestrians walking out then I can upload 5+ a day living here in London. I smashed my hand, dislocated fingers and couldn't use it for 1 year because a pedestrian walked out, and they walked off even though they were responsible. Pisses me off that pedestrians are not held responsible for their actions, it needs to be taken very seriously - a jay-walking law needs to be put into the UK, at least into cities.
Even though I still have a small scar from the time a pedestrian stepped out (while carrying a scaffolding pole!) from behind a parked truck right in front of me, absolutely no way should there be a jay-walking law. In crowded urban areas you are going to have to mix with pedestrians, and your kinetic energy is ultimately your responsibility (just as _should_ be the case for motorists).
You'll be demanding pedestrians have licence plates next.
Even though I still have a small scar from the time a pedestrian stepped out (while carrying a scaffolding pole!) from behind a parked truck right in front of me, absolutely no way should there be a jay-walking law. In crowded urban areas you are going to have to mix with pedestrians, and your kinetic energy is ultimately your responsibility (just as _should_ be the case for motorists). You'll be demanding pedestrians have licence plates next.[/quote]
Mate, I race, I've been living in London most of my life and have had only 1 serious accident in over 35 years cycling. But, I've been trained to use the road (cycling profficiency at 9 years old, racing, etc) and yes, cyclists should have a number plate, it will make them accountable, in the same way that a jay-walking law will make pedestrians accountable. You don't like my stance, fair enough, but there are too many dicks everywhere to always rely on my "kineteic energy" being the factor to focus on - total crap, people need to stop being dicks, if they can't stop then a number plate and a jay-walking law is right. I argue with more cyclists than pedestrians for their bullsh*t cycling approach. I don't agree with taxing cyclists, that is wrong, but I tell you, put a number plate on a cyclist and you won't see them going round islands, running lights, going on pavements or whatever. Put a jay-walking law up and you'll see pedestrians change their dumb sh*t "on my phone while I cross the road" malarkey.
Right, because the requirement to be insured, licensed and display registration has stopped drivers of motorized vehicles being dicks....... yeah, that'll do it.
Bottom line is that the pedestrian is the normal, default human mode around which all other activity needs to be controlled. After that cyclists and other non-motorized and after that about 5% of the population that are either disabled or need to haul heavy equipment / loads for their work should be licensed to use a motorized vehicle on the road.
Most pedestrians have a vested interest in not stepping out into a fast-moving vehicle that will hit them: why would someone that does not care about that care about a fine FFS?
Bonkers. Just bonkers.
PS why should I give a toss whether you 'race'? What does that have to do with the topic?
I must admit that pedestrians stepping out without looking is becoming an increasing problem for me. Last week I had a pedestrian walk into me while standing at a give way line.
I am now getting a near miss like this several times a week, someone not looking for things smaller than a car or absorbed in their mobile 'phones unaware of their surroundings.
I'm begining to think that the mobile 'phone ban should be for anyone at anytime that is moving when they are not a passanger.
What?
He did, he stopped. Riding below the speed thge average car would go down there, may even have sof pedalled and looked for pedestrians at the lights. The moron veered right, right in front of their path.
Unless you suggest that you come to a complete standstill and walk your bike or car past any pedestrian, you've lost the plot here...
Lame! OK the ped should have looked but if we want car drivers to give consideration to us we should in turn give cosideration to pesestrians IMO
This is often the best way of dealing a someone who has stepped out without looking, brake and go past on the left.
If you shout they will do something unpredicatable (freeze, step back, continue) and you often won't have the time to come to a complete stop.
Pedestrian needed hi-viz as well.
Imagine this was a car (say an electric or quite hybrid one), they'd have been over the bonnet.
Bad news: humans’ tendency to make human errors doesn’t change much as we switch among modes of travel. Best hope is decent infrastructure and vehicle speeds set low based on risk e.g. #VisionZero which has brought roadway deaths down stunningly in Sweden and other places that are starting to catch on. Fixating on who was at fault in a particular encounter takes attention away from the real issues that need to be addressed.
"cyclist clutches at his brakes, but is forced to ride behind the walker to avoid a collision." - well its a good job that the pedestrian didn't suddenly step backwards into the cyclist's path, eh?
It's also a good job that the cyclist didn't try to squeeze past the pedestrian as the pedestrian panicked (due to not paying attention) and thought that stepping back was the correct choice.
Ah well, you see, this bike had a front brake.
My volume must be buggered as there was no noise on the vid.
i'm fed up with pedestrians stepping in front of me when i ride through town so have fitted one of these:
http://www.alpenhupe.com/about.html
I've got an AirZound which is pretty damned effective.
Now where did I put my vuvuzela?
A German sex toy?
Wut? No mate, it's just a bell. I think you clicked on your browser history by mistake.
How does it work? I'm rather suspicious of a bell manufacturer who makes a flashy promo video that doesn't actually show the bell in use
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-aqIifVjiI
it's a cowbell... rings all the time while you are riding along... on potholed British roads it would be very noisy...
For that genuine alpine climb TdF experience. Does it shout Allez allez allez too?
It's a bell. It goes ding a ling. Stop me if this is getting too technical...
needs more cowbell...
Unless this is addressed god you're going to get an increase in pedestrian fatalities when quieter eject vehicles are more common.
We need to get the green cross code man back.
Yes, pedestrians will soon learn to use their eyes as well as their ears when a few get mown down by electric cars (I presume you meant electric not eject!).
Bring back the Tufty Club! (showing my age)
he got modernised and fell into a sad decline -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DPEKVV7R9k
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