Cyclists cause an accident :(

[McJim]

The police prosecuted both myself and the truck driver for failing to keep left. I hired a lawyer and defended the charge. The magistrate's decision was that I was not guilty as the primary cause of the accident was the truck on the wrong side of the road.

You mean not the car for taking up an entire lane on their own side of the road?

That puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of the overtaking car in the current incident then and contradicts your previous posts.

You are aware aren't you that the cyclists in this instance did stay on their own side of the road (despite being 3 abreast) - personally when descending on a bicycle at speeds of 70kph or more I use the whole lane when I'm on my own to get the best line - I can do twisties on my Campag Chorus 531c downhill faster than I can on the motorbike cos the bicycle is more agile - I have had to overtake cars and motorbikes in Scotland while going downhill on a pushbike - has that made me want to ban cars and mtorbikes from twisty downhill roads? No. Probably because I'm reasonable and I appreciate that we all have to share the asphalt and learn to live with each other.

Glad to see we've persuaded you the the majority of blame lies with the car driver.

By the way - I've looked into the Primary cause - it was called the big bang and happened a long long time ago!

[R6_kid:Me]

I had a cyclist ride out infront of me on a blind corner from the opposite direction, i was doing between 90-110kmh and wouldnt have been able to maneuver out of the way. Had i been a fraction of a second earlier it would have been goodbye pork pie for both of us.

Also had a couple of them weaving halfway across the lane as they were riding up hill... not very smart - it almost seemed like he was doing it on purpose to piss me off too.

[twinkle]

I'm surprised more cyclists don't get run over to be honest

[Jantar]

You mean not the car for taking up an entire lane on their own side of the road?

That puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of the overtaking car in the current incident then and contradicts your previous posts.

You are aware aren't you that the cyclists in this instance did stay on their own side of the road (despite being 3 abreast) -

Now you are just being rediculous.

In my accident it was the truck illegally causing an obstruction, in this case its the cyclists illegally causing an obstruction

In my accident I was unable to stop within the clear distance ahead as the truck was coming towards me. In this case the car may not have been able to stop within the clear distance ahead (an infringement in its own right) but you would rather have the car plow into the group of cyclists. It still comes back to the point that if the cyclists were riding leagally the accident probably would not have occurred.

[twinkle]

It's like the give way to the right rule. If I pull out in front of a car whether it's speeding illegaly or not and an accident results it's my fault. Same with overtaking, the onus is on the car overtaking to do it safely or not do it at all, irrespective of whether the vehicle in front is doing something illegal.

[McJim]

Now you are just being rediculous.

In my accident it was the truck illegally causing an obstruction, in this case its the cyclists illegally causing an obstruction

In my accident I was unable to stop within the clear distance ahead as the truck was coming towards me. In this case the car may not have been able to stop within the clear distance ahead (an infringement in its own right) but you would rather have the car plow into the group of cyclists. It still comes back to the point that if the cyclists were riding leagally the accident probably would not have occurred.

Sorry man - mis read your post - I thought you said the OVERTAKING vehicle was the primary cause in your accident not the vehicle being overtaken....or did you just decide who to blame in advance and then transpose the blame to suit your opinion?

I ask merely for informational purposes you understand..

[Jantar]

Sorry man - mis read your post - I thought you said the OVERTAKING vehicle was the primary cause in your accident not the vehicle being overtaken....or did you just decide who to blame in advance and then transpose the blame to suit your opinion?

I ask merely for informational purposes you understand..

In my accident overtaking wasn't to blame. The truck that was coming towards me on the wrong side of the road was a milk truck making its regular deliveries and driving at walking speed. However it was an obstruction that legally shouln't have occurred. I was travelling at around 25 - 30 kmh, and the car coming towards me was travelling at around 40 kmh.

[McJim]

Fair enough Jantar - thanks for clarifying - from your previous post I got the impression that the truck was overtaking the car (takes a huge leap of faith to come up with another reason for driving into the oncoming traffic!)

My opinion is that as a road user a bicycle be entitled to an entire lane - people overtaking should move to the other lane and not lane share on the open road. If they can't then they shouldn't overtake. The car is at fault here much more than the cyclists.

People who have always had the benefit of engines seem to feel they have some god given right to be the ascendant road users. Just coz they're too puny to reach 70kmh under the power of their own muscle, sinew, bone and training.

The law of the land states cyclists should not ride 3 abreast and in that respect they were riding illegally - but the law also states that you shouldn't exceed 100kmh on the open road....did everyone observe that law yesterday?

People in glass houses....etc.

Still hope the experience causes the cage driver to grow a brain before they kills someone coz he/she is a fucken moron.

[UberSchnell]

It's like the give way to the right rule.

That's one of the most misinforming rules ever uttered!!! There are more exceptions to it than there examples of it being correct...

personally when descending on a bicycle at speeds of 70kph or more I use the whole lane when I'm on my own to get the best line

Cornering lines aside, I'd do that for the exact reason that if a cager needs to get past me I've got room - 70Kmh, 6in or less, & a bump in the road and it's byebye for me while the guy in speeding cage would barely notice (injury wise)!

[Sketchy_Racer]

Cyclists riding in a bunch can be frustrating if you have to slow down and wait for oncoming traffic. You could always point out the error of their ways in a few short words. Realistically though, how often does this situation actually arise?

It happens any sunny day you want to go for a ride over Piecock hill. Its really annoying. i'll always give a nice little toot of my horn asking them to move, when they don't move (they never do) ill make sure i dont leave my lane, which means sometimes brushing them as i go past they dont need to ride in big packs. whats worng with single file?

[HenryDorsetCase]

We don't normally muck about, but just before Kawakawa bay as you are heading up the hill before you drop down to the bay, we are coming around a blind right hander, I'm out front and the next minute three racing cyclists are taking up the entire side of their side of the road heading towards us on the corner apex. That's not so bad until you consider the tosser, with his family in the car, who is overtaking them at around 90kmh on our side of the road, on the blind corner.

BUT, what can be done about these dodgy cyclists taking up the whole lane on blind corners and country roads?? Worse, the idiots that try and overtake them on blind corners need shooting.

what the FUCK are you on about?

Ok you nearly had an off, and your mate dropped his bike. But the bloody cyclists didnt cause that clusterfuck, it was joe lunchbox in the car.

And yet your start line is "cyclists cause accident?" .

why isnt it: "I was going too fast and couldnt deal with a road hazard"

or

"motorcyclist nearly kills self, and innocent sheep, during loss of control"

Christsakes, isnt it bad enough the mainstream media that get this shit wrong all the time without perpetuating it yourself?

Much as I dislike roadies (I am a mountainbiker) they have as much right to be on the road as any other road user, and those three roadies certainly arent the villains in that scenario..

[Goblin]

It happens any sunny day you want to go for a ride over Piecock hill. Its really annoying. i'll always give a nice little toot of my horn asking them to move, when they don't move (they never do) ill make sure i dont leave my lane, which means sometimes brushing them as i go past they dont need to ride in big packs. whats worng with single file?

What's wrong with single file is that these psyclists think they wont be seen in single file so they use the whole fucking lane for "saftey" reasons.

I have found the mountian bikers are usually fairly considerate on the country roads but the road psyclists are a different breed altogether. They oooze arrogance so dont really care for any other road user.
My 2c.

[Sketchy_Racer]

What's wrong with single file is that these psyclists think they wont be seen in single file so they use the whole fucking lane for "saftey" reasons.

I have found the mountian bikers are usually fairly considerate on the country roads but the road psyclists are a different breed altogether. They oooze arrogance so dont really care for any other road user.
My 2c.

Yep pretty much. But if they are in single file they wont be in the way... so they don't need to be seen.

Its funny how mountain bikers and road bikers are heaps differnet in their riding positions on the road

[SuperDave]

I don't see why you place the majority of your blame on those cyclists. I mean had they not been there the meathead in the car wouldn't have been overtaking them, true but personally I think the blame is entirely on the car in this situation, he did not NEED to pass them, he CHOSE to pass them.

Unfortunately his choice was one made with very poor judgement.

[McJim]

Yep pretty much. But if they are in single file they wont be in the way... so they don't need to be seen.

Its funny how mountain bikers and road bikers are heaps differnet in their riding positions on the road

That's funny - I use the same road position on a Mountain bike as I do on a road bike....oh sorry that's right, this is New Zealand where we like to turn everything into a 'them and us' situation I can't possibly be a roadie....and a MTBer....and a motorcyclist....and a cage driver....oh help, my brain is melting down - I am my own enemy.

FFS grow up.