[News] Simulation, Surely?

[birthofanorange]

Putting aside any safety issues, the driver should have passed more slowly, as a matter of courtesy, especially as there was clearly no room to give a wider berth to the cyclists.
The cyclists themselves don't come out of this smelling of roses either, as they made a meal of it, in my opinion.
However, the driver spurned an opportunity to avoid such a harsh penalty, so that's all on him.

 

[MJsGhost]

IMO, the attitude of the cyclists suggests they'd have whacked the LR regardless just for being on the road.

That's quite some reach

the falling off bit is hillarious.

Yup!

I do agree the LR was going too fast.

Bingo - he should have taken the driver awareness course on the chin rather than wind up in court and then a fine & points...

Too many cyclists do take themselves far too seriously and are frankly nothing more than an itinerant irritant to other path & road users.

Perhaps, but if some cyclists are irritating, that doesn't mean drivers shouldn't obey the law / highway code in relation to cyclists in general.

 

[McTavish]

Cyclists take themselves far too seriously hence their frankly embarrassing mental breakdowns when other road users don’t give them the deference they think they are entitled to.

Sometimes cyclists are justifiably terrified - most regular cyclists have been in fear of their lives due to negligent or sometimes deliberate behaviour by other road users and so are understandably a bit tense when other vehicles pass them too close and at speed.

 

[Stat Brother]

Putting aside any safety issues, the driver should have passed more slowly, as a matter of courtesy, especially as there was clearly no room to give a wider berth to the cyclists.
The cyclists themselves don't come out of this smelling of roses either, as they made a meal of it, in my opinion.
However, the driver spurned an opportunity to avoid such a harsh penalty, so that's all on him.

You wouldn't have thought it was rocket science.

Quite how anyone can come to any different conclusion is beyond me and says considerably more about that person then perhaps they'd like to let on.

 

[The Clamp]

You wouldn't have thought it was rocket science.

Quite how anyone can come to any different conclusion is beyond me and says considerably more about that person then perhaps they'd like to let on.

He definitely should have copped to the lesser penalties. They should haven’t made such a fuss over nothing. If you’re a nervous cyclist, steer clear of single lane country lanes, you will inevitably meet farmers who think they own the roads or BMW drivers who use it as their private rally course.
Right or wrong, it’s not for the shaky.

 

[GT49er]

It's not totally in the control of anyone whether or not another road user gets scared. Some people scare easily.

Still no excuse for driving like an ********, without due care and consideration.

 

[juliant]

If he'd have stopped the cyclists would have scratched his farm machinery 'trying' to get past.

2 wrongs don't make a right but this looks like a no win situation.

Wow thats some assumption ! Can i have tonights lottery numbers please?

If he had just stopped for ten seconds then he wouldnt be where he is today. Points and a big fine.

Your right about the 2 wrongs but to me hes certainly come out of all of this worse and for what ? Ten seconds and a bit of willy waving in a 2 ton vehicle ?

Deserves all he got IMO

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

There's no "if".

I found the speed/driver awareness course both thought provoking and enlightening.
It certainly changed my driving habits, for the better.

I doubt the same could be said for the taxi driver who also attended.
He was adamant he was forced into speeding by the circumstances around him and argued every aspect of the course, throughout the day.

I'll hazard a guess he had points on his license within 12 months of his attendance.

I've done three* of them. Yes, they are excellent. The first time I did one (25 years ago) a couple of people failed, one old skool bloke who just could not keep his speed down during training despite repeated warnings, another who drove so fast into the car park the instructor had to use his brake to stop the daft bint demolishing a wall, and another who simply decided that driving wasn't for her (she'd been done because she'd approach a crossroads and her passenger had said 'straight on' so she ignored a stop sign and driven straight in front of a car that had the right of way. Ouch!).

These days I take great pleasure driving around Fav at 20 (which is the speed limit everywhere in town). Annoys the feck out of white van man, taxi man, school run mum, and all the other racers, but so it goes.

*Mobile police camera ambushes - getting rid of the boy racer cars has put pay to any future tomfoolery, as the very thought of speeding in my old-man car is, frankly, ludicrous.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

He definitely should have copped to the lesser penalties. They should haven’t made such a fuss over nothing. If you’re a nervous cyclist, steer clear of single lane country lanes, you will inevitably meet farmers who think they own the roads or BMW drivers who use it as their private rally course.
Right or wrong, it’s not for the shaky.

If I see a car approaching me at speed on a road like that I will either pull my cycle over and let him go, or hog the road so he has to slow down. On that road I would have been cycling smack in the middle, and once farmer Giles had seen me and slowed down I would have pulled right over, probably stopping, to let him past. That slow wobbly convoy looked to me like the perfect storm of how not to use that road.

Round here we get a lot of cyclists who like to cycle double file, or in a long convoy of 5 or more bikes, on a narrow two lane A road (the Faversham to Ashford A259 being a particular favourite). They expect traffic to follow behind at 20 mph. Personally I think this is selfish and I wouldn't do it myself. However, if you disagree, cycle bold - don't cycle in the gutter, over manholes and the like.

In London I make myself big. The average speed there is slow, anyway. I had a pedal clipped at a roundabout 15 or so years ago, so now I make it impossible for drivers to attempt risky overtaking. As you suggest, it takes some experience and is not for the shaky. London drivers, though, are very skilled in my experience. Country bumpkins....maybe not so.

 

[Bodian]

He definitely should have copped to the lesser penalties. They should haven’t made such a fuss over nothing. If you’re a nervous cyclist, steer clear of single lane country lanes, you will inevitably meet farmers who think they own the roads or BMW drivers who use it as their private rally course.
Right or wrong, it’s not for the shaky.

So, nervous cyclists should go on bigger roads - which are busier, with faster cars, often behind you so you don't even see them coming? Country lanes are the best place to ride for leisure.

 

[The Clamp]

So, nervous cyclists should go on bigger roads - which are busier, with faster cars, often behind you so you don't even see them coming? Country lanes are the best place to ride for leisure.

Possibly so.

 

[Acker79]

If I see a car approaching me at speed on a road like that I will either pull my cycle over and let him go, or hog the road so he has to slow down. On that road I would have been cycling smack in the middle, and once farmer Giles had seen me and slowed down I would have pulled right over, probably stopping, to let him past. That slow wobbly convoy looked to me like the perfect storm of how not to use that road.

Round here we get a lot of cyclists who like to cycle double file, or in a long convoy of 5 or more bikes, on a narrow two lane A road (the Faversham to Ashford A259 being a particular favourite). They expect traffic to follow behind at 20 mph. Personally I think this is selfish and I wouldn't do it myself. However, if you disagree, cycle bold - don't cycle in the gutter, over manholes and the like.

In London I make myself big. The average speed there is slow, anyway. I had a pedal clipped at a roundabout 15 or so years ago, so now I make it impossible for drivers to attempt risky overtaking. As you suggest, it takes some experience and is not for the shaky. London drivers, though, are very skilled in my experience. Country bumpkins....maybe not so.

I've done three* of them. Yes, they are excellent. The first time I did one (25 years ago) a couple of people failed, one old skool bloke who just could not keep his speed down during training despite repeated warnings, another who drove so fast into the car park the instructor had to use his brake to stop the daft bint demolishing a wall, and another who simply decided that driving wasn't for her (she'd been done because she'd approach a crossroads and her passenger had said 'straight on' so she ignored a stop sign and driven straight in front of a car that had the right of way. Ouch!).

These days I take great pleasure driving around Fav at 20 (which is the speed limit everywhere in town). Annoys the feck out of white van man, taxi man, school run mum, and all the other racers, but so it goes.

*Mobile police camera ambushes - getting rid of the boy racer cars has put pay to any future tomfoolery, as the very thought of speeding in my old-man car is, frankly, ludicrous.

Make your mind up!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Make your mind up!

The speed limit on an A road is not 20 mph.

Other than that, tremendous research and tremendous work

 

[BadFish]

He definitely should have copped to the lesser penalties. They should haven’t made such a fuss over nothing. If you’re a nervous cyclist, steer clear of single lane country lanes, you will inevitably meet farmers who think they own the roads or BMW drivers who use it as their private rally course.
Right or wrong, it’s not for the shaky.

. . . or we bring in laws designed to protect the cyclist and encourage the farmers, BMW driver etc to drive more safely and make our roads okay for all users. Even the nervous and shaky (and irritating) ones.

Seems like a step in the right direction to me. Of course, it will take time but maybe everyone will end up safer and with less scratched up cars?

 

[The Clamp]

. . . or we bring in laws designed to protect the cyclist and encourage the farmers, BMW driver etc to drive more safely and make our roads okay for all users. Even the nervous and shaky (and irritating) ones.

Seems like a step in the right direction to me. Of course, it will take time but maybe everyone will end up safer and with less scratched up cars?

We have those laws. Doesn’t do much to deter the die-hard arrogant.

 

[dazzer6666]

Only just seen this.

He was going too fast, particularly that close to cyclists
She doesn’t look like a very good cyclist (couldn’t unclip ?)
The rider in front appears to stop suddenly, probably without warning so she was likely to be in trouble

If the driver had slowed to a crawl to go past (as he should have on a road that narrow), and/or the cyclists had stopped to allow him to pass, this wouldn’t have happened. They’re all twats.