Drivers to shoulder the blame when involved in an accident i

[michael769]

(How many drivers check to see if the smallest ring and the largest cog on the cassette have been selected.

If a driver is close enough to be able see something as subtle as that then he is already so close that the cyclist is in serious danger .

[Gareth]

(How many drivers check to see if the smallest ring and the largest cog on the cassette have been selected.

If a driver is close enough to be able see something as subtle as that then he is already so close that the cyclist is in serious danger .

It's one of those things where the complete detail doesn't need to be seen to know something - the smallest ring and the largest cog are those nearest the frame of the bike. On a good bright day, it ought to be possible to see such detail from a reasonable distance, just as it ought to be possible to spot initially small hazards. If you are looking for it then most definitely it will be easier to spot than if you are not.

[jcochrane]

(How many drivers check to see if the smallest ring and the largest cog on the cassette have been selected.

If a driver is close enough to be able see something as subtle as that then he is already so close that the cyclist is in serious danger .

It's one of those things where the complete detail doesn't need to be seen to know something - the smallest ring and the largest cog are those nearest the frame of the bike. On a good bright day, it ought to be possible to see such detail from a reasonable distance, just as it ought to be possible to spot initially small hazards. If you are looking for it then most definitely it will be easier to spot than if you are not.

Thank you Gareth. As you rightly say it is a matter of knowing what to look for. As you close on the bike, if the chain is aligned as above, the arm hanging down, below the cassette, will also be at its longest making it even easier to spot.

[Porker]

The rate at which the rider's feet are moving in comparison to their road speed is a fairly good indication too.

P.

[TripleS]

I wonder if it is worth taking too much trouble over spotting little details in search of clues to their likely behaviour. I'm inclined not to get distracted by that too much, and just give them plenty of clearance. The only snag is if you meet an oncomer and there is insufficient lateral space to overtake the cyclist immediately, in which case you have to be prepared for this and able to reduce speed and wait behind them - as in any other overtake.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[jcochrane]

I wonder if it is worth taking too much trouble over spotting little details in search of clues to their likely behaviour. I'm inclined not to get distracted by that too much, and just give them plenty of clearance. The only snag is if you meet an oncomer and there is insufficient lateral space to overtake the cyclist immediately, in which case you have to be prepared for this and able to reduce speed and wait behind them - as in any other overtake.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

The problem is , Dave, many drivers think in terms of how many feet to I need to avoid hitting the cyclist instead of how many yards do I need to clear the cyclist to take into consideration their needs.

I am a little puzzled why looking for small details should be a distraction. I find it helps me focus, concentrate and to achieve total commitment to the drive.

[TripleS]

I wonder if it is worth taking too much trouble over spotting little details in search of clues to their likely behaviour. I'm inclined not to get distracted by that too much, and just give them plenty of clearance. The only snag is if you meet an oncomer and there is insufficient lateral space to overtake the cyclist immediately, in which case you have to be prepared for this and able to reduce speed and wait behind them - as in any other overtake.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

The problem is , Dave, many drivers think in terms of how many feet do I need to avoid hitting the cyclist instead of how many yards do I need to clear the cyclist to take into consideration their needs.

I am a little puzzled why looking for small details should be a distraction. I find it helps me focus, concentrate and to achieve total commitment to the drive.

"....total commitment to the drive."

Ah yes, the old 100% concentration thing again perhaps? As usual this is only personal opinion, but I don't think that's necessary; all we need is sufficient concentration to get the job done reliably and to a satisfactory standard. If anyone wishes to go beyond that, it's their choice; but I don't think it yields much added benefit in most cases. Rather than devote some of our information gathering capacity (which is not unlimited) to minor details that may not help us, I would rather leave as much as possible for gathering information about factors that are more important. I suppose this could again be interpreted as me wanting a relaxed and easygoing drive - which is true. That is how I like it to be. I'm not really into this intense concentration and focus style, but that's not a criticism of those who are.

With regard to allowing adequate clearance when passing a cyclist, rather than thinking in terms of feet or yards, I tend to err on the generous side unless, as I said earlier, there are oncomers that impose restrictions, in which case things have to be assessed more precisely. Also, it isn't purely a matter of clearance to protect the safety of the cyclist should they wobble or fall off. It's also a matter of passing with a modest speed differential and plenty of clearance to avoid unsettling them. Having a car whizz past quite close, and at speed, is quite disturbing to a cyclist, and even if we don't seem to have a problem with them, we wouldn't want them to have a bad wobble and fall off in front of the next vehicle.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[waremark]

"....total commitment to the drive."

Ah yes, the old 100% concentration thing again perhaps? As usual this is only personal opinion, but I don't think that's necessary; all we need is sufficient concentration to get the job done reliably and to a satisfactory standard. If anyone wishes to go beyond that, it's their choice; but I don't think it yields much added benefit in most cases.

Totally off-topic, but very interesting. It depends how you are measuring benefit. Many of us attempt to drive as well as we possibly can. What are the benefits we look for? Certainly we are looking beyond a faster, smoother, or even safer journey. The benefits are the satisfaction and enjoyment of achieving self improvement, and doing something to the best of our ability. I think it is analagous to playing a sport, even though in this case the competition is only with ourselves.

Dave, you put a lot of time into recreational road driving. What are your objectives?

[TripleS]

"....total commitment to the drive."

Ah yes, the old 100% concentration thing again perhaps? As usual this is only personal opinion, but I don't think that's necessary; all we need is sufficient concentration to get the job done reliably and to a satisfactory standard. If anyone wishes to go beyond that, it's their choice; but I don't think it yields much added benefit in most cases.

Totally off-topic, but very interesting. It depends how you are measuring benefit. Many of us attempt to drive as well as we possibly can. What are the benefits we look for? Certainly we are looking beyond a faster, smoother, or even safer journey. The benefits are the satisfaction and enjoyment of achieving self improvement, and doing something to the best of our ability. I think it is analagous to playing a sport, even though in this case the competition is only with ourselves.

Dave, you put a lot of time into recreational road driving. What are your objectives?

Hello, Mark - yes, I've stirred this one up a time or two previously, but I'll try to answer reasonably concisely:

In truth I hardly ever do any recreational driving in the sense of going out for a drive for the specific purpose of practising something. Virtually all my driving is for some practical purpose, but I almost invariably enjoy it and am always interested in finding little ways of improving. It's just that I don't go seeking them in the very focussed way that people like yourself, and Mr db, and others do. I certainly derive satisfaction and enjoyment from the process, but I'm a bit more laid back about the whole thing.

For a very long time I used to consider myself to be a driving enthusiast, but I've come to realise that I'm not: well certainly not when compared to many on this sort of forum.

On reflection, I'm becoming increasingly aware that I'm now of an age where my biggest concern is finding myself slipping back from whatever level I'm at, and that's a sobering thought, whatever little detail improvements I might still be finding.

Best wishes all,
Dave.