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news
Near Miss of the Day 163: Traffic calming measures in Skipton lead to more close passes
The latest video in our Near Miss of the Day series shows how infrastructure aimed at making motorists cut their speed is presenting a hazard to cyclists since it increases the likelihood of a close pass.
It was submitted by road.cc reader Phill who told us: "Today I was riding from Skipton to Keighley on a stretch of road where the planers have introduced traffic calming chicanes to generally slow everyone down but unfortunately they have disregarded anyone on two wheels and created a potentially hazardous stretch of road.
"I have had many near misses on here and today's offering is typical of what we cyclists have to put up with.
"I have Garmin Radar and a mirror so am aware of what's behind me, and try to 'own the road' by moving out a bit to discourage a late overtake," he added.. "But they do it anyway."
> Near Miss of the Day turns 100 - Why do we do the feature and what have we learnt from it?
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.
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.
> What to do if you capture a near miss or close pass (or worse) on camera while cycling
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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10 comments
I have a pedestrian refuge on the 40mph road from the town centre to home, it's almost a daily occurence where a motorist will come up at speed and then either brake hard or squeeze me out. I take a right of centre lane line well before the refuge, I do it everywhere so that this makes a motorist think that I'm not going to shoved off to the side so they can continue at speed.
Even then there are some that will still drive right at you, I had a non emergency ambulance a month ago do exactly this, reported it but apparently the ambulance service aren't interested in safety of vulnerable road users or the std of their drivers as I've had no response at all!
I ride that road at least once a week. On that section in particular and in both directions you have to take the lane early, otherwise you will get squeezed by idiot drivers. I have yet to get grief for doing this from any drivers, but if you give them the possibiltiy of getting past you, then they will have a go. Be strong, take the lane.
Near hit, not near miss IMO.
Indeed. Correlation doesn't mean causation. "Traffic calming" road furniture is not causing dangerous overtakes, selfish and dangerous drivers are.
You might as well state that cycling, or mandatory cycle lanes lead to close passes.
Nor is causation the simple matter of discovering a single cause to a single event.
In reality all of those factors - cycling, bad driving and cycle lanes (of the roadside gutter variety) contribute to the creation of the outcome "near miss of cyclist by car".
A bike has to be there to be near-missed. The car driver has to be driving badly, ignoring the rules of the road and basic physics. The cycle lane tells both the driver and the cyclist that they "own" the two meaningless lanes created, encouraging a close pass by suggesting that it's OK if you stay the right side of the demarcation line, no matter how close this brings you together physically.
Speed calming chicanes contribute their own part to close passes, even if they are neither necessary or sufficient of themselves to do so. They're a catalyst that increases the bad effects of bad driving.
Cugel
Good job I didn't imply one cause to the event then
There is usually only one person in control of a motorised vehicle, so there is therefore usually only one person making the decision that causes the close pass. (Regardless of the number of factors that contributed to them making that decision.)
Be better if Road cc's headline placed the blame appropriately:
"Shit driving around traffic calming measures in Skipton leads to more close calls"
or possibly more appropriately:
"Impatient drivers lead to more close calls in Skipton"
Seriously, Road cc. That kind of thing is part of the problem.
But thanks for the website. On the whole it's really good.
Upvoted
Seems to be the attitude of "If the car in front passed him and didn't kill him, it must be all right for me too." Never mind thinking ahead and reading the road. It is clear that the driving test is not eliminating dangerous drivers, and is therefore not fit for purpose. Do I remember reading that it is to be revised with specific mention of cyclists?
Need a rear camera for these ones. Am sure this was unpleasant, but front cams make them look like nothing.