Jeremy Vine's lucky escape as bike run over by reversing driver who turned onto cycle lane

I think it's the first time I've seen him at real risk.
The other times, I see it as making a point in a controlled manner leaving room to avoid a collision (and I agree his camera makes judging it awkward).
It's something I do when drivers bully me out of the way. Had this yesterday with some L motorcyclist who thought it was ok to be in the middle of my lane coming towards me. I held the lane long enough to make a point which I hope he will reflect on.

In this one, I think vine made an error and thought he'd just be able to carry on past the van. If I'm honest, I think I may well have made the same error.

Replace JV with, let's say a tourist on a hire bike...maybe someone who can cycle, but doesn't everyday like most of us here.  Is it still an error on the part of the cyclist who is merrily riding along as they have right of way? Or the driver of a van that has already broken a couple of rules and is about to break some more?

Bit of a generic comparison - but someone who is just cycling but doesn't regularly is probably likely to be more risk averse, a more experience cyclist would take this on and get round the truck

The issue here is simply that JV is clearly as thick as two very stubby planks with no risk awareness. Which is probably why he always gets in a pickle

Stubby Planks the renowned blues guitarist was a member of Mensa you know

Oh right, I always thought he was an Oxfam trustee

No he never joined The Oxfam Trustees, that was just a rumour put out by the record label.  Their guitarist was actually a session musician called "Confused Roger".

That would make sense, because the conductor of the band was a guy called Brainless Brian

No your knowledge has let you down again. Brainless Brian was a misogynistic 70s comedian on the summer season circuit. He appeared on Russ Abbott's Mad House once but died on his arse after telling the Essex girl joke. He never made it back on TV. I think he's Jim Davidson's warm up man now

Bottomless Brunch Billy was the Trustees conductor

Thanks for clarifying. i've actually got a t-shirt with the signatures of all of the "trustees conductor" band members. Not worth much now though. 

Wow! Imagine having to warm up Jim Davidson. A dirty job but I suppose someone has to do it.

I agree

perce wrote:

Wow! Imagine having to warm up Jim Davidson. A dirty job but I suppose someone has to do it.

.

Stop it! This is all very clever (and funny) but in danger of getting out of hand!

.

Out of Hand once had a top 20 album in Japan.  Ironically, it was called "Health & Safety"

I disagree. The issue here is that you just hate JV, and will be contrary irrespective of facts. Also, you seem to contradict yourself...can you decide whether a more "experience" cyclist will get around the truck, or identify the risk and stand off? You seem to think they should do both. Actually, don't bother answering as IDGAF what you think.

KDee wrote:

I disagree. The issue here is that you just hate JV, and will be contrary irrespective of facts. Also, you seem to contradict yourself...can you decide whether a more "experience" cyclist will get around the truck, or identify the risk and stand off? You seem to think they should do both. Actually, don't bother answering as IDGAF what you think.

uh no...read what I said, I'll put it below again for you so you don't have to navigate perce & clems (or is it the same person?!) nonsense

Someone who is inexperienced would be more risk averse - i.e. likely to wait

A more experienced rider may just nip around 

Bit of a generic comparison - but someone who is just cycling but doesn't regularly is probably likely to be more risk averse, a more experience cyclist would take this on and get round the truck

Still a believer in the dual identity thing huh? Priceless. And somewhat ironic (not like the Alanis Morrisette number).

I don't know, generally the people on the hire bikes are clueless about risk, scary to watch and certainly not risk averse.

You need to read my post in context of the one I replied to
"better trained cyclist would have been extremely aware that mistake 1 would very probably lead to mistake 2 and would have stayed well clear of it."
The error being not taking account of mistake 2 and the error being part of good road craft.

To give another example, avoiding being hit when a driver turns right across a cycle lane and through queuing traffic. I'd consider not slowing down and watching out for this to be an error on my part. This is completely different from the driver's responsibility in law.

Ah, I get you. I think if it was me in JV's position, my brain would see a delivery van, and expect it to (do what delivery drivers do) mount the pavement and make a delivery or something, not stop and reverse back the way it came.

I ended up thinking I would not have been reversed over by virtue of me stopping to have a right go at the driver !

I count 4 mistakes before the reverse.

Failed to keep left.

Illegally drove in cycle lane (note - they drove through a cycle lane as they went past the mandatory blue arrows before they even turned...).

Failed to follow mandatory blue direction sign.

Failed to give way to oncoming traffic.

Yes, I think you are right there. The break in the solid white line for the pedestrian crossing is too inviting to the inattentive driver. There needs to be an extension of that island to incorporate the crossing, so that the solid white line can remain unbroken all the way up to a keep left bollard.

Another thing that would really help is re-laying the cycle lane in red tarmac. 

HoarseMann wrote:

Another thing that would really help is re-laying the cycle lane in red tarmac. 

All of this! It's bizarre to me that we apply a UK "just do what you can. Not for us to interfere" approach to the design of cycle infra. Mostly it's not well marked but where it is we can't even agree on a colour! (Can think of at least 3 we use).

Another benefit of properly separated infra (including continuous footway / cycle path at side roads) is it should be much clearer that this is not for motor traffic.

AidanR wrote:

The incident is definitely the fault of the driver, but I 100% would not have stopped behind the van.

Despite the assertions of a certain silly little troll, I'm by no means a JV fanboy, in fact we had a big blowup on Twitter a while back and he blocked me because I said I thought one of his incidents with a bus was actually his fault. However, all I can see in this incident is that when the van stopped he started to ride past it, presumably with a view to going round the side to remonstrate with the driver; he only stops when he realises the driver is reversing into him and he has to jump off and sacrifice his bike or risk going under the wheels with it. There's definitely an argument that Vine would have been wiser to stop well back and wait, but it's simply not the case that he had stopped behind the van before it started reversing.

Hmm, maybe you're right. It's really hard to tell with the 360 degree camera.

AidanR wrote:

Hmm, maybe you're right. It's really hard to tell with the 360 degree camera.

That's very true, but I think if you keep an eye on the dashed white line ahead it keeps moving towards the camera until the van/Vine contact, indicating he's still in motion.