99er Close call.

[Joe Low]

Disagree, we don't have the full picture of how big group was & how many riders were behind Coenie. Not so sure why you & others are so keen to believe that a group of cyclists would keep to the far right of the lane just for the heck of it.

 

Hi Skubarra - we're asked to react to what the OP put up & it looked like a routine incident in an SA road race. 

 

We're being asked to agree that the cyclists are victims and the driver an idiot & I don't go along with that.

 

A large group of cyclists will spread across the road, drivers will take chances, once in a while somebody dies.

 

That's the risk we take.

[Halfdoesyn]

Difficult to say for sure without statistics but there were 124 recorded cycling deaths in the UK last year. I fully agree with you that motor vehicle fatalities in SA is far higher than the UK. 

 

You're obviously excluding London from your statement regarding tolerance? 

Sorry, that was road fatalities, which include motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians - which make up half the deaths, the other half motorists (world wide).

 

I will agree city drivers being more aggressive in general, but you'll find that anywhere.

 

How reliable our stats in SA are these days is anybody's guess. I've heard somewhere that road related deaths in hospitals are not always attributed as such. Only when a person dies on the scene. But this is only hearsay.

[Mamil]

Absurd to suggest that cyclists in a race riding in a group would be able to maintain safety all riding on the extreme left of the road.

 

To accept that "drivers will take chances" is also not on in my view. Any reasonable driver in this situation would slow right down - possibly feel a little frustrated at the delay and wait until it is clear that overtaking is safely possible.

 

"Drivers will take chances" is like saying it is acceptable that some drivers will overtake on a blind rise - it isn't. Or that "taking the chance" of accelerating towards on orange robot to get through the gap between the light going red one way and green the other. It's not OK.

 

This driver's registration should be taken and the video passed on to the authorities to be attended to.

[VicanZA]

Genuinely can't see the problem here except that the cyclists are not making an effort to keep left.

agree clear to see there is a yellow lane but the cyclist are spread across on the center of the road. 

[Skubarra]

Hi Skubarra - we're asked to react to what the OP put up & it looked like a routine incident in an SA road race. 

 

I appreciate that you are judging on what you see, which is why I am trying to point out that you are likely not seeing the full picture so wait before you judge.

 

There is about 20(?) cyclists in this video, which mean there is up to 80 cyclists behind the rider that you don't see which would reasonably explain why the OP is not riding on the extreme left of the road.

 

There is likely a bike marshall behind the group at this stage (although I'm not 100% certain)

 

There were big yellow signs before this stretch up for a whole week informing motorists of this race so the truck would have been fully aware of the race ahead before he encountered the cyclists.

 

The cyclists are not the irresponsible parties here, that we are taking risks by participating in an event is a completely different subject.

[VicanZA]

Absurd to suggest that cyclists in a race riding in a group would be able to maintain safety all riding on the extreme left of the road.

 

To accept that "drivers will take chances" is also not on in my view. Any reasonable driver in this situation would slow right down - possibly feel a little frustrated at the delay and wait until it is clear that overtaking is safely possible.

 

"Drivers will take chances" is like saying it is acceptable that some drivers will overtake on a blind rise - it isn't. Or that "taking the chance" of accelerating towards on orange robot to get through the gap between the light going red one way and green the other. It's not OK.

 

This driver's registration should be taken and the video passed on to the authorities to be attended to.

cyclists will take chances too mate. clear by that vid..

[Cheese]

agree clear to see there is a yellow lane but the cyclist are spread across on the center of the road. 

The way I look at it most of the cyclist is to closer to the yellow lane while the cyclist with the Gopro is more to the right. Obviously can not see behind the camera but it is not really looking like they are racing as mostly they are free wheeling and should be more to the left if you ask me. I think cyclist feel a false sense of security when they are in a race and do things they would not normally do.

 

However I know I have in the past lost a bunch or two as I tend to stick to the left, which is not always the best racing strategy when the wind is from the left. Just not willing to take the chance on the right.

 

Last year in R4S I lost the bunch this way and had to TT into the wind for 60km so hoping for less wind this time.

[seven]

2 issues:

Read the last sentence on that infographic. There may not be a legal requirement to stay left in the UK, but there is here.

 

If you ride 3 abreast, with 20-30cm gap between cyclists, it would be 3m wide. In the example the road is 3m wide. Where do you expect oncoming traffic to go if you still want to maintain the 1.5m gap (for slow speeds). Add onto that the cumalitive speeds of the bikes and car, and that gap needs to grow significantly...

 

But alas, its all irrelevant to the current topic, where the truck driver was just a typical SA driver

[Joe Low]

Absurd to suggest that cyclists in a race riding in a group would be able to maintain safety all riding on the extreme left of the road.

 

To accept that "drivers will take chances" is also not on in my view. Any reasonable driver in this situation would slow right down - possibly feel a little frustrated at the delay and wait until it is clear that overtaking is safely possible.

 

"Drivers will take chances" is like saying it is acceptable that some drivers will overtake on a blind rise - it isn't. Or that "taking the chance" of accelerating towards on orange robot to get through the gap between the light going red one way and green the other. It's not OK.

 

This driver's registration should be taken and the video passed on to the authorities to be attended to.

 

Not sure if you're referring to me re: "absurd", but what you say on safety is not something I suggested.

 

"Drivers will take chances" is factual, it doesn't indicate acceptance.  The knowledge gives a person the chance to better assess their risk.

 

Action against the driver is always a possibility, though an extremely remote one.

 

Please try to address what I said rather than what you think I might be saying.

[Quagga]

A big cycling group is a "living" thing with constant overtaking speeding up and slowing down.

 

That group would be strung out on the left and then bunch up all the time. 

 

There is NO reason why the truck had to do what he did. Just look how big that groups was.

 

Note: Most of the time the group is only the left of center the roadway.

 

The person with camera start moving up on the right from 2:10 and see where the camera ends up. To me it looks like he was overtaking other cyclist but remaining carefull as they are clearly going fast.

 

Here you go. Judge away.

 

[Mamil]

I'm referring to the implication that these cyclists had any culpability in the creation of the potential accident recorded on the video as absurd. These cyclists are participating in a sanctioned, marshalled, advertised race and the peleton constitutes a road hazard like any other slow moving vehicle that the drivers of faster vehicles must accommodate and negotiate safely.

 

Tacit in "drivers take chances" is a passivity that states that the guy in the oncoming vehicle and the cyclists should not expect anything but such dangerous driving. Defensive driving and riding where you anticipate the poor moves of the other is a different story). 

 

It is, as you say, unlikely that this driver will be prosecuted but if it were my footage I would report it to the traffic authorities and follow up with them regardless their action or lack of.

 

 

 

Not sure if you're referring to me re: "absurd", but what you say on safety is not something I suggested.

 

"Drivers will take chances" is factual, it doesn't indicate acceptance.  The knowledge gives a person the chance to better assess their risk.

 

Action against the driver is always a possibility, though an extremely remote one.

 

Please try to address what I said rather than what you think I might be saying.

[Patchelicious]

A big cycling group is a "living" thing with constant overtaking speeding up and slowing down.

 

That group would be strung out on the left and then bunch up all the time. 

 

There is NO reason why the truck had to do what he did. Just look how big that groups was.

 

Note: Most of the time the group is only the left of center the roadway.

 

The person with camera start moving up on the right from 2:10 and see where the camera ends up. To me it looks like he was overtaking other cyclist but remaining carefull as they are clearly going fast.

 

Here you go. Judge away.

 

They ALL jumped the STOP street at the beginning of the video!!!!

[Patchelicious]

I'm referring to the implication that these cyclists had any culpability in the creation of the potential accident recorded on the video as absurd. These cyclists are participating in a sanctioned, marshalled, advertised race and the peleton constitutes a road hazard like any other slow moving vehicle that the drivers of faster vehicles must accommodate and negotiate safely.

 

Tacit in "drivers take chances" is a passivity that states that the guy in the oncoming vehicle and the cyclists should not expect anything but such dangerous driving. Defensive driving and riding where you anticipate the poor moves of the other is a different story). 

 

It is, as you say, unlikely that this driver will be prosecuted but if it were my footage I would report it to the traffic authorities and follow up with them regardless their action or lack of.

 

OR

 

http://www.maerskline.com/mt-mt/countries/za/world%20factbook/contact/offices

[Plentipotential]

Why always blame the cyclists? It was a race, with riders trying to get to front overtaking etc. 

 

The bottom line here is the truck should not have overtaken, he could see there is a cycle race in progress and he endangerd  HIS ligfe and everyone elses. How the cyclist were riding does not have anything to do with HIS stupid action.

 

It's won't be about right or wrong if that truck connects the cyclist with the Gopro, just about when the funeral will be and who will look after the family!

 

Just bear in mind the truck driver does not see a cycling race, he sees a cyclist who is in the middle of the road when all the other cyclists are in the yellow line.

[Patchelicious]

It's won't be about right or wrong if that truck connects the cyclist with the Gopro, just about when the funeral will be and who will look after the family!

 

Just bear in mind the truck driver does not see a cycling race, he sees a cyclist who is in the middle of the road when all the other cyclists are in the yellow line.

You are right, it won't be. All the more reason to take action and deter this type of dangerous driving.

[S-Bike]

A big cycling group is a "living" thing with constant overtaking speeding up and slowing down.

 

That group would be strung out on the left and then bunch up all the time. 

 

There is NO reason why the truck had to do what he did. Just look how big that groups was.

 

Note: Most of the time the group is only the left of center the roadway.

 

The person with camera start moving up on the right from 2:10 and see where the camera ends up. To me it looks like he was overtaking other cyclist but remaining carefull as they are clearly going fast.

 

Here you go. Judge away.

 

Haha!! Not really on topic... but that's me in the yellow doing all the work at the front, got a kick after seeing that so thanks for sharing...