Willie Smith Vlog: Bus takes out fellow rider

[Mamil]

Massive truck rumbled past me on today's sportif. I was just inside the yellow line giving shelter from a big crosswind to a mate on my left. He passed about a meter from me doing about 80 i reckon. He suddenly blocked the wind and then I felt the suction. Leant away from it and watched the enormous wheels trundle passed. Foul language ensued.

 

Still cursing like a drunk sailor i moved further inside line.

[Vetplant]

My smart indoor trainer is becoming more and more attractive with each story of near misses.

 

Happy you are fine Mamil, that is frightening.

[LeoKnight]

Had a thought about this thread this morning, basically I see as follows, like anything in life you take risks (be that by getting in the car and deciding if you want to use a seatbelt or not), if you going to take your bike off road or on the shoulder of the road or for that matter drive in the center of the road.  It remains the risks you taking by living.

 

The next bit is the likelihood of being in a crash (don't think the word accident is correct because normally it is not an oopsie but rather negligence, probably majority of the time on the side of the driver).  And yes it the driver is in the wrong, they need to get carry the full consequences of his / her action (both for their education as well as others to see justice being done).  But you as the rider decides how much risk you willing to take vs the reward of spending time on your bike, with mates, with family, etc.   How close do you want to skate to the side of the "cliff"? 

 

This has nothing to do with victim blaming, as no one wants to "fall"  of the cliff, or go smack against a wall, but it remains your decision on the amount of risks you willing to take on the day that you are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

Above of course is just an opinion ;-)

[The Ouzo]

Had a thought about this thread this morning, basically I see as follows, like anything in life you take risks (be that by getting in the car and deciding if you want to use a seatbelt or not), if you going to take your bike off road or on the shoulder of the road or for that matter drive in the center of the road. It remains the risks you taking by living.

 

The next bit is the likelihood of being in a crash (don't think the word accident is correct because normally it is not an oopsie but rather negligence, probably majority of the time on the side of the driver). And yes it the driver is in the wrong, they need to get carry the full consequences of his / her action (both for their education as well as others to see justice being done). But you as the rider decides how much risk you willing to take vs the reward of spending time on your bike, with mates, with family, etc. How close do you want to skate to the side of the "cliff"?

 

This has nothing to do with victim blaming, as no one wants to "fall" of the cliff, or go smack against a wall, but it remains your decision on the amount of risks you willing to take on the day that you are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

Above of course is just an opinion ;-)

pretty much what I tell people.

I accept the risk and try what I can to mitigate as much as possible.

[Dicky DQ]

 

And that's exactly the problem, we as cyclist expect everyone else to obey the laws on the road. If they had kept further to the left, and didn't ride next to each other all this would have been avoided..some basic road rules for you..read point number 2 and number 5. At least two violations by the group, but no lets rather blame someone else...

 

Reg 311.

1. No person shall ride a pedal cycle on a public road unless he or she is seated astride on the saddle of such pedal cycle.
2. Persons riding pedal cycles on a public road shall ride in single file except in the course of overtaking another pedal cycle, and two or more persons riding pedal cycles shall not overtake another vehicle at the same time.
3. No person riding or seated on a pedal cycle on a public road shall take hold of any other vehicle in motion.
4. No person riding a pedal cycle on a public road shall deliberately cause such pedal cycle to swerve from side to side.
5. No person riding a pedal cycle on a public road shall carry thereon any person, animal or object which obstructs his or her view or which prevents him or her from exercising complete control over the movements of such pedal cycle.
6. A person riding a pedal cycle on a public road shall do so with at least one hand on the handlebars of such pedal cycle.
7. Whenever a portion of a public road has been set aside for use by persons riding pedal cycles, no person shall ride a pedal cycle on any other portion of such road.
8. A person riding a pedal cycle on a public road or a portion of a public road set aside for use by persons riding pedal cycles shall do so in such manner that all the wheels Special provisions relating to freeways.

 

Interesting you post this, what was the reason? By the same laws you reference you do know that the cyclists are all in the wrong here? Why? 

 

BECAUSE THEY ARE RIDING INSIDE THE YELLOW LINE!

 

The yellow line is reserved for emergencies and I recall allowances were made to allow a vehicle to move into the yellow lane to allow another to overtake when it is safe or something like that.

 

So Please note All the cyclists should have been on the RIGHT of the yellow line, imagine how that would have ended?

[Dicky DQ]

Looking at the video and in hindsight could this have been different ? - yes if the guys were keeping more left. As much as its the buses fault for being too close to the yellow line - well the cyclist was also too close to the yellow line, not clever on such a busy road thinking a yellow line will give the protection they need, especially in this country.

 The cyclist should have been in the roadway and not the emergency lane. So yes the cyclist was wrong by keeping too far left. Let that sink in for a minute!

[seven]

The cyclist should have been in the roadway and not the emergency lane. So yes the cyclist was wrong by keeping too far left. Let that sink in for a minute!

Do you really believe what you are advocating here?

[Vetplant]

 The cyclist should have been in the roadway and not the emergency lane. So yes the cyclist was wrong by keeping too far left. Let that sink in for a minute!

 

 

Do you really believe what you are advocating here?

I for one believe in it yes.

 

There are two different arguments here. A legal one, and a reduction of risk one.

 

The rider was totally in his rights to have ridden on the right side of the yellow line, legally. The vehicle coming from behind has a responsibility to only pass in a manner that is safe.

 

From a reduction of risk point of view: he could have ridden much more to the left.. on the grass... yes.

 

That does not make the actions of the Bus driver any less illegal.

[Jase619]

Do you really believe what you are advocating here?

 

I believe the main point that is trying to be made here, and without regard to safest practices, is that the rider was not in the wrong for riding so close to the yellow line, when by law he should actually be to the right of the yellow line. From the start of the thread the cyclist has been blamed for riding so close to the yellow line when he should have been riding far to the left. While in terms of best practice and risk mitigation this is correct, from a legal stand point he is not at fault. The bus driver is.

 

However I think most on here would rather be alive and illegal than dead and legal. 

Edited December 9, 2019 by Jase619

[Eldron]

I believe the main point that is trying to be made here, and without regard to safest practices, is that the rider was not in the wrong for riding so close to the yellow line, when by law he should actually be to the right of the yellow line. From the start of the thread the cyclist has been blamed for riding so close to the yellow line when he should have been riding far to the left. While in terms of best practice and risk mitigation this is correct, from a legal stand point he is not at fault. The bus driver is.

 

However I think most on here would rather be alive and illegal than dead and legal.

Arguing legality here is silly as the cyclist was using the yellow lane illegally.

 

To happily forgive the cyclists behaviour and lay 100% of the blame on the driver is crazy.

 

SA road structure and users (yes both rider and driver) attitudes dictate that all sorts of concessions need to be made to stay safe. Once these concessions start then trying to argue from a legal aspect becomes null and void.

 

Cyclists were not in single file, using yellow lane illegally, operating a camera whilst using a vehicle, distracted behaviour, veering in and out of lanes without signalling,

 

Driver overtook illegally, veered in and out of lanes without signalling and didn't stop at the scene of an accident.

 

It's a legal **** show.

[urbanroyal]

https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/165365/this-is-when-youre-allowed-to-drive-in-the-emergency-lane-in-south-africa/

 

According to this guy..you allowed to drive in the emergency lane to let faster traffic pass...that's why you'll always find me in the emergency lane...????

[Pall Catt]

Like i said we all have opineons, here is another one. If a motorist is busy with his cellphone while driving, it is a distraction, yet nobody has a problem with the camera guy thats filming at 70km per hour. We as cyclist also have a responsibilty to act safe and think for ourselves. If the cyclist was in fact on the yellow line, his bars would have been in the way of the bus beause the average bar nowdays are about 720mm. So he would take up almost 36cm of road space, where he probably has almost 2 metres of space on his left. So would you feel better if the bus moved over further to the right and took out a family in a car. Sorry but it doesn't make sense.

 

Oh, was the bus being driven by Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock? Ok, I didn't notice that. That does change things.

[Eldron]

https://businesstech.co.za/news/motoring/165365/this-is-when-youre-allowed-to-drive-in-the-emergency-lane-in-south-africa/

 

According to this guy..you allowed to drive in the emergency lane to let faster traffic pass...that's why you'll always find me in the emergency lane...

 

That article and a few others use the word "freeway". Riding a bike on a freeway is illegal/illegal/debatable...

[seven]

I believe the main point that is trying to be made here, and without regard to safest practices, is that the rider was not in the wrong for riding so close to the yellow line, when by law he should actually be to the right of the yellow line. From the start of the thread the cyclist has been blamed for riding so close to the yellow line when he should have been riding far to the left. While in terms of best practice and risk mitigation this is correct, from a legal stand point he is not at fault. The bus driver is.

 

However I think most on here would rather be alive and illegal than dead and legal.

I don’t disagree. My question is if TDFN actually believes that what he advocates should be applied?

[Quagga]

I don’t disagree. My question is if TDFN actually believes that what he advocates should be applied?

Now you are starting to look like a trol.

 

Like Eldron said, this whole video clip is a legal sh1tshow. 

 

However it does look like the bus went for them on purpose.

[seven]

Now you are starting to look like a trol.

 

Like Eldron said, this whole video clip is a legal sh1tshow.

 

However it does look like the bus went for them on purpose.

Not at all. Read my 1st post on the topic, if you want to understand my view and where I’m coming from.