Driving the car

[RogerS]

Watching Brian learning to drive in New Tricks, as he turned left the instructor said 'remember, mirror, indicator....etc'.

This got me thinking as I realised that I never look in my rearview mirror when turning left. Tsk...tsk. But then I got thinking some more and came to the conclusion...why do it anyway? I can't think of any logical or safety reason for doing it.

A pushbike going faster than me and between me and the pavement? I don't think so.

If a motor-cyclist is daft enough to scream by me on the inside ...well, nuff said.

The only possible reason that I can see is if I'm in stationary traffic and waiting to turn left but even that is tenuous as I'll be sitting there with my indicator flashing away for all its' worth and I'll be on the inside lane so possibly a cyclist or motor-cyclist might be daft enough to try and squeeze by just as the traffic starts to move and I make my turn left....

 

[woodbloke]

Rog - sorry, this has got to be a wind up. Not only do I look in my rear view and wing mirrors but I also glance over my left shoulder just to double check the 'blind spot', which is something that you are taught to do if you have had professional motor cycle training and you have to do if you drive a Defender as you're about 3' higher than anyone else and there's a very large door pillar in the field of view.....just as long as you're not using a hand held mobile 'fone as you're turning left I 'spect cyclists and other unfortunate road users on your inside might stand a chance of surviving....... - Rob

 

[RogerS]

Rob - actually it's not I'm just struggling to understand just exactly who or what you are looking for.

Say you're on your motorbike and you're approaching your left turn. You are..what...about 2 ft maybe 3 ft from the pavement and going at maybe 20 mph perhaps...just who or what is going to be between you and the pavement and behind you ..just over your left shoulder?

 

[Jake]

A pushbike going faster than me and between me and the pavement? I don't think so.

Why?

 

[woodbloke]

Rog - any motorcyclist who knows what he's doing won't be on your inside (on a single carriage if you are as you say 2 or 3' from the kerb), if he is then he deserves to be knocked off 'cos that's not where he should be. However a someone on a push bike may well decide to use that space and come up on your inside and it's up to you to spot him before you turn left. There's also something to be said for experienced road users who ride a push bike (as I do) having a bit of 'savvy' to anticipate that a driver is going to turn left in front of them and not see them....but 'spose it's a little lad on his first bike?
Sorry Rog, it's a no brainer, check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder before turning left or right or changing lanes 'cos its the guy your blind spot that you're going to hit - Rob

 

[RogerS]

A pushbike going faster than me and between me and the pavement? I don't think so.

Why?

Sorry, Jake. I forgot the highway code doesn't apply to cyclists :wink:

 

[Paul Chapman]

Sorry Rog, it's a no brainer, check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder before turning left or right or changing lanes 'cos its the guy your blind spot that you're going to hit

Agree entirely - that's how I do it. Whether or not someone should or should not be there isn't really the issue. Just imagine how you would feel if you didn't bother to check and someone were to die as a result.... :-k

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[RogerS]

However a someone on a push bike may well decide to use that space and come up on your inside and it's up to you to spot him before you turn left.

For this to happen, the car has to have been in stationary traffic waiting to turn left, in which case I agree with you. Otherwise, you'll have been moving and will have overtaken any cyclists (cutting immediately across in front of them as you turn left is a no-no clearly)...so you're ..what... 100metres ahead, indicator flashing, slowing down to turn left and then they decide that they are still going straight on as you turn left across them...which could happen I guess but then surely that would be the time to check over your shoulder?

 

[woodbloke]

Sorry Rog, I'm not going to participate in this thread any more 'cos it's going nowhere and if I do I'll end up being :evil: Whatever the road conditions I'll repeat again before leaving that if you change lane or turn right or left, check your mirror(s) and glance over your left or right shoulder before you alter the road position of your vehicle.
Seriously suggest that you review your driving techniques or even better go and take a refresher course with a driving instructor before someone gets injured, maimed or killed under the front wheels of your motor - Rob

 

[RogerS]

Actually, pondering this a bit more, I realise that I do look over my shoulder sometimes but it depends on the circumstances. Empty road. No-one around. No parked cars. No houses. No drives. No cyclists. No motor-cyclists. No pedestrians. So no point in looking over your shoulder.

Driving in stop-go traffic in London. Well, you need eyes in the back of your head and so you do check etc.

I guess my point is that I'd far rather drive with my eyes open, anticipating something unexpected might happen as opposed to slavishly following some mantra or other...with the end result that when the unexpected does happen that you're ready for it.

 

[Jake]

A pushbike going faster than me and between me and the pavement? I don't think so.

Why?

Sorry, Jake. I forgot the highway code doesn't apply to cyclists :wink:

You clearly have never ridden two wheels! The most common cut-up is a car overtaking but intending to turn left, but starting the overtaking manouevre too close to the junction, so that they whiz past, slow down without completing the take-over and turn across the path of the (motor)cyclist - without having looked in their mirrors so they are completely unaware. Usually, such drivers have not even registered the fact that they are overtaking something because it isn't a car - they always say "I didn't see you there" despite having gone past you a second before turning.

Hardly a case of Highway Code being ignored by anyone but the car driver.

In a car, you are driving something that can easily kill or maim people who aren't in a nice protective metal cage. There is no excuse for not taking the tiny effort it takes to look in your mirrors before manouvering.

 

[RogerS]

A pushbike going faster than me and between me and the pavement? I don't think so.

Why?

Sorry, Jake. I forgot the highway code doesn't apply to cyclists :wink:

You clearly have never ridden two wheels! The most common cut-up is a car overtaking but intending to turn left, but starting the overtaking manouevre too close to the junction, so that they whiz past, slow down without completing the take-over and turn across the path of the (motor)cyclist - without having looked in their mirrors so they are completely unaware. Usually, such drivers have not even registered the fact that they are overtaking something because it isn't a car - they always say "I didn't see you there" despite having gone past you a second before turning.

Totally agree with you, Jake, and mentioned earlier on in the thread.

Rarely drove in London preferring to walk or get a bus. But got sick to death of cyclists using the pavement.

 

[greggy]

i roger, first of all i am not trying to teach granny to suck eggs but, as a driver of any vehicle,,,, a good driver should check all the mirrors before .... changing direction, signaling, or any manouvre, and when you are driving in a continuose situation i e motorway all the mirrors should be checked every 4 to 6 seconds. then you will know exactly what is all around you, and if you see anyone that should not be there you can and should take avasive action. speed does NOT kill. it is the incapable drivers that kill. as a driving instructer for hgv, cars, and all military vehicles and an holder of a police class 1 licence i should know, i have seen too many mangled dead bodies including children. drive safe, greggy.

 

[RogerS]

.... and an holder of a police class 1 licence i should know, ...greggy.

Just before I took my test, one of our neighbours took me out for an hour. He was a police driving instructor and I learned more from him in that hour than I did all those days with my father 'teaching' me in the car. The one thing I remember him saying was 'hang back' and that has stuck with me and saved my bacon on countless occasions.

 

[promhandicam]

I don't do as much cycling as I used to but it is fairly easy on a flat road to be doing 25 - 30 mph. Although I preferred to move into the centre of the road if the traffic was stationary when it was moving slowly you didn't really have any choice but to stay on the inside. having had a couple of accidents on the bike I'd ask that for the sake of cyclists, if no one else, please look in your mirrors before turning or changing lanes. Steve

 

[matt]

In answer to your original question... (What are we looking for?)...

Empty space - that's what you're looking for. Or, more to the point, you're checking that the space is empty.

I bet you check your garden door is locked before going to bed, even if you know you locked it earlier in the day.

It's arrogance and complacency that are the real dangers on the road.

 

[Colin C]

Totally agree with you, Jake, and mentioned earlier on in the thread.

Rarely drove in London preferring to walk or get a bus. But got sick to death of cyclists using the pavement.

Hi Roger

When is the last time you rode a bicycle in London on the road as I used too and was not happy with drivers taking my life in they hands :shock: :shock:

I mean like what Jake said and having two cars cross a road in front of me ( I was going down a hill ), the first one was ok but the second force me on to the other side of the road.

It was lucky that there where no cars behind the second so I could use the other side of the road.

:roll: :evil:

 

[Paul Chapman]

Mind you, pedestrians can be just as hazardous for cyclists. In my cycling club days, a friend of mine, Ron, was cycling to work. He was hammering down Brixton Hill, South London, when this bloke stepped off the pavement in front of him. Ron ended up in a heap in the middle of the road, his bike all mangled.

The bloke walked over to Ron and said: "Gee boss, I'm glad you weren't a bus".

Ron looked up and replied: "That's a matter of ******* opinion".

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[ike]

The most common cut-up is a car overtaking but intending to turn left, but starting the overtaking manouevre too close to the junction, so that they whiz past, slow down without completing the take-over and turn across the path of the (motor)cyclist - without having looked in their mirrors so they are completely unaware.

Tis so true!. That's caught me out more times than I've got fingers and toes. With congestion, impatience, Volvo driver mentality and even road rage, I always expect the unexpected these days and that has has saved my arse from others stupidity more than once. My advice Roger is just use the rear view mirror, don't try and analyse it - you might be surprised one day what you see!

Whatever the circumstances, I for one would never want to see a traumatic outcome where someone is hurt or worse.

cheers,

Ike

 

[andys wood shed]

Hi Roger

'The Blue Book' advises you to use your mirrors before a left turn so that
'you are aware of the possibility of cyclists and motorbikes moving up quickly on your inside'

Regards

Andy