Moron Motorists #3

[biker jk]

Why do they save the best to last?

Had a great morning for my first metric century of the year until this tosser came along in the last couple of K's and gave me a nasty surprise. I'm not sure what it is about this 2km stretch of road, but starting with being deliberately struck in 2009. I've had more road rage and abuse incidents here than all other locations combined.

Not sure if this is going to meet the beyond reasonable doubt test, but it was by far the closest shave I've experienced to date without being struck. I'd put it at between 200 and 300mm. Will be interesting to see how it measures up.

Looks less than 0.5m to me. On multi lane roads I ride in the right wheel track to deter these type of dangerous passes.

[Mulger bill]

Why do they save the best to last?

Had a great morning for my first metric century of the year until this tosser came along in the last couple of K's and gave me a nasty surprise. I'm not sure what it is about this 2km stretch of road, but starting with being deliberately struck in 2009. I've had more road rage and abuse incidents here than all other locations combined.

Not sure if this is going to meet the beyond reasonable doubt test, but it was by far the closest shave I've experienced to date without being struck. I'd put it at between 200 and 300mm. Will be interesting to see how it measures up.

Looks less than 0.5m to me. On multi lane roads I ride in the right wheel track to deter these type of dangerous passes.

Agreed with that.

What's the NSW law regarding driving wholly within a lane?

[g-boaf]

The green Lamborghini Huracan and the white Audi R8 which are street racing at the moment backwards and forwards....

Edit: Damn that Volvo was a close pass!

[find_bruce]

What's the NSW law regarding driving wholly within a lane?

Is this the one you were looking for ?

(1) A driver on a multi-lane road must drive so the driver’s vehicle is completely in a marked lane, unless the driver is:
(a) entering a part of the road of one kind from a part of the road of another kind (for example, moving to or from a service road or a shoulder of the road), or
(b) entering or leaving the road, or
(c) moving from one marked lane to another marked lane, or
(d) avoiding an obstruction, or
(e) obeying a traffic control device applying to the marked lane, or
(f) permitted to drive in more than one marked lane under another provision of these Rules or under another law of this jurisdiction.

[Mulger bill]

What's the NSW law regarding driving wholly within a lane?

Is this the one you were looking for ?

Yep, thanks Bruce. No doubt plod will give this bloke a free kick on point D

[trailgumby]

(f) is what applies here. You can straddle lanes when passing a bicycle under the new rules.

[find_bruce]

Yep, thanks Bruce. No doubt plod will give this bloke a free kick on point D

I am sure you already know that obstruction is defined as

obstruction includes a traffic hazard, but does not include a vehicle only because the vehicle is stopped in traffic or is travelling more slowly than other vehicles.

Vehicle is defined in rule 15 as including a bicycle.

(f) is what applies here. You can straddle lanes when passing a bicycle under the new rules.

That would be

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle driving past to the right of a bicycle that is travelling on a road in the same direction as the motor vehicle may, if it is necessary in order to comply with rule 144–1 while passing the bicycle, do any of the following but only if the driver can do so safely and has a clear view of any approaching traffic:
...
(d) if the driver is driving on a multi-lane road—drive so that the driver’s vehicle is not completely in a marked lane,

Just 2 problems (for the driver)
(1) it was not necessary because they could have changed lanes & more importantly
(2) they did not comply with the 1m rule.

Ie the pivotal question is whether the driver left 1m

[trainspotter]

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle driving past to the right of a bicycle that is travelling on a road in the same direction as the motor vehicle may, if it is necessary in order to comply with rule 144–1 while passing the bicycle, do any of the following but only if the driver can do so safely and has a clear view of any approaching traffic:
...
(d) if the driver is driving on a multi-lane road—drive so that the driver’s vehicle is not completely in a marked lane,

Just 2 problems (for the driver)
(1) it was not necessary because they could have changed lanes & more importantly
(2) they did not comply with the 1m rule.

Ie the pivotal question is whether the driver left 1m

As long as he has provided the necessary minimum 1m, whether he straddled a lane or not is immaterial. The 'necessary' in the regulation applies to the requirement to leave a metre, not to the requirement to stay within a lane

[hannos]

What's the NSW law regarding driving wholly within a lane?

Is this the one you were looking for ?

(1) A driver on a multi-lane road must drive so the driver’s vehicle is completely in a marked lane, unless the driver is:
(a) entering a part of the road of one kind from a part of the road of another kind (for example, moving to or from a service road or a shoulder of the road), or
(b) entering or leaving the road, or
(c) moving from one marked lane to another marked lane, or
(d) avoiding an obstruction, or
(e) obeying a traffic control device applying to the marked lane, or
(f) permitted to drive in more than one marked lane under another provision of these Rules or under another law of this jurisdiction.

These trump rule 146:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/ ... 144.1.html
(Speed and passing distance)

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/ ... 144.2.html
(Exceptions for passing a bicycle rider)

Sucks to be a cyclist in NSW...

[cj7hawk]

What's the NSW law regarding driving wholly within a lane?

Is this the one you were looking for ?

(1) A driver on a multi-lane road must drive so the driver’s vehicle is completely in a marked lane, unless the driver is:
(a) entering a part of the road of one kind from a part of the road of another kind (for example, moving to or from a service road or a shoulder of the road), or
(b) entering or leaving the road, or
(c) moving from one marked lane to another marked lane, or
(d) avoiding an obstruction, or
(e) obeying a traffic control device applying to the marked lane, or
(f) permitted to drive in more than one marked lane under another provision of these Rules or under another law of this jurisdiction.

These trump rule 146:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/ ... 144.1.html
(Speed and passing distance)

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/ ... 144.2.html
(Exceptions for passing a bicycle rider)

Sucks to be a cyclist in NSW...

Would not "Avoiding an obstruction" cover it?

[mikesbytes]

Why do they save the best to last?

Had a great morning for my first metric century of the year until this tosser came along in the last couple of K's and gave me a nasty surprise. I'm not sure what it is about this 2km stretch of road, but starting with being deliberately struck in 2009. I've had more road rage and abuse incidents here than all other locations combined.

Not sure if this is going to meet the beyond reasonable doubt test, but it was by far the closest shave I've experienced to date without being struck. I'd put it at between 200 and 300mm. Will be interesting to see how it measures up.

I'd say that's only a metre between the car and the curb, space that includes you

[outnabike]

Why do they save the best to last?
Not sure if this is going to meet the beyond reasonable doubt test, but it was by far the closest shave I've experienced to date without being struck. I'd put it at between 200 and 300mm. Will be interesting to see how it measures up.

That is a killer on the road right there. I don't get that sort of driving on a 3 lane road. Just a heartless fool driver for sure.

[cp123]

Is it completely insensitive to include Dimitrious Gargasoulas in this thread....

[redsonic]

Is it completely insensitive to include Dimitrious Gargasoulas in this thread....

I think the automobile is entering public consciousness as the deadly weapon it can be....

[Patt0]

Is it completely insensitive to include Dimitrious Gargasoulas in this thread....

I think the automobile is entering public consciousness as the deadly weapon it can be....

I suspect it is.

[bychosis]

I think the automobile is entering public consciousness as the deadly weapon it can be....

It's a conspiracy by the self driving car manufacturers to promote their product

[silentC]

The general public might start to see the car as a weapon yes, but cyclists are sub-human so the net effect will be zero.

Recently some brain dead idiot posted a thread on a local Facebook 'buy/sell' group, along the lines of "If anyone sees a cyclist on the road between x and y, blow your horn and point to the bike track."

What ensued just demonstrated to me once again that people have no idea about the road rules. It boiled down to 'if there is a path, they are required to use it' and 'they are allowed to ride on the road but not two abreast'.

It took a lot of restraint to not get involved, but I really don't feel like trying to single-handedly and individually explain the road rules to every motorist in the area. I really wish that one of these cycling advocacy groups would spend a bit of money on a basic education campaign. Clearly neither the government nor the police have any interest in doing it.

[hannos]

Is this the one you were looking for ?

These trump rule 146:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/ ... 144.1.html
(Speed and passing distance)

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/ ... 144.2.html
(Exceptions for passing a bicycle rider)

Sucks to be a cyclist in NSW...

Would not "Avoiding an obstruction" cover it?

No because a cyclist is not an obstruction.

[silentC]

Collision here yesterday between a motorist pulling out from a driveway and a cyclist travelling on the road. There was a group of four, two were slightly ahead of the other pair. She claims she saw the second pair and thought she could beat them, didn't see the two in front of her. One guy collected the front of the bull bar, the other just missed. Smashed wheel and fork. Rider OK, needs a new helmet - you can see the helmet coloured skid mark on the bitumen.

One of the guys in the second pair is a cop. He gave her a good talking to. Apparently it's not a ticket-able offence because no-one went to hospital.

[Rajdanto]

Not a ticketable offence??!!!
.
But you can be fined for not having a bell on your bicycle.
This is a tribal thing, the motorheads tribe sticks together regardless of the offence.

[silentC]

Yep. The laws have been changed and it is no longer necessary to report an accident in which no-one was injured. The rider has probable concussion and some sore bits and pieces but he declined to go to hospital, so therefore 'no-one was injured'. They exchange details and the insurance companies handle who pays what. Police no longer get involved.

[biker jk]

Collision here yesterday between a motorist pulling out from a driveway and a cyclist travelling on the road. There was a group of four, two were slightly ahead of the other pair. She claims she saw the second pair and thought she could beat them, didn't see the two in front of her. One guy collected the front of the bull bar, the other just missed. Smashed wheel and fork. Rider OK, needs a new helmet - you can see the helmet coloured skid mark on the bitumen.

One of the guys in the second pair is a cop. He gave her a good talking to. Apparently it's not a ticket-able offence because no-one went to hospital.

So failure to give way leading to a collision is not a ticketable offence?

[silentC]

Correct, according to the highway patrol officer I rode with this morning... Well perhaps more to the point, the police do not get involved in 'minor' traffic incidents...

[bychosis]

Correct, according to the highway patrol officer I rode with this morning... Well perhaps more to the point, the police do not get involved in 'minor' traffic incidents...

Yes, apparently they are outsourcing fines to insurance companies now. It's called an 'excess'. Your punishment is to have your car impounded by a panel shop and having to drive a new rental car until your car is returned to you shinier than ever.

[CycloTron]

Rode in to work on the weekend so decided to use a more direct, road-based route than the standard trail commute - which reminded me again why I try to avoid roads when cycling if possible...

Riding down a separated bike lane in the city, I slow as a car is stopped right across the whole lane. As I approach, car reverses out onto the street and I thought "It has either seen me coming or it's leaving". But no, I'm only about 5m away when he pulls back in and parallel parks the car right on the bike lane

Then, on the way home, I'm coming up to an intersection to turn right. I do a head check and signal with my arm before moving into the middle of the road lane. All the while, my right arm is still extended, indicating my intention to turn right. Just as I'm moving to the right of the lane to turn, I hear the roar of a car engine and instinctively brake, aborting the turn. Just as well because a f#@king SS ute (what else?) comes flying past on my outside. If I had continued turning, I would no longer here...

Some absolute morons out there.