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Video: Head-on collision with another cyclist on CS3
A London cyclist has urged CS3 users to ride more cautiously after uploading footage of a head-on collision between two riders. The two collided when one attempted to overtake another cyclist on a narrow stretch of the cycle superhighway at Blackfriars.
Writing on YouTube, video uploader 4ChordsNoNet said: “This section of CS3 (East/West Cycle Superhighway) is one of the narrowest, yet it doesn't stop some people from riding too fast and trying to overtake at busy times.”
The footage shows a number of riders overtaking, but when one woman attempts to pass a man on a Boris Bike who is riding a little more centrally, she finds herself cramped for room and ends up colliding with someone approaching from the other direction.
Even worse, footage from a rear-facing camera shows that the cyclist she hits is then run into by a following rider as he lies on the ground. That person is then catapulted over the kerb and into the road. 4ChordsNoNet explained that fortunately the phasing of the lights meant the traffic had been held back.
Speaking about the aftermath, they add:
“The female cyclist that caused this chain of events had a swollen finger, grazed and maybe broken, difficult to tell. She also complained about hert shoulder, and when following her afterwards, she was constantly rubbing her thigh.
“The cyclist going the other way that she hit, needed help to get up. He said that he was okay, but I think he may have some more serious injuries that will did not surface at the time. The one that hit him and ended up in the road, seemed perfectly fine, if not a bit bruised.”
And as if fellow cyclists were not significant enough obstacles, YouTube user Simon Allen recently captured footage of a car driving in another stretch of London’s cycle superhighway network.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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108 comments
A bit surprised by some of the comments here. In any overtaking scenario, regardless of the vehicle concerned, it is the responsibility of the person overtaking to ensure that it is done with the safety of everyone in mind and only to do so when it is safe. There is no more right to cycle at your preferred speed than there is to drive at your preferred speed when there is a slower vehicle in front of you. If we as people who use bicycles don't get that, there's not a lot of hope for road safety.
The beauty about cycle lanes is that you can pass on either side and don't even have to ride to the left hand side. She should have cut through and passed to the BBer's left....
Are there rules (me being a country boy)?
I'm considering making an analysis video of this incident with even slower footage from the handlbar mounted camera, I can go to half the speed that was uploaded.
It is clear when you watch it closely that the overtaker (the female cyclist) clipped the handlebars of the Boris Biker causing him to wobble and knock her off balance enough to throw her off her bike into the path of the poor chap coming the other way.
I really can't comprehend how any cyclist on here can lay any criticism at the Boris Biker. Had he been on his own bike I genuinely believe that very few would place any blame on him for this.
I've checked my ride for this incident and I was doing 14-15 mph along here. I'd say that Boris and Miss were probably doing 18-20 maybe? Empty you can do 20-25 with ease, and some will hit 30 or more, but with that amount of traffic in the lanes you have to keep the speed down, but more important don't overtake unless it is safe to do so.
It was clearly a stuff-up but the positive thing is on a segregated cycle lane a stuff-up means you stack it and maybe take out a couple of other riders, on the road you could go under a bus.
In regards to the London commuter rules it seems to be:
1. No talking/eye contact
2. Don't acknowledge that it's a race (but it is)
Surely the banter index varies with terrain? Urban is less but up the rural hills a lot more...
That said the horror of the lone silent rider ignoring all attempts at a cheery morning is infecting my local (midlands) rides more and more.
Don't really mind until its when they ride past!!!.... RACE!
Some people are just plain stupid.
We get stupid riding on the local shared path where a cyclist has an obstruction on their side of the path so they have to change sides and often into the path of oncoming traffic forcing the otherwise unobstructed cyclist to brake, swerve or take some form of action.
I see this behaviour when driving too.
Didn't some woman berate Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame for riding through that there London village too slowly?
Lovely place and lovely people.
Definitely the passing cyclist at fault here. SMIDSY shouldn't be acceptable for drivers, and definitely not for cyclists, either. Accidents do happen, but this was clearly a case of impatient dangerous overtaking. It didn't look to me like the Boris-biker was intending to do anything other than to ride in his lane. Sure it's good to stay well left, but regardless, it's up to the person who wants to pass to ensure it's completely safe for them to do so.
I've seen this before on CS3 (thankfully, all those affected managed to take evasive action). Heading east past Tower Bridge turn-off it gets even worse, like a Mad Max movie. Much narrower and very dogdy surface, cars in and out of side streets and pedestrians. I've nearly been taken out by a stupid boof-head in a hoodie hooning along with a boom box blaring careening past from behind whilst a bunch of us had stopped for cars. Clipped the side of me, but I managed to stay upright and fortunately for him, he did not get taken out by a car.
So I now I have made the choice to use the road and go down through the Greenwich tunnel rather than deal with that CS3 looniness.
The cycle lane is big enough.
The Santander cyclist is in the middle, leaving no room to overtake.
The female cyclists reason for getting where she's going is obviously more important than anybody else's.
Everybody else should have stopped to allow her a clear path.
Stupid and dangerous cyclist.
That lane is pretty narrow; norrower than what we see in the States. In such an urban setting as London, wouldn't striping down the middle help? It still might be crazy in such a squeeze but maybe it would tamp down the anarchy.
If this path is intended for two way use, as it would seem, then it is in breach of the national guidelines which call for 3m width absolute minimum.
Funnelled like rats in a sewer, while the acres of empty space now de facto if not de jure dedicated to motor traffic stand empty alongside. And yet only a minority of comments here even question the width of the path for the cycle traffic it is intended to serve: most criticise the behaviour of one or other of the cyclists.
There is no way a lane that wide should be two-way. Riding it safely will slow many cyclists considerably. Increased cycle commuting times make cycling less attractive not more.
The Netherland's good cycle safety record is in part due to the fact that Dutch cyclists ride more slowly on average that in other countries, often on similarly narrow lanes. Now you know why!
The onus is of course on the overtaking rider to do so safely, and plainly that wasn't a good moment. Hitting the brakes, and letting the peloton take the strain would obviously have been preferable. I note that the overtaking rider was wearing a helmet, which probably increased her willingness to take risks.
But it wouldn't have happened if they'd all been on the road.
No-one's discussed wind direction as a factor in the crash, but I suspect they were all ebulliant in a tailwind, which increased their speed, though not their judgment.
Well exactly. If we'd just witnessed this scenario with cars I'm sure we'd all be agreeing she's a maniac and should have her licence taken away.
The guy who went into the womans (crashed) bike on the ground ended up in the highway. FTA
Only positive is that he was fortunate that there wasn't traffic on it at the time.
I don't know about rules, but if I am overtaking anyone I'll normally call "on your right" to let them know; and I always pass on the right, maybe I am too old, but it seems the right thing to do.
Its nowhere near big enough unless your idea of commuter cycling is that everyone is forced to go at the speed of the slowest. Of course it wasn't a problem before the segregated path was built. We could all go at our own speed and overtake as necessary but that freedom is now in the past on that bit of road.
I wouldnt' advise overtaking on the left - regardless of legality, people won't be expecting it and it's more likely to cause a crash.
No, it is not. That narrow cycle lane carries more people at rush hour than the rest of the road; it should be twice as wide(or the same width on either side of the road)
Several causal factors here
1) Boris bike rider not aware of what is happening behind (a very common issue with novice/distracted riders in high density cycle flow)
2) Overtaking rider (an idiot) attempts a totaly stupid overtaking move
3) fails to ensure the rider she is overtaking knows she is coming through
4) after managing to avoid wheel contact, she touches the other rider with her shoulder
5) he naturally reacts with surprise because of 1) and makes rapid change of course
6) having left no space for this she and the other rider collide and with no space she hits oncoming rider.
2 issues to deal with
All riders to be more aware of what is happening behind them
Fast riders to learn how to safely overtake
I disagree with points 4-6. I think she actually rides into his handlebar. The rapid change of course is involuntary and classic of what happens with a sharply deflected handlebar. Watch the front wheel of the boris bike - it turns left and then rapidly back right. It moves left because the right end of the handlebar has been pushed sharply forward. This puts the front wheel out from underneath of the ride. He is now unbalanced and the only way he can stay upright is to steer the front wheel sharply back right so it is under his centre of mass. It is an involuntary reaction that is a result of having learned to ride a bike.
Once the handlbar is knocked it is unavoidable that he will ride into her, and do it hard. The only way this could have been avoided would be if he didn't have his hands on the handlebar, in which case his body would have fallen into the overtaking cyclist.
I really do wonder whether this lady drives an Audi!
She must have been in an almight hurry, and we know how well that mixes with any kind of road traffic.. 
1 causal factor: The lane is too narrow to be safe for bidirectional bike traffic at this volume.
Why are you bringing testosterone into this? You could equally blame her 'oestrogenic' fueled spacial awareness failure....
I am surprised the woman has not had more insults hurled at her here. Some kind of fear of being called sexist perhaps; her testosterone fueled lycra lady bully girl techniques lead to innocent others being injured. Yes the Boris bike looked a bit timid and central, but all the more reason not to squeeze past. Three people managed to avoid her, she still had time to back down, but didn't. Its all on her. The lane itself looks wide enough, others before made safe passes. Making it wider would just encourage more of this. If this is too busy then just mix it on the road as is you right as a tax payer.
Have you been drinking?
Hmmm, this is the reason I dislike 'cycle superhighways'. I don't like to cycle slowly or casually. I would end up being frustrated riding at the lowest common denominator.
Still, I condemn her actions, you have to ride with consideration (whatever your speed). She didn't anticipate on-coming traffic and paid the price, as did three others.
I used to see this riding on the canal into Islington. In the end I went back to the roads because they were faster and safety.
You used to ride ON the canal into islington ? I'd like to have seeen that.. Did you use helium in your tyres to help with floatation ?
They've made the canal itself 'shared use' now. That way it counts towards cycle-lane targets.
"Cycle superhighways" - or "basic minimum standard cycle paths" aren't for you; you obvs cycle anyway. They're to make sure people who cycle slowly AND casually can cycle, too - and that's a very unpleasant experience on London roads.
Regents Canal? Lovely route. Completely unsuitable for cycle commuting at any decent speed. It's a footpath, and a busy, narrow one at that. Lovely for a pootle to the pub on a Sunday afternoon; completely useless for getting to work on time (unless you're the kind of idiot who doesn't give a hoot about pedestrians or anyone else).
The big problem with the Cycle Super Highways is that they're so successful. To paraphrase, "No one cycles there anymore, it's far too crowded".
It's exactly the same problem as on Tavistock Place (GO AND SIGN THE CONSULTATION, YOU HAVE A FEW HOURS): Bidirectional, segregated cycle paths are better than no segregated cycle paths. But one-directional, segregated cycle paths are WAY better than bidirectional ones.
The current setup is a huge step in the right direction, but it's still a million miles from the finished product.
Is the sound off or don't Londoners EVER speak on the commute?
Talk? To strangers? Are you mad?
You've never been to London, have you?
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