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news
School tells cyclist that she should have moved over into parking bays after close pass by school bus driver
A Hove cyclist who suffered a close pass by a school bus was told that the driver thought she would have moved over – despite the fact that the space to her left was a parking bay. Seemingly unaware of this, the school’s transport manager also sent British Cycling advice on road positioning.
The incident occurred on Monday October 7 on New Church Road in Hove.
The driver of a St Christopher’s School bus chose to overtake when there was a traffic island ahead. The cyclist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told road.cc that the front of the bus passed less than a metre from her handlebars with the rear passing far closer.
Having previously been hospitalised following an attempted overtake by a motorist, the cyclist sent a video of the incident to the school.
In response, she was told by a transport manager that the driver believed they had taken “a wide stance,” but agreed after watching the footage that the rear had come close, for which they apologised.
The response then stated: “The driver who is an avid cyclists did also say that they thought that you would have moved over and adopted the secondary position as it was clear to do so, they kindly attached the British Cycling training, ‘On-Road Positioning’ for you to peruse over.”
The information attached was Bitesize Bikeability: Part 4: On-Road Positioning, which explains ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ road positions.
The transport manager concluded: “That being said the driver was wrong in assuming that all cyclists are aware of this and will be extra vigilant in the future.”
Quite apart from the British Cycling material advising cyclists that the primary road position is where they are often safer, the cyclist points out that she wasn’t even riding in a primary position as the road space to her left was actually a series of parking bays.
“I'm really disappointed at the response from the school. I would have been happy if the transport manager had apologised and given me their assurances that the driver had been reminded that she should give cyclists 1.5m while overtaking.
“Instead I get a lecture on how I should have been further left and how it was essentially my fault that the driver close passed me because they didn't expect me to travel in a straight line.”
Disappointed in the response, the cyclist has since sent the footage to Sussex Police’s Operation Crackdown.
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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20 comments
Perhaps the cyclist should have e-mailedthe transport manager the cycle scheme guidance highlighting the point taking primary position at pinch points such as traffic islands.
https://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/community/how-to/road-positioning
just saying
So the transport manager's passive aggressive snark has just caused this to become a police matter rather than a conversation? I'm sure his driver will thank him profusely.
exactly, its normally more dangerous to pull in and let the cars pass as once one has passed the rest seem to think you need to do the same for them.
So you either pull back in and prbably get a close pass or a load of grief.
Or slow down and wait for all the traffic to pass before pulling back on which is riduclous.
As I get older its seem more senible just to stay in the lane instead of pulling in and out.
Staggeringly arrogant response from the school. Even if the bus driver thought the cyclist should move further left, I'm pretty confident it's not acceptable to use several tons of metal to enforce his opinion.
"I'm also a cyclist", my arse.
Luckily the school has a twitter account. I think they deserve some publicity for this. I'm confident plenty of the parents will actually be cyclists.
It's amazing how badly people can drive despite being a professional, and having 14 children in the vehicle. I think they need to be sent for some refresher training. Ideally on a regular basis.
I have the same situation on my ride to work, and sometimes try to justify why I don't cycle in the parking bays... But basically for all the same reasons I wouldn't drive in the parking bays. I do get the odd punishment pass on that section though.
Even if one accepts that the bus driver thought the cyclist was being a pratt and could easily have moved over into the empty space on the left, how does this make it right to endanger the life of the cyclist?
It is never correct to assert the rightness of your own position by running down the person you think is in the wrong. But the bus driver, AND their employer, seem to think it is. Attitude is behind most 'accidents'.
When there are central road furniture, ride central on the lane to prevent being squeezed. If you get a complete nutter trying to overtake, you have 1.5-2 yards of escape area to your left
in theory maybe, in practice Im getting to share the road with a lot more nutters I guess based on that then, to the point lately Ive felt Ive had to change my route to try and avoid the majority of pinch points caused by road furniture that I encounter,because riding central just isnt working for me in those instances, and one of these days my luck will run out.
So the driver is positioning themselves in relation to what they believe should be happening in front of them, not what they can actually see, so if a pedestrian stops when when they are half way across the road by this logic you can just drive over them, as they should have crossed promptly
Unacceptable pass. It's clear the bus driver had picked a line & speed through the pinch point and was sticking to it, no matter what. I adopt a defensive position & take the lane, sometimes by indicating, well ahead of the road narrowing.
Couldn't quite make it out from the vid but is there another set of parking bays coming up? If there isn't I would have moved left but if there is I back the cyclist's decision.
So, yet another close passer turns out to be a cyclist, in this case an avid one. That is about as believable as a statement from Boris or Trump. Shouldn't the "but I'm a cyclist myself" be an immediate indication of lying and an admission of guilt?
Instead of sending the cyclist patronising and irrelevant "advice", the school transport manager should spend his/her time rather more productively?
Howsabout
1. A cringingly abject apology - first to the cyclist; then, to any students in the bus; and thirdly, to those students' parents/guardians.
2. A thorough review of the school's policies, practices, and procedures regarding transporting students SAFELY?
3. A damned thorough audit of the school's driver training.
4. And LEARN/APPLY the lessons of https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/road-safety/practiti... . Killer paragraph - "It is also an offence under road traffic law to cause, or permit, a minibus to be driven on the road when its condition, or the way in which it is used, could cause danger to anyone in the minibus or to other road users."
Not holding my breath ... it's a damned prep school. Part of a chain of independents. Training the self-satisfied entitled fuckers of the future.
There's a section of road I ride along, have often wondered if I ought to go in the parking bays 'to be helpful' and then thought 'no, soddit'.
I too sometimes wonder if I should move left into a lay-by to allow cars to pass more easily, but then I think of the trouble I'm storing up for myself trying to emerge back onto the carriageway, so I don't. They sure aren't going to ease off the gas to let me out.
Yeah: that tends to put me off pulling into gaps in parked cars too. I'm sure that if I did such a thing I'd have to stop and wait for a chance to get back into the main traffic flow...
School giving a great display of ignorance and arrogance.
I think they should swap roles, so this supposedly avid cycling bus driver can demonstrate what they would do if someone drives a Transit minibus at them. Just to see if all that book knowledge helps them avoid washing their shorts in napisan…
I'm bigger than you, get out of my way.
Do the school not have a bullying policy?
Clearly the bus driver needs further training on mind reading.