I was on the way to see my elderly dad in hospital this arvo. Was driving an area I know well when I spotted a dad and his young bloke (5 year old I think) on bikes rounding a corner on the local bike path around Narra lake. The kid just rode straight off the footpath and I thought "oh ****, this is it". I swerved and slammed on the brakes, he just missed my left side bumper. I stopped straight away to see if he was OK. By the time I had pulled up and got out dad had pulled him back onto the path, Gave him a quick talking to and they were off and away. Seriously, wtf???????
Am I being too "old school" and thinking if that was me I would be making sure all was OK with kid and driver etc??
The bloke behind me pulled up next to me at the lights and just shook his head. I asked if he saw what had happened and said "that was so close, hows the dad? Rattled me so badly!!
I feel for you ka. It's something that really rattles the sole, to think you may have potentially killed a youngster through no fault of your own, then having to carry that for the rest of your life if you had.
Similar thing happened to me. But in my case it was an irresponsible adult jogging down a dark road toward me, no hi-vis and stumbles in to my path. It was then when i he became visible to me. I braked and avoided collision. I was shaken and this **bag just kept running. I wanted to beat the crap out of him. but i'm not a big enough guy so he escaped my wrath. But all i could think was "what if i killed him" i don't think i could handle that if i had.
But you have just demonstrated defensive driving....obviously otherwise you would have cleaned him up. Good on you man and keep it up. A story you can use to encourage others to drive defensively and to the speed limit.
I ride every few days ,escorting a few junior road cyclists. even up to the age of 16 they need watching and reminding. almost every training ride has some kind of potential incident. , 1 in 10 would be the riders fault
Haha, yeah, I understand what you're saying. My mum made me write an apology letter to a lady when I ran accidentally ran in front of her car. I was pretty embarrassado... But I haven't run onto a road without looking since.
Hey Larko, that sounded like a bloody close call indeed. Seems like it shook you up more than he boy.
Had a young girl about 12, on a bicycle ride straight across the road in front of me yesterday when going through The Entrance on the way to Budgy. She did not even look until I was a few metres away. I saw her as I approached the turn and was prepared to stop, which I did, as she had no intention of doing so. There was no pedestrian crossing.
She just gave me an I'm-sorry-look-smile and kept going. I just shook my head ...... gotta be on the ball all the time when driving.
Just watch out for cyclists.
Driving the other week around 5am through a roundabout. Cyclist with dark clothing and lousy light came out of no where (I think he was in the blindspot behind my rhs pillar). Another fraction of a second and I would have hit him.
Very close call. Too close.
Definitely have to be on the ball - especially at 5am on a dark morning - there are many cyclists that are very difficult to see at times.
Select to expand quotelandyacht said..
I ride every few days ,escorting a few junior road cyclists. even up to the age of 16 they need watching and reminding. almost every training ride has some kind of potential incident. , 1 in 10 would be the riders fault
I thought I was going to lose my daughter the other day. When out cycling I have taught her to stop about a meter back from the edge of the road when she comes to a point where the cycle path crosses a road.
At the particular "T" intersection, if a car is turning right there is generally enough room for another car to sneak past and turn left. No problem. If there are two cars turning right then the car turning left will have to wait until the first right turning car clears the intersection and then move past. For this idiot, that wait was too long so he used his 4WD to mount the square curb and shoot past at about 20-30kph.
My daughter was approaching intersection in the same direction at the same time with me about 5 meters back and watching in horror as this was unfolding. I could see that she was going to over-shoot her braking by about 1/2 a meter and screamed for her to stop but it was too late. The four wheeler skimmed past her front wheel within a centimeter bounced over the cycle path and the other curb and shot off. Had I not taught her to pull up short of the curb by a meter she would of have been a speed-bump.
Select to expand quotelongwinded said..landyacht said..
I ride every few days ,escorting a few junior road cyclists. even up to the age of 16 they need watching and reminding. almost every training ride has some kind of potential incident. , 1 in 10 would be the riders fault
I thought I was going to lose my daughter the other day. When out cycling I have taught her to stop about a meter back from the edge of the road when she comes to a point where the cycle path crosses a road.
At the particular "T" intersection, if a car is turning right there is generally enough room for another car to sneak past and turn left. No problem. If there are two cars turning right then the car turning left will have to wait until the first right turning car clears the intersection and then move past. For this idiot, that wait was too long so he used his 4WD to mount the square curb and shoot past at about 20-30kph.
My daughter was approaching intersection in the same direction at the same time with me about 5 meters back and watching in horror as this was unfolding. I could see that she was going to over-shoot her braking by about 1/2 a meter and screamed for her to stop but it was too late. The four wheeler skimmed past her front wheel within a centimeter bounced over the cycle path and the other curb and shot off. Had I not taught her to pull up short of the curb by a meter she would of have been a speed-bump.
This gives me the ****s in WA. I don't like complaining, but hell these bogans in their kerb bashing 4x4's are annoying.
It's as if nobody in such a vehicle has time to wait like everyone else. Does owning one of these give you the right to mount the kerb and speed down the grass/sand on the side?
KA - I'm glad you didn't hit the little one - it would have been a huge thing for you. The Dad's response was most-likely also adrenalin fuelled, so don't be too hard on him!
had son kill someone in his short driving career luckily not his fault as the judge saw it but it has marked him for life just a silly mistake by the poor victim that cost him his life as the judge said .Son is slowly healing with help
^^ that's heavy, but sadly an all too common story.
my uncle was killed a few years ago by a truck accidentally mounting a kerb with its back tyre in a very pedestrain focused area.
i still get on edge when i see adults or kids standing right on the edge of a kerb while they wait to cross.
the advice about stopping on a bike a metre back from road is a beauty, i'd roll that into at least half a metre, but why not a full metre, for when you and/or your kids are on foot as well. it only takes a second of inattention on either persons part for some serious and potentially fatal head trauma to occur.
take care folks
