A Sydney cyclist has taken to wearing a video camera strapped to his helmet to record near-misses with careless drivers.
Dave Bristow’s decision was nearly vindicated last week when a passing bus narrowly missed sweeping him off his bike.
Mr Bristow, of Allambie, recorded what he described as a dangerous incident last Thursday when a Forest Coach Lines bus heading for Warringah Mall cut close in front of him at speed, squeezing the cyclist towards the gutter.
Mr Bristow, an IT project manager who cycle-commutes daily from the northern beaches to the CBD, posted the video on YouTube, as well as reporting the incident to police and the bus company.
“That close call was closer than most,” he said.
“When it happens with a bus, I guess it’s more of a worry because they’re that much bigger.” Mr Bristow said he had been riding with the camera for around a month as it offered him “a leg to stand on” if he was involved in or witnessed any road mishaps. “Ultimately, if it came down to it, (the camera) would help provide some backing to someone’s story,” he said.
Mr Bristow said he had cycled to work for most of the past 15 years, both in Sydney and London, and was alarmed the bus driver had shown so little awareness towards a bike rider.
There is no suggestion the bus driver deliberately tried to run Mr Bristow off the road or that he had even seen the cyclist.
“He’s doing his job, he’s a professional, so you would expect a higher standard of driving from someone in that situation. They are driving massive vehicles compared to a car,” he said.
“I would say the road is well shared by 95 per cent of cyclists and road users, but I guess it’s fair to say you’re always going to get a few bad apples in a barrel.’‘
Are most Sydney drivers bike-friendly? Comment below.
Mr Bristow said some riders’ irresponsibility could cause ongoing ill-feeling between motorists and cyclists, although he had experienced few problems on the road as he generally tried to ride defensively.
“I don’t pretend to suggest that cyclists are perfect, there are a minority that will jump lights and flout the road rules.”
“Sometimes it makes me cringe when I see other people riding, but with this bus that threatened to squash me, I had nowhere to go.”
“Hopefully this guy will open his eyes up to the vulnerability of other people on the road.”
video camera strapped to helmet
From The Manly Daily
The bus driver needs un update in driving skills. The size of buses creates a draft that can make a car sway so imagine a cyclist at that close range. You can see the drivers face when confronted, he knew he was wrong.
It’s bus drivers like this that give the entire bus driver image a bad name.
Shame on you Forest Coach Lines for not addressing this situation with a public apology.
you talk about motorists and cyclists shareing the roads but in what way do cyclists share the coasts of using the roads??? why dont cyclists riding on our main roads have lights, blinkers regerstration plates and lables, licenses, insurance, ect???
What an insightful comment. Tax cyclists and then bus drivers will see them.
More cyclists means less traffic, all incentives should be provided to encourage people to ride/walk/bus to work. Cyclists directly contribute economically by reducing congestion created by all those single occupancy cars (and pollution).
I am not a cyclist – but this sort of blinkered thinking is painful to read. Pedestrians, cyclist and public transport should get priority and subsidy in the metro area. Nothing else is ultimately sustainable
I agree finchy, there has to be a way to control the riders with a licencing class to monitor their illegal and dangerous activity.
Although this driver is making a dangerous manoeuvre I still believe that cyclists can be a menace and should share in some costs of the roads but how can the state government control that?
Registrion fees DON”T contribute to road funding, nor does petrol tax or third party insurances.
General taxes do, so EVERYONE who pays tax contributes so that makes your argument look pretty skinny on logic, reason and research doesn’t it? I probably pay more in company and personal tax than you earn Finchy, I also pay registration on 3 personal and 5 company vehicles, does that make me more entitled to use the road than you?
The great majority of cyclists do the right thing and even at their worst they aren’t running down people or causing fatalities like that #!#$% on the Great Western Hwy that killed the retired couple.
[edited by Admin - personal attack]
I am a Bus Driver and I’m embarassed to see a collegue drive like that. I don’t work for Forest but I do work for one of the “big 4″. I try and give cyclists a fair go on the road as I also give learners and people on provisional licences a fair go too. There is no need to cut people off like this bus driver has done, I’ve had it done to me from other bus drivers, they are in a rush and don’t pay attention to whats happening around them. I’ve had mirrors smashed, bent and been run into the gutter because there other bus drivers are more interested in whats going on in the front window as apposed to to what is going on beside them. If you think that it only happens to cyclists, then I could tell you some good ones.
As a bus driver. I can say this was a bad bus move.
But then you could say its a good argument for cyclists to have mirrors and check over there shoulders.
Look i have seen all sort of bad cycling and driving. Some cyclists are great. If they are slowing up an 18 ton bendi full to brim of tired passengers, they will allow me to pass in reason. Then there is the completely dangerous. They have no regard for road rules. Going through red lights, not checking shoulders, overtaking a bus with its right indicator on. Which is the worst thing a bike can do, trust me.
This is why there needs to be “responsibility”. The bad cyclists are completely unaccountable for there dangerous actions. Something needs to be done. And it needs to be the considerate and safe cyclists in your community that take this up. Because its going to end up registration or your bike confiscated.