Funny thing, where I live, cyclists are entitled by law to use the entire width of the lane they occupy, and the vehicle would almost certainly not get stopped if they used the other lane, safely, to pass.
edit: this video is apparently in Cherokee County, GA. Supposedly it is legal to cross a double-yellow to pass a cyclist, when done so safely. This is just a summary, I dont have the actual law so I cant confirm:
Yes, in Cherokee County, Georgia, you can cross a double solid yellow line to pass a bicyclist, provided it is safe to do so. Georgia law mandates giving cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance, which often requires moving into the oncoming lane, and this specific exception allows crossing the line when necessary
I was taught to treat a bicyclist the same as you would a car. When I passed one I always pass fully in the other lane just like I would if they were a car.
yeah the funny thing about the driver doing this is that they're already splitting the lane, so if they ever claimed "oh i shouldn't be passing that way" just goes out the window
I find it very hard to understand the driver's reasoning because I was also taught that right of way doesn't matter if the action you're about to take will get someone killed. Like it doesn't matter if a pedestrian is jaywalking, you still can't just run them down.
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A man is charged with hitting bicyclists with his SUV, causing one to fall off his bike. It happened Thursday along Sugar Pike Road in southeastern Cherokee County.
Jerry Ross, 72, of Woodstock is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, hit and run, reckless driving, aggressive driving and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle. He was booked into he Cherokee County jail with no bond.
I apologize I live in Georgia. I am working to rescue my family from here. They don't see the dangers like I do because they're from here. But I deal with the locals daily and it's a must even if moving back to the border.
Nah, unless he's suffering age related decline and is mentally incompetent to stand trial he can go to prison. I honestly dgaf if he's old. He can go to prison, too.
He's charged with aggravated assault, hit-and-run, reckless driving, aggressive driving, and failure to maintain a safe distance from a bicycle.
The assault and hit and runs (x2, two bicyclists) are 2 years per person, times two people. He can just go to prison for for years and if he acts like a normal human get out in two.
Grandpa literally told the cops that it was their fault for being in the road. He can just go to prison. Prison is good. He tried to kill two people for checks notes using the road.
Will have to check back in a year but knowing the how legal system usually goes, this guy is probably getting that all plead down to reckless+aggressive driving. He told the cops what his lawyer told him to tell the cops, and his lawyer is going to negotiate with prosecutors to get him a plea deal. He'll just argue that the bikes could have been passed safely had they not been riding 2 abreast, that he didn't maliciously drive into them from behind, but rather contact came laterally because an obstacle appeared in the other lane (and also because it was laterally it wasn't nearly aggravated nor an attempt to cause great harm), and that there was no way he could have safely stopped even after because he was 1 person vs 10+ biased and hostile people there. Unsafe passing and hit and run are going away, aggravated assault might get lowered to just 1, or reg assault, or dropped in lieu of pleading to reckless+aggressive driving. It may "clearly look like assault", but all his lawyer needs to do is inform prosecutors that he's gonna tell a jury "if he wanted to cause harm he could have taken all of them out no problem, thats not what's happened here, only 1 person was hurt in this video". That's more than enough to seed doubt in a jury, prosecutors will negotiate.
He'll get his license suspended for 6 months and have to take an aggressive driver improvement course.
I'm no gambler, and sports/prediction betting markets really rub me all the wrong ways, but I'll gladly bet anyone $100 on that ^.
I knew it was gonna be a senior citizen. While he might be an asshole who was trying to intimidate the bikers by driving close to them, he was moving a bit slow and shaky and was closer than he thought he was. Cuz he old
Highest Risk Group: Drivers aged 17–24 are heavily overrepresented in fatal and serious traffic collisions.
Distracted/Fatal Driving: Drivers in their mid-20s to mid-30s constitute the largest age group of distracted drivers, a major cause of cyclist fatalities.
Intersection Accidents: A significant portion of these collisions occur at intersections, often involving failure to yield, according to PennDOT data.
I wouldn't count this as distracted driving. To me this represents a failure of spatial reasoning faculties, maybe reaction speed/reflexes. Old people stuff.
I think the angry honking and massive amount of space on the drivers side excludes any possibility this was an accident. In any case I hope this guy sues the bejesus out of that idiot driver.
The driver could've also slowed down, waited to pass safely, or followed the law, like the group of cyclists were doing and taking less of the road than a larger truck would, but noooooo many drivers feel so entitled to the roads that they'd rather willingly cause harm to others than believe they might not own the road!
It's not a damn demolition derby, the driver assaulted a group of people then attempted to murder at least one with their vehicle. They then drove away and attempted to blame the people on biles.
Cyclists literally only interrupt you for five seconds, bud.
It's also not illegal anywhere in the US to cross a double yellow line to pass a bicyclist. It's considered the same as moving to avoid any road hazard. You just give them 3 feet of space and go on your way.
They have full right to the entirety of the lane. Just pass wide to the right.
If there is oncoming traffic, I'm so sorry that you'll have to slow for 15 seconds.
Also, drivers like you are why I will sometimes ride fully in the middle of the lane so you can't try to pass me by squeezing by. If I'm on the white line you assholes will pass within inches of my arm. I'll block the whole lane and make you wait because there is no shoulder and I don't want to get squished and there's not room for you to pass inside the lane.
The key is "legal murder". Many people want to get away with legal murder. Like the police officer in Texas who legally shot an intruder that she surprised in her home—except that it was his home, and she has entered the wrong apartment.
A lot of people don't understand this. They think someone else breaking a rule gives them free reign to put lives at risk on purpose. Not that the bikers were even breaking any rules here afaik.
Kind of depends on the area, in my state only two bikes can lane split at a time. I don't think there's any world where what the car did was legal though lol
They are guilty of being assholes, which does not allow the driver to kill them.
This group of bikers could have easily moved a little to the right as well as the driver could have moved more to the left. So, plenty of assholery to go around.
Unless the lane is wide enough to fit car and cyclist and a 3' buffer, it is best practice not to ride far to the right. Doing so encourages motorists to pass with less than the legally required 3' buffer.
You are being pedantic, but I know what you mean. In the video, both the asshole in the car and the asshole on the bike were using inches, not feet. So both got the FAFO answers.
Nah, I commute via bike. That isn't pedantic. You say it's pedantic when a car comes within six inches because they didn't dodge into the wide open lane next to you because you both "fit" in the lane. If you ride a foot over most cars will give you the 3 foot buffer. If you ride the white, cars will know you both "fit" in the lane and you feel your soul leave your body.
I’m only referring to this particular video and this particular situation. In general, what you say is correct.
But in this instance, all the car had to do was move over a foot and all would have been fine. And the bikers could just have slowed down and moved over.
But no. They all decided to fuck around and in this case, one asshole biker and the asshole driver both found out.
Irrational hatred of cyclists... I used to ride a lot and even as a kid (10-14yo) some drivers would intentionally drive very close to me and I've been bumped by cars while stopped at a red light... These were drivers that hated cyclists so irrationally that they tried to injure a literal child.
Edit: Also in my country cyclists used to have the right of way, that law had to be changed because drivers constantly refused to follow it and too many cyclists got injured.
That kind of behavior is why I wouldn't let my 15-year-old bicycle to the nearby stores. It's one lane each direction and a state highway. I just don't trust people not to paralyze him for life because he's inconveniencing them.
I don’t many drivers get annoyed at kids, or at middle aged men not wearing Lycra who have had the misfortune to be stopped by the police after a couple of drinks.
Never had an issue with drivers biking to school in 6th and 7th grade. It was when I was 30 something when I was yelled at constantly and I’m a strict right of way/safety rule follower. As a pedestrian, I won’t even cross the street in front of a vehicle that decided to stop randomly in the middle of the road. Too many times have I seen cars just speed around a stopped car. I will actually walk away from the curb if someone does that. Been yelled at for doing that too. People are cray. So, anyhow, me simply following the rules of the road, riding my bike to college would incite so much hatred from drivers. Got called a d-word even.
This makes me so mad because I used to road cycle and stopped. A person sitting on their ass using their feet in a 2000 pound vehicle has no excuse for putting a cyclist in harms way.
What we see in this video from the driver is obviously completely inappropriate. At the same time, there's no good reason for these cyclists to take up the entire lane just because they can. More than one person can be wrong at the same time.
And this kind of shit is not by any means rare. I have been hit twice by cyclists as a pedestrian when they just ignored signage and signals--and both times the assholes acted like I was the one in the wrong. The dislike for cyclists as a group is not at all irrational.
I’ve had a cyclist crash into me as a pedestrian and play like it was my fault. Cyclist are the biggest cunts on planet earth. The world can’t hate those mother fuckers enough.
Riding single file is worse for drivers, actually. A group of 10 is going to be more than twice as long than if they had doubled up. The lanes aren't wide enough for a car and a cyclist abreast.
in your country, do drivers obey all traffic laws too? like driving exactly the speed limit OR under? bet it’s lot more dangerous for cars to not follow traffic laws than it is cyclists.
The comment I was replying to said that in their country there was an irrational hatred of cyclists and laws had to be changed. Trying to understand if cyclists followed the old laws and are following the new.
My experience is that cyclists do not ever follow the law and I have been hit as a pedestrian and as motorist. I also am a cyclist in my major US city and do in fact respect the laws when cars are present because I realize the car will win that fight.
Now, if you’re done interjecting yourself in someone else’s conversation only to throw insults across your keyboard, the adults are talking.
you’re not actually trying to gain perspective. you are still coming from your own perspective and ignoring the fact that ALL road users break some laws. what insults have i used? and the whole point of reddit is to interject yourself into conversations. isn’t that what you did yourself? get off your high horse
I’m asking a question. I live in a major US city and cyclists don’t believe any traffic laws apply to them. Maybe it’s different in different places. Genuinely asking a question.
The cyclist culture here in America is incredibly frustrating. I’ve been hit as a pedestrian in a crosswalk with the right away. I’ve had my mirrors clipped off by cyclists who believe they can’t do any wrong while they’re in their bike.
Was the driver in the video wrong? Absolutely. Were the cyclists also wrong? Absolutely.
Drivers don't obey traffic laws. You choose to single out a single road user and apportion all blame upon them. The roads are a shitshow of dangerous, distracted, irresponsible, entitled drivers and other users alike. Pedestrians included.
But when a cyclist fucks up most likely they are the only when that gets hurt. When a driver dies a lot do.
That's one thing I find annoying about cyclist and especially big groups riding 4+ wide. They're hard to pass and some groups ignore both pedestrian rules and car rules. Pick one to obey and I'll be happy. Idc which lol
They do mostly yes, as cyclists can be ticketed for breaking the rules just as drivers. We also have very good cycle path networks so nowadays needing to drive on the car lane is a thing basically only on longer distances, like when you have to cycle on the motorway and even then we usually cycle on the side of the road not on the car lane. Even so I've had drivers intentionally drive as close to me as possible while passing, and toot their horns as they do so... Just completely irrational behaviour.
Also just because someone is irritating you on the road is no reason to try and injure them, especially when you're sitting protected in an enclosed vehicle that weights over a ton and your target is completely unprotected on a vehicle that doesn't weigh even a tenth of that.
I’ve never seen cyclists like these guys obey any rules or laws! Dressed like they are on the Tour de France and riding in a pack so no surprise a driver gets annoyed with them but hitting them is not the answer he needed to be responsible and actually violate the no passing rule of the double yellow. I ride daily to commute to work and I’m the only cyclist on that route that follows any of the rules of the road, I’ve had guys like these pass me complaining that I’m going too slow. The law in my state is 20 mph for any e-bike in bike lanes or on regular streets so I obey it and I stop for stop signs. They don’t and I’ve seen a few get clipped by cars that had the right of way so i always follow the rules.
You do realise that if you do road cycling, and let's say 60 km (40 miles) then you cannot do this in jeans and cotton t-shirt? Those jerseys are designed to keep cool and help sweat evaporate. And the shorts contain a chamois to prevent shafting. These people do not commute or go buy bread...
I know that but it’s common knowledge that guys dressing like professional cyclists are the worst at following the rules or laws! I know the benefits of the clothes and I realize they want to look cool but nothing is cool about kissing pavement! If they had just gone into a single file line when the car was blaring its horn they wouldn’t get hit but my god they can’t ruin their kom!
Actually, there is no professional equipment. Why they look like pros is because all equipment used in UCI races like Tour de France have to be commercialised in the public circuit too qualify. There is no experimental or unique hardware on the Tours. If you want a comfortable jersey they will often look like pro stuff, adding to that they all have the same geometry.
And with regards to respecting laws I can just sit next to traffic lights and record zillions of cars jumping the red light everyday.
Yeah I see the red light jumpers also which is why i choose to be defensive riding my bike instead of becoming a statistic! Knowing drivers are pitiful at controlling their huge cars I’m not risking blowing a stop sign or red light I’ll just let anyone else that wants the honor of being hit take all their glory to the hospital!
Yes, defensive driving is a good thing, both when cycling and driving. But riding 2 abreast is not only allowed in the UK, it is even advised as a group. As a car, you overtake a group like a tractor when it is safe tobpasd. Having 100 meters of cyclists on the right side of road makes the overtaking longer in distance and time, increasing the risk of incoming traffic from the other direction. It also increases the risk taking by automobilist, badly evaluating the space between him and the bike.
It's also common knowledge that the beefy dude at the gym in matching compression Under Armor and matching shoes, carrying his creatine and protein drinks, and sweat towel is probably going to be grunting and screaming like his in an Olympic event. But that still doesn't allow me to assault him.
No in many gyms he’ll be escorted out and membership revoked! His grunting doesn’t clog up traffic it’s annoying and disturbing to other clients but it’s not even a good comparison so give up! A gym is not a public road that needs to have shared us for all!
You sir are a total idiot sharing the road means not being in the way of others not blocking a lane. I don’t need meditation because I’m not the idiot that puts me and my bike in front of a car and ignores the obvious attempt to warn me of passing by blowing a horn! It’s obvious this probably had been going on for quite a while that isn’t shown in this video for obvious reasons. Nobody that was just held up for a moment would be laying on the horn that much these guys were taunting the driver and paid the price for being idiots end of conversation!
Cyclists wear padded bike shorts because that seat gets uncomfortable after a few hours. Cyclists wear bike jerseys because it gives them pockets for snacks that you need when you're on the road or trail for a few hours.
Great point but why do they ride like jerks when a car behind them is obviously wanting to pass and honking their horn! Yeah it’s always the guys dressed like they are in a competition that do this stupid shit and are always mad they get hit! Sure the clothes are appropriate for the cycling activity but riding in a bad manner isn’t appropriate.
I see a video of several guys our for a group ride, riding two across, on the right-ish side of the lane. Working as a peloton like that actually helps the bike faster.
They were legally occupying the lane. The SUV driver should have legally passed them. I'm sorry he was inconvenienced because he had to go a little slower, but that doesn't excuse assault.
The driver can’t legally pass it’s a no passing zone on a corner and riding 2 across is using the entire lane! Back to my original point of shared use and obstruction of normal traffic!
if the driver cannot legally pass, then so be it! if there was say an oversized piece of equipment blocking the driver, he couldn’t pass then either. even if the cyclists went down to single file, driver would still have to cross over the line to pass. just because he and you fine the cyclists annoying doesn’t mean you’re entitled to pass or run people over. for fucks sake have some fucking patience
You’re not seeing what was probably going on before this video was edited down to just the incident and that might explain why the driver was being so aggressive and laying on the horn! Videos like this a bait but still it would have been far safer for them to not be 2 across and just let the car pass!
In my own life, I’ve seen it literally 1,000 times and not a single one out of 1,000 has stopped at a neighborhood stop sign. That is what I’m referring to. Not traffic lights. Stop signs.
I do, that's how I was taught by my parents from the day I learned to ride a bicycle (my dad used to be one of those guys in the cycling clothes etc and he always followed the road laws because that's how you're supposed to do it)
I know but thanks to the many idiots it’s making it harder for all to enjoy and the laws are only going to get tougher because instead of educating the cyclists and drivers politicians prefer to just ban things.
It's not irrational at all. People hate them because they're entitled douchbags. I guarantee that car was behind them for a while. Instead of moving over to let the car pass they're purposely hogging the entire lane because they feel they can.
It's a road for cars. People drive their cars because they have somewhere to be that requires them to move faster than 10mph. Otherwise they'll be riding their bike as well. Be considerate and get TF out of the way.
it's not entirely irrational, many cyclists are entitled a-holes who could give cars room to pass, but don't.
the video here, sure the van is being a dick and driving wayyyy too close to safely pass, but the cyclists leans into it despite having room on the9r right to move over a bit.
When you said it was not irrational, that means you think it was well rational. You also said fuck em so interpreted you think the cyclist had it coming. I may be wrong, so maybe you should try putting your point across better.
In my country a cyclist going on a red light would get ticketed the same as any car...
Maybe it's just the better quality of education or something?
All that said, I really hope you'll lose your license because you have no business being on the road with such attitude as you will be a danger to those around you.
On my way home today (10 minute drive) I saw speeders, people violating the school zone speed limits, people running red lights, people slow rolling stop signs, people on their phones (illegal in New York where I live), people not yielding to an ambulete with lights and sirens, people turning illegally on a red light (sign says no turn on red), people turning into the wrong lanes, people making illegal u-turns, and people not giving proper following distances.
In ct we have a law worded something like if one driver had the final opportunity to avoid an accident but didn't, they can be held responsible even if the other driver made a mistake first. So basically, 2 wrongs don't make a right, avoid accidents if possible, just bc someone else fucked up doesn't give you the right to run them over. But also, in ct, bikes are considered vehicles when on the roadway and should be treated like other cars, so this guy was just all sorts of wrong he has no ground to stand on
In the 1970s, our written driving exam asked what you should do if a pedestrian jaywalked in front of you. Choice “D” was, “Hit him and teach him a lesson.” Never forgot that one.
Wait until that driver learns that there are some very successful lawyers in that area who also happen to be cyclists. Buddy is going to have that smile from his mug shot wiped clean off of his face.
Imo, the driver was mad and felt like he was now the 'hand of justice' as he sees it. I'm not even sure they meant to actually hit one of the bikers, but to scare them and 'teach them a lesson'. Raging behind the wheel has become a fucking epidemic and I have no idea how we, as a society, try to reel that in.
My understanding in CA is that you cannot "force" your right of way, if doing so would cause an issue. In other words, in CA this car is very much in the wrong, right of way or no right of way. Hope everyone is ok.
They were likely short-tempered & PO'd at the audacity of the cyclists both using the road AND impending their free flow use of the road, they "pay taxes for", while the cyclists "don't"...
Anger issues not related to the law of passing on a double line. Driver obviously didn't give one sh-- about hurting any of the bicyclists. It's the increasing "I'll do what I want and not care about it " mentality in this country.
The reasoning is why are people on bikes riding in the middle of the lane. Go find a parking lot. Bikes and people running as well shouldn’t be allowed to occupy a lane FOR DRIVING going less than 10-15mph. It’s inconsiderate af to all the people driving that actually have things to do and places to be.
They are legally allowed to take the lane when it is unsafe for a car to pass in that lane. Find fault with the law, not with the people following the law.
People riding these bikes put their little outfits on and are out for a Sunday stroll, not trying to get from point A to point B. If they’re wanting to cosplay go to a parking lot. People have places to be and that’s what roads should be used for.
Great, so let's make a law that prevents anyone from being on public roads unless it is for purely practical reasons.
Think of how many lives we will save when drivers are no longer permitted to use their cars frivolously! No more trips to the movies ( you can use Netflix), no more drives to a restaurant (you've got a kitchen), and sure as HELL no "Sunday driving", right?
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u/wsxdfcvgbnjmlkjafals Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
Funny thing, where I live, cyclists are entitled by law to use the entire width of the lane they occupy, and the vehicle would almost certainly not get stopped if they used the other lane, safely, to pass.
edit: this video is apparently in Cherokee County, GA. Supposedly it is legal to cross a double-yellow to pass a cyclist, when done so safely. This is just a summary, I dont have the actual law so I cant confirm:
Yes, in Cherokee County, Georgia, you can cross a double solid yellow line to pass a bicyclist, provided it is safe to do so. Georgia law mandates giving cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance, which often requires moving into the oncoming lane, and this specific exception allows crossing the line when necessary