New cycle proficiency test

Harry_Flashman

juno wrote: »

It's a subconscious thing. Drivers see you've only left 50cm of room on one side, so assume you only need 50cm of room on the other when they pass you. If you leave 1m, they assume you need more room and overtake further away.

Are you sure? Isn't it more likely that a driver will get close if you're getting further out?

sequence

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

Are you sure? Isn't it more likely that a driver will get close if you're getting further out?

Thousands of miles of cycling tell me driver, in general, give you more space the farther out you ride. Daft, but true. And if they don't, you have a lot of space to maneuver out of the way.

johnfarquhar74

Harry_Flashman wrote: »

Are you sure? Isn't it more likely that a driver will get close if you're getting further out?

Apparently not, a study was carried out by a university a few years back. I believe it's main aim was to prove/disprove the theory that cycle helmets were safer. They measured how close vehicles passed a cyclist with, then without a cycle helmet, they passed closer to the cyclist with the helmet which would seem to say the presence of the helmet meant the cyclist was actually in more danger. The same study also measured the distance of passing cars relative to the cyclists road position, those that were in the gutter actually had less of a distance from passing vehicles than those that positioned themselves further out.
My conclusion from the study is that cylist without helmets positioning themselves in the middle of the road were safest;)

Harry_Flashman

Incredible - I stand corrected

rca779

rmiller wrote: »

I must give praise for you in having your son take the test in the first instance.

Well he starts senior school in September and it is only about 1 mile away so we thought he could cycle, certainly while it was light in the mornings and afternoons.

However there is no way I would let him on the roads until he had taken this test.

Thanks for the words of advice from every poster on this thread. I agree that what is said in the test is goos advice, but not necessarily always the best plan of action. Safety first I think, expecially at his age.

mudcow007

hells bells!

there is no way in the world i would ride in the middle of the road when making a turn

i commute ever morning on my bike an its like running the gaunlet, im sure car driver try to over take you as close as humanly possible

up around Liverpool the roads are lethal for cyclist its probably much the same around the country, i honestly believe for people to pass a driving test it should be compulsory to cycle a bike on the road for a month. that way car drivers know what its like to be bullied off the road by a gimp in a car (i will get down off my box now ha!)

kalaika

rca779 wrote: »

...they now recommend that cyclists ride about a metre away from the curb...

Don't know if this affects anything at all, but I remember that I was taught this in my cycling proficiency almost twenty years ago, so it's not necessarily a new thing, but whether it was standard back then or not I don't know.

Makes sense to me to avoid the potholes, drain covers and other crud in the gutter whilst becoming more obvious to other road users.

kennyboy66_2

johnfarquhar74 wrote: »

Apparently not, a study was carried out by a university a few years back. I believe it's main aim was to prove/disprove the theory that cycle helmets were safer. They measured how close vehicles passed a cyclist with, then without a cycle helmet, they passed closer to the cyclist with the helmet which would seem to say the presence of the helmet meant the cyclist was actually in more danger. The same study also measured the distance of passing cars relative to the cyclists road position, those that were in the gutter actually had less of a distance from passing vehicles than those that positioned themselves further out.
My conclusion from the study is that cylist without helmets positioning themselves in the middle of the road were safest;)

Indeed. Also evidence from the increase in cycling in London is that women are most at risk from being killed (particualarly by lorries). It is probably because they are less assertive as cyclists, particuarly at junctions.

kennyboy66_2

kalaika wrote: »

Don't know if this affects anything at all, but I remember that I was taught this in my cycling proficiency almost twenty years ago, so it's not necessarily a new thing, but whether it was standard back then or not I don't know.

Makes sense to me to avoid the potholes, drain covers and other crud in the gutter whilst becoming more obvious to other road users.

Also dopey drivers opening car doors when parked.

Yorkie1

One difficulty with cycle lanes is that they are not wide enough generally to facilitate you cycling 1m away from the kerb ...