Arriva bus running me off the road!

Handsome90

Is it just me or is it a requirement for we-employ-crappy-drivers-va (Arriva) bus drivers to drive dangerously?

Mr I-own-the-roads, this is not cool! You nearly ended my life!

http://road.cc/content/news/57153-leicester-bus-driver-may-face-disciplinary-proceedings-after-cutting-cyclist

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Cyclist-forced-road-bus/story-15909392-detail/story.html

Antispam

I dont know why past 2 days I come across 3 idiots. One driver (car) overtook my on a very sharp corner when I was stationary at some lights I left a gap to allow cars to pull out from a car park which says to keep clear they were lucky nothing was coming. Later had a idiot pull out from being parked right in front of me. Today coach driver pulls on on a busy road in front of me ignoring give way signs. Luckily I treat all drivers as idiots its just a shame some are not fit to drive. I really wish some drivers were banned from driving or at very least face some sort of lessons. Professional drivers really should know better in case above

timbo58

Unfortunately as most long term motorcyclists know, our driving tests get harder and harder to pass because of poor driving standards of 4 wheel drivers.
It doesn't matter who is at fault if a biker (or cyclist) has an accident with a 4 wheeled vehicle as we will be worse off by some margin.
I think all 4 wheeled vehicle tests should involve a mandatory and 'immediate fail' section on bike awareness.

Mista_C

This reminds of some years back. I'd been to visit my Dad in hopsital, he was terminally ill (lung cancer). Rather than drive I either walked or cycled everywhere and on this occasion I was cycling.

Anyway, I was on my way back home on a fairly busy road when a single decker WM Travel bus started to overtake me but instead of doing so the driver started bringing the bus toward the kerb, and me. I pulled in as close to the kerb as possible and banged on the door. The driver looked at me then moved in even closer to the kerb forcing me onto the pavement.
He was so close he almost mounted the pavement himself. All of this happened within a few seconds. At the time I was so angry I didn't think of getting the details of the bus in order to report it but I wish I had.

I don't cycle anymore because it seems there's 5 idiots for every decent driver currently on the road.

Googlewhacker

timbo58 wrote: »

Unfortunately as most long term motorcyclists know, our driving tests get harder and harder to pass because of poor driving standards of 4 wheel drivers.
It doesn't matter who is at fault if a biker (or cyclist) has an accident with a 4 wheeled vehicle as we will be worse off by some margin.
I think all 4 wheeled vehicle tests should involve a mandatory and 'immediate fail' section on bike awareness.

A common cause of accidents though is when cyclists pull out without looking into the road....surely if all cyclists had to take a test then this would help reduce accidents as well?

Plus make them all have insurance and a registration plate

Handsome90

Googlewhacker wrote: »

A common cause of accidents though is when cyclists pull out without looking into the road....surely if all cyclists had to take a test then this would help reduce accidents as well?

Plus make them all have insurance and a registration plate

I agree that there are many inconsiderate cyclists but many do follow the highway code. When I drive, I look out for vulnerable road users. As one of the other poster has said, the cyclist/motorcyclist would be worse off no matter whose fault it is.

I also agree that cyclists need training. It's easier to get free cycle training in London than other cities or town. I don't think that's fair and the government needs to look into this.

I don't agree with your point about bike registration plate. With all due respect, having a registration plate on bikes won't solve anything. This didn't cut down on the number of motorists that illegally use bus lanes, exceed the speed limit, use mobile phones, jump red lights etc.

I'm not having a go at you. A lot of motorists are considerate as well and I have come across plenty of them.

mr_fishbulb

Googlewhacker wrote: »

A common cause of accidents though is when cyclists pull out without looking into the road....surely if all cyclists had to take a test then this would help reduce accidents as well?

Plus make them all have insurance and a registration plate

Accidents are also caused by pedestrians walking out into the road. Maybe we should force them to be insured, take a test, and wear a number plate round their neck?

I'm not defending all cyclists here - some of them are complete idiots!

fluffnutter

Googlewhacker wrote: »

A common cause of accidents though is when cyclists pull out without looking into the road....surely if all cyclists had to take a test then this would help reduce accidents as well?

Plus make them all have insurance and a registration plate

What's the insurance for? If a car and a bike have an altercation guess which one's going to come off worse.

Perhaps many cyclists do have a death wish. But personally I see far more bad driving than I do bad cycling and, let's face it, a cyclist isn't in charge of a tonne or two of death machine.

mad_dr

timbo58 wrote: »

It doesn't matter who is at fault if a biker (or cyclist) has an accident with a 4 wheeled vehicle as we will be worse off by some margin.
I think all 4 wheeled vehicle tests should involve a mandatory and 'immediate fail' section on bike awareness.

I agree with the first part of this which is why I'm always stunned by the number of motorcycles who overtake me and the column of cars I'm in on the double-white-lined rural roads in the area. Usually it's on the straighter sections of road but often it's on the bends too which puts them at risk and the drivers of the cars too.

The area is very popular for motorcyclists so it's rare not to see several of them each time I travel the 10 minute section of narrow, twisty, hilly roads near the village I live in and probably only 1 in 10 of them chooses to remain in place in the column with the rest sprinting past in the oncoming lane.

I'm sure there's room on the roads for all of us so I just wish all of us could take a little more care and spare a thought for our fellow motorists - I know now why I gave up 2-wheel motoring for 4.

delain

I had the misfortune to be on a bus that a silly cow drove into... The bus was stationary in traffic and she hit the rear corner trying to pull out of a side road putting a triangular dent in the front of her car. I think they should have given her an eye test to be honest, it was about 30 foot long, bright blue and right in front of her!

OH has a motorcycle licence and says that pulling away at speed is what he was told to do :think:

mattyprice4004

If anything, cyclists are the biggest problem I encounter.

Cutting across roundabouts, not using hand signals before veering across the road to the middle... it's awful around here.

It's a shame that if I hit one I'd almost certainly be held at fault, if they had insurance like the rest of us I'd probably just let them do whatever they wanted and take it up with their insurance company when they went into my car.