should cyclists be treated as road-users, or pedestrians?

new_owner

I would always treat anything on the road as a "road-user" but i wish cyclists were required to have insurance to use the roads. I would also stick horse riders etc in this too.

Driving in London, some of them seem to have a death wish.

Mankysteve

How about treating them as what they are?

mikey72

Man_Overboard wrote: »

....................I also know that, although it is extremely stupid for a cyclist to creep up the inside of an articulated lorry and then cry foul when the driver 'unexpectedly' turns left, it is also true that if the driver has correctly set his/her mirrors, and is using them effectively, then there is no such thing as a 'blind spot'

Bet your life on it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzL0Kyk4m-8

Man_Overboard_2

mikey72 wrote: »

Bet your life on it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzL0Kyk4m-8

In the opening shots of the youtube video, almost exactly half of the wide-angled mirror was filled with an image of the truck's passenger door

If the mirror had been pushed out and down a bit, the cyclists would have been clearly visible.

Idiophreak

discplayer wrote: »

The complicating factor is road planners running their crap cycle lanes up to junctions on the left without other measures such as banning other road users turning left or giving cyclists advance green lights.

This encourages novice cyclists into this space at all junctions and where such markings exist, tempts some more experienced cyclists who wouldn't otherwise.

I hate this...you see a tiny cycle lane leading up to the ASL with a left turn...and the lights are on red...You've two options:
1) Gamble that you'll get to the front of the queue before the light turns green, dash down the lane ASAP and hope nothing starts turning left before you get to the front.
2) Just stay in the queue with everyone else, rendering the cycle lane and ASL completely pointless.

mikey72

Man_Overboard wrote: »

In the opening shots of the youtube video, almost exactly half of the wide-angled mirror was filled with an image of the truck's passenger door

If the mirror had been pushed out and down a bit, the cyclists would have been clearly visible.

That would be a rubbish epitaph though.

Man_Overboard_2

mikey72 wrote: »

That would be a rubbish epitaph though.

Well, yes...

But it might be better than a coroner's verdict of 'accidental death'

mikey72

Someone's still going to get into the truck that morning, and just drive off, and won't have adjusted his mirrors.
Even if he does, he won't know he's left a bindspot until you were in it.
Never depend on anyone else.

Man_Overboard_2

mikey72 wrote: »

Someone's still going to get into the truck that morning, and just drive off, and won't have adjusted his mirrors.
Even if he does, he won't know he's left a bindspot until you were in it.
Never depend on anyone else.

That is a very defeatist attitude - it just needs one lawyer to take the trouble to challenge the myth of blindspots

mikey72

Man_Overboard wrote: »

That is a very defeatist attitude - it just needs one lawyer to take the trouble to challenge the myth of blindspots

You won't change someone who forgets, or just doesn't bother to set his mirrors. You can make it an offence, but so's speeding.