Motorists - What annoys you most about cyclists

brat

MrsE wrote: »

What is the law re cyclists & cars turning left? Who has right of way? I've been prevented from actually turning because a cyclist is blocking me & I have to break on the main road because I can't turn into the side road.

It's slightly worrying that you don't know this. You must treat all road users as equals, and don't make a manoeuvre that would force them to change course or speed.

Yolina

I mostly don't have issues with cyclists in general - I am quite chilled when driving, I give them room and if I need to go slowly for a bit because there isn't room to overtake them safely then so be it. Same at lights and things - just a few minutes added to my journey really isn't the end of the world. They are road users and I treat them as such.

However, having said that, I do have a problem with:
- The idiots with no lights (and a death wish) Came up behind one a few days ago at around 9pm - the guy was wearing black clothes, had no lights and just swung across to turn right into a side road without looking...
- Some of the very casual cyclists on Boris bikes who look like they haven't ridden for years (if ever!) and are absolutely all over the place
- Those teens who simply couldn't care less about, well anyone really (but then they're just as bad when they're on foot :rotfl: )

Rolandtheroadie

brat wrote: »

It's slightly worrying that you don't know this. You must treat all road users as equals, and don't make a manoeuvre that would force them to change course or speed.

I was reading it more that the cyclist had came up her inside, she'd noticed them and had to brake.

Might be wrong though.

prowla

As a motorist, nothing really annoys me about cyclists in general.

There are some who think that they are invincible, but that's more their concern than mine.

There was one rather stupid cyclist last night who was riding in the dark with no lights and no reflectors; I spotted him, and I hope that all the other motorists along the road did too.

brat

scotsman4th wrote: »

I was reading it more that the cyclist had came up her inside, she'd noticed them and had to brake.

Might be wrong though.

I thought otherwise, because of the "is blocking me" part of her statement. In your scenario, if she is aware that he is approaching on her inside and is likely to be unaware of her intention to turn left, she must let him pass if the alternative if to cause him to brake sharply or collide with her.

warwick_hunt_2

Not annoying, more worrying.

I've seen a couple of times lately (especially at the weekend) cyclists on 70mph dual carriageways. Riding in lane 1, surely this is suicidal.

Another instance I've seen was on a 50mph elevated dual carriageway, with short, busy, uphill slip roads to join, with poor visability, a group of 10 or so cyclists, trundling across the sliproad on the main carriageway, riding at no more than 15mph.

I'm not saying cyclists shouldn't have the right to ride wherever they want, but surely it can't be much fun having cars passing you at 40-60 mph on roads where drivers aren't expecting to come across such slow moving traffic.

MrsE_2

scotsman4th wrote: »

I was reading it more that the cyclist had came up her inside, she'd noticed them and had to brake.

Might be wrong though.

Thats what I mean. They do this quite a lot even when I'm indicating.

I wondered who actually had right of way - not that I want to hit anyone or wouldn't brake.

MrsE_2

brat wrote: »

I thought otherwise, because of the "is blocking me" part of her statement. In your scenario, if she is aware that he is approaching on her inside and is likely to be unaware of her intention to turn left, she must let him pass if the alternative if to cause him to brake sharply or collide with her.

I will always indicate.

If I'm trying to turn left & a bike is snaking up my inside (because I will be slowing down) he's blocking me.

I end up having to break to a halt & stop the traffic.

brat

warwick_hunt wrote: »

Not annoying, more worrying.

I've seen a couple of times lately (especially at the weekend) cyclists on 70mph dual carriageways. Riding in lane 1, surely this is suicidal.

Sometimes they have little alternative. I'd much prefer to see dedicated usable cycle lanes at the side of such roads, but that will take a generation or more to finance.

Another instance I've seen was on a 50mph elevated dual carriageway, with short, busy, uphill slip roads to join, with poor visability, a group of 10 or so cyclists, trundling across the sliproad on the main carriageway, riding at no more than 15mph.

I'm not saying cyclists shouldn't have the right to ride wherever they want, but surely it can't be much fun having cars passing you at 40-60 mph on roads where drivers aren't expecting to come across such slow moving traffic.

This collision was caused by just such a situation. The cyclist was well illuminated and was cycling along this road. The driver came out of this slip road, and presumably saw the cyclist's lights ahead of him on the main road, and will probably have given them no more thought because they were ahead of him. He knocked the cyclist off into the path of another vehicle.

This is one of the biggest problems faced by cyclists; they can die by doing nothing wrong through a simple lapse of concentration from an otherwise attentive driver. The justice system may or may not punish the driver, but while motorists usually require serious driver neglect to cause the death of another motorist, vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists are very vulnerable to minor errors or omissions by any of us.

interstellaflyer

brat wrote: »

Thankfully, this is your opinion, and it's not backed in law. If you pull out from a junction and in doing so force another road user to alter course or speed, that is 'careless driving'. You must agree such a move with other road users, who will mostly accommodate your predicament.

I think you are either misunderstanding or twisting what I said to suit a cyclists point of view. I am not talking pulling out in front of cyclists causing them to chance cousre of take emergency action, I am talking carefully inching out which is often necessary in city driving and a cyclist coming up on me whilst I'm already out, it it not dangerous driving or careless driving it is unfortunaty reality when it comes to city driving at rush hour or busy periods. We have such a juction outside our shop, if you don't push your way out, you will be never get out, it's something even the Police do, it's no good quoting Highway code, they are guidlines and advice, unfortunately the real world isn't one size fits all, common sense has to apply in some situations.