Why do grown men ride on the pavement?

DCodd

ozzage wrote: »

There is some truth in that, but it's largely irrelevant because cycling in those road positions is extremely unnatural for most people.

Training is not the answer. Most people will never cycle if they have to take primary in front of a HGV or a bus at a pinch point to be safe. You can train them all you like, they WON'T DO IT. And I don't blame them .

You can forget about all that if you want to increase cycling to be more than a fractional mode of transport. Create proper infrastructure so that using the road isn't a battle for space, because a good chunk of it has already been given to the cyclist.

Apologies, I didn't explain myself. I meant teach/train all road users in realtion to what to expect from all other road users. As long as the Highway Code remains the so callled Bible for road users then it needs to contain all the necessary information. For example, a driver is unlikely to even know about the existence of the Primary or secondary positions as they are not included in the highway code.

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

Why do you assume that 'training' refers to cyclists being trained? If drivers are trained properly to drive safely when near cyclists then they'll stop trying to overtake when it isn't safe to do so. Also, impose higher penalties for those who endanger other road users. After all, there is ALREADY a system in which to train them.

This ^

Dave_C_2

DCodd wrote: »

Apologies, I didn't explain myself. I meant teach/train all road users in realtion to what to expect from all other road users. As long as the Highway Code remains the so callled Bible for road users then it needs to contain all the necessary information. For example, a driver is unlikely to even know about the existence of the Primary or secondary positions as they are not included in the highway code.

Indeed, this is one of the things I keep banging on about in this and other forums. The last thing a non-cycling driver will read is a cyclist safety book/ website/ pamphlet/ whatever. So when seeing a cyclist in the primary position the no-cycling motorist will immediately think "pillock" and try to overtake ASAP to get out of the way of the looney cyclist.

The simple inclusion of this in the HC will save a lot of conflict and improve cycle safety.

Now if only we could get drivers to park their cars on the drive and not on the road ...

Dave

thelawnet

Dave_C wrote: »

Indeed, this is one of the things I keep banging on about in this and other forums. The last thing a non-cycling driver will read is a cyclist safety book/ website/ pamphlet/ whatever. So when seeing a cyclist in the primary position the no-cycling motorist will immediately think "pillock" and try to overtake ASAP to get out of the way of the looney cyclist.

This doesn't happen IME. They might beep their horn though.

The simple inclusion of this in the HC will save a lot of conflict and improve cycle safety.

People don't read it.

Dave_C_2

thelawnet wrote: »

People don't read it.

(Highway code) True, but at least the next generation of learner drivers will have to.

Dave

Big_G_RC

Saw a grown man riding in a hi-vis jacket and trousers with a helmet light and 2 more on the handle bars and still riding on the pavement - sigh.

Norman_Castle

^ Thats because however visible he is some motorists will still drive as though he is not there.

During yesterdays on/off blizzards I saw plenty of motorists driving without lights and clearly speeding, past a school entrance at kicking out time. It's easy to be complacent when seatbelted into an airbagged, crumple zoned, safety cage.

motch

Big_G_RC wrote: »

Saw a grown man riding in a hi-vis jacket and trousers with a helmet light and 2 more on the handle bars and still riding on the pavement - sigh.

need some more info on that to decide why he was, could of had a good reason for all we know

Billy-no-Money

I ride on the pavement in two places on my ten-mile commute, as do most other cyclists for very good reason.

One is uphill over a railway bridge which has two narrow lanes each way and no central barrier, where I want to turn right at the top of the hill. If I stay over to the left traffic doesn't let me move to the right because I'm going so slowly (remember it's uphill), if I take the right hand lane (as a car would do) I find myself being overtaken on BOTH sides at the same time, or if I take the centre of either lane drivers blast with their horns. It's a no-win situation, so I use the footpath (this is 7am, there's hardly anybody about).

The other one is completely different; a wide path runs alongside the park and is simply a pleasant place to ride. There are no signs saying I can use it, so it looks like a footpath; but in fact there's a traffic regulation order making it into a shared-use path. I'm actually riding it perfectly legally even though there are no signs!

With experience I've been able to find routes locally which avoid those places where I experience dangerous driving; certain junctions seem to bring the worst out of people. I should be able to ride anywhere and, as long as I follow the rules, I should be safe. Unfortunately that's not the case.

motch

Billy-no-Money wrote: »

I ride on the pavement in two places on my ten-mile commute, as do most other cyclists for very good reason.

One is uphill over a railway bridge which has two narrow lanes each way and no central barrier, where I want to turn right at the top of the hill. If I stay over to the left traffic doesn't let me move to the right because I'm going so slowly (remember it's uphill), if I take the right hand lane (as a car would do) I find myself being overtaken on BOTH sides at the same time, or if I take the centre of either lane drivers blast with their horns. It's a no-win situation, so I use the footpath (this is 7am, there's hardly anybody about).

The other one is completely different; a wide path runs alongside the park and is simply a pleasant place to ride. There are no signs saying I can use it, so it looks like a footpath; but in fact there's a traffic regulation order making it into a shared-use path. I'm actually riding it perfectly legally even though there are no signs!

With experience I've been able to find routes locally which avoid those places where I experience dangerous driving; certain junctions seem to bring the worst out of people. I should be able to ride anywhere and, as long as I follow the rules, I should be safe. Unfortunately that's not the case.

A very well written post Indeed.
With a foot down turning right wouldn't be too nice to have it clipped/run over by someone squeezing through with a car wheel with over a ton behind it..:eek:

I sometimes ride on the last 40 metres or so of pavement near my place, feels safer for me than just pulling up near some busy traffic lights, just around walking pace, if anyone around i'll get off and walk it, although in cycling cleats i'd have more chance of falling over onto someone really..