Biggest Threats to Cyclists?

trollopscarletwoman

As a keen cyclist for me I find that the best protection is instinct. Trust your instincts and look for the worst case scenario as to what drivers are going to do. Expect them to get it wrong and be ready for it.

Won't stop you getting hit from behind though.

As a driver I see it as my responsibility to look after the cyclist whilst in my sphere.

custardy

Heycock wrote: »

I think the point that Johno100 is making is that it's predominantly pedal cyclists who persist in undertaking. Motorbikes rarely do it although they have an alarming tendency to weave in and out through the middle and around the outside.
As a cyclist, the way I see it is if I'm approaching a lorry or bus stuck at lights, I hold back and let them clear the junction. It's really a case of it being ultimately up to the cyclist to ensure they don't go under the wheels by riding defensively. You can argue about cyclists rights and being assertive and reclaiming the road blah blah but in the end in a collision there'll only be one winner. And dead is dead regardless of blame.

and what do you do when the truck passes you and turns left across you?
or have you decided this isnt what/couldnt have happened?

Heycock

custardy wrote: »

and what do you do when the truck passes you and turns left across you?
or have you decided this isnt what/couldnt have happened?

There's nothing you can do about dangerous drivers...it's the risk we take by taking to the road. My point is why add to the existing risk by not riding defensively ourselves. Our best protection is to abide by traffic laws and ride defensively. And use the grey matter.
Let's say 50% of accidents are cyclist error and 50% driver error. We can't, as cyclists, do much about the driver's 50%. But we CAN eliminate our OWN 50%. (quoted percentage top of my head purely to make the point)
What's happened in London this week..I've no idea what happened. Does anyone yet...have they already had the inquests?

custardy

Heycock wrote: »

There's nothing you can do about dangerous drivers...it's the risk we take by taking to the road. My point is why add to the existing risk by not riding defensively ourselves. Our best protection is to abide by traffic laws and ride defensively. And use the grey matter.
Let's say 50% of accidents are cyclist error and 50% driver error. We can't, as cyclists, do much about the driver's 50%. But we CAN eliminate our OWN 50%. (quoted percentage top of my head purely to make the point)
What's happened in London this week..I've no idea what happened. Does anyone yet...have they already had the inquests?

exactly,but people are happy to pick over the bones and start victim blaming

WiggyDiggyPoo

Forgot to add the link for my quotes, London bus driver Jason Rumsey, 45, has driven seven London bus routes for 18 months - from BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24930598

hugheskevi

Regarding cyclists being on the inside of large vehicles, this Youtube clip is informative - note the cyclist is in the correct lane to proceed straight-on.

A second Youtube clip shows a cyclist almost being run over by a lorry on a roundabout. Again, the cyclist is proceeding correctly.

[added later] - just found this clip of a cyclist not far off being hit by a lorry on Bow roundabout after jumping a red light...it was the lorry jumping the red light. Worryingly, this doesn't seem to be an isolated incident at this roundabout, given there are another couple of clips of lorries going through red lights here and here, all from the last couple of weeks.

Johno100

hugheskevi wrote: »

Regarding cyclists being on the inside of large vehicles, this Youtube clip is informative - note the cyclist is in the correct lane to proceed straight-on.

A second Youtube clip shows a cyclist almost being run over by a lorry on a roundabout. Again, the cyclist is proceeding correctly.

By way of balance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fMTAQyXTI

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDAYkdlKEGI

hugheskevi

Many silly drivers, many silly cyclists. Darwin should sooner or later sort out the latter. Sadly he won't do anything about the former due to manufacturing standards of vehicles these days.

Point is, there are many ways cyclists can come into conflict with large vehicles, and it is far more complicated than cyclists simply avoiding going up the inside of large vehicles or stopping at inappropriate locations when queueing for red lights.

There are many cycle lanes in the country that repeat the mistakes demonstrated in the first clip, of encouraging cyclists to the left of the road then directing them straight on whilst vehicles will be turning left across the cycle lane (one here, for example, which also at 3:15 shows another way cyclists and lorries can come into conflict on roundaboutsand even on straight roads at 5:53). Some are on the exits of faster roads which can be particularly dangerous.

[Deleted User]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3758677.ece

[Deleted User]

"I don't drive, but whenever I'm a passenger in a car I'm astonished at the venom and road rage from the driver toward cyclists."

Diane Abbot MP, Radio 4, !7/11/13.