Biggest Threats to Cyclists?

Stoke

Impatient Drivers -
So often on my commute to work do I see drivers forcing their way past a cyclist. In many cases, they leave a gap less than a metre, and save absolutely no time whatsoever as a car is usually in front anyway.

Winter + Poorly Maintained Roads -
On my route to work, some cyclists tend to sit more in the middle of the road. This is because the sides of the road are so badly maintained they're dangerous to use. The addition of the winter frost and impatient drivers means this winter isn't going to be fun for some cyclists.

Themselves -
I'm not anti-Cyclist at all. If I could, I would cycle to work, but I simply work too far away. That said, some cyclists really have no common sense whatsoever. Many have inadequate lighting on their bicycles. One I saw yesterday had a single LED light on the front, and no rear light whatsoever.

Le73Uq86Uv

Le73Uq86Uv wrote: »

The biggest threat to cyclists !

CYCLISTS

If there is a Cycle path USE IT.

If you chose not to use what has been privided for cyclists dont complain when you get hit down buy a car when using the road.

If you want better cycle paths pay for them like car drivers pay for the roads, i.e a road bike tax.

hugheskevi

If you chose not to use what has been privided [sic] for cyclists dont [sic] complain when you get hit down [sic] buy [sic] a car when using the road.

Have a look through the 'Facility of the Month' on this webpage going back a decade. That should provide context about the many times it is inappropriate and dangerous to use the provided infrastructure.

A helpful Youtube clip illustrates how even heavily used cycle lanes such as on Vauxhall Bridge can be poorly designed - it can be found here. Compare this to the space the Dept. for Transport suggest appropriate when overtaking cyclists to what is provided by that cycle lane.

Also, review the parts of the highway code relevant to cyclists, especially:

Use of cycle lanes is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.

The context to that rule is that when it was last reviewed, the initial drafts of the guidance stated that cyclists should use cycle lanes where they are provided. Cycling organisations highlighted the number of cycle lanes which are dangerous to use, and were concerned that a rule stating that cyclists should use cycle lanes could infer blame in the event of an accident where a cyclist was not using the lane. Given the evidence presented, the drafting of the rule was changed.

This sounds quite similar to your line of argument, so you may wish to review the arguments made at the time and the reasoning behind the decisions taken in light of the evidence presented. Link to BBC news article about it here.

If you want better cycle paths pay for them like car drivers pay for the roads, i.e a road bike tax.

Read the material on this webpage which gives quite a good rebuttal to your arguments particularly the part that states:

according to the National Travel Survey, 83 percent of cyclists own cars

Also worth noting is material from tfl, which notes:

...A simple comparison of those making current and potentially cyclable trips shows that, whilst frequent cyclists are typically white, male, between 25 to 44, and on a higher than average income...

Funding for roads comes from general taxation. The links above show that most cyclists are employed, have higher than average incomes (and so pay more income tax and National Insurance) and most of them also own cars (and hence pay Vehicle Excise Duty).

Avoriaz

Le73Uq86Uv wrote: »

..If you want better cycle paths pay for them like car drivers pay for the roads, i.e a road bike tax.

Oh dear. :rotfl:

Road tax was abolished in 1937, before most on here were even born.

The money for roads, like almost everything else, is financed from general taxation including income tax, VAT, excise on alcohol and tobacco, Council tax, Vehicle Excise Duty (which many still incorrectly call Car Tax) etc.

Most cyclists are also car owners and taxpayers too.

They are also usually Council Tax payers, and local roads, which cyclists use far more than trunk roads, are generally financed by Council Tax.

Cyclists help pay for the roads that cars use and are as entitled to use them as any car driver.

custardy

Le73Uq86Uv wrote: »

If you chose not to use what has been privided for cyclists dont complain when you get hit down buy a car when using the road.

If you want better cycle paths pay for them like car drivers pay for the roads, i.e a road bike tax.

Do you pay one?

Norman_Castle

Le73Uq86Uv wrote: »

If you chose not to use what has been privided for cyclists dont complain when you get hit down buy a car when using the road.

If you want better cycle paths pay for them like car drivers pay for the roads, i.e a road bike tax.

If you choose to use the roads don't complain when you meet cyclists using them.

See below. Its a quote from your government, the people who decide what is taxed and why.

Enterprise_1701C

Idiot car drivers that think it is a good idea to throw lighted cigarettes and half full drinks cans at cyclists, among other things.

People that don't look for cyclists at junctions, even those that are wearing neon reflective jackets (and go very white when the cyclist manages to stop an inch from the car, breaking a brake cable in the process).

Road surfaces stopping where cyclists ride.

Pedestrians that think it is funny to walk five abreast across the path and cycle path and then accuse you of cycling on the footpath when they are actually walking on the cycle path.

Busses that think they own the road when in fact that bus lane is also a cycle lane and is outside the time anyway. Does he not know I can't look back that far when he starts hooting, and I have nowhere to go when he expects me to dematerialise from the road when he could actually overtake me without trying to force me into the wall next to me.

Other cyclists that break all the rules of the road and give us all a bad reputation.

Drivers that are jealous of our mobility and ability to get around them in traffic and therefore start trying to give every other reason under the sun for hating us. I had a Porsche intentionally pull over to the left to block me at a junction, I got off my bike and went around it as I felt unsafe around someone with an attitude like that. Went where I was going, came back to the junction 15 mins later and there had been a crash involving that Porsche, only minor but had to consider that his attitude covered all areas of his driving.

One other thing I have just remembered. I was cycling along when suddenly I was thrown off my bike. Turned out someone had cut some fencing wire and hadn't bothered trimming it off, it was in my path and got caught in my wheel. Fortunately what was normally a busy road was very quiet and I was OK, but that bit of wire was invisible and could have killed me. It was on a slope and I had nowhere to safely leave my bike to get help, fortunately it was near an industrial site and someone was outside having a cigarette and had some wire cutters handy. Furtune was smiling on me that day, I was only grazed and my bike was undamaged once we got the wire off it.

Drivers that are inconsiderate to cyclists are bad drivers, inconsiderate to one road user often means inconsiderate to all road users.

Le73Uq86Uv

I am not anti cyclist although you may think that now, but as a car driver and also a cyclist at times I notice what some cyclists do.

How many of you cyclists over take on the left?

Then wonder why you get caught by traffic turning left?

Not to mention ignoring traffic lights and roudabouts.

READ THE HIGHWAY CODE AND NOT JUST THE PARTS YOU WANT TO QUOTE.

andrewf75

Avoriaz wrote: »

Oh dear. :rotfl:

Road tax was abolished in 1937, before most on here were even born.

The money for roads, like almost everything else, is financed from general taxation including income tax, VAT, excise on alcohol and tobacco, Council tax, Vehicle Excise Duty (which many still incorrectly call Car Tax) etc.

Most cyclists are also car owners and taxpayers too.

They are also usually Council Tax payers, and local roads, which cyclists use far more than trunk roads, are generally financed by Council Tax.

Cyclists help pay for the roads that cars use and are as entitled to use them as any car driver.

Not only that, but cycling benefits everyone, not just the cyclists - reduced congestion, pollution, improves fitness etc. Driving the opposite.

For this reason there should be much more investment in cycling infrastructure.

AndyBSG

Le73Uq86Uv wrote: »

READ THE HIGHWAY CODE AND NOT JUST THE PARTS YOU WANT TO QUOTE.

The irony of this quote when in the same post you also posted this is quite amusing...

Le73Uq86Uv wrote: »

How many of you cyclists over take on the left?

It is perfectly legal for cyclists to filter down the left of vehicles and does not breach the Highway Code in any way and there are a plethora of rules that actually make reference to left hand filtering such as rule 88 and rule 211.

More importantly rule 72 specifically places the responsibility for not hitting left filtering cyclists on the car driver, not the cyclist.