Biggest Threats to Cyclists?

Guesthouse

AndyBSG wrote: »

But you can't use that excuse if you get caught in one of those yellow 'no stopping' boxes you get at junctions because it's an offence to enter them if your exit is not clear.

The same rule should apply to ASL's.

Exactly. In both cases you're (potentially) moving into a non existent space, because if the traffic doesn't clear and the lights go red, you're then stuck in the middle of (or completely blocking) traffic which the has right of way from another road on that junction, you're stopped in an ASL or even a pedestrian crossing.

OK, who hasn't done it because they've been caught out by i.e. an emergency vehicle that necessitates stoping/moving over or simply misjudging it. I'm not perfect, I know I have.

What I have an issue with is the persistent creep forwards because waiting the 10 seconds for the gap to clear and allow you to proceed would evidently make motorists late for the rest of their life. You're not really exercising proper judgement, you're following the herd.

You don't need to be a rabid cyclist to be affected or complain bitterly. One of our worst local bottlenecks is caused by motorists who can see quite clearly that their route straight ahead at a roundabout cannot be exited because of standing traffic yet they relentlessly roll onto the roundabout. Then motorists from another direction will roll on to book their place in the queue.

Heycock

Hell yeah. You've got to take a lead from someone!

brat

Heycock wrote: »

Hell yeah. You've got to take a lead from someone!

If you're comfortable with that...

I recall when I started in the police 23 years ago, I could have my evidence accepted over another's for no better reason than I was a copper.
There will be several reasons why that has changed over the years, some good, some bad. But it's almost impossible to take someone to court these days on the basis of a police officer's word against theirs.

We reap what is sown.

Mids_Costcutter

Johno100 wrote: »

No absolutely nothing wrong in denying it, better luck next time to those trying to prove it.:T

A reprehensible moral stance and a good argument for stricter liability under civil law to make it easier for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians to claim injury compensation from drivers who hit them.

Altarf

AndyBSG wrote: »

But you can't use that excuse if you get caught in one of those yellow 'no stopping' boxes you get at junctions because it's an offence to enter them if your exit is not clear.

The same rule should apply to ASL's.

But they don't.

esuhl

I can't wait for the day when CCTV is required to be fitted to all vehicles as standard and drivers won't find it so easy to drive as recklessly as they very often do.

It would also be nice if safe cycle paths existed, but even the segregated paths round here have concealed junctions with footpaths, with no warning to pedestrians or cyclists that their paths are about to cross.

The local council advice people who aren't cycling "slowly" to always use the road instead of the cycle path. Instead of fixing the problem, they've made it worse by narrowing the roads to create the cycle paths and then forcing cyclists onto the roads anyway! It's insane.

brat

esuhl wrote: »

The local council advice people who aren't cycling "slowly" to always use the road instead of the cycle path. Instead of fixing the problem, they've made it worse by narrowing the roads to create the cycle paths and then forcing cyclists onto the roads anyway! It's insane.

There are 4 different types of cyclist, as identified in this interesting read.

• Avoiders - Cyclists who try as much as possible to stay away from other traffic (Family groups, leisure groups etc)
• Guarded - Cyclists who wil venture onto the road, but prefer cycle paths. They are usually slightly intimidated by motorists and will grant them passage rather than try to control them.
• Assertive - Cyclists who are confident about using the road, and will make positive controlling choices for their safety and convenience. They usually maintain a speed of more than 50% of the speed of the other traffic.
• Opportunistic - Those cyclists who use the road system primarily for their own advantage with more thought to their convenient progress than restricting laws.

Assertive cyclists are the type that most confident cyclists would like to identify with, although they will usually be opportunistic from time to time.

These cyclists are often better off some of the 'leisure' shared cycle paths, because they may conflict with the other users of those paths. Through repetitive use of a road, they will often decide whether a roadedge cycle lane is safe for them to use, and will act on that decision.
Those are their rights, part of their right to stay safe, and other motorists need to accommodate that.

Enterprise_1701C

Love the idea of CCTV on all vehicles. Not cycling related but a friend of mine had a bus go into the side of her car and cause expensive damage (it is a BMW). She had to chase the bus to get it to stop and get details (he was keeping to a schedule!!!). He said it was her fault and told her off for driving so badly (she was stationery at the time!). He also stated that he had CCTV and that it would prove him right. The bus company reviewed the CCTV and admitted the driver was at fault and paid all expenses. He was an immigrant that had only just got his licence.

It would have been nice if the van that clipped my elbow (no injury) had had CCTV on it.

It would have been nice if the HGV that came steaming up behind me and forced me to jump off my bike onto the pavement to avoid being knocked off my bike had had CCTV on it. (I never worked out how I managed to react as quickly as it did but it probably saved me from serious injury).

Unfortunately they were both foreign vehicles and they are another group that think the rules do not apply to them.

Maybe we should start making sure all immigrants take a UK driving test before they are allowed on the road, and that test should involve dealing with a lot of cyclists that hit potholes or have to steer around the glass that is swept into the gutter and into the path of cyclists after accidents!

andrewf75

esuhl wrote: »

It would also be nice if safe cycle paths existed, but even the segregated paths round here have concealed junctions with footpaths, with no warning to pedestrians or cyclists that their paths are about to cross.

This is often the problem. Even where you have nice segregated cycle paths, you reach a roundabout or junction and it just stops. Which is why the "opportunistic" cyclists from the list in the previous post sometimes just cyles on the road despite there being a cycle path! Compare that to what you get in Holland or Denmark and you really see where we go wrong.

WiggyDiggyPoo

Tilt wrote: »

No? Allow me to remind you of a very recent case of a cyclist who obviously didn't know.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/cyclist-pictured-riding-down-m1-2369567
Best bit that yet again, no action was taken by the police. Obviously they didn't consider his actions were a "threat to his safety".

Now if it had been a motorist driving along the hard shoulder with no lights on.... well you can guess what action the police would of taken!

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You say remind me as if I knew about this, but that I forgot.

Surprisingly like many cyclists, I am not 100% familiar with the actions of every other person.

Have you got a new opinion to share, or are you still posting isolated incidents or poor behaviour as some kind of evidence for..... Actually we don't know what for, as you swanned off in a huff when we asked last time claiming you were bored:

Tilt wrote: »

"Only 400" silly cyclists.... ONLY?? Maybe if the Silly Cyclist channel had more people filming then that figure may even be worse!

Anyway... let's agree to dis-agree as we aren't going to change each other's take on this. Mine is simply that more action should be taken against the minority (about 400) of cyclists who ride recklessly and break the traffic laws thus putting themselves in danger.

I'm bored now so i'm on my bike outta here!