Cycling Safety

brat

Tilt wrote: »

And I suggest that your comment is totally irrelevant in response to my comment.

But completely relevant to the general attitude you bring to the debate.

AndyBSG

Tilt wrote: »

And I suggest that your comment is totally irrelevant in response to my comment.

In this case the cyclist collided and seriously injured a young child while contravening a red light. Plus he left the scene without concern for the child despite knowing he collided with her. He subsequently was charged with GBH, something that he wouldn't of been charged with had he been driving a car. Had he had been driving a car, he would also have been charged with leaving the scene of an accident (or failing to stop), a charge which is not available for a cyclist (AFAIK) even though the intent is surely the same.

Yet it is amazing how the outcome would have been different if he was in a motor vehicle.

By cycling at 30 MPH he was seen to be doing so 'erratically and very fast' according to a witness.

Of course, if he had been driving a car at 30 MPH he would have been seen as driving within the limit...

I don't condone or sympathise with him in any way but the knife sharpening by some posting on here towards cyclists is rather sinister.

How many pedestrians are killed by cyclists each year compared to how many are killed by cars?

How many cyclists are killed each year by cars?

How many if those who kill pedestrians and cyclists in cars and are clearly at fault literally get away with murder?

Just look at the Helen Measures case where she was let off with no conviction despite admitting she overtook on a blind bend and killed an oncoming cyclist?

I think some of the people making such ridiculous and blanket statements on here would do well to look at the real stats and figures relating to deaths on the road and actually gain some perspective...

AndyBSG

Tilt wrote: »

There are numerous clips on youtube which shows cyclists dodging pedestrians on crossings when the red light is against them (the cyclist).

I bet there's a LOT more clips on youtube of drivers using mobile phones, jumping red lights, overtaking dangerously, speeding, etc...

antrobus

AndyBSG wrote: »

I bet there's a LOT more clips on youtube of drivers using mobile phones, jumping red lights, overtaking dangerously, speeding, etc...

One, that might well be because there's a LOT more drivers on the road than cyclists.

Two, you can always point to someone else and claim that they're worse, but that's no justification.

AndyBSG

antrobus wrote: »

you can always point to someone else and claim that they're worse, but that's no justification.

I'm not saying it's a justification, what I am saying that when it's a cyclist rather than a driver involved then there seems to be a witch hunt and outrage that doesn't happen with drivers....

peter_the_piper

AndyBSG wrote: »

I bet there's a LOT more clips on youtube of drivers using mobile phones, jumping red lights, overtaking dangerously, speeding, etc...

Differeence being, drivers accept that some idiots do these things but lots of cyclists are very reluctant to accept the cyclist is wrong.

Tilt

AndyBSG wrote: »

I bet there's a LOT more clips on youtube of drivers using mobile phones, jumping red lights, overtaking dangerously, speeding, etc...

What than cyclists? I very much doubt it!

In a recent 'survey' carried out at a busy road junction in London, 194 cyclists went through the lights (most without even attempting to stop) on red in 2 hours. I don't think they clocked one single motorist doing the same during the same period.

http://youtu.be/eQdV5Ifco2A

Marco_Panettone

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Differeence being, drivers accept that some idiots do these things but lots of cyclists are very reluctant to accept the cyclist is wrong.

Not all of them, obviously. How often do you hear drivers complain about speed cameras, speeding tickets, parking tickets, bus lane cameras, etc? How often do you see drivers using mobile phones? Why are there idiots on the road, and how do we stop them driving so dangerously? They've all had training, passed a test, have number plates, tax and insurance, and yet they STILL drive like that.


These things aren't "the occasional idiot" - it's pervasive and dangerous. Cyclists jumping lights is also wrong; however it is not as dangerous to other people as motor vehicles doing it, or speeding, or driving without due care and attention. I'm not condoning it, just trying to explain basic physics.

Tilt

Marco_Panettone wrote: »

Not all of them, obviously. How often do you hear drivers complain about speed cameras, speeding tickets, parking tickets, bus lane cameras, etc? How often do you see drivers using mobile phones? Why are there idiots on the road, and how do we stop them driving so dangerously? They've all had training, passed a test, have number plates, tax and insurance, and yet they STILL drive like that.


These things aren't "the occasional idiot" - it's pervasive and dangerous. Cyclists jumping lights is also wrong; however it is not as dangerous to other people as motor vehicles doing it, or speeding, or driving without due care and attention. I'm not condoning it, just trying to explain basic physics.

Apart from when they hit a small child on a pedestrian crossing as in the recent case in Brighton.

hugheskevi

In a recent 'survey' carried out at a busy road junction in London, 194 cyclists went through the lights (most without even attempting to stop) on red in 2 hours. I don't think they clocked one single motorist doing the same during the same period.

Based on half of the video footage (there were two cameras, this just looked at the Hackney Road one) "the hour-long video covers 52 cycles of the lights, and also shows 29 motor vehicles stopping in the advanced-stop box, and eight failing to stop at the red light."

Source here