Why Don't Cyclists Use Cycle Lanes....

peter_the_piper

j0nathon2 wrote: »

I recommend removing any infrastructure that:

• Encourages poor overtaking
• Is more dangerous than the main carriageway

Unfortunately this is the majority of on-road lanes due to the poor road edge, drain covers, debris, pedestrians and pot holes. Also I disagree with the above that drivers give more room on roads without a painted line - I find the exact opposite. The white line is some kind of magical barrier to many motorists, who will ride within inches of me as long as they're on "their side" of it. If that line isn't there, the motorists will use ME as the guide of where to drive, not the line.

Ive been thinking about road widths.
An average road is about 7.5m wide I believe. An average cycle lane is about 1m this leaves 5.5 m for cars. An average car is about 2m. So if 2 cars are passing each other they would leave about 0.5-1 m between them which makes both cars about 0.5m-0.75m from the cycle lane. Cars don't deliberately drive close to the cycle lane, in a lot of instances there is no option. Just hope there is not a big van or lorry coming the other way.

Cycrow

Theres always an option.

They don't have to overtake the cyclist, they could wait until they can move out the lane to do it safely.

Not having enough room to safely overtake is not an excuse, if it can't be done safely it shouldn't be done at all

geordie_ben

Cycrow wrote: »

Theres always an option.

They don't have to overtake the cyclist, they could wait until they can move out the lane to do it safely.

Not having enough room to safely overtake is not an excuse, if it can't be done safely it shouldn't be done at all

Fully agree - why drivers (for which I am one) think waiting 30 seconds for a place to safely pass a cyclist is impossible is beyond me.

My driving has totally changed since I started to cycle more, and also, my cycling has changed since I drive as well

brat

geordie_ben wrote: »

Fully agree - why drivers (for which I am one) think waiting 30 seconds for a place to safely pass a cyclist is impossible is beyond me.

My driving has totally changed since I started to cycle more, and also, my cycling has changed since I drive as well

I think you answered your own question.

geordie_ben

brat wrote: »

I think you answered your own question.

There was no question

hugheskevi

I'm always quite amused (and alarmed) by the responses many car drivers give to some of the folk out using cameras whilst cycling when challenged about a dangerous overtake.

By far the most common answer is "You were in the middle of the road" (sic), followed by "You were swerving all over the road."

This is never true, but even if was correct it is a very strange thought process that presumably goes something like:

"the cyclist in front is dangerous, he isn't in control of his bike, he doesn't know simple road rules, he is not leaving enough room to overtake...best thing for me to do is overtake as closely as possible at speed".

There is a common alternative too

"the cyclist in front is dangerous, he isn't in control of his bike, he doesn't know simple road rules, he is not leaving enough room to overtake... ...best thing for me to do is see how close I can get to the back of the cyclist, rev my engine, beep my horn then accelerate rapidly" ...usually to the next bit of traffic a few hundred yards down the road.

I've sometimes wondered about cycling up behind a car in slow moving traffic that hasn't left much room to filter past, manically ringing my bell, going past them at reckless filtering speed, then stopping to make keep right gestures with my hand before turning around and pedalling away as fast I can. I think I'd look a bit of an idiot, but it doesn't seem to stop a lot of drivers

Johno100

hugheskevi wrote: »

I've sometimes wondered about cycling up behind a car in slow moving traffic that hasn't left much room to filter past, manically ringing my bell, going past them at reckless filtering speed, then stopping to make keep right gestures with my hand before turning around and pedalling away as fast I can. I think I'd look a bit of an idiot, but it doesn't seem to stop a lot of drivers

I take it you mean they haven't left you room to undertake, or in the language of the cyclist "filtering on the left"?

Can you tell me where in the Highway Code it says you have to leave room on your left for undertaking cyclists when in queuing traffic? Maybe if some London HGV's had been closer to the left hand kerb there would have been less dead cyclists over the last few months. If a cyclist can 'take the lane' why can't us cagers?

custardy

You really do spend a fair bit of time on the cycling board John.

hugheskevi

Can you tell me where in the Highway Code it says you have to leave room on your left for undertaking cyclists when in queuing traffic? Maybe if some London HGV's had been closer to the left hand kerb there would have been less dead cyclists over the last few months. If a cyclist can 'take the lane' why can't us cagers?

Perhaps you are missing the analogy...which was to drivers who like to use their horn and overtake dangerously then wave at cyclists to move to the left of the road.

None of that is in the Highway Code, which is why none of the tongue-in-cheek analogy is in the Highway Code...

messes

Johno100 wrote: »

I take it you mean they haven't left you room to undertake, or in the language of the cyclist "filtering on the left"?

I think you are confusing filtering with undertaking. But there is no reason a cyclist couldn't be "overtaking" or filtering past you on the right. Quite possible in congested traffic.

Johno100 wrote: »

Can you tell me where in the Highway Code it says you have to leave room on your left for undertaking cyclists when in queuing traffic? Maybe if some London HGV's had been closer to the left hand kerb there would have been less dead cyclists over the last few months. If a cyclist can 'take the lane' why can't us cagers?

By there very nature cars already take the lane and as drivers are relatively safe inside their vehicles they don't often need to use defensive techniques such as maintaining a "safety bubble".
You may not agree, but I think you this is in the highway code already.

Rule 147; Be considerate. Be careful of and considerate towards all types of road user