Killer motorists!

paulsad

Just as many knob head cyclists as motorists - driving 3 abreast on country roads - dazzling led front lights - riding at speed on pavements then glaring at you if you step out in front of one from your driveway - the list goes on ...

alastairq

I've never seen the point of giving cyclists as much space as a car when overtaking them.

Aside from the fact that a cyclist is a 'vulnerable' road user, such clearance is a simple way of estimating how much space to leave said 'vulnerable road user' when overtaking.

That premise is also looked for on driving tests.

If you want to see the effect of your idea, get one of your friends to whizz past you at 30 or 40 mph, barely a metre from you, with you yourself, standing out in the road?

Have you not felt how unpleasant it is, to walk down a pavement edge [probably not through choice?] and have an artic whistle up from behind, travelling at 30 mph, a mere few inches from your right elbow?

Can you yourself ride a bicycle?

Can you ride one constantly in a dead straight line? Do you think you would be stable and impervious to, a gusty wind?

If not, then give those cyclists as much room as you would a car......because if they wobble, possibly falling off, your vehicle will be the nearest one, and even if they don't go under your wheels, you would still have some explaining to do , if you were closer than needs be when passing.

Because you drive a motorized vehicle, you need a licence to do so....and the law demands you exercise proper care and attention when controlling that motorized vehicle....don't lay yourself open to unwanted accusations...it can become expensive.

Give the beggars room when passing....saves a lot of grief in the long run?

JustinR1979

alastairq wrote: »

Aside from the fact that a cyclist is a 'vulnerable' road user, such clearance is a simple way of estimating how much space to leave said 'vulnerable road user' when overtaking.

That premise is also looked for on driving tests.

If you want to see the effect of your idea, get one of your friends to whizz past you at 30 or 40 mph, barely a metre from you, with you yourself, standing out in the road?

Have you not felt how unpleasant it is, to walk down a pavement edge [probably not through choice?] and have an artic whistle up from behind, travelling at 30 mph, a mere few inches from your right elbow?

Can you yourself ride a bicycle?

Can you ride one constantly in a dead straight line? Do you think you would be stable and impervious to, a gusty wind?

If not, then give those cyclists as much room as you would a car......because if they wobble, possibly falling off, your vehicle will be the nearest one, and even if they don't go under your wheels, you would still have some explaining to do , if you were closer than needs be when passing.

Because you drive a motorized vehicle, you need a licence to do so....and the law demands you exercise proper care and attention when controlling that motorized vehicle....don't lay yourself open to unwanted accusations...it can become expensive.

Give the beggars room when passing....saves a lot of grief in the long run?

You're comparing 30mph to 0mph, not 30mph to 10/15mph, so not that big a speed differential.

I walk facing the traffic when possible, even on pavements, don't want a lorry mirror beating me round the head.

zagfles

Strider590 wrote: »

You see, this is the problem...... You don't see a person, you see "cyclist".

Err... no I don't. I see "idiot". Who happens, in this case, to be on a bike. I'm sure such people are still idiots when not on a bike. Or when they're in a car.

They're not all the same.

Did I say they were?

Bringing out the cliches only re-enforces what I said in my last post.

I had one jump out in front me as I was stopping at a give way line, he was riding down the footpath at 7am with no lights on essentially an unlit road and jumped from the kerb into my path, he was about 40 years old.
He was what I call a bloke on a bike shaped object (BSO).

So what do you call an idiot motorist?

When I saw another cyclist further down the road, I didn't for one second assume him the same as the guy previously.

And nor do I. Next.

reeac

I was a road racing cyclist for some years covering probably in excess of 14,000 miles per annum. Because of this I always give cyclists plenty of space when overtaking but I'm very opposed to their riding on pavements - a bicycle is a vehicle and as such should use the road. I think that poor cycling habits are an American import as over there they traditionally regard cyclists as modified pedestrians rather than as road vehicles.

JustinR1979

I rarely cycle, when I do I often use the pavements.
People don't see me in a 40 foot lorry, so on a pushbike I've no chance.
Hardly anyone walks, everyone drives, cycle on the pavement.
Decades ago there were lots of walkers, and cyclists, but nowhere near so many cars.

alastairq

You're comparing 30mph to 0mph, not 30mph to 10/15mph, so not that big a speed differential.

I wasn't suggesting any sort of comparison.....speed differential was not what I was suggesting.

What I was dealing with was the issue of distancing when passing/overtaking.....and why both the Highway Code and the driving test demand what they do.

And one way of understanding why things are as they are, is to experience the effects for oneself.

it is one thing to be insulated within one's car.

It is entirely another thing to experience the effect that car has, from the outside.

When we get to the stage where we could not care less about our effect on others, on the roads..then don't expect similar courtesies from others when we need them.

JustinR1979

alastairq wrote: »

I wasn't suggesting any sort of comparison.....speed differential was not what I was suggesting.

What I was dealing with was the issue of distancing when passing/overtaking.....and why both the Highway Code and the driving test demand what they do.

And one way of understanding why things are as they are, is to experience the effects for oneself.

it is one thing to be insulated within one's car.

It is entirely another thing to experience the effect that car has, from the outside.

When we get to the stage where we could not care less about our effect on others, on the roads..then don't expect similar courtesies from others when we need them.

I think someone passing me at 15mph would be more comfortable than someone passing me at 30mph, don't you?

alastairq

I think someone passing me at 15mph would be more comfortable than someone passing me at 30mph, don't you?

I would like to think so.

But the issue in question isn't the mere fact of 'passing'....but of how close that passing vehicle is?

The speed differential of a passing vehicle can be quite high......providing the distance off the lower road user is proportionately greater.

In LGV driver training, there is a simple rule...the nearer you are to something, the slower you must go.

JustinR1979

alastairq wrote: »

I would like to think so.

But the issue in question isn't the mere fact of 'passing'....but of how close that passing vehicle is?

The speed differential of a passing vehicle can be quite high......providing the distance off the lower road user is proportionately greater.

In LGV driver training, there is a simple rule...the nearer you are to something, the slower you must go.

Distance and speed are related.
During ADI training it was 30mph - 3 foot, 20mph - 2 foot, 10mph 1 foot whilst passing parked cars.
During LGV training it was 30mph despite being much less than 3 foot - I tried applying my ADI driving to it and was told off.