Helping Cyclists Get a Bad Name
spen666
Posts: 17,709
Over the last few days, I have hadcause to drive my car through streets broad and narrow .... in London and have to say the behaviour of many cyclists (not all) that I saw was such as to make me realise why other road users seemingly dislike cyclists. Examples of such behaviour include:
a) A high % riding with no or ineffective lights. You can buy a set of lights for £20. Surely your life is worth this much. This is usually combined with wearing dark and non reflective clothing to complete the stealth effect
b) changing lane/ position / turning across traffic without looking. Typically riding in gutter up to rear of parked vehicle then trying to ride round it from 1" away from rear bumper, but without ever looking behind to check it is safe to change position
c) riding on pavement and ringing bell "angrily" at anyone who dares to be walking on the pavement- more ringing etc when not a shared use pavement.
a) A high % riding with no or ineffective lights. You can buy a set of lights for £20. Surely your life is worth this much. This is usually combined with wearing dark and non reflective clothing to complete the stealth effect
b) changing lane/ position / turning across traffic without looking. Typically riding in gutter up to rear of parked vehicle then trying to ride round it from 1" away from rear bumper, but without ever looking behind to check it is safe to change position
c) riding on pavement and ringing bell "angrily" at anyone who dares to be walking on the pavement- more ringing etc when not a shared use pavement.
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Twittering @spen_666
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a) and c) I agree with. For b), you should be able to anticipate that the cyclist you are following is going to have to pull out to overtake the parked car (unless you think its going to just ride into the back of it?) and leave sufficient space to account for that. If your driving makes it unsafe for the cyclist, then your driving is censored . maybe that isn't the best example of what you were referring to though, I agree cyclists should always shoulder check before making a significant change indirection, seems to annoy me more when I'm cycling than driving!
whilst texting
Be nice if the authorities would actually try and enforce road traffic laws. But, of course, dealing with minor infringements is a waste of a Police Officer's time. That's why we need a system where minor laws are not dealt with by the police. Get a more cost-effective way of enforcing road traffic laws and you will get fewer road traffic infringements.
The Italian example is a good one, and where they have a dedicated road traffic police on wages a lot lowere than 'proper' Police Officer's.
I wish more cyclists could understand this concept as well, the amount of times in the 7 weeks I've been commuting I've gone to pull around a blockage in the bus/cycle lane done a shoulder check only to see someone trying to speed past me so they end up level with me right at the pinch point but not far enough over that I can get round the obstacle as well. usually meaning I either have to a) stop completely at the obstacle or b) break hard enough that I can pull in behind them but typically losing enough momentum that I can't comfortably merge with the passing traffic anymore.
It is the duty of the cyclists/ motorist or whoever to ensure it is safe to pull out or change lane, n ot the duty of the person in the correct lane to stop/ swerve to avoid numpty.
Cyclist/ motorist etc sahould be looking ahead, anticipate and SIGNAL and LOOK before the manouvere.
I am talking about situation where cyclist is changing into lane - eg 2 lanes going same direction and cyclist/ motorist or whoever changes lane at last minute, no signa, no warning, no look.
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But, a cyclist can change position from secondary to primary within a lane, to avoid a parked car or width restriction, and the driver is actually supposed to give space for this to happen at any time during an overtaking maneuver.
The 'look' is called the "Life saver".
If it were true that a cyclist can change from secondary to primary to strong primary and back to secondary without looking or signalling, then its OK for me to ride along in an 'S' shape all the way home.
Now that would give cyclists a bad name.
I'd nominally agree, but on the other hand the driver really should use their hazard perception to anticipate. I know that when I drive (more so then when I cycle even) and cycle I'm generally predicting where traffic may go. If I see a vehicle approaching an obstacle I anticipate it will probably try to merge.. I thought most people would get used to this in London?
So many dreadful people giving pedestrians a bad name.
FCN 8 Scott Sportster '05
You're probably being sarcastic but this is soooo true! In central London the number of people doing clueless things is astounding. I give you stopping in a group at the top of an escalator/just outside an exit/at a junction of several passageways to consult a map/wait for a friend etc etc. If you have to stop walking you need to "pull over", it's bloody London there are 7 million people + tourists trying to get through. Another thing is big lines of pedestrians taking up an entire pavement and not budging when they see you coming towards them, even looking at you as if to ask how very dare you? I'm bloody 6'3", I don't blend that well into the background! Make space I'm not going to fly over you...
That's not just London, that's everywhere!
Yeah but there are just so many people in London that when people block entrances etc it causes more of a pile up and there is less space for evasive action...