Why the war between drivers and cyclists?

[Annie71]

Sam, you completely missed the point. My comment was more of a he who is without sin type comment. I do agree many cyclists do not obey the highway code , only a fool would cycle without lights at night. It is wrong to cycle in pedestrian areas where cycling is banned however many pedestrian areas there is no actual ban, well at least here there isn't.

 

Many motorists ignore cyclists , a classic example that happens to me on many occasion, wearing a high viz and lights is to overtake and then turn left causing me to brake sharply.

 

I also appreciate that there are many car drivers that give consideration to cyclusts.

 

By the way, speeding is a serious offence but alas one that people do not realise how dangerous it can be, particularly to pedestrians and cyclists..

 

According to rospa more accidents involving cyclists are caused by drivers as opposed to cyclists. 57% v 43%.

In 2009 no pedestrians were killed by cyclists but 426 were killed by drivers . Out of 13272 collisions between cars and cyclists in 2008 no drivers were killed but 52 cyclists were.

Source Bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13040607

[Perseus1]

Drivers get distracted and it only takes a second or two and they can run over a cyclist. They know that as humans their concentration falls below 100% at times. For both it can very bad luck if they can run over a cyclist. They have done it to me five times. At slow speed, fortunately. Five replacement bikes all paid for by them.

 

It happens to pedestrians as well. I think instinctively they know this and if cyclists were not on the road, they would not suffer the consequences of a moment's loss of attention.

 

I am a little paranoid at times and if I have the choice I would avoid the roads occupied by buses. The bus driver has passengers and gets distracted more than most. It does not mean they are bad drivers. Sitting on the top of a bus and watching the other motorists make me think their driving has to be better than most.

 

Mobile phones are a serious distraction. This puts white van drivers up amongst the vehicles and drivers to be more wary of than others. Beware of taxi drivers as well. Professional drivers use faulty heuristics and can take unacceptable risks.

[Perseus1]

Really? Have you any stats to back this up?

 

I see more cyclists flouting the law on a regular basis than I do motorists. Yes, there are those motorists that break the speed limit and your'e probably quite right, most will break that one particular law at some point. BUT, I doubt that there are that many (when compared to cyclists) who jump red lights, travel the wrong way down one-way streets, ride along pavements and pedestrian areas where signs say it is prohibited.... etc etc.

 

I was recently almost hit from behind in Regent Street, Gt Yarmouth (which is pedestrianized) by a cyclist, despite there being 'cycling prohibited' signs along there.

 

Don't be ridiculous. The incidence of driving on pavements is so much higher than cycling on pavements, unless you live in a different country to me.

[sailor sam]

Don't be ridiculous. The incidence of driving on pavements is so much higher than cycling on pavements, unless you live in a different country to me.

 

Lol! Clearly I must do!

[Perseus1]

Lol! Clearly I must do!

 

how do you think cars get on to the pavements? By magic?

[sailor sam]

how do you think cars get on to the pavements? By magic?

 

No. Cars get onto pavements by sub-standard driving. But even in those circumstances, you rarely see cars being driven at length along pavements like cyclists do. Well, not in my country anyway.

[DigitalProduct]

The problem is you have slow moving small vehicles versus high speed large ones at odds with each others traveling.

[Desperate Daniella]

So if you are on a small slow moving vehicle then you need to cycle defensively and not do anything blatantly stupid like riding without lights, jumping red lights, undertaking large vehicles rather than considering they might turn left and waiting behind them instead, and going the wrong way down one way streets when large metal objects who have right of way are coming towards you.

[Annie71]

And if you are a car driver you really shouldn't overtake a cyclist and then immediately turn left forcing the cyclist to brake heavily. As I said before some cycle lanes are on one way streets but in the opposite direction. In birmingham anyway

[MaxxPower]

Cyclists (And Motorcyclists) shouldn't be undertaking stationary traffic full stop, it's a major hazard and, to be quite honest, just plain stupid. It's a hazard to pedestrians that might be crossing the road (granted they shouldn't be crossing the road in those situations, but just like a driver needs to be aware of the pedestrians who do, so do cyclists), it's a hazard to traffic which may suddenly start moving and a hazard to any traffic that might be crossing from a junction on the other side of the road. I've seen cyclists undertaking stationary traffic, then almost get hit by a car pulling across a Keep Clear box into a side-road because the cyclist didn't know it was there and was just undertaking the waiting traffic.

[Desperate Daniella]

The problem is that many cyclists just do not want to stop - ever!

[Perseus1]

Cyclists (And Motorcyclists) shouldn't be undertaking stationary traffic full stop, it's a major hazard and, to be quite honest, just plain stupid. It's a hazard to pedestrians that might be crossing the road (granted they shouldn't be crossing the road in those situations, but just like a driver needs to be aware of the pedestrians who do, so do cyclists), it's a hazard to traffic which may suddenly start moving and a hazard to any traffic that might be crossing from a junction on the other side of the road. I've seen cyclists undertaking stationary traffic, then almost get hit by a car pulling across a Keep Clear box into a side-road because the cyclist didn't know it was there and was just undertaking the waiting traffic.

 

I can't disagree with this.

 

I have been knocked off five times. That's four replacement bikes and they paid. The other time it was me that took the brunt.

 

None were undertaking. I just don't do it.

 

I was hit by a bus whilst stationary at a junction. He just forgot I was there.

 

Hit head on by a driver on a cyclepath. Pulled into the path without looking.

 

Run over by an an unmarked Police Car without lights driving on the wrong side of the road.

 

Bashed from behind by a driver in torrential rain.

 

And one other which I have forgotten.

 

One when I lost my teeth was when a lady and a pram walked into the road in front of me w/o looking.

 

I nearly got killed when a driver jumped the lights at a railway crossing at speed. He wrecked his car and broke both his legs.

[Desperate Daniella]

And you are still cycling???????

 

If you were a cat, I'd be counting your nine lives.

[Perseus1]

And you are still cycling???????

 

If you were a cat, I'd be counting your nine lives.

 

I stopped for one day thinking walking would be safer. It wasn't.

 

First day walking I nearly got run over by a young cyclists. I think he had an intelligence defect. So what I could say or do. If he cycled on the road like he cycled on the pavement, he would be dead.

 

Now, I check the bus routes and avoid them if I can, even if it means a longer ride.

 

If the alarm bells go on railway gates watch for jumpers, but I knew that anyway.

 

Torrential rain is particularly dangerous but I got caught in a sudden squall out of nothing. Cars are blinded in rain. Cyclists just get soggy.

 

I have come off on three potholes as well. Once to avoid a sudden cyclist w/o lights on a bridlepath. That wrecked my favourite bike. Another bike on a hole was wrecked but that was crappy one. Now I've got brighter lights, a Cree.

[Desperate Daniella]

You are very brave.

 

Torrential rain frightens the life out of me as a driver looking out for cyclists. Why do so many cyclists go out on dark, wet nights wearing head to toe black? I think they have intelligence defects too.

[Perseus1]

I have not had a collision or crash for 10 years or 35,000 miles of cycling now. A few near misses.

 

One notable one was when a van driver overtook me and then stopped suddenly to answer is mobile phone (I thought he was having a heart attack). The trouble is the stopping distance of a bicycle is more than that of a vehicle and I nearly ran into the back of him.

 

Rain is dangerous for lots of reasons, floods hiding drain hole covers and pot holes, awful visibility of vehicles and for me as I wear spectacles, and reduced stopping distances.