117 replies to this topic

[guess who]

You are putting all the onus on the car driver.

No i am not.
I mentioned about the things that get you wound up.

Big difference.

[Marauder]

.......or you could spot a potential hazard and adjust your driving to take it into account.

The biggest problem I've found (Not hit one yet) is many cyclists seem to think that only they are using the road and often change direction around pot holes etc without any form of indication.

[Ackroman]

From the recent posts do I assume cylclists cause the most anger?

Personally its old duffers. I had one pull out on me from a Give Way without looking late Friday morning and I totalled her car. I was driving a pick up towing another car to the garage on a car trailer, so I had a lot of weight.

Apparently she thought it was my fault she was in the middle of the road, the sun was in her eyes and I was driving too fast.

I politely pointed out that for the sun to be in your eyes you had to be looking in the direction of the sun, i:e my direction. The sun was also pretty much at it's zenith so she must have been looking through the sunshine roof not the passenger window to get dazzled. I also pointed out that I had priority as I was on the carriageway, I was also polite to explain that I was coming out of a z bend and was therefore proceeding at a speed less than 30 miles an hour. What I don't have is the reactions of a featherweight boxer with a 3 ton rig under my ######. I thought the last bit rather than saying it because the old dear was becoming even more confused.

However by and large I found this experience pushed me closer to rage than a meat-head trying to kill me or when confronted by a bunch of bycylamentalists riding 4 abreast.

[Severus]

And unless you are a nutjob sick sod white van man in Cardiff, no car driver wants to be involved in a collision with a cyclist. ALL road users have to take responsibility for themselves as well as each other. Some cyclists need to take more responsibility for themselves.

A driver of a car involved in a collision with a bicycle will most probably just suffer a bit of shock. A cyclist may end up in hospital.

lol! I am behind them. They pull out IN FRONT of me. Did you not read the words IN FRONT OF? How can I not be giving them enough room when they are IN FRONT OF me?

Well what is the problem then? If they are in front of you then they aren't in danger of hitting you.

That is asking for trouble. Exactly where is it recommended practice? It used to be outlawed practice.

I'm a member of British Cycling they produced the report linked below summarising the view of its members when it comes to road safety. It might make interesting reading for you as they mention that many drivers do not know the rules/best practice for cyclists.

http://www.leighday....REPORT_2012.pdf

And how is that any different from being a car driver?

A cyclist is in a very vulnerable position, not enclosed by a steel cage.

Edited by Severus, 21 October 2012 - 05:18 PM.

[Severus]

The biggest problem I've found (Not hit one yet) is many cyclists seem to think that only they are using the road and often change direction around pot holes etc without any form of indication.

Sometimes unavoidable, hence why the highway code says to give cyclists as much room as you would if they were a car.

[Saintslass]

A driver of a car involved in a collision with a bicycle will most probably just suffer a bit of shock. A cyclist may end up in hospital.

More than a bit of shock.

Well what is the problem then? If they are in front of you then they aren't in danger of hitting you.

Are you for real? It's not them hitting me I'm worried about. It's me hitting them. If they suddenly pull out into my lane without any indication that they are going to then the chance of me ploughing into them increases significantly, don't you think?

A cyclist is in a very vulnerable position, not enclosed by a steel cage.

Indeed, which is why they should take more responsibility on the road by observing the rules of the road and not behaving like prats.

[Severus]

More than a bit of shock.

I think we can definitely say the cyclist will come off worst.

Are you for real? It's not them hitting me I'm worried about. It's me hitting them. If they suddenly pull out into my lane without any indication that they are going to then the chance of me ploughing into them increases significantly, don't you think?

You seem to be having difficulty understand what I am saying. If you are behind a cyclist then either you overtake giving them as much room as you would a car and therefore even if they do serve in the road you aren't going to hit them or you drive behind them. If it is a two lane carriageway ad they do serve across into the outside lane in front if you without signalling then yes you are correct, they are idiots.

I would like to see cycling as part of the driving test. It wasn't until I started cycling that I realised the dangers that cyclists have to watch out for.

[JohnM]

Agree entirely. You should not be able to get even a provisional car licence without first passing cycling test.

Oh, and incidentally, Highway Code section 146 states


Adapt your driving to the appropriate type and condition of road you are on. In particular

• do not treat speed limits as a target. It is often not appropriate or safe to drive at the maximum speed limit
• take the road and traffic conditions into account. Be prepared for unexpected or difficult situations, for example, the road being blocked beyond a blind bend. Be prepared to adjust your speed as a precaution
• where there are junctions, be prepared for road users emerging
• in side roads and country lanes look out for unmarked junctions where nobody has priority
• be prepared to stop at traffic control systems, road works, pedestrian crossings or traffic lights as necessary
• children, are looking the other way, they may step out into the road without seeing you.

151: In slow-moving traffic. You should

• reduce the distance between you and the vehicle ahead to maintain traffic flow
• never get so close to the vehicle in front that you cannot stop safely
• leave enough space to be able to manoeuvre if the vehicle in front breaks down or an emergency vehicle needs to get past
• not change lanes to the left to overtake
• allow access into and from side roads, as blocking these will add to congestion
• be aware of cyclists and motorcyclists who may be passing on either side

and so on and so on. you are not entitled to hurtle around in excess of the speed limit as if you own it and expect everyone else to keep out of the way until you have sailed majestically past.

Edited by JohnM, 21 October 2012 - 06:32 PM.

[Marauder]

Sometimes unavoidable, hence why the highway code says to give cyclists as much room as you would if they were a car.

In that case a cyclist should have insurance and have to pass some kind of test so they can become responsable cyclists as well.

[Saintslass]

I think we can definitely say the cyclist will come off worst.

I didn't say they wouldn't. I just said that I would suffer more than 'a bit of shock' if I happened to knock over a cyclist.

You seem to be having difficulty understand what I am saying. If you are behind a cyclist then either you overtake giving them as much room as you would a car and therefore even if they do serve in the road you aren't going to hit them or you drive behind them. If it is a two lane carriageway ad they do serve across into the outside lane in front if you without signalling then yes you are correct, they are idiots.

I understand what you are saying perfectly. But you are missing my point. A cyclist is to my left but in front of me. We are stationary at traffic lights, say. Lights go to green. Everyone, including cyclist, accelerates - as one does when one wants to make a vehicle move forward- but cyclist is still ahead. Then, out of the blue, cyclist crosses in front of my car. No indication that is what they are going to do. Nothing. They just do it. I have to hit brakes. That is what I am talking about now and it is the scenario I first described.

I would like to see cycling as part of the driving test. It wasn't until I started cycling that I realised the dangers that cyclists have to watch out for.

Absolutely agree. All road users should have to pass a test, not least to teach them how to be aware of others on the road, not just for their own safety but for the safety of other road users.

Edited by Saintslass, 21 October 2012 - 08:00 PM.

[gingerjon]

I understand what you are saying perfectly. But you are missing my point. A cyclist is to my left but in front of me. We are stationary at traffic lights, say. Lights go to green. Everyone, including cyclist, accelerates - as one does when one wants to make a motorised vehicle move forward. Then, out of the blue, cyclist crosses in front of my car. No indication that is what they are going to do. Nothing. They just do it. I have to hit brakes. That is what I am talking about now and it is the scenario I first described.

Are you in the same lane?

[Severus]

In that case a cyclist should have insurance and have to pass some kind of test so they can become responsable cyclists as well.

In a responsible cyclist but there are occasions when you need to serve to avoid pedestrians, pot holes and obstacles. If car drivers follow the Highway Code this isn't a problem.

[Severus]

I didn't say they wouldn't. I just said that I would suffer more than 'a bit of shock' if I happened to knock over a cyclist.


I understand what you are saying perfectly. But you are missing my point. A cyclist is to my left but in front of me. We are stationary at traffic lights, say. Lights go to green. Everyone, including cyclist, accelerates - as one does when one wants to make a vehicle move forward- but cyclist is still ahead. Then, out of the blue, cyclist crosses in front of my car. No indication that is what they are going to do. Nothing. They just do it. I have to hit brakes.

What you have described shows you are in the wrong. If the cyclist is in front of you they have the lane. If you want to overtake you must insure that there is enough room to do so. This is why there is a green strip at many sets of lights, so a cyclists can take up a position in front of the cars. Although in my experience many car drivers seem to think this is for them. It seems like you don't realise that a cyclist is well within their rights to cycle in the middle of the lane. Personally I don't do this and cycle towards the left of the lane unless I feel it is unsafe to do so.

[Saintslass]

What you have described shows you are in the wrong. If the cyclist is in front of you they have the lane. If you want to overtake you must insure that there is enough room to do so.

*pulls hair out through frustration*

I wasn't in the wrong. I wasn't bl*ody overtaking! I hadn't even got to that stage yet! Jeez! The bloke pulled in front of me without signalling. Had I been going any faster than I was at the time there would have been no guarantee I could have stopped in time to avoid him, the total and utter plank.

Edited by Saintslass, 22 October 2012 - 12:22 PM.

[Severus]

*pulls hair out through frustration*

I wasn't in the wrong. I wasn't bl*ody overtaking! I hadn't even got to that stage yet! Jeez! The bloke pulled in front of me without signalling. Had I been going any faster than I was at the time there would have been no guarantee I could have stopped in time to avoid him, the total and utter plank.

Calm down dear.

If you weren't overtaking and driving behind the cyclist then you weren't in danger of hitting him. As you say that you might not have stopped in time then you were probably driving too close to him.

[JohnM]

Calm down dear.

OMG! You've done it now!!

[Saintslass]

If you weren't overtaking and driving behind the cyclist then you weren't in danger of hitting him.

I was because I was pulling away, same as everyone, and he just pulled in front of me. Had I been going faster, which in my car isn't possible, then there is every chance I would have hit him. And it was a him, incidentally.

Here's another one for you. Today I was driving out of town on the dual carriageway arterial road. It was packed with vehicles as roadworks were causing mayhem further down the road. A cyclist did what motorcyclists often do and scooted between the lines of traffic. I saw him (another him) coming because I had been sitting waiting for the sun to shine in the queue gazing in my rear view mirror watching him pass between an articulated lorry and a car on a bend while said lorry was nicely articulating towards him, thinking 'what a plank'. However, because we then started to move forward I was so focused on him that I didn't see the cyclist coming past me on my left at the same time as he came past me on my right. Fortunately, I didn't move over to the left to make way for the cyclist scooting between the traffic. Had I done so I might have knocked the cyclist who was obeying the rules of the road off his bike.

[Wolford6]

Here's another one for you. Today I was driving out of town on the dual carriageway arterial road.

In St Helens? Now we know you're exaggerating!

[Saintslass]

In St Helens? Now we know you're exaggerating!

It's the one signposted 'escape route', didn't you know that?

[Garvers]

I understand what you are saying perfectly. But you are missing my point. A cyclist is to my left but in front of me. We are stationary at traffic lights, say. Lights go to green. Everyone, including cyclist, accelerates - as one does when one wants to make a vehicle move forward- but cyclist is still ahead. Then, out of the blue, cyclist crosses in front of my car. No indication that is what they are going to do. Nothing. They just do it. I have to hit brakes. That is what I am talking about now and it is the scenario I first described.

You sound like quite a poor driver tbh. Cyclists at traffic lights and junctions often try to position themselves or ride away from the kerb and further out into the road - and therefore in front of the 'frustrated' traffic behind - as a way of preventing idiotic over-aggressive drivers flooring it at the lights and putting the cyclist in danger. Moving out and away from the gutter also prevents a car behind accelerating ahead and then turning a sharp left - the primary cause of death among cyclists in London. If you keep having to hit your breaks, then perhaps you should change your expectations and give cyclists a little more space and consideration. Just a thought - it might save someone's life.