I’d say at least once every day on my commute someone does something stupid in their car that in some way could endanger me. I’m not saying I’m nearly killed everyday but at least once a day someone tries to pull out in front of me, does pull out having not seen me, cuts accross my path or gets too close when passing me. Tuesday a Foreign Lorry (so the driver was on the same side as me and would see me better than a right hand drive) passed me giving me no space at all then continued to move back accross the lane before it had passed me to the point the rear corner of the lorry nearly clipped me. I was almost run into the verge. Now an acident is an accident and a mistake a mistake but people just don’t think like they need to about how to drive around a cyclist. Worse than that there seems to be a significant number that go out of their way to drive like idiots around us. I’ve lost count of the people that see me and think “its just a bike they will be slow and I can pull out” when I’m coasting along at 20mph I’m not as slow as they think I am and if its a bit of down hill and I’m stoking along at 40mph in a 50mph zone why not just wait behind me, the roundabout you know is there every other day is just round the corner and I’ll catch and pass you when we get there so don’t endanger me now by squeezing past me now. And Ipassed through town the other day and there are a pile of signs up at the traffic lights warning they will prosecute cyclists that jump the lights. I have no problem what so ever with that, I never jump the lights, I cycle safely and legally. I have a problem that no one had put a sign up warning drivers of teh needs of cyclist, straight away it is all about prosecuting cyclists and them being the cause of problems. Then the report the other day on the BBC about introducing prosecution of cyclist for causing death by dangerous cycling (I think you posted about it). Again if you should cause a death through your cycling then yes you should be held to account, but does that really ever happen? What’s the ratio of deaths caused by cyclists to others and others to cyclists? I’d think its well in favour of others killing cyclists. So why put the effort and energy into making that new law when the rulling of existing laws protecting cyclists is so inadequate?
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Totally my experience too Iain. Well said.
Wow. That was indeed a rant! Had a bad day?
I’d say at least once every day on my commute someone does something stupid in their car that in some way could endanger me. I’m not saying I’m nearly killed everyday but at least once a day someone tries to pull out in front of me, does pull out having not seen me, cuts accross my path or gets too close when passing me. Tuesday a Foreign Lorry (so the driver was on the same side as me and would see me better than a right hand drive) passed me giving me no space at all then continued to move back accross the lane before it had passed me to the point the rear corner of the lorry nearly clipped me. I was almost run into the verge. Now an acident is an accident and a mistake a mistake but people just don’t think like they need to about how to drive around a cyclist. Worse than that there seems to be a significant number that go out of their way to drive like idiots around us. I’ve lost count of the people that see me and think “its just a bike they will be slow and I can pull out” when I’m coasting along at 20mph I’m not as slow as they think I am and if its a bit of down hill and I’m stoking along at 40mph in a 50mph zone why not just wait behind me, the roundabout you know is there every other day is just round the corner and I’ll catch and pass you when we get there so don’t endanger me now by squeezing past me now. And Ipassed through town the other day and there are a pile of signs up at the traffic lights warning they will prosecute cyclists that jump the lights. I have no problem what so ever with that, I never jump the lights, I cycle safely and legally. I have a problem that no one had put a sign up warning drivers of teh needs of cyclist, straight away it is all about prosecuting cyclists and them being the cause of problems. Then the report the other day on the BBC about introducing prosecution of cyclist for causing death by dangerous cycling (I think you posted about it). Again if you should cause a death through your cycling then yes you should be held to account, but does that really ever happen? What’s the ratio of deaths caused by cyclists to others and others to cyclists? I’d think its well in favour of others killing cyclists. So why put the effort and energy into making that new law when the rulling of existing laws protecting cyclists is so inadequate?
Rant over.