Also on average the standard of driving from cars and trucks is far worse then then that of cyclists on average, only cyclists get hurt car/truck drivers simply file an insurance claim and get a new vehicle. And no once can say cyclists are the worst offenders for jumping red lights it just seems more obvious because the often pass stationary cars, plenty of cars nip through red lights just after they change but that seems acceptable for some reason
As for cycling on the pavements that would be a complete disaster, pavements are in no way laid out in an appropriate manner for anything moving faster than walking speed, there is no lane segregation there is no method of getting across junctions safely, pedestrians walk all over and do not keep to one side of others there are hundreds of shops on most stretches which would all have to be treated like junctions it just wouldn’t work and the number of accidents would increase dramatically
Not to mention the surface is not usually suitable
Anyone who watched the program will have seen at the end how dangerous it can be when that pedestrian simply wanders accross the cycle path with no warning causing injury on both sides.
Another reason why cycle paths arnt always used is pedestrians pay absulutly no attention to what they are doing
Unfortunately, as with all these things, the cyclist who would benefit the most couldn’t be bothered to learn. The vast majority of cyclists deplore this type of behaviour, hence this cyclists efforts to highlight them.
Carryfast:
All the bs pc ‘changes’ in ‘attitudes’,which have been put in place by authorities like the loony lefty TFL,
Boris might disagree with that label, well maybe the lefty bit
It depends on your definition of loony left.One lot were all about infiltration of the unions the other lot are all about selling us out to China’s ideas just so long as there’s a few bob in it for them.Which probably explains why the Chinese are exchanging their bicycles for cars while the Brits are being ‘encouraged’ to use bicycles.
Unfortunately, as with all these things, the cyclist who would benefit the most couldn’t be bothered to learn. The vast majority of cyclists deplore this type of behaviour, hence this cyclists efforts to highlight them.
Unfortunately the reality is most cyclists actually think like AHT.So expect to see more of the same on an ever increasing basis.
FarnboroughBoy11:
What a load of bollox!!! What more can we do??
We check our blind spots, be extra cautious when traffic is stop start. There is only so much a driver can do from his seat, we can check our mirrors as many times as we want but in that split second we are checking the other mirror some idiot will be up the inside.
It’s cyclists who need educating not the drivers!!
I would put good money on every single one of those deaths that the cyclist was on the near side. They don’t deserve to die but if they play with fire they are going to get burnt.
I ride regularly to work. I am 6 ft and 15 st. I wear hi viz & my bike is lit up like a Christmas tree. I am aware of traffic and take all possible precautions. I have been knocked off my bike 3 times in and around Newcastle, not the busiest place I’ve been. Is that me playing with fire? Every time I was told the same thing. " sorry I didn’t see you".
I have no solution to the problem. The cyclists I see around London make me cringe with some of their riding.
If it was up to me I would make all non cyclists, 87% of cyclists own cars btw, have a day on a bike around their local area. Let’s face it most of you wouldn’t have been on a bike since you were kids and have little idea what it’s like now. It might give some of you a different view.
Slackbladder:
I ride regularly to work. I am 6 ft and 15 st. I wear hi viz & my bike is lit up like a Christmas tree. I am aware of traffic and take all possible precautions. I have been knocked off my bike 3 times in and around Newcastle, not the busiest place I’ve been. Is that me playing with fire? Every time I was told the same thing. " sorry I didn’t see you".
I have no solution to the problem. The cyclists I see around London make me cringe with some of their riding.
If it was up to me I would make all non cyclists, 87% of cyclists own cars btw, have a day on a bike around their local area. Let’s face it most of you wouldn’t have been on a bike since you were kids and have little idea what it’s like now. It might give some of you a different view.
Yes but have you been knocked off by a truck?? Probably no??
It’s not playing with fire if you ride a bike but it is if you want to to ride up the near side of a truck!!
Never been close to being hit by a truck, I drive them so I know the dangers. Why do all assume that it’s always the cyclist that goes up the side of a vehicle? I’ve been at the lights plenty times only to have a vehicle come up close beside me, net even indicating left, but they manage to get irate when I stop them turning for a few seconds.
rambo19:
As part of my dcpc, I did a bike awarness day which included getting on a push bike.
I would love to know whether you felt that it was a valuable experience or not?
Nope.
Thanks, I did ask
In my case the pc lot would probably ask why I’m riding the thing on the pavement.No surprise that the answer because it’s safer than riding it on the road won’t be an option.
AHT:
Where the is a cycle lane it is perfectly legal for a cyclist to cycle up the inside of a truck, hence the driver should check before turning, not sensible just legalm, I find it very hard to belive it is possible for a cyclist to be invisable, you can see all the way round the tuck
A ‘cycle lane’ doesn’t/can’t continue across a junction.The problem is when the cyclists go down the inside at the point of after the mirror component of mirror,signal,manouvre.It is actually ‘possible’ to watch (most of) what the nearside of a rigid is doing all the way through the turn but it takes almost superhuman powers between watching ahead where the wagon is going at the same time as down the sides in the mirrors not forgetting that the offside rear end is also a hazard because of the tail sweep.As for an artic forget it as the thing turns through the corner neither the near side or the offside tail sweep is in view of the mirrors once it’s turned beyond a certain point (which isn’t much).Which makes me wonder if AHT has ever driven anything bigger than a car.
On left hand turns especially it’s much easier for cyclists to use the pavement and cross the junction in the same way that a pedestrian would.Remembering that in cases where that crossing isn’t controlled drivers have to give way to pedestrians crossing a road that they are turning into just as if those pedestrians were on a pedestrian crossing.
Hexhome You said earlier in a posting that cyclists were here first. Well there were horses and carts carrying goods long before 1842 when the first cycle was invented by KEIR HARDIE. The horsemen were carters and lorries naturally followed on and took over gradually and the first drivers were termed carters as well. so your cycles were well after the first goods vehicles,on yer bike son. Eddie.
As a trucker, car-driver and cyclist,(I recently got a bike on my employer’s Cycle2Work scheme), it saddens me that each ‘group’ fails to give each other the room and respect each deserves.
And as for those calling for taxation and insurance for cyclists, I’m staggered that they want to add another tier of bureaucracy and red-tape, shame on you. It’ll never happen anyway as no politician will want to face the back-lash of taxing little Janet on her trike.
Carryfast:
A ‘cycle lane’ doesn’t/can’t continue across a junction.The problem is when the cyclists go down the inside at the point of after the mirror component of mirror,signal,manouvre.It is actually ‘possible’ to watch (most of) what the nearside of a rigid is doing all the way through the turn but it takes almost superhuman powers between watching ahead where the wagon is going at the same time as down the sides in the mirrors not forgetting that the offside rear end is also a hazard because of the tail sweep.As for an artic forget it as the thing turns through the corner neither the near side or the offside tail sweep is in view of the mirrors once it’s turned beyond a certain point (which isn’t much).Which makes me wonder if AHT has ever driven anything bigger than a car.
On left hand turns especially it’s much easier for cyclists to use the pavement and cross the junction in the same way that a pedestrian would.Remembering that in cases where that crossing isn’t controlled drivers have to give way to pedestrians crossing a road that they are turning into just as if those pedestrians were on a pedestrian crossing.
Obviously there are cases where its possible not to see a cyclist once an artic has started turning and if a cyclist goes up the inside when the vehicle is actually moving then that is a diffrent story. However allot of these accidents are caused by a cyclist going up the inside of a truck while it is stationary, also the cyclist will be behind the truck in clear view for a long time as they approch the back of the trailer.
Not saing it is the truck drivers fault in every case but its happening to often, poor road observations must come into it
I have never ridden down the inside of a truck, however i have had a few issues with truck overtaking and then turning left streight away, one was already indicating left when he started to pass, I feel on these occasions i was very lucky to survive, mostly due to riding a high spec bike with fairly good brakes, wonder if the drivers new they nearly killed someone that day
Carryfast:
A ‘cycle lane’ doesn’t/can’t continue across a junction.The problem is when the cyclists go down the inside at the point of after the mirror component of mirror,signal,manouvre.It is actually ‘possible’ to watch (most of) what the nearside of a rigid is doing all the way through the turn but it takes almost superhuman powers between watching ahead where the wagon is going at the same time as down the sides in the mirrors not forgetting that the offside rear end is also a hazard because of the tail sweep.As for an artic forget it as the thing turns through the corner neither the near side or the offside tail sweep is in view of the mirrors once it’s turned beyond a certain point (which isn’t much).Which makes me wonder if AHT has ever driven anything bigger than a car.
On left hand turns especially it’s much easier for cyclists to use the pavement and cross the junction in the same way that a pedestrian would.Remembering that in cases where that crossing isn’t controlled drivers have to give way to pedestrians crossing a road that they are turning into just as if those pedestrians were on a pedestrian crossing.
Obviously there are cases where its possible not to see a cyclist once an artic has started turning and if a cyclist goes up the inside when the vehicle is actually moving then that is a diffrent story. However allot of these accidents are caused by a cyclist going up the inside of a truck while it is stationary, also the cyclist will be behind the truck in clear view for a long time as they approch the back of the trailer.
Not saing it is the truck drivers fault in every case but its happening to often, poor road observations must come into it
A stationary truck can’t hurt anyone.The only way that the girl in the tv programme example could have been run over by the concrete mixer is for her to have been at the side of it within the junction as it turned considering that he never drove it on the pavement at any time through the turn.
