Motorists face prosecution for 'close passing'

Poser wrote:

Lagamorph wrote:

Poser wrote:

Lagamorph wrote:And since cyclists/bikers pay as much attention to car indicators as a Republican does to a climate change report then undertaking even slow moving cars is a really stupid thing to do.

And every driver indicates and checks their mirrors, right?

As it happens, I do, religiously, but I feel like I'm in the minority. I get cut up enough times in my car, let alone when I'm on my bike.

All the more reason not to undertake moving traffic then really isn't it?

While I homed in on your indicator comment, I should actually have pointed out that I couldn't understand your point at all.

By undertaking, I assume you mean using the gap between the pavement and the cars? In which case, where are the cars indicating/moving to?

Side roads? Driveways?

Poser wrote:

Death's Head wrote:
Yes. If there were in Tesco at the checkout they wouldn't suddenly push in at the front. They should wait their strawberry floating turn.

No. Obviously not. And the Tesco analogy doesn't work: it's not like they're waiting in turn for a service to be carried out. You don't get to exit a road/complete your journey in the same order that you entered the road/started your journey. Or do you believe faster, more powerful cars shouldn't overtake because it's not their 'turn' to hit the junction next?

I was joking!

Death's Head wrote:

Poser wrote:

Death's Head wrote:
Yes. If there were in Tesco at the checkout they wouldn't suddenly push in at the front. They should wait their strawberry floating turn.

No. Obviously not. And the Tesco analogy doesn't work: it's not like they're waiting in turn for a service to be carried out. You don't get to exit a road/complete your journey in the same order that you entered the road/started your journey. Or do you believe faster, more powerful cars shouldn't overtake because it's not their 'turn' to hit the junction next?

I was joking!

Sorry

Lagamorph wrote:Side roads? Driveways?

If the car has the more advanced position, the traffic is moving slowly, the car indicates correctly, and the bike undertakes and get hit, then it's the cyclist's fault, obviously, and they should be culpable for the damage to the car.

But that isn't a reason to stop bikes from using what tiny advantage they have on the road to make progress where it is possible and safe to do so.

(Of course, what you also see very frequently is drivers steaming past bikes, then jamming on the brakes to turn left, leaving the cyclist with nowhere to go, which is the driver's fault.)

Self-driving cars when

The law already says you've got to give cyclists 'as much room as a car', although I've never been sure if that meant to treat the space its in as if it was a car (so give them the whole side of the road they are on) or just to give the same gap to the cyclist as you'd give to a car.

If its the former then I'm not really sure anyone does that, and if its the latter then it pretty much depends, you might not give a car a 1 and a half meter gap when passing it (mostly because there might not be 1.5m to pass the car on the road).

It might not be a popular opinion, but I think at the end of the day people should concede that motor vehicles and pedal bikes just don't belong in the same bit of road. Its just a fact that the roads we have are (mostly) designed for vehicles that go a certain speed and pedal bikes don't go that speed. Its not that I've got anything against cyclists but they don't belong on busy roads. If we want more people to cycle places then they need their own paths built.

HSH28 wrote:It might not be a popular opinion, but I think at the end of the day people should concede that motor vehicles and pedal bikes just don't belong in the same bit of road. Its just a fact that the roads we have are (mostly) designed for vehicles that go a certain speed and pedal bikes don't go that speed. Its not that I've got anything against cyclists but they don't belong on busy roads. If we want more people to cycle places then they need their own paths built.

I don't think many people would disagree with that, TBH. When you combine the average driver's attentiveness and ability to concentrate, with the vulnerability of cyclists, with our already-creaking road network, it's a recipe for disaster.

The near-misses I experienced certainly scared me off the road.

HSH28 wrote:It might not be a popular opinion, but I think at the end of the day people should concede that motor vehicles and pedal bikes just don't belong in the same bit of road. Its just a fact that the roads we have are (mostly) designed for vehicles that go a certain speed and pedal bikes don't go that speed. Its not that I've got anything against cyclists but they don't belong on busy roads. If we want more people to cycle places then they need their own paths built.

100% agree.

In my last driving lesson I had one cyclist undertake me while I was overtaking another cyclist then power off ahead of me when I was doing the speed limit. I know they don't have a speedometer, but it seems some people just think they can't do any damage on the road. If a bike is overtaking a car on a clear road then you have to assume the cyclist is going too fast.

What really strawberry floats me off is when a cyclist turns right at a junction and decides to cut across the near side lane and go the wrong way down the road for a little bit.

I don't have a problem with cyclists in general. Motorcyclists seem to have general death-wish though. One was swerving in and out of traffic on a roundabout yesterday and it was only by quick use of the brakes that I avoiding colliding with him. I don't really like having other people's lives thrust into my hands like that..

Death's Head wrote:I disagree, I think cyclists have a right to be protected. They are always going to come off worse if they have an impact with a car so drivers should be considerate.

You know how then can protect themselves? By driving a strawberry floating car instead of being a lycra-wearing pervert.

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:

Death's Head wrote:I disagree, I think cyclists have a right to be protected. They are always going to come off worse if they have an impact with a car so drivers should be considerate.

You know how then can protect themselves? By driving a strawberry floating car instead of being a lycra-wearing pervert.

American gun nut logic.

I'm a motorist and never cycle on the roads but it always amazes me how much hate cyclists get. Sure there are some arseholes on bikes but there are just as many (and probably far more) idiot drivers.

The roads are for everybody. Cars, buses, motorbikes, cycles, horses and in some places pedestrians. Cycles are vulnerable, you have to be a total prick to not give them a decent amount of space.

Can't we all just not be banana splits to each other?

Imagine living a world where we all get along on the roads.

I'm a cyclist and some are total banana splits, and I regularly shout at the for being banana splits if they dart a red light or whatever.

I do tend to wiggle a bit when riding as I am avoid potholes and cracks as it would gooseberry fool my bike up.

The problem I find is driver instantly treat you like you don't know what is going on, one the other day dove up the inside of me at a junction I was waiting for a gap at then slammed his breaks on when he realised at the last second I was stopped for reason.

Worse than anyone however are bus drivers, they literally give now gooseberry fools

Japanese taxis put me off cycling on roads forever.

Out if curiosity, do cyclists on here think it's reasonable for people to use push bikes on busy A roads?

Cyclists on fairly narrow A roads is something I see all the time and there is no way I'm risking a 60mph head on collision because some lycra clad burke wants to play at being Bradley Wiggins.

Hime wrote:Out if curiosity, do cyclists on here think it's reasonable for people to use push bikes on busy A roads?

Cyclists on fairly narrow A roads is something I see all the time and there is no way I'm risking a 60mph head on collision because some lycra clad burke wants to play at being Bradley Wiggins.

Don't overtake when it isn't safe to do so, then?

Hime wrote:Out if curiosity, do cyclists on here think it's reasonable for people to use push bikes on busy A roads?

Cyclists on fairly narrow A roads is something I see all the time and there is no way I'm risking a 60mph head on collision because some lycra clad burke wants to play at being Bradley Wiggins.

Yes because it is still a road, there usually a safe way to pass unless the driver is a dick. Personally I will try and get out the way if I can so a car can get by but road surfaces suck so even a road that seems fine for a car can be a mine field on a bike so a bit of wiggling is needed to avoid busting your wheel and face.

Knoyleo wrote:

Hime wrote:Out if curiosity, do cyclists on here think it's reasonable for people to use push bikes on busy A roads?

Cyclists on fairly narrow A roads is something I see all the time and there is no way I'm risking a 60mph head on collision because some lycra clad burke wants to play at being Bradley Wiggins.

Don't overtake when it isn't safe to do so, then?

I think the definition of "safe to do so" is highly contentious though.

I used to be a cyclist in a cycling club about 15 years ago, I wouldn't risk riding on the roads today. It's just far too dangerous and cars and bikes just don't mix on the same tarmac. I do agree with Hime that it's a bit mental how many cyclists take the risk. In my time driving, I have seen a far, far greater proportion of terrible car drivers than cyclists. No way would I take that risk today.

That's probably to do with the risks though. If a cyclist knocks my wing mirror it's a bit less stressful and dangerous than some twat cutting you up on a motorway.

Knoyleo wrote:

Hime wrote:Out if curiosity, do cyclists on here think it's reasonable for people to use push bikes on busy A roads?

Cyclists on fairly narrow A roads is something I see all the time and there is no way I'm risking a 60mph head on collision because some lycra clad burke wants to play at being Bradley Wiggins.

Don't overtake when it isn't safe to do so, then?

A constant stream of 60mph traffic makes that almost impossible to do.

*edit* I'm not saying it's OK to be a dick, I will always slow down and give as much room as possible but often that isn't much.