AIBU to think its time for big national cycle safety campaign

[Lilylightfoot]

Light up your bike! ? See and be seen! Type of thing, at this time of year. it could save some lives.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

YANBU. A campaign for cyclists that focuses on what cyclists are doing rather than what motorists are doing is long overdue.

[Lilylightfoot]

It would also remined motorists that cyclists are on the road and to look out for them

[ThePerfectFather]

Could not agree more. I think cyclists take insane risks in the way they weave and overtake, especially when I am waiting to turn left and a cyclist bombs past the queue of cars behind me and undertakes me on the inside just as I'm turning, then flips me off for not keeping my eyes peeled for lunatics. And I am an obsessive mirror user, so God knows what they expect from the more deranged drivers out there.

But I also think cyclists are capable of being incredibly selfish when it comes to holding up dozens of cars just so they can pootle along at 5 mph in first gear. As much as car drivers need to look out for cyclists, the cyclists need to have a bloody good lesson in what is expected of them, and just how stupidly dangerous some of the stuff they do is.

[Caerlaverock]

They have these all the time. You get free lights and everything

[Caerlaverock]

Can I introduce you to the determiner 'some'.

[waitingimpatiently]

I personally think its time for more cycle lanes to be made! Not so safe cycling isn't endorsed, I just wish, as a cyclist and driver, that cyclists didn't have to be on the road.

[Kissingk1979]

I am both a driver and a cyclist.

As a driver I do see cyclists taking insane risks - I live in the country and often see people in dark clothes with rubbish little lights cycling on country lanes after dark. If you are going to cycle after dark you need head to toe illuminous clothes and the best lights money can buy. Cyclists don't seem to realise its really difficult for cars to see them.
Agree it's frustrating when cyclists go really slow on main roads ( and dangerous) but on country roads drivers must accept cyclists.

As a cyclist I have come across some terrible drivers and have been hit by a car who didn't look or signal before changing lane and turning left. I think the government should make safe cycling a priority and encourage more people to ditch their cars and cycle to get fit and help environment. We need cycle lanes everywhere, and by that I mean separate lanes not just blue paint on the road

[ThePerfectFather]

If we had more space then cycle lanes could be everywhere, but when you factor in parking, cars, buses and all the rest, we just don't have space for cycle lanes everywhere. It would be amazing and so much easier if we did, and you'd probably quadruple the number of people cycling around, but it's just never going to happen.

The fancy new "invisible cycle helmet" is the best invention for bikes since...well probably since bikes were invented. Google it, if you haven't seen it.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

to copy a post from one of the many of these threads before the usual fall into anarchy

takataka
"Idiots sometimes cycle. Sometimes they drive cars, use the bus or walk..."

[prettybird]

The invisible cycle helmet is brilliant! - Just need for it to come down in price a lot

Cyclists do need to take responsbility for being seen - the same way that pedestrians wearing black and crossing the road in front of me need to also take responsibility.

Even wearing high-viz and good quality Cats Eye lights front and back, I've had cars "not see" (being charitable) / ignore me (more accurate). There have been occasions when I have seriously considered not doing the emergency stop that prevents me from ploughing into the side of the car that pulled straight in front of me (me on main road, car at give-way) - but have sensibly resisted the temptation as much as I would like to damage their passenger door, I'd probably come off worse :(

I've also had a friend "complain" to me about the fact that cyclists now use flashing front and back lights and that it is distracting. I soon educated him

[NotGoodNotBad]

It's not just after dark that seeing cyclists is a problem. I was driving into the sun the other day, and didn't see the cyclist in front until I was closer than I'd have liked (DD in the passenger seat didn't see him either, so it's not just my aging eyes). Dressed all in black, against a black road, with the low sun coming straight at me, he was invisible.

Hi vis please! Or at least a variety of colours. But I bet he had no idea he couldn't be seen in broad daylight.

[prettybird]

Shows how effective the recent DfT Safety Campaign has been How may people even realised there was one?!

Article about it here I know that either the CTC or British Cycling (or both) refused to support because it considered the advice in it to be dangerous (overtake a bike with at least half a car's width - a whole 0.9m )

It was given a whole £60,000 budget - which is really just peeing into the wind.

[Lilylightfoot]

Iwas thinking some time more like the christmas dink driving ads on TV.

[EasilyBored]

I keep toying with the idea of cycling to work, but aside from the fact that it's 6 miles and through one of the rainiest cities in the UK, I find that as a driver I am terrified I'm going to hit a cyclist. Round here they seem to fall into two camps; high vis jackets, helmets, flashing lights etc or all black clothing, no lights and no helmets. I turned left into a side road on Friday and even though I looked in my mirrors, it was dark and I just did.not.see the cyclist coming along side me, and very nearly hit him. No lights, no high vis anything, black coat. He might as well have been invisible. Scary.

[MsMoastyToasty]

I was wondering about this today. I've nearly bumped into several cyclists without lights or hi-vis on the road. Cyclists also need to remember that even if they have a hi-vis vest on, drivers will still struggle to see their arm signals if they have no reflective gear on their arms. I've got a couple of snap on reflective wrist bands that I use when I cycle - I wish these were mandatory as well as lights.

I've also had cyclists riding merrily down the pavement at night with no lights nearly careering into me and my toddler. They don't seem to understand that just because they're safer off the road it makes the pavement much more dangerous for the pedestrians.

[NotGoodNotBad]

Well I have seen a few times an advert reminding motorists to check for oncoming cyclists before turning right prettybird, maybe that's part of it.

[WellingtonBoot]

Bring back the Cycling Proficiency Test!

[threesocksmorgan]

yanbu as long as there is one to make drivers more aware of cyclists

[PrideOfChanur]

Wellington,the Cycling Proficiency Test is still out there - both my DCs did it.

Lights and hi vis,definately,and education about exactly how invisible you can be on a bike would be good.Police used to stop people with inadequate lights but I don't know if they still do.

[tarantula]

PrettyBird Ill take your cateye lights and raise you a MiNewt front light along with a cateye front light and 2 back lights and a helmet light (back and front) and high vis jackets both on me(long sleeved) and backpack and I STILL get drivers claiming they can't see me. Really intrigued as to what I need to add next to get them to realise that I am there.
I totally agree threesocksmorgan Campaign to make car drivers realise that the road is there for all would be good for motorcyclists as well.

[prettybird]

...cycle naked?

Notgoodnotbad - don't think that was this particular campaign - the current campaign is more about Cyclists and Motorists "looking out for each other"think.direct.gov.uk/assets/pdf/lets-look-out-for-each-other.pdf. The advert I can remember reminding motorists to check before turning right was for motorcyclists not cyclists.

Re the amount of space that a cyclist should be given by a car, I have heard of one organisation that provides wee plastic sticks to stick on your wheel which stick out to the right and enourage cars to give you enough space. If they do get too close, then they risk a scrape from the nail on the end of the stick...! not that I'm condoning it

[NotGoodNotBad]

Definitely posters here at the moment (Scotland) with a cyclist in hi viz and a car turning right. But it doesn't look like the campaign you linked to prettybird

[CombineBananaFister]

I do agree and as a cyclist I do wear full hi-vis vest/trousers and lights but am amazed by the number of people who don't, even I can't see them as I approach. We are a very cycle dependent city due to poor transport links and its historical nature so i have no choice but to cycle. Do think it would be good to remind BOTH parties though to up their game in winter. I work at 6am and its like no highway code/law applies to ANYONE at that hour. The attitude seems to be- Traffic lights, nah -no-ones gona nab me at this hour. Roundabout? yah I'll just plough through, no-one to catch me. Right lane wrong lane, who cares? wtf?!? it terrifies me

[WellingtonBoot]

Pride, many years ago (gulp!) I was a cycling proficiency instructor. I've seen the local Police doing courses over the last few years at a local school and it terrifies me. They take the kids out on the roads I drive to work. The kids are wobbling all over the place and completely unaware of the traffic around them & the Police are on bikes too and unable to see half the kids, let alone instruct them properly. Signalling seems to consist of sticking one finger out at bum-level, and they pull out without even a glance behind them. I'm sure the standard of instruction varies from place to place, though.

Prettybird - a lot of bike shops used to sell those things - bright orange lollipop-like things about 14" long with a reflector on each side.

[prettybird]

..but I d on't think the ones sold in bicycle shops are customised with the nail pointing outwards on the end!

....not that I'm condoning it of course!

but if a car does get that close, then hell mend' em