To feel sad at how much worse life is for pedestrians than it was ten years ago

Nobody disputes that cyclists, and even pedestrians can injure others. The fact remains that motorists kill and injure roughly 50 times as many people as do cyclists. Sure, we could spend a massive amount on a scheme to ensure that every cyclist was trained and insured. That might save one life every couple of years or so. It would surely make much more sense to spend that money on improving driving standards, which might conceivably save a life per week.

@hooverthefloor

some of us don’t have pavements or public transport! I can’t go to work without a car

@MemorableTrenchcoat

all kinds of vehicles and other pedestrians can injure others, I had my food run over by a mobility scooter! (Police couldn’t do anything because chap had reduced capacity, my argument is you shouldn’t be allowed an electric device of any kind (mobility scooter, wheelchair, electric bike or scooter) without some sort of training and also all cyclists over 10 should be required to do the bikability course and bikes must have thirst party insurance to cover any damage or injuries you cause (ditto other electric transport) to keep pedestrians and the users safe plus teach them how to be safe on public roads, many if not most accidents involving cyclists could have been avoided if the cyclist wasn’t in a vehicle’s blind spot, undertaking or other activity that meant the driver couldn’t see them

I always feel sad when I'm travelling on country roads. Absolutely beautiful cosy roads but so many houses where the occupants are prisoners unless they drive. Too dangerous to walk on the road and NO pavements. Pedestrians are second class citizens in UK.

But none of that stops a pedestrian walking into the side of your car does it? They could just as easily walk into the side of a bus ( or be hit by it?

And ok if there's all this wonderful public transport what happens to taxis and delivery drivers? Or are the sofa company meant to deliver your 3 piece on the bus or on back of a bicycle?

I agree. The thing that really pisses me off is drivers who park across dropped kerbs. Where I live,there are a lot of grass verges, with pathways through to get to the main road. These pathways are accessed by dropped kerbs. I've lost count of the times I've had access to the path blocked by some twat parking across the dropped kerb. I have mobility problems and use a walking stick while I'm out and about and quite often,I have to negotiate stepping up a steep kerb then walking over raised ground in order to reach the road. I struggle with this and if I wasn't a law abiding person,I would feel sorely tempted to key these cars' paintwork. Does anyone actually know the law on parking across dropped kerbs? I've tried to find out but it seems a bit vague.

Nowhere on here does it say that a baby sat on the back of a bike is more susceptible to air pollution than a child sat inside a car

It says that professional drivers are potentially at risk of inhaling air fumes

You don't have to agree with it, it's scientific fact. Again, people think a car is a sealed little bubble but it isn't - it lets the fumes in, and in fact traps you in them. That you're less exposed in a car than out is just a myth. https://www.rac.co.uk/business/news-advice/news/risks-of-in-cabin-pollution#:~:text=%22Levels%20can%20be%20several%20times,posing%20a%20significant%20health%20risk.

A baby being hit by fumes from a dozen cars from their windowless bike is less susceptible to fumes than a kid in a car? I won't be agreeing with that.

When i see men with babies strapped to their bike, or a dozen cyclists, school kids crossing willy nilly, busses everywhere thats distracting and stressful

The fact that I make sure to keep an eye on the cyclists makes me a good driver. Its a sad fact though that having the additional worry of cyclists means your focus is split more ways.

This is one of the most illogical and bizarre arguments I have seen. London streets predate all transport that’s not foot or horse based! It’s absolutely built for humans, just not cars…

@Chiseltip is a wind-up merchant. They think that bicycles are exclusively a children’s toy.

I don't know which study it is, but I am talking about the total of tyre & brake dust, not brake dust alone. But it's certainly more pollution than active travel would produce for the same people, anyway.

I don't find it pleasant at all. I walk lots (over two thousand miles in the last year), and roads are horrific. More EVs won't fix that (or stop people speeding, or keep people physically active); the cars just need to leave.

One can’t deny that the air quality in our cities has improved massively over the last 10 or 20 years, and that’s in no small part because of the reduction in emissions from diesels, and in particular the effective banning of pre Euro 6 vehicles from our streets. It’s made them far more pleasant to be in, and so I stick by my statement. I’d question your observation on brakes and tyres as well, since much of the time EVs are using regen. Brake pads last up to 4 times as long on an EV for a start…and EU study showed brake dust emissions are 83% less in an EV.

https://ifs.org.uk/news/air-pollution-england-reaches-20-year-low-inequalities-persist

Don't walk out in front of cars. Quits simple really.

It used to be called common sense. Now, it seems to be that people (including you OP) think THEIR safety is SOMEONE ELSES responsibility.

Switch on.
Open your eyes.
Look before you step onto the road.

In the area of London where I work, cyclists have completely taken over and it’s so dangerous and unpleasant walking around there now.

The council is really bigging themselves up on how they’re reducing car traffic and pollution, with no thought to what the msssive increase in cyclist traffic and poorly planned cycle lanes has done to the everyday experience of pedestrians.

With NO exaggerating, I am probably almost run into by a cyclist running a red light / coming up on to the pavement/riding way too fast for the road conditions most days, sometimes multiple times a day. Hordes of very fast cyclists commuting, Deliveroo cyclists, kids on rented bikes etc - it’s completely bonkers. I have no idea how old people or disabled people manage. I’m fit and fast on my feet and I find it a nightmare.

We also have those ridiculous cycle lanes that run between the pavement and road at several very busy junctions and a huge roundabout. Unless you know the area very well, it’s not clear that they are cycle lanes and I’ve lost count of how many near misses I’ve seen with people stepping out. Dangerous to the cyclists, too.

Your colleague is talking garbage about Japan (deliberately winding you up?). We went last year and this is not an issue in the slightest.

Yes it is an issue in London with both cyclists and scooters.

They don't necessarily produce less overall. Heavier ones produce the same or more than fossil fuelled cars. Lighter ones may produce less (but still significant quantities). There is no safe level of air pollution (but some people are more affected by it than others, of course).

And they still take up public space (driving, parking, and main roads carving up communities), risk running people over, trash the planet via their production, fuel, and maintenance, etc. Just get rid of private cars entirely.

The only vehicles that should be routinely on the road are bikes, (electric) buses, trams, and emergency service vehicles. Many work vehicles could also be eliminated, or replaced with bikes of various kinds.

As a pedestrian, especially one with a toddler it really annoys me how hard it is to just be able to walk nicely everywhere! I had to grab my 3 year old a few days ago ans pull him into the road as a teen on an electric scooter was speeding straight at him on the path, when he was in a buggy we were hit by 2 scooters and a bike on separate occasions because people speed round blind corners on paths!

It also bugged me when he was in a buggy when people parked cars so close to walls/fences/lampposts that we had to divert out into busy roads because we couldn't use the path 🫠

The missing paths are fun too! There have been a few times I've taken him out to places via public transport then realised we have to walk down a road where a path just ends, now if I plan a trip somewhere I have to go on Google maps and check street views to check there are paths all the way to the attraction

And don't get me started on our favourite path game "dodge the dog 💩" that we play every day on the nursery run!

EVs have regenerative braking, so they produce much less brake dust.

But the vast majority of particulate pollution comes from tyre and brake dust, not the exhausts (and EVs still have tyres and brakes). So it might smell less, but it's not any healthier.

Not driving eliminates 100% of car-caused deaths and injuries.

Walk, cycle, or use public transport.

Pavements not being well-maintained and buses being late etc aren't reasons to drive (nor is disability; disabled people suffer first and worst from the issues driving causes).

They are reasons to fix the pavements and run more buses (and make active travel truly accessible). Which nobody will bother doing if people keep driving, and society keeps prioritising drivers.

Every single day I think things are planned and designed by people who do not use them, ever.

I think many drivers are not aware of pedestrians ever having right iof way. Also people drive on narrow pavement less roads as though it’s inconceivable that pedestrians may need to use them.