to think some cyclists appear to have a death wish

[whoneedssleepanyway]

last night it was dark and rainy I was turning right into a residential street with cars parked both sides so only room for one car and as I am turning suddenly a cyclist comes into view coming out from behind parked cars, no lights and wearing a dark jacket...I nearly knocked him off.

If I had would it have been my fault, I am guessing it would have...? But I can't understand why someone would cycle in the dark and rain without the proper equipment (lights and visible clothing...)

I cycle a lot in London - I have lights and a reflective high bus jackets. I hate seeing people cycling without helmets or lights; they look so vulnerable.

On the other hand, some drivers are appalling at noticing cyclists: I have been cut up so many times, often by taxis, and on more than one occasion I'm pretty sure it was deliberate.

I would support compulsory road safety courses for cyclists (and helmets being made a legal requirement) if drivers also had to take a cyclist awareness course.

*high vis jacket

"For the first time on my commute I actually saw a cyclist use the correct lane at a junction, rather than the left only turn, to go straight on."

I'd have to see the road junction, but I'm not sure about this tbh. If you take anything other than the left-most-lane at a junction on a bike you often get a murderous bastard in a BMW taking it as a personal affront that you are not in the 'slow lane' and cutting you up. It's often better to keep left regardless of the road markings. But it does depend.

Cyclecraft advises

"If you use a left-turn lane to go ahead move to its right side"

"It is always best to move the appropriately marked lane for going ahead if this is possible, but there are times when such action can result in unacceptable risks for a cyclist under real-life traffic conditions. The most common occasion is where there is a left-turn lane marked on the road, but with no physical separation from the ahead lane. The problem in using the theoretically correct lane in such circumstances is that many motorists don't, and you could easily find yourself overtaken on the left as you cross the junction. A cyclist is vulnerable to traffic passing on both sides at the same time, and it is difficult to look rearwards to both sides at once. The answer, therefore, is to keep to the left-hand-lane at these junctions, but to occupy a position to its right-hand side in order to suggest to following drivers that you might not be making the marked turn. Do not leave sufficient room to your left for anyone to pass."

Skippy - right lane is straight on, left lane is definitely left only. All the people in the left lane are going left. It's really difficult when a bike is on the left side of you, not signalling, and then tries to go straight on. I always always hang back and let them pass me just in case, but If I hadn't seen them hanging about in my blind spot I'd probably hit them. :(

If the bike moved over to the right side of the lane, or was inbetween the cars it would be fine! but when they're on the left of a lane of cars, often going up the side of a bus who is already signalling and turning left.

I see your point though, thanks for clarifying. What would be the correct road position for something like this for a bike out of interest?

"skippy - really doubt that there is as much bad driving in london than there is bad cycling.

9 out of 10 motorists don't jump red lights."

9 out of 10 cyclists don't jump red lights either, I did 25 miles across London on Monday, from east to west and the overwhelming majority stopped at lights.

There was one guy who used the pedestrian crossing on the side road to navigate the junction. One or two went through a pelican crossing after the pedestrian had gone. There was one junction where there were two reds in succession 30 yards apart with nothing in between and some did jump there as well.

While road users should in theory obey all the rules, car drivers ignore certain ones (overtaking (cyclists) near junctions) entirely and have very scanty regard for others (speed limits, giving way to people crossing roads into which they are turning, etc. etc.), and the pious attitude by motorists that because they mostly wait at red lights (except of course vast numbers run red lights seconds after they have changed - very dangerous), they can then decree that cyclists are dangerous outlaws on the basis of an insanely myopic reading of the Highway Code, disregarding the bits they themselves don't like, is ridiculous.

I wouldn't say that breaking the speed limit is necessarily 'bad driving', it would depend on context. Equally a cyclist jumping a red light is not necessarily 'bad cycling', again, context.

What I would say is that motorists frequently play fast and loose with my life when I'm cycling, and I have no doubt that this is bad driving, especially when I pass them at the next queue 100 yards up the road.

Have I experienced any threats to my life from cyclists while driving? Er, no.

YANBU but where some people are concerned they'd be a danger driving a ruddy mild float

I walk everywhere I can (I can't drive) and agree that some cyclists are a nightmare. I was hit by a cyclist as a teenager when I was crossing a road at a crossing (green man flashing), cyclist was actually looking behind her talking to a friend. I badly hurt my back and still have problems 10 years later. The woman actually shouted at me for being in her way! Never mind that she'd run a red light.
Similar happened to a friend; cyclist ran a red light, hit her whilst she was crossing and then tried to sue her for his own injuries. He didn't even apologise for hospitalising her.
I nearly get hit by a cyclist at least once a month because of them either cycling in the pedestrian lane on the pavement, mounting the pavement without looking, running red lights, or just generally not looking where they are going.
The minority of idiots on the road certainly give the majority of sensible cyclists a bad name.

There's a basic asymmetry in the situation. In a collision between a bike and a car the cyclist is almost certain to come off worst, for obvious reasons - helmet or no helmet. As both a cyclist and a motorist in London, I think most drivers are reasonably OK most of the time.

The problem is that is only needs one who isn't and as a cyclist you're in danger.

I think that as a cyclist you sometimes do have to bend the strict rules a bit. For example, on my route to work I have to go straight ahead at a crossroad with traffic lights where most of the oncoming traffic is turning right towards central London. Since I am going straight ahead I absolutely have right of way when my light turns green. However, I know from experience that unless I go a few feet beyond the red light and move forward pretty sharpish as soon as they turn yellow I am very likely to be knocked down by some idiot turning right across me who thinks he (or she - musn't be sexist here) has right of way simply due to the force of numbers.

I don't want the inscription on my grave to read "Died a martyr while correctly asserting his right of way".

But none of this excuses the behaviour described by the OP, nor the habit some cyclists have of simply sailing through red lights across a cross road as if these strange items didn't apply to them.

I loathe the cyclists here in our part of London. They curse you and blast their bells if you so much as look like you're contemplating stepping out in the road yet they pay no attention to traffic lights or zebra crossings or bloody great big signs saying CYCLISTS DISMOUNT!

YANBU.

Cyclists are a massive pain in the arse. Even when they are doing nothing wrong they feel they have the right to allow a queue of cars to build up behind them, ignoring the fact that on certain roads having to wait for them can easily add 10 minutes onto a journey.

If they were as considerate of other road users as they expect drivers to be towards them and stopped occasionally to let others past, they wouldn't piss off so many people.

I use a lot of pedestrian crossings at lights and I would say 99.9% of cyclists sail right through. Not just some...

there are lots of terrible road users. a few of them are cyclists... who don't seem to understand that they are going to lose in an arguement with a car.. (soft skin v metal)

then there are idiots in metal boxes that do stupid things...

If cyclists want to be treated as sensible road-users, then surely they should behave as such. This ought to mean:
Obeying common traffic instructions such as red lights, pedestrian crossings etc.
Mirror-signal-mirror-manoeuvre instead of just suddenly changing lanes or whatever.
Not using pedestrian crossings to perform a right-turn
Showing a steady white light at the front and a steady red light at the rear - none of the ridiculous flashing lights that seem to be standard these days ( I speak on this with feeling, having been stopped by the police and threatened with breathalyser for having an alleged flickering light on the back of a car)

"Cyclists are a massive pain in the arse. Even when they are doing nothing wrong they feel they have the right to allow a queue of cars to build up behind them, ignoring the fact that on certain roads having to wait for them can easily add 10 minutes onto a journey."

They do have the right. They have as much right to be on the road as a car does. How on earth do a couple of cyclists add 10 mins to your journey though

If motorists want to be tread as sensible road-users, then surely they should behave as such. This ought to mean:
Obeying the speed limit
Not jumping red lights
Not killing 1000 people per year on the roads
Not performing illegal maneuvres
Ensuring their cars are properly maintained - tyres, lights, etc.

(btw flashing lights are legal, check your facts before spouting rubbish)

"bloody great big signs saying CYCLISTS DISMOUNT!"

Those signs are non-mandatory. I regard them as something of a "hazard, beware" sign. Sometimes they don't serve any purpose at all. But they do NOT mean that you must get off and push.

Ooh don't get me started. Husband the other day nearly hit a cyclist in the dark with no lights and a black jacket and invisible until on top of him. He was a bit shaken.

I get so annoyed because cyclist wants to risk life and limb being an idiot more fool him but its unfair n the driver with respect to the emotional and possible legal consequences for them if they do hit em through o fault of their own.

Rant over

whoneedssleepanyway

What you experienced was a person on a push bike - this was not a cyclist

person on bike

cyclist

As a pedestrian, I have lost count of the amount of times I've seen cyclists sail right through pedestrian crossings. My and baby were nearly knocked down once and we were crossing completely appropriately in line with road rules. It really gets my goat. There should be no excuse for a cyclist going through a red light when pedestrians have a green man. Or through zebra crossing when all the cars have stopped and pedestrians are still on the road. No excuse. None. Ever.

Phew...rant over :)

this is what cyclists worry about

I am a cyclist and I think a lot of cyclists are selfish idiots!

I can't believe the ones that cycle that have all the gear except for lights DUH! They are so stupid. If it is a grey dark day you need lights. Gggrrrr.

(yes, I have lights and I wear a bright fluorescent top.....and I always obey traffic lights too, it's not hard!)

Obviously some car drivers are prats too.

4% of people hurt at traffic lights or crossing in London are caused by cyclists - which is awful
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.71% of people hurt at traffic lights or crossing in London are caused by people driving motor cars

at housewife

housewife can you tell me the winning lottery numbers for friday night please

Oh please don't piss me off about cyclists. I was mumbling the exact same thing last night about them having a death wish when I was driving. None of them were wearing helmets or had lights on, OR had reflective clothing. It was dusk and getting hard to see them.

The other day a little boy on his bike (riding on the pavement) knocked into another child and nearly got his head chopped off. He wasn't wearing a helmet either! Then two mins later his mum was leading him on to the MAIN ROAD and they cycled up the road with loads of cars. Couldn't believe my eyes.