Watch out for people on bikes in the dark months especially.

[LisbethSalandersPan]

So the clocks change this weekend, and darkness on the roads comes early.

I think this is an annual request from me to MN drivers to bear in mind the fact that we as folks who ride bikes are pretty vulnerable usually, and more so for the next few months. Windscreens get fogged up, rain comes down, wipers are going, and people just want to get home.

But even the best lit up/legally lit up rider can be difficult to see from a driver's POV (and most adult commuters are also drivers of cars) at times.

So it's a request for drivers to bring an extra awareness to their driving pratices, to recognise that your fellow road users are around you, usually to your left hand side and that we need to be seen by you to avoid nasty outcomes.

I don't think I am being unreasonable?

I had an altercation this week with a very fat woman on a bike. She had no reflective clothing and I was behind her, so how she thought I had cut her up was slightly beyond me, as I was stationary at a traffic junction when she berated me.
She was dressed entirely in black, too.
I do ride a bicycle, but I am now aware of the joke about the fixture on the bonnet of my car. It certainly should be for aiming at "targets" LOL

I've started seeing people jogging in the cycle lanes...

Yes that's hilarious, but doesn't add anything to the notion of the request that drivers of vehicles could be more aware of riders of bikes in the dark months.

It is a chat site op

And if users are chatting other users will come across the thread and take in what your saying. You don't own threads and I mean that nicely.

OP, I have had my driving licence for nearly 40 years.
There were many more cyclists around in those days. People should be responsible for their own actions, not expect others to take up the slack.
I blame 13 years of socialism.
What do you do, as a cyclist, to be aware of other road users?

Well quite, I've been around long enough to know one doesn't 'own' a thread. But also around enough to be confident enough to point out when a post is irrelevant, and sometimes counter-productive, to the OP. Of course it;s an open forum, we all know that.

I'm always v surprised at numbers who don't wear helmets even in busy city centres.

PP I have no idea where to begin with any of your last post. Really.

Just the original request re being more aware of riders in the months of darkness.

It would only be your opinion that it's irrelevant though,

Anyway I'm not throwing buns and posters saying cyclists need to take responsibility to are not personally criticising you so don't take it like that.

We drove past 5 cyclists in a row this week, all in dark clothing and no lights.

As a driver we do try but come on cyclists, do yourselves a favour and put some reflectors and lighs on in the first place. We can do what we canbut making yourself completely invisible doest help matters. Doing so to prove a point is utterly ridiculous.

no not at all Brand re personal etc - if it's relevant to driving in the dark re riders = relevant. A general sort of bash at people riding bikes = irrelevant. Nothing personal?

Drivers and cyclists both need to take more responsibility. It's that simple.

DH is a cyclist and a driver and kicks off all the time about irresponsible cyclists. If you're going to do something, do it safely.

But by the same token a car came whizzing through a red light a few months back and nearly hit him, and he was run off the road by a bus lately. So it does go both ways for sure.

Saw a group of young lads out last night. Dark, no lights, no reflective clothing. Busy suburban area. Riding like idiots,through red lights, one had headphones one, one was doing wheelies and another was texting on his phone! No hands on the handlebars.

Why, just why?
Believe me, when I say that cyclists, where I live, pay no attention to traffic lights or other people on the pavements etc.
I do, I look out, do you know why, because I need my car and my driving licence to work! And I do not want to kill anybody, neither do I want to be killed.
Please put a photo on this thread of your high visibility cycling gear, so that we can all be "aware".

Well yes Wheres - I can testify numerous times when car drivers go through red lights etc...BUT that isnt relevant to the request that drivers be more aware of riders in the dark months.

It's relevant in that I'm agreeing that drivers need to be more observant

But

Whatevs

I'm always v surprised at numbers who don't wear helmets even in busy city centres

The value of helmets is a highly contentious issue. There's lots of research that suggests they add little to cyclist safety. Few people wear them correctly in any case. In addition, motorists leave much less passing room for cyclists wearing helmets, believing them to be 'protected' from driver error.

Just to add that parents also need to check their DC's bikes have lights if they are using them when it's dark.

Just came across 3 teens cycling abreast each other in the middle of the road, no lights on any bikes and all dressed in dark clothing. No intention to move out of the road either. Lucky I came out behind them and not one of the many twatty boy racers we get around here.

Yet another aibu thread with posters saying we'll yes, you are a bit unreasonable, there other factors to take into account.
OP, no I'm not.
Okay then

Seriously OP, if you came on aibu expecting respect and sympathy for cyclists you're probably in the wrong place. We've all seen too many examples of arrogant cyclists behaving like complete tossers to take you seriously, tbh.

I did sort of suspect that such a modest request in the OP re allowance that drivers may take toward riders of bikes in the dark months could spiral down to a 'drivers v bikers' sort of thing, which tbh has happened previously.

So do make points, and counterpoints in general, which is fine, so long as your practice as drivers is indeed to be more aware of people on bikes in the dark months.

I'm not really sure why you started this thread tbh. Maybe you wanted a broadcast message but it is a chat forum and we wouldn't be here unless we liked talking.

Your broadcast message wouldn't work on here if no-one replied. It would drop off the active list and the first page of AIBU to never be seen again.

I can look out for cyclists in the dark (and I do, another Bristolian here so plenty of cyclists around) but if they have shit / no lights and aren't wearing reflective clothing I won't see them. The two issues are not unconnected.

Yesterday, in the dusk, about fifty metres from a lit, lighted, visible crossing, I avoided running over a man and his small child on bikes. Both were wearing dark clothes, no lights on the bikes, crossing three lanes, illegally.

Could we not just ask everyone to be cautious and careful, especially when children are involved?

Holy crap, poor op having her polite, well intended post being jumped on byone poster with their own bizarre agenda. Yanbu OP, I shall be going out on my bike on Tuesday evening with my Breeze group with a helmet, lights and a reflective jacket visible from space.