To think cyclists shouldn't think themselves above the law ?

[AmIWhatAndWhy]

DP has just called me, he left work and was crossing when a cyclist sailed through the lights and missed hitting him by inches.

The same has happened to me countless times, sometimes when with the DC. Why do they think it's okay to sail over pedestrian crossings?

oops!

I got hit by a cyclist in London whilst crossing a pedestrian crossing when I was pregnant with DS - wanted to carry a stick for months afterwards to poke into their spokes when they ran a red light.

I disagree that cyclists don't cause injuries (though of course they are less likely to cause serious injuries than vehicle drivers).

A patient of mine had to have surgery because she had a fractured clavicle, cheekbone, arm and elbow after being hit by a cyclist - she was a pedestrian crossing on the green man, he went through the red light and hit her at speed. He got told off by the police but they couldn't prosecute him as apparently dangerous driving applies to vehicle drivers, there is no equivalent for pedal cyclists.

I live in fear of hitting a cyclist as round here most of them seem to have a death wish - they cycle round in the dark with no lights at all, or even reflective clothing. Despite our town having lots of cycle paths many cycle on the pavements and are a total liability.

Injuries they probably wouldn't come across if they used the road properly and actually stopped when they are supposed to stop etc pan.

Some cases i can think of are, a girl was killed by a bus in my area a few years ago because she just rode out in front of it without even looking behind her. The bus driver lost his job and was penalised for that.

A woman went to prison for killing a cyclist who went through a set of red lights at cross roads. Yes the cyclist died but that womans life was ruined as well because a cyclist thought red lights didn't apply to him.

Your not allowed to cycle on the promanade during the summer here and in the winter you must cycle slowly giving pedestrians right of way. On two seperate occations during the summer, two seperate cyclists hit two seperate toddlers who were playing by their beachhuts and didn't stop. One was taken to A&E and had to have her ear stitched up and suffered bruising and the other was bruised but very frightened by it.

Imo, alot of cyclist are injured because they don't use the road properly (some not all.) And yes it is possible not to see a cyclist when more often than not they just appear off the pavement in front of you.

isn't just car drivers that kill

Before anyone posts the inevitable, yes, I am aware that car/bus/hgv drivers are responsible for more deaths on our roads than cyclists are.

However this accident did not happen on a road, but on a pavement, somewhere where pedestrians are meant to be safe and cyclists aren't supposed to be.

I've seen some interesting cycling, some dangerous cycling, and lots of excellent always follow the rules cycling. It's the dangerous or mad stuff you remember. Of course those who cycle in a dangerous way are more likely to be involved in accidents, however the vast majority of those who are hit by cars are in situations where they were not to blame, or where the blame is shared. Similarly with pedestrians. The people in the dangerous vehicles are the car, lorry and bus drivers. It is really very nasty to imply that cyclists who are involved in accidents deserved to be killed or maimed.

Eyeball why shouldn't the cylists bank up at the front at traffice lights - if they do single files down the road inbettwen the cars it would be far more dangerous for the cylists and lenghten the que for motorist considerably.

Our of curiosity does any car driver know the minimum width you must overtake a push bike?

There are a lot of motorists that dont know the width for overtaking and think it is ok to try to squeeze past or run a cyclist of the road.

I am sure mn readers would know that this is not nice and the distance you must give

That should be most dangerous, because I agree occasionally cyclists are the direct cause of accidents. Of course they should not be on the pavement (and neither should those little motor bikes and other menaces).

Sidge, I think the policeman should have been able to prosecute the cyclist for grievous bodily harm even if not a road offence. That is appalling (as is the fact that some police community support officers were cycling on the pavement the other day where I live).

"Cyclist don't threaten drivers with serious injuries and on ocassion fatalities whe nthey behave like tossers."

no but they do to pedestrians when they hit them at about 20 mph. there was a thread on here a few months ago about a teenage girl dying after being hit by a cyclist.
also to drive a car you need a licence and insurance, as others have said earlier who pays for the damage to a car when a cyclist is in the wrong and hits or scratches a car? sweet fa

anyway as has already been said. i don't see why some motorists driving like dangerous twats excuses some cyclists behaving like dangerous twats. i have just as many gripes about stupid things drivers do while behind the wheel of a car, i just don't see why it would be fit to mention them in a thread about cyclists.

hmm i might start a thread about motorists now as you've got me thinking about how many fuckwits seem to be considered safe/responsible enough to drive but clearly aren't if they don't even know how to tackle a roundabout properly

I don' think there are any excuses for doing stupid things on the road, whether you are a driver, cyclist or even a pedestrian. Unfortunately it's something that even the best driver/cyclist/person does at least occasionally, and some people do habitually.

I think all schools should do cycling proficiency, and drivers should have periodic tests, not a license forever. It's probably logistically hard to do the same for cyclists, but in principle it would be a good idea. The person most at risk in most circumstances is the driver/cyclist/pedestrian themselves, so it would bring benefits all around.

In the US quite a few people do advanced driving courses to reduce their insurance costs. Perhaps that is something we could have in the UK too?

I don't drive or cycle. I am constantly having narrow escapes when crossing at pedestrian crossings often with children. I am not constantly having issues with cars. There are huge numbers of cylists in our part of London who have no regard for traffic rules. I have recently become so angry i now shout uncontrollably at cyclists who go through lights.

Urk, my post was inarticulate due to rage. I think they should have police going around nabbing cyclists for grossly usafe behaviour and fining them large sums. They should have a HUGE CRACKDOWN. I may run for mayor on a cyclist crackdown single isssue platform thingy.

Where I live, we have a MASSIVE problem with cyclists not using lights. It is so incredibly dangerous - can't cyclists see that? They will get hurt as it is nigh on impossible sometimes to see a bike with no lights, especially if the rider is wearing dark colours as well! If I drove refusing to turn my lights on (because this is effectivley what a cyclist is doing if they don't use lights)I would quite rightly be punished. Here, they get a 25 pound fine (if ever caught) and a set of free lights. So, yes, at times I feel cyclists do think themselves above the law

I agree that more sanctions for stupid cyclists would be a good thing. Especially cycling with no lights from dusk onwards. That's verging on the suicidal.

I can't believe nowadays bikes are sold without lights. They should be a permanant fixure sold on the bike.

The police could make a fortune if they started cracking down on cyclists. If they gave a £30 fine for every cyclist who went through a red light, rode on the pavement or did something dangerous in general they would rolling in it!

Oneway steets get me when the cyclist is in the middle of the road with no lights

I saw a policeman telling off a cyclist this morning. First time ever. Felt all warm inside

I was coming up to a small roundabout a few weeks ago indicating to go left and i was in the lane to go left. I cyclist came up the inside of me and luckily i was going really slowly because he didn't go left like i thought he was going to do, he went to go straight on and cycled right infront of me! He should have been in the lane to my right to go straight ahead but decided to cycle so i would nearly kill him! I felt quite shaken up by that, i would have felt awful if i had hit him, even though it would have been purely his fault.

MsSparkle - you need to learn the rules of the road if your are going to be driving. Cyclists are allowed, and indeed advised, to stick to the left lane on roundabouts for reasons that should be obvious to anyone with the slightest common sense.

It is very rare for cyclists to maim or kill other road users. Motorists do it so regularly it doesn't make the news. No road user should think themselves above the law but I don't understand this inane venom directed at cyclists when there are so many incompetent drivers about.

In my case, Upwind, it is because my personal experience is (as I said below) that at least once a week I have a scary experience with a bike and in my neighbourhood I am constantly having to watch out for cyclists on the pavement and running lights. I am not - touch wood - having similar experiences with cars

Upwind, when you are cycling behind a car who is indicating to go left and is in the left hand lane, you should stay behind that car and let it go left and then you can cycle straight ahead. You DO NOT sneak up the inside, in full knowledge that the car is going to be going left, and cut in front of the car. That is so dangerous and to my mind, any cyclist with an inch of common sense would know this.

MsSparkle - I agree that cyclist was reckless

but you are quite wrong that

"He should have been in the lane to my right to go straight ahead"

It is only common sense to be careful on a roundabout when there is a cyclist to your left. Had you checked your mirrors you would have been aware of him.

MsSparkle i had the same thing happen at some traffic lights. I was in the left hand lane indicating to go left and was right at the front. Now to me, if i were on my bike i would think, that car is indicating clearly to go left so i will wait behind it and when the lights change, let the car go left and i can carry on. Do they think like this? NO! They come and wait right next to you on your left so when the lights change they go straight on slowly.

I know cyclist are supposed to stick to the kerb side at traffic lights but in the situation i just described where the car is clearly indicting left, common sense fails them.

Upwind, how do you think i didn't hit him? BECAUSE I CHECKED MY MIRRORS AND SO SAW HIM!

Icing, common sense fails alot of cyclists because they always think they have right of way no matter what.