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Irresponsibility on the road - it's not always the driver's

I appreciate the problems cyclist have with drivers of cars, lorries etc & the SMIDSY, but let's just see the other side of the problem, the cyclist themselves.

How many cyclist drive cars themselves & see stupidity such as riders running red lights when in TT mode either at junctions, or more especially, at road works, where they think they can nip in & out of the cones as approaching vehicles face them.
How many not so good at it `track stand' at junctions & traffic lights, risking falling over in the traffic.

Recently I had to post to a local club, the following;-

Would you please note the following & ensure your riders get the message.
Both were during your Hilly Chaingang / Sportive runs
As I originally posted to my Facebook cycling friends

11th April 2012
TO ALL CYCLIST
Please DO NOT ride 5 abreast around Pott Shrigley on your evening rides, especially when drinking from water bottles

15th April 2012
TO ALL CYCLIST [AGAIN]
I give way, I go past slowly, I give you room & consideration.
Whether your'e sportive riding, or on a training run in a club jersey on Bakestonedale Rd, Pott Shrigley, riding 3 abreast whilst CHECKING EMAIL or TEXTING ON YOUR MOBILE & not looking

YOU ARE GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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14 comments

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fluffy_mike | 11 years ago
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Why are any of you engaging with someone who writes:

"How many not so good at it `track stand' at junctions & traffic lights, risking falling over in the traffic"

The OP is clearly a troll

Have some self-respect and move on

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fred22 replied to fluffy_mike | 11 years ago
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Er, what? Don't be so precious. Dangerously bad or reckless cycling is worthy of discussion on a forum.

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John_the_Monkey replied to fluffy_mike | 11 years ago
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fluffy_mike wrote:

Why are any of you engaging with someone ...

Can only speak for myself, but largely because I've seen this equivalence being argued in lots of places lately, and many times by folk who aren't trolls.

It's a point worth raising a quizzical eyebrow at, as it's all over the place right now.

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fluffchucker replied to fluffy_mike | 11 years ago
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fluffy_mike wrote:

Why are any of you engaging with someone who writes:

"How many not so good at it `track stand' at junctions & traffic lights, risking falling over in the traffic"

The OP is clearly a troll

Have some self-respect and move on

Many thanks for the verbal attack

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fluffchucker | 11 years ago
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Thanks for the reference to the report as I hadn't seen it

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John_the_Monkey | 11 years ago
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Research I was struggling to recall is referenced here;

http://road.cc/content/news/12065-report-dft-casualty-stats-says-cyclist...

"Meanwhile, according to police reports studied as part of the research, wearing dark clothing at night was thought to be a possible cause of just 2.5% of accidents resulting in serious injury to the cyclist, with not using lights or jumping red lights each blamed in 2% of cases. Those percentages rose slightly in instances when the cyclist was killed, although in those circumstances police could only rely on evidence from the driver and other witnesses.

The report’s findings show clearly that far from being the danger to other road users that certain elements of the media have portrayed them as in recent months, cyclists are themselves put at risk by the actions of motorists, with the police attributing blame to the driver in up to three quarters of collisions between a bicycle and other vehicle in accidents involving adult bike riders."

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John_the_Monkey | 11 years ago
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"I don't think it needs any research to tell that at sometime or other `all road users' are numpties."

Undeniably.

Of the two groups we're discussing though, one kills 3,000 ish people a year in the UK, and the other slightly fewer than are killed each year by trousers (probably). The research you dismiss indicates (as I recall) that the latter are also, mostly, not the cause of collisions involving the two groups.

So, as I say, false equivalence.

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fluffchucker | 11 years ago
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I don't think it needs any research to tell that at sometime or other `all road users' are numpties.
We teach drivers to drive, cyclist to cycle, unfortunately we can't teach everyone common sense  14

I recently went to a well represented Time Trial in the High Peak. Seeing that this would be run on roads that were not closed & partly on a main road & speeds of circa 75kph, I was surprised that helmets were not compulsory  13

`Cool' riders wearing all black strip also surprises me, as they want to be noticed. Why not just wear `technical camo' to really blend in  3

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Mostyn replied to fluffchucker | 11 years ago
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fluffchucker wrote:

I don't think it needs any research to tell that at sometime or other `all road users' are numpties.
We teach drivers to drive, cyclist to cycle, unfortunately we can't teach everyone common sense  14

I recently went to a well represented Time Trial in the High Peak. Seeing that this would be run on roads that were not closed & partly on a main road & speeds of circa 75kph, I was surprised that helmets were not compulsory  13

`Cool' riders wearing all black strip also surprises me, as they want to be noticed. Why not just wear `technical camo' to really blend in  3

I agree fly fisherman! We teach drivers to drive, cyclist to cycle, unfortunately we can't teach everyone common sense  14 Take care on the roads everyone! Life is precious.

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John_the_Monkey | 11 years ago
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"...let's just see the other side of the problem, the cyclist themselves".

Sure. But it's a massive false equivalence. If all these folk behaved themselves from tomorrow, it would, I reckon, be a drop in the ocean in road safety terms, when compared to all drivers behaving in accordance with the road traffic acts and highway code.

My understanding is that most of the research done on the topic refutes the idea that cyclists are the authors of their own misfortune too, for what it's worth.

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lob | 11 years ago
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Never fails to amaze me how many riders go out without helmets. Most of them seem to fellow middle agers or older too  2

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cborrman | 11 years ago
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yesterday I was trying to get a boris bike out on the pedestrianised area behind royal festival hall and was almost run into and then shouted at by two people going way too fast for a pedestrianised area at rush hour (6pm)...

I am also getting tired of lone speed merchants going round the outside of cars and pushing cars into the cycle lane...

but none of them are as annoying as joggers, cyclists or walkers, 2, 3, 4 or even 5 abreast...

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fred22 | 11 years ago
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I agree.

I've noticed my own road skills seem to lessen as i get more into a ride, last year rather than wait in a queue for a level crossing i thought I'd weave in and out to the front, meant i was on a steep incline, still had to wait but couldn't get going when the gates opened and ended up falling off very publicly probably to the satisfaction of some of the drivers

Personally id go further and say the following to cyclists:

Wearing all black may be seriously cool but it makes you seriously inconspicuous, not a good look when all around you are large metal objects travelling quickly.

Wearing a wooly hat or cap is really making a statement, but if you knew you were going to bang your head on tarmac at speed wouldn't you rather wear a helmet?

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ilovemytinbred | 11 years ago
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Well it is obvious. People are idiots, there are a lot of brain donors out there, some of them ride bikes.

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