Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car; Cyclist hit by drunk driver… police say wear hi-vis; “Spoilt little brat”: Remco argy-bargy doesn’t go down well; Dear council, what the f%&k is this? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Cyclist hit by drunk driver... police say wear hi-vis so motorists see you
We’ve seen a few of these social media posts popping up recently as part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s ‘2 Wheels’ campaign. On Monday, it was Bedfordshire Police’s now-deleted tweet telling cyclists to try not to make “mistakes” to stay safe…
This message was accompanied by a bingo card reminder to: wear a helmet and hi-vis. Unsurprisingly this particular tweet was not the force’s most popular, attracting victim-blaming accusations before unceremoniously being deleted.
Today, it’s Greater Manchester Police’s turn…
Cyclists & motorcyclists are some of the most vulnerable road users. GMP works throughout the year to ensure that the roads in GM are safe for everyone, which is why we are supporting the national campaign to improve safety for those travelling on two wheels #2wheeloperation pic.twitter.com/s3kr2Jz54O
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) April 12, 2022
The headlines from this shocking story are: a cyclist in Manchester was riding on the pavement because they felt safer than on the road, a drunk driver then hit the cyclist, causing life-threatening injuries that are going to “stay with them forever”.
So, what conclusion should we be taking from this? Tougher action on dangerous driving? Infrastructure that makes cyclists feel safe to use the roads, and not have to jump onto the pavement, all without the risk of being hit by a drink driver?
Well, according to GMP’s #2wheeloperation vid: “So for cyclists and motorcyclists, basically to wear the protective clothing, wear the hi-vis, make yourself as visible as possible to everybody on the road.” Right. Presumably the same goes for dog walkers, children and pedestrians who could have been hit by the aforementioned drunk driver?
“Being a cyclist or a motorcyclist can be even more dangerous because you’ve got less presence on the road. So there’s less for people to see,” one of the force’s family liaison officers continued.
Someone go get the Surrey traffic cops…
More visible…like a fully marked (big reflective and high viz stickers) traffic car with flashing lights?
Nope, drivers still can’t see them. pic.twitter.com/Y9uzfFOS0o— Roads Policing Unit (RPU) – Surrey Police – UK (@SurreyRoadCops) December 2, 2021
Dear Wolverhampton Council, what the actual f%&k is this?
When I took a peek in our archives for our past stories about driving instructors it didn’t make for great reading…
> Driving instructor who forced cyclist off the road, causing him to break his arm, loses job
So, it’s nice to have been sent a message from Richard of Inclusive Driving who specialises in helping people with disabilities, and is also a cyclist.
He was left wondering how those on bikes can take primary position, and maintain a safe distance from the kerb?
Thoughts?
Funny-looking bikes
Funny looking bikes 🤔 pic.twitter.com/jQ8X8t2viL
— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) April 11, 2022
Ellen van Dijk announces Hour Record attempt
📢 @ellenvdijk has some exciting news to share 📢 pic.twitter.com/aXPFZcCzQl
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) April 13, 2022
Joss Lowden’s Hour Record will soon be challenged by Trek-Segafredo TT machine Ellen van Dijk, who has today announced she will be attempting to beat the Brit’s 48.405km distance in the same Swiss velodrome on 23 May.
> Joss Lowden’s Hour Record-breaking Argon 18 bike and Le Col kit
The 35-year-old track and road racer won a rainbow jersey on the track in 2008, backed up by two individual time trial world championships and four TTT rainbow jerseys. An Hour Record is next in her sights…
“This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. The hour record is something that I have always said I wanted to do one day and now that day is finally here. I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about doing it, a mix of excitement and nerves which is normal. You are always just on the edge with big challenges, and this is a huge challenge, so it is going to be exciting and frightening at the same time,” Van Dijk said.
The Dutch rider will take on Lowden’s record in the same Grenchen Velodrome that the Brit smashed Vittoria Bussi’s previous distance last September.
Dutch traffic deaths drop, but cycling deaths outnumber other road user numbers
National statistics office CBS has revealed the Netherlands’ traffic fatality stats for last year, which saw 621 people killed on the roads — the lowest level since 2015. However, of those killed, 207 were cyclists, including 80 e-bike users and the over-55s accounted for one third of the victims.
Dutch News reports compared with 2000, the number of people killed in traffic incidents has halved. Despite this, safety research group VeiligheidNL said more cyclists are being seriously injured, with the number of seriously injured traffic incident victims rising by 18 per cent over the past 10 years.
Two-thirds of the 110,000 people treated in hospital last year due to traffic incidents were cyclists.
A philosophical question none of the greats have yet been able to crack...
Why is it that many drivers will cross the central white line to avoid a speed hump but won’t do it to pass a cyclist safely? 🤷♀️
— Kirsty Lewin (@KirstyLewin) April 12, 2022
Durham Roads Policing Unit joins the hi-vis party
Cyclists!!🚴♀️ Pedestrians!!🚶♂️
Wear more reflective & high vis-gear so that motorists can see you better!🤩
That will end all your road safety issues ☺️
Here we see a stunning high-vis Police vehicle…
Oh.🤦🏻♂️
Right.🤦🏻♂️
Tad awkward…😐
Try again.
Drivers!! Pay attention!! https://t.co/QoqYb50zNS
— Durham RPU (@DurhamRPU) April 13, 2022
“It’s a simple concept, really,” Durham’s Roads Policing Unit commented to a backdrop of morning hi-vis chat following Greater Manchester Police’s much-criticised safety vid (on the blog earlier).
It’s a simple concept, really.
✅Slow down.
✅Pay attention.
✅Respect each other on the road – irrespective of your mode of transport.Yes, high vis etc. does & can help, but it’s down to us ALLto travel safely.
Pic @ShaunfromDurham pic.twitter.com/IhrktPygVR
— Durham RPU (@DurhamRPU) April 13, 2022
Under the live blog, one comment stood out: “It always amuses me when the police recommend hi-viz. My brother will spend the rest of his life dealing with the effects of crushed vertebrae after he was hit while cycling by an off-duty police officer. It just so happened that he was indeed wearing hi-viz (despite it being a bright sunny day with excellent visibility anyway), but as is always the case, if the driver doesn’t actually look it makes no difference what you are wearing.”
TriTaxMan agreed: “No matter what you wear or what lights you use, if a driver isn’t actually looking it makes no difference at all. I have had two collisions on my bike. Both of which were at night, both times I had hi-viz and reflective clothing on, a solid state light and a flashing light on my bike and both times the driver ‘Sorry I never saw you’.”
JoanneH added: “My mum was knocked off while in high-viz and with lights in broad daylight by a driver who claimed she didn’t see my mum. (Mum still has back problems from the injuries she sustained). I’m pretty sure there are thousands of similar stories.”
Demi Vollering wins De Brabantse Pijl
What a performance by @DemiVollering. And what a way to take revenge after Amstel. Pure class. #BPwomen #BP22 pic.twitter.com/GXTBbexbjG
— Mikkel Condé v2.0 (@mrconde) April 13, 2022
It was a first win of the season for SD Worx’s Demi Vollering who ditched her attack partner Pauliena Rooijakkers to win solo and dispell the second-place Amstel blues. It’s Vollering’s first win of 2022, having also finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad behind the unstoppable Annemiek van Vleuten, and capped a fine day for SD Worx who had three riders in the top eight. Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Liane Lippert rounded out the podium.
The men’s race is next up, with Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe leading the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl charge against defending champion Tom Pidcock. Evenepoel has been talking up how Brabantse Pijl, on home roads, is one of his main goals for the season…
“I know every bend, every pebble”
Tributes to "an absolute belter of a lad" who died in A595 collision
Family and friends have paid tribute to a 14-year-old boy who died following a collision on the A595 in West Cumbria on Friday. Ted Southward’s friends described him as: “Funny, kind, talented, fearless, legend.”
A family statement said: “Ted was one in a million, loved and respected by so many. He was at his happiest covered in grease, working on engines, racing his car or driving tractors.”
Ted was riding a mountain bike when he was hit by a car being driven on the A595 near Waberthwaite. Police were called at 8.06pm on Friday 8 April, Ted sadly died at the scene.
“An absolute belter of a lad, who would have grown into an amazing man. Our hearts and lives are shattered, forever and ever,” the family’s statement continued.
"Spoilt little brat": Remco argy-bargy doesn't go down well with Eurosport commentator Adam Blythe
Remco doesn’t want to make friends anywhere does he? #BP22 pic.twitter.com/1n5eg0XpKm
— John Maguire 🇺🇦 (@velo_bristol) April 13, 2022
10/10 for Adam Blythe’s “spoilt little brat” line…
Remco has been given a warning, according to Sporza, but remains in the race. He’s also up front along with the rider on the receiving end Ben Turner, Tom Pidcock, Sunday’s unfortunate second Benoît Cosnefroy, Tim Wellens, Victor Campenaerts, Magnus Sheffield, Rob Stannard, Dylan Teuns and Warren Barguil.
EDIT: A few minutes later and Evenepoel has been dropped (along with Campenaerts and Barguil). Cue more Blythe magic…
“I bet he wishes Ben Turner could give him a push back on now…sorry”
Someone get Remco an ice pack for the burn…
Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car
🇧🇪 #BP22 Así fue el momento en el que el coche de Quick-Step atropella a un ciclista del Cofidis, provocando también la caída del campeón mundial Julian Alaphilippe. pic.twitter.com/1GDyPcIE7r
— Ciclismo Internacional (@CiclismoInter) April 13, 2022
World champion Julian Alaphilippe was taken down by a crash at Brabantse Pijl caused by…*checks notes*…his own team car trying to overtake the peloton and instead colliding with a Cofidis rider.
Alaphilippe fell in the pile-up at the finish line, with one lap to go, of the Belgian one-day race as his support car tried to overtake the peloton to follow Remco Evenepoel who is part of the lead group, 45 seconds ahead.
The Quick-Step car paused when the bunch started to move across the road before a Cofidis rider checked over their shoulder, presumably distracted by the following vehicle, made contact and fell, causing several riders, including the world champion, to hit the deck.
Alaphilippe clutched his shoulder but was soon back up on his bike, pedalling gingerly.
Back in the race, Evenepoel is in a group with Tom Pidcock, Tim Wellens, Ben Turner, Magnus Sheffield, Benoît Cosnefroy and Warren Barguil who have 30 seconds advantage with 5km to go.
We’ll bring you the full result + any Alpaphilippe updates as we get them…
Are Ineos Grenadiers the new Quick-Step? Magnus Sheffield rides away from lead group to make numerical advantage pay
Remember the name: 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 🌟
The 19-year-old clinches a solo victory at Brabantse Pijl – and his @INEOSGrenadiers teammates celebrate as they cross the line 🙌@MagnusSheffield | #BP22 pic.twitter.com/yGZcaJFxvT
— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 13, 2022
After the silliness of Remco’s shove and the world champion’s team car crash, Magnus Sheffield made Ineos Grenadiers’ three-man advantage pay, riding away to solo victory at Brabantse Pijl. Behind, defending champion Tom Pidcock and fellow Yorkshireman Ben Turner could roll across the line, ahead of a fuming Evenepoel, to celebrate the team’s victory.
Benoît Cosnefroy was, like at Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, second again, with Tim Wellens third. It was Wellens who attracted the brunt of Evenepoel’s finish line gesticulation, presumably due to his fellow Belgian sprinting from one side of the road to the other, cutting space for other riders to sprint. Thankfully there was no repeat of the earlier push that had Adam Blythe on commentary calling the 22-year-old a “spoilt little brat”.
We’ll have all the reaction from Remco, Julian Alaphilippe and Quick-Step as it comes in…
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Quick-Step camp tonight
Hard day at the office in #BP22. pic.twitter.com/TGixYJtx3P
— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) April 13, 2022
Much like Cameo allows you to pay extortionate amounts to receive a personalised message from your favourite sportsperson or actor, I reckon there should be a platform for paying (less extortionate amounts) to watch Quick-Step’s nightmare day with…I don’t know, let’s say an outspoken team boss, perhaps?
Go on, Patrick. Give us a comment…
The Empire Strikes Back: All the reaction from a whacky day of racing in Belgium
S3 guys in a crazy good group of 7. The Empire strikes back. #BP22 pic.twitter.com/l2KRRtAr1P
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) April 13, 2022
This SHOULD be the take-home image from Brabantse Pijl; the news generation of Ineos Grenadiers (aged 19, 22 and 23) ripping up a top-class one-day classic field. Yet, this will probably be what we all remember…
Well this sucked… 😂 #BP22 #BPMen https://t.co/LZskinD9iV
— Larry Warbasse (@larrywarbasse) April 13, 2022
No word from the world champion yet, nor Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. Unless of course you’re interested in snapping up a women’s replica bibshort and jersey for €149.95, as they’ve advertised in their latest tweet…
Remco (or perhaps Remco’s PR team) has taken to social media to address today’s OTHER big incident. That shove. Hardly peak Mike Tsyon, I know, but for pro cycling standards that was pretty major pushing and shoving…
Good to be back racing in my home country, typical Belgian conditions. 😅☔
I want to apologise to @benjeturner for the incident during the race. It shouldn’t have happened.
Time to recover now and focus on @flechewallonne 🔜 👊🏼 #TheWolfpack pic.twitter.com/unpL2bOJNp
— Remco Evenepoel (@EvenepoelRemco) April 13, 2022
Speaking to the press post-race, Remco said: “It felt a bit like a cyclocross race, I thought it was a road race, but looks like a cyclocross race today. It was really slippery. I think was really hard to stay up on the bike was really a big task to stay up on the bike and don’t crash. On the cobbles I wasn’t really comfortable. I still felt the legs a bit.
“I wouldn’t really like to do the Flemish classics, I think. There are so many cobbles. I’m already in difficulties with only two cobbled sectors, so can you only imagine the Flanders races? I think it would be really hard.
“Ineos, what can you say. The strongest team.”
Speaking of Ineos, here’s what race winner Magnus Sheffield thought: “I just felt unbelievable when I found myself off the front with those last kilometres. I really didn’t expect to be able to hold on, and I really wanted to try to lead out my teammate Ben for the sprint. But I was off the front and I was able to hold on to the finish. It was really gritty out there and you just had to fight the whole way.”
What were you doing at 19 years old? Keep it clean…
13 April 2022, 08:12
13 April 2022, 08:12
13 April 2022, 08:12
13 April 2022, 08:12
13 April 2022, 08:12
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Latest Comments
I don't know why the writer inaccurately describes the light output selection on this light. Three different things are conflated without properly first differentiating between them: The light mode (constant vs flash or "pulse"), power output (lumen rating), and the method of choosing these. Exposure combines the first two into three programs where each program has an individual output for the modes. So the copy-pasted text refers only to selecting the programs. Selecting between modes is as simple as in the Knog: "To cycle between the Constant and pulse options in each program press the function button once." Granted this might seem confusing at first but after that it is dead simple. The benefit of Exposure's choice is keeping things simple - once you've turned on the light you click either between constant and flash. In most cases FOR A COMMUTER LIGHT, this is just fine - when you ride a relatively short distance in most likely illuminated surroundings what the actual lumen output is is secondary. Connected to the above, marking as negative that the light puts out "only" 400 lumens in constant mode, is illogical. As the reviewer states, that amount is "a truly useful amount of light". There is ablosutely no challenge for Exposure in getting the light to put out 600 or more lumens in constant. But a) that would be more than "purposeful" and b) drain out the battery in an instant. The light has been designed as an ultra compact commuter light - where does it fail in that? Conversely, if you ride in "unlit rural voids" blame yourself and not the light if you chose this as your illuminating device. Furthermore claiming that the new alum. anti dazzle shield "makes zero difference" and is no upgrade is baffling - which do you think protects the lens better in an impact? Finally, moaning about the cost of the light without even mentioning what obviously plays a major role - the fact that it is manufactured in the UK, is appalling. So yeah if you "value" buying a light by Knog, Cateye and the likes that manufacture their lights in an undemocratic country where the list of ongoing human, labour, international law and environmental violations is nearly endless, and wish to support manufacturing processes where products are shipped across the world to endulge your "needs", then feel free to ignore all the above, and just focus on "user-friendliness".
Once again the CPS and Police are at fault There may be occasions in which the police and the CPS are independent entities, but in most of the cases on here, the CPS is just an excuse deployed by the police to excuse inaction over really blatant offences. What police officers are violently opposed to is people reporting offences, particularly when they send indisputable video, because the reports could take matters out of the hands of the police. They like to prosecute people they don't like, such as cyclists, and to have the option of forgiving people they do like, such as drivers in big cars or people they know. Whataboutery is getting a Bad Press on here, but it's a perfectly reasonable objection when, for instance, video is provided of drivers committing MUST NOT offences such as RLJs and they're forgiven by the police 'because everybody does it', yet a big thing is made of the offence when cyclists are involved. The assertion may not be palatable, but there are a lot of lying, crooked b******s in the Police.
I have both a Scott Spark RC and the Scale Gravel RC and find the Dangerholm builds really interesting by exploring what different directions can be achieved with a mix of imagination, DIY and professional resources. Probably not for the staid British mindset as shown by previous comments.
Once again the CPS and Police are at fault. They don't really worry about the law as they can usually find one to fit around their needs. And once again it's only when they are stood up to that they are forced to run away.
Lol. I’ve been saying the same to my watch. It keeps prompting me I need to do more calories on certain days and I tell it - but I did some gardening in the afternoon which included digging but u don’t let me record that. And then I have another biscuit with my tea.
"~15% of the riding time that I’m forced to use the road(because the infrastructure for cycling is insufficient or nonexistent) " Amsterdam?
Same here. I have a helmet with built in front and rear lights and have a red light clipped onto my bag plus lights attached to my bike front and rear but still have drivers putting me in danger. My commute is about two miles and I normally have around four incidents a week where I have to brake hard or take other evasive action to avoid being hit by distracted drivers. A big percentage of these are drivers coming on to roundabouts when I am already on them.
Glasgow's South City Way sounds great, does it not? As a user from before and after I wholeheartedly welcome the construction of the segregated route, but so much of the detailed construction is poor, if not unsafe. I provide a link to a presentation I made when construction was half complete (a personal view) and the construction errors remain outstanding to this day: crossed by high speed flared road junctions, poor colour differentiation, car door zone risks and so on. And yet cyclists come because they feel safe. It's a complex subject but IMHO the feeling of safety (or lack of) is a critical component. https://drive.proton.me/urls/B67AK44G90#CFueBGjscoWr
I can only conclude that you haven't been into a city in the last few years. Food delivery riders in particular are riding overpowered "eBikes" that are basically mopeds ... powered only via the throttle without pedalling at significantly more than 15mph. Problem is they look like normal bikes/ebikes and not like mopeds so that is what people describe them as. My reading of the article is that it is those vehicles that are being talked about here.
I have the Trace and Tracer, which have essentially the same design, albeit smaller and less powerful. The controls are a little complicated but only because there are loads of options. In reality, once you've chosen your level of brightness, you'll only cycle through 1 or 2 options and it's dead simple. The lights are rock solid, bright, with good runtimes. The only thing I find annoying is charging them - if your fingers are slightly wet or greasy, getting the rubber out of the way of the charging port is a pain in the arse.
38 thoughts on “Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car; Cyclist hit by drunk driver… police say wear hi-vis; “Spoilt little brat”: Remco argy-bargy doesn’t go down well; Dear council, what the f%&k is this? + more on the live blog”
It always amuses me when the
It always amuses me when the police recommend hi-viz. My brother will spend the rest of his life dealing with the effects of crushed vertebrae after he was hit while cycling by an off duty police officer. It just so happened that he was indeed wearing hi-viz (despite it being a bright sunny day with excellent visibility anyway), but as is always the case, if the driver doesn’t actually look it makes no difference what you are wearing.
squired wrote:
I agree, no matter what you wear or what lights you use, if a driver isn’t actually looking it makes no difference at all.
I have had two collisions on my bike. Both of which were at night, both times I had Hi-Viz & reflective clothing on, a solid state light and a flashing light on my bike and both times the driver “Sorry I never saw you”.
The one where I was stopped about a foot from the centre line of the road I was on waiting to turn right….. and a car coming towards me cuts the corner over the white line and clips my bike…… Apparently they couldn’t see me in my Pro-Viz Reflect 360 jacket…..
Yeah, my mum was knocked off
Yeah, my mum was knocked off while in high-viz and with lights in broad daylight by a female driver who claimed she didn’t see my mum. (Mum still has back problems from the injuries she sustained). I’m pretty sure there are thousands of similar stories.
Agreed. I was knocked off my
Agreed. I was knocked off my motorbike by a police motorcyclist (supposedly the best trained road users there are) on his way to work in his private car. I was wearing hi-viz and had my lights on and his first words were . . . yep, you guessed it . . . “sorry mate, i didn’t see you”. The local Commander who attended insisted I make a report and that he definitely deserved to be seriously punished. The Chief constable later decided there was no case to answer even though the officer admitted he was 100% responsible for the ‘accident’.
Re. Wolverhampton – are we
Re. Wolverhampton – are we sure that’s even intended to be cycle provision? I don’t see any markings that would indicate that (though obviously it’s still work in progress). I would have assumed that’s just a gutter gap for water run-off.
Agreed that was my reaction.
Agreed that was my reaction.
Regardless, HC rule 153 says.
“On some roads there are features such as road humps, chicanes and narrowings which are intended to slow you down. When you approach these features reduce your speed. Allow cyclists and motorcyclists room to pass through them. Maintain a reduced speed along the whole of the stretch of road within the calming measures. Give way to oncoming road users if directed to do so by signs. You should not overtake other moving road users while in these areas.”
So cyclists can stick to the road knowing that drivers will be giving cyclists priority and won’t be overtaking them
In any case, that
In any case, that Wolverhampton thing (one hesitates to call it infrasturcture) is not
wellmarked. In the dark, wet or foggy conditions, it needs reflective pillars and road lines that indicate the edge of the carriageway moving away from the original kerb line. Otherwise, drivers and riders will simply plough into it.I’ve tried to debate road
I’ve tried to debate road markings with Solihull MBC but they are fixated on minimising markings based on some policy or other and fall back on claims that their minimal markings are legal – which include zero markings on a pavement supposed to be shared use, and a wand about 2 metres from the start of a mandatory bike lane.
The last one is relevant because prior to the bollard, which has been hit many times, is a non-mandatory bike lane which SMBC claim is perfectly acceptable for motorists to drive in. I’ve pointed out that 2 metres of solid white line with no other warning marking is not enough to perceive that the lane has changed to compulsory. SMBC rely on the magic paint to claim that vehicles should not cross that white line so it is impossible for them to legally hit the bollard – they are not responsible for poor driving.
Note, in that image, the post is less than 6 months old, and the hihviz has completely degraded, leaving a strange metal netting on the surface and no reflection, so you have, at night, a road-coloured obstruction occupying the road with no warning. The main lane is almost wide enough to accommodate an HGV.
Many road scheme designers
Many road scheme designers apparently can hold several mutually contradictory beliefs simultaneously eg.:
1) If there’s a problem it can be fixed by putting up more signs. Drivers definitely read and digest all of these as they go by at 37mph.
2) We shouldn’t announce cycling infra too “noisily” – especially not around junctions or where there are pedestrians about. That would be an irritation and detract from the “character” of the place.
Obviously the answer to the conundrum is (1) it only has to be fit for lawyers and (2) we don’t expect any cyclists in these places. At junctions they’ll obviously be getting off to use the crossings and in non-road environments the few there might be will be well-behaved adults and children going at a maximum of 6-8 mph.
“Dear Wolverhampton Council,
“Dear Wolverhampton Council, what the actual f%&k is this?”
Since the picture doesn’t load, what, indeed is it?
FWIW, I don’t think it is
FWIW, I don’t think it is intended as a cycle facility. We have chicanes on our street & have simiar narrow gaps against the kerb.They are to allow drainage,not cyclists. Cyclists are supposed to take the main carriageway.
I’ll never take drivers’
I’ll never take drivers’ “wear high viz” argument seriously until they follow it up with a petition to ban all dark grey/black/navy cars from manufacture. It’s demonstrable that dark-coloured cars are involved in more RTCs because they’re harder to see.
Even then I probably won’t take it seriously, because if the driver didn’t see my daylight strobe lighting, clashing wardrobe, and reflective-tape bedecked bike, they just weren’t bloody looking.
and until they actually
and until they actually confiscate cars with illegally darkened front windows.
road.cc wrote:
1) Clampdown operation on cycling on pavements.
2) I will be taking coffee and some absorbative foods e.g. crisps with me on the bike to assist any intoxicated drivers. Maybe I could also offer a range of soft drinks and mocktails as a preventative measure?
“Dutch traffic deaths drop,
“Dutch traffic deaths drop, but cycling deaths outnumber other road user numbers”
You missed the bit about helmets:
“According to the knowledge center, the research shows the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. Helmets reduce the risk of a brain injury by a third.”
If I could only summon up the will, I’d ask VeiligheidNL where they got that figure from, but life’s too short to read yet more bad science.
Ooh you trollsters! You’ll
Ooh you trollsters! You’ll be running headlines about restricting
lisenceslicenseslicence’s next!It never reins but it paws.
It never reins but it paws.
chrisonatrike wrote:
I just get “ACCESS DENIED” when I click on the link. Must be some anti-squirrelist policy they’ve got
Well that’s embarrassing —
Well that’s embarrassing — and has now been fixed, thanks for the spot.
“Join our team — and teach us how to spell!”
John Stevenson wrote:
You know what, John – I think maybe you could do with a new editor… 😉
Also looking for a new proof
Also looking for a new proof reeder.
RE Dutch stats – looks like
RE Dutch stats – looks like they’re not yet available to the general public, just news groups. For reference last year’s ones and for context the road safety group SWOV’s article and a Google translation of the Cyclists’ Union article. As always more detail would help (e.g. who is dying in what kind of accident, where and when), however:
A third were cyclists * – given the high modal share there this might be about what you’d expect. As for e-bikes again more info needed. More of those may be used by the older demographic and they are more likely to die as a result of any accident.
*Apologies – in light of recent thread and reflecting how it is in the NL “a third were people using cycles” would indeed be better.
Hi-viz is the answer to all
Hi-viz is the answer to all our prayers …
Ouch
Ouch
You should have seen what was
You should have seen what was left of me, and the 4 months before I could sort of walk …
Hi-viz is no solution in daylight hours as it needs darkness to reflect the light.
Brights are far better in the daytime, but even then care is needed as some colours can melt in to the background depending on where you are and the time of year.
Good grip on them there
Good grip on them there bottle cages.
Article on the Garudian about
Article on the Garudian about someone who hacks billboard posters.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/apr/13/foka-wolf-street-artist
and
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY1woO2jdFF/
(apparently they got phone calls on this one, from people thinking it was genuine…)
If only the world champ
If only the world champ jersey was hi-viz…
Not sure how much the car was
Not sure how much the car was to blame for that Alaphilippe crash – there were a few riders going down nowhere near it, so possibly a slippery surface caused by the sponsor markings was more the culprit than the car was.
mdavidford wrote:
No, the initial crash happens as described with the Cofidis rider shoulder checking Alaphilippe hard as he tries to avoid the car – then the other riders crash because they hit the brakes on slippery wet paint to try and avoid the riders already on the deck. The angle on the Twitter vid isnt the best but other footage makes it clear.
It’s not clear that there’s
It’s not clear that there’s any actual contact with the car though*. He flicks left, then looks like he may just have slipped on the surface as he attempted to move right again, sending him into Alaphilippe.
Either way, I’m not convinced that you can really blame the car (or it’s driver). It’s not like he didn’t have ample opportunity to see it was there, and suddenly moving across in front of it was a pretty dumb decision.
(* though I don’t know what the other footage is you referred to.)
Gotcha !
Gotcha !
Excellent – I think some
Excellent – I think some places in the UK are looking for exactly this kind of cycle lane infra!
Presumably they’re mean for tethering your horse while you head into the saloon?
Apparently they are supposed
Apparently they are supposed to have wands screwed into them. I hear brookby’s a dab hand at screwing them back in !
Meant to post yesterday, I
Meant to post yesterday, I have been seeing adverts on Quest, for Paris Roubaix highlights. Sunday 11pm, midnight on +1, have to avoid this site and other cycling sites for most of Sunday, and being very careful on news sites though.
Could make it quite exciting, I’m looking forward to it.
Quest have been getting better at road racing. It will be the Eurosport highlight coverage, and not a huge amount of the race, but got to take what you can.
Hi-vis… the amount of times
Hi-vis… the amount of times I’ve crash into dark coloured cars parked on roads with no lights on…
They don’t even exist. Don’t
They don’t even exist. Don’t forget those invisible illuminated retroreflective bollards which are so hard to see.
No idea what you’re on about.
No idea what you’re on about. No bollards there ?♂️