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news
Cyclist 'nearly decapitated' by pallet-spilling driver; Barriers removed on bike lane... because drivers kept crashing into them; Study coming on Kensington cycle lane; G launches cycling club; Derbyshire cops 'road tax' gaffe + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
dangerous driver with wood plank hanging off van - screenshot via twitter.PNG23 December 2020, 16:34
Derbyshire Police make 'road tax' gaffe
Clueless. @DerbysPolice pic.twitter.com/B9ZizHWtXZ
— Pompey Cyclist (@PompeyCyclist) December 23, 2020
The problem arose when Pompey Cyclist asked the force to edit a section on their website that says the public can 'report a vehicle that doesn't have road tax'. They replied: "Good afternoon, Road Tax is still valid, even when cars have nil charge they are still required to apply for it."
And these are the folks keeping us pedestrians and cyclists safe*
Very worrying.
*I believe it's blind luck that more pedestrians and cyclists aren't killed in my area
— Neil E (@Neil_Elkins) December 23, 2020
Hi @DerbysPolice, I'll just leave this herehttps://t.co/xR18divQTu
— Brian Shannon (@BrianShannon123) December 23, 2020
Some weren't very pleased with the reply - but we understand that Derbyshire Police are now going to rectify the error.
23 December 2020, 15:44
Geraint Thomas has launched his own cycling club
G says "everyone is welcome" in his new club, called GTCC, and is asking for those interested to submit their ideas for what makes a great cycling club. A Tour de France winner ain't a bad start... you can find out more on the club's Facebook group here.
23 December 2020, 12:29
Concrete barriers removed on Boston cycle lane... because drivers kept crashing into them
Boston decided to remove the concrete barriers protecting a bike lane because too many drivers were hitting the concrete barriers 🤷🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/p6O640fejF
— wanye (@_wayneburkett) December 22, 2020
If you thought the reasons given for removing the some London cycle routes were bad, Boston in the US has gone one better by taking away protective cycle lane barriers because some drivers were apparently drifted towards and hitting them.
The Boston Globe reports that the cycle lane, on a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue, had concrete slab barriers installed in November following the death of a cyclist who was killed by a tractor-trailer driver; however the barriers had led to a rise in car crashes according to the Boston Transportation Department.
While many on social media expressed anger and bemusement at the decision, Becca Wolfson, executive director of the Boston Cyclists Union, commented: “We can’t focus on individual behaviour. It doesn’t mean it’s allowable behaviour, but it means the system has to change in a way that stops that behaviour."
Wolfson suggested that instead of the low-lying barriers, they should be quickly replaced with a "vertical element such as flex posts to better capture drivers' attention"... pretty much exactly like the wands ripped up on Kensington High Street earlier this month...
23 December 2020, 17:06
23 December 2020, 13:49
Anger over sentence for man convicted of assaulting two cyclists in Richmond Park
Royal Parks Police tweeted that 60-year-old Stephen Diaz was yesterday found guilty of common assault against two cyclists in London's Richmond Park back in April. His received a conditional discharge and £600 costs at Wimbledon Magistrates Court yesterday, and numerous people have now expressed disappointment and anger at the sentence.
Wow. What a joke of a sentence.
— Nadine (@nadine_ansorg) December 22, 2020
Why was he given a conditional discharge? What extenuating circumstances could possibly justify that for an assault?
— Andrew Buss (@ambuss) December 22, 2020
Royal Parks Police explained why the trial was delayed but refused to comment on the sentence, adding: "The delay in the trial at court was due to the backlog at the courts because of COVID. The incident was as a result of a confrontation between two cyclists and two pedestrians on the road going from Sheen Cross to The Royal Ballet School.
"It would not be appropriate that we pass comment on the sentence handed down, it is a decision for the courts."
23 December 2020, 12:52
Festive 500 in a day - road.cc and off.road.cc Matt Page sets off on mammoth 500km challenge at midnight
23 December 2020, 17:12
We won't be too disappointed if you don't do it in one day like our own Matt Page, honestly...
23 December 2020, 09:31
Mystery surrounds shocking viral video showing a driver 'almost decapitating' a cyclist then knocking over a pedestrian with loose pallets
Where there's a blame there's a claim! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/jXqdyMu1L6
— Danny Bam (@WigansDannyB) December 21, 2020
The video, which first surfaced on Facebook and has now gone viral, shows the driver of a tow truck carrying a dangerously loaded pile of wooden pallets. With a plank of wood hanging off the left side, at 0:17 into the clip the plank comes inches away from hitting a cyclist. At 0:57 a piece of wood and a pallet falls off the van, knocking over a pedestrian, with the driver seemingly oblivious.
Some people on social media criticised the cameraman for appearing to see the funny side and not attempting to stop the driver; however another clip shows the driver and passenger approach the driver of the truck further along the road.
They did stop him haha pic.twitter.com/diIsQsigGN
— mike lee (@micklee86) December 21, 2020
With the driver's number plate clearly visible, we hear one of the men tell the truck driver that he "twatted" the pedestrian with the fallen wood. The truck driver appears to reply: "Oh right mate."
It's not clear when the footage was filmed, who filmed it, or how serious the pedestrian's injuries were. We've contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment.
23 December 2020, 12:01
Just how blocked is Kensington High Street's inside lane? Coventry's bicycle mayor to publish results showing how often the former segregated cycle lane is blocked by vehicles
For the last 2 weeks, I’ve been using Google’s AI platform to monitor what % of time the space, previously occupied by a cycle lane carrying thousands of people per day, is blocked by parked vehicles.
Who wants to guess what % of time it’s blocked? Results in the media soon. pic.twitter.com/dTzt646dUT
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) December 23, 2020
Adam Tranter says he has used Google’s AI platform "to monitor what % of time the space, previously occupied by a cycle lane carrying thousands of people per day, is blocked by parked vehicles" on the former segregated cycle route on Kensington High Street. He has invited his Twitter followers to guess the percentage, with guesses ranging from 66% (Jeremy Vine's bet) through to 95%.
The sad sight of this well-used former segregated cycle lane being blocked by vehicles for large portions of the day has become the subject of a tongue-in-cheek Twitter account, originally called 'Is the white BMW in the RBKC cycle lane still there?', but now named in tribute to a white van that regularly blocks the route instead. The account admin says they are "looking forward" to the results of the study, and is still posting daily updates.
And just like that, it was gone
Replaced instead, by an example of how parked vehicles cause congestion. pic.twitter.com/dhlIUzRdBc
— Is the van in the RBKC cycle lane still there? (@KensingtonVan) December 22, 2020
23 December 2020, 11:44
The Transcontinental Race set to go ahead in 2021 with revised route
A race manual for the eighth edition of the self-supported epic now exists, detailing route changes and some alterations to the way the event is run to ensure it is Covid-secure.
The TCR organisers say in the manual: "It remains difficult to predict exactly what the summer of 2021 may look like; given the recent fluctuations in cases of COVID-19 and lockdowns in some countries over the past months. It is clear
that a complete ‘return to normal’ is not imminent and we shall all have to continue to manage the health and safety of ourselves, our loved ones and the most vulnerable in our society as best we can.
We must attempt to balance our personal freedom with mitigating the spread of the virus and protecting the most vulnerable in our communities. The news regarding vaccines is encouraging and, as difficult as it is to predict, we may expect leisure travel to be possible in July 2021 with requirements to quarantine, vaccine and/or present negative COVID-19 test results at borders/prior to travel.
"It is important that TCRNo8 riders consider the probability of time constraints and additional expense incurred by travel during COVID-19 when making any travel arrangements."
It's thought that the finish will be in Thessaloniki instead of Burgas, and the predicted start date is 27th July 2021, departing from Brest. If all goes to planned, the 2021 winner should roll in almost exactly two years after Fiona Kolbinger arrived at the finish line, having dominated the race which was also her first ever ultra-distance cycling event.
23 December 2020, 12:26
23 December 2020, 10:24
Just a dude, choppin' wood with his 'e-tree trimmer'
With the wood that's up for the chop secured on a pallet far more carefully than a certain truck driver's in the shocking video below, this cunning fella has repurposed his Husqvarna e-bike and turned it into a useable saw (the original footage appeared on the Swedish brand's Instagram story). Bet you never saw that coming...
23 December 2020, 09:29
"Why don't you use the cycle lane?" Because there's a lorry parked in it
If in doubt, park in the bike lane.
South West City Way, Scotland Street this afternoon.#Glasgow pic.twitter.com/LXnP340YS9
— Glasgow Deliveroo Rider (@RiderGlasgow) December 22, 2020
Another day, another blocked bike lane... and another reason to link to this feature.
23 December 2020, 09:19
Covid-19 has "got" Luke Rowe
Covid got me! See ya in 2021 ladies and gents. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year ya filthy animals !!! 🎄
— Luke Rowe (@LukeRowe1990) December 22, 2020
The Ineos rider joins the unfortunate (and quite long) list of pro cyclists who have caught coronavirus in 2020, with Rowe appearing to confirm via the tweet above that he has tested positive.
One of the first to test positive was Fernando Gaviria at the UAE Tour back in February, and the Colombian then caught it again in October. He'll be relieved to find out that the entire UAE Team Emirates squad are likely be the first on the World Tour to be vaccinated against the disease, with the team's owner Mauro Gianetti telling Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month: "In January we want to vaccinate the entire team, the riders and all staff members."
Arriving at road.cc in 2017 via 220 Triathlon Magazine, Jack dipped his toe in most jobs on the site and over at eBikeTips before being named the new editor of road.cc in 2020, much to his surprise. His cycling life began during his students days, when he cobbled together a few hundred quid off the back of a hard winter selling hats (long story) and bought his first road bike - a Trek 1.1 that was quickly relegated to winter steed, before it was sadly pinched a few years later. Creatively replacing it with a Trek 1.2, Jack mostly rides this bike around local cycle paths nowadays, but when he wants to get the racer out and be competitive his preferred events are time trials, sportives, triathlons and pogo sticking - the latter being another long story.
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71 comments
Titanus
|
3 years ago
1 like
Pluto, planet.
Road tax, VED.
Does it really fuckin matter what it's referred to? It's still the same thing. You KNOW what they are referring to and "road tax" just happens to be what many people refer to VED as. Road tax could also include fuel duty and other taxes paid which involve the use of operating a vehicle on the road. So there is some logic in using the term "road tax". I really don't think not being technically correct is worth making such a fuss.
Also the Hollowtech bottom bracket bearings on one of my bikes has a flange on them. Never seen ones like that before. What's the purpose of that flange and where could I source one online?
Pluto, planet.
Road tax, VED.
Does it really fuckin matter what it's referred to?....
Of course it fuckin does - why would you refer to a tax that hasn't been levied in approaching a century unless you were being mischievous or just plain ignorant?
And your parallel with Pluto is bollocks by the way....
Pluto, planet.
Road tax, VED.
Does it really fuckin matter what it's referred to?....
Of course it fuckin does - why would you refer to a tax that hasn't been levied in approaching a century unless you were being mischievous or just plain ignorant?
And your parallel with Pluto is bollocks by the way....
I'm just saying that people informally refer to stuff that may or may not be the official term for it. In this case road tax for VED but we know what they mean.
You think my parallel with Pluto is bollocks, NASA found a rock further away than Pluto that sort of resembles wonky nads.
You sound very upset btw. Hope things improve for you over Christmas.
It obviously does matter as idiots keep on misinterpreting what it's for and then punishing cyclists because of it.
Names can be changed for good reason - the best example I can think of was back in the 1950s when "flammable" became the preferred adjective over "inflammable". It was a significant safety hazard, but maybe you don't think that people being burnt is worth making such a fuss?
I'm with Titanus on this one.
For the vast majority of motorists there is no practical difference between VED and Road Tax.
VED is a charge you have to pay every year in order to use the public road network.
Road Tax was a charge you had to pay every year in order to use the public road network.
Arguing about pooled or ring fenced funds is meaningless to most people.
Most motorists pay a fee to use the roads, cyclists do not.
That's the crux of the matter and semantics make no difference.
Most motorists pay a fee to use the roads, cyclists do not.
But that is the problem there, that definition. Most motorists pay a fee to pollute and it should be sold that way by every "official" channel at least. Having the Police still refer to it as Road Tax on their official publications perpetrates the myth of what is being paid for.
...
They pay a fee to pollute when using the public road network. That is the crucial difference.
And there you have it Rich, you do understand afterall. They are not paying to use the road - they are paying to use a polluting vehicle on the public highway
It is the pollution that is taxed, not the use of the road...
But it isn't the pollution that is taxed at all, is it? If I 'tax' my car and for whatever reason don't drive it, I still pay the same as someone who drives 40,000 miles per year.
It's poorly implemented - I'd rather that it was scrapped and instead the tax should be levied on the fuel. That'd make it a bit fairer and certainly easier to administer.
But it isn't the pollution that is taxed at all, is it? If I 'tax' my car and for whatever reason don't drive it, I still pay the same as someone who drives 40,000 miles per year.
It's poorly implemented - I'd rather that it was scrapped and instead the tax should be levied on the fuel. That'd make it a bit fairer and certainly easier to administer.
I wouldn't scrap it, but I agree that fuel duty should be much higher. I would use the VED as an instrument to guide people to make sensible choices when buying cars in the first place. Factors could include carbon footprint of manufacture, third party safety, inflicted road damage for example.
Taxing vehicles based on estimated road damage would be a good one (in my opinion). However, that would have next to no effect on cars and would significantly affect the haulage industry (road damage is roughly proportional to the fourth power of vehicle weight).
Indeed it would. Any cost would be passed on by the hauliers down teh chain to the consumer, who in my opinion need to understand the cost of the damage to infrastructure and environment.
But it isn't the pollution that is taxed at all, is it? If I 'tax' my car and for whatever reason don't drive it, I still pay the same as someone who drives 40,000 miles per year.
The pollution is taxed. To be more specific you pay for a licence which allows you to pollute. You pay one upfront fee to pollute as much s you want.
In any case the point remains, you don't pay to use the road - the road is free to use for all. It's what you choose to use on the road that is taxed, according to the nature of the pollution it generates.
But it isn't the pollution that is taxed at all, is it? If I 'tax' my car and for whatever reason don't drive it, I still pay the same as someone who drives 40,000 miles per year.
yes and no. your VED doesn't change bu they will also be paying a lot more than you in fuel duty. This is why I think VED should be scrapped and the costs moved to fuel. Let those using the fuel and causing the pollution pay the costs.
Also makes collection of revenue easier, all the admin associated with collecting from each vehcile owner every year, chaing the ones that don't pay sending out reminders beforehand etc. We know longer need the beaurocracy of a tax disc to prove someone did MOT and insure their car at last once a year.
I'm with Titanus on this one. For the vast majority of motorists there is no practical difference between VED and Road Tax. VED is a charge you have to pay every year in order to use the public road network. Road Tax was a charge you had to pay every year in order to use the public road network. Arguing about pooled or ring fenced funds is meaningless to most people. Most motorists pay a fee to use the roads, cyclists do not. That's the crux of the matter and semantics make no difference.
Unfortunately you're wrong. You don't pay a fee to use the road network. You pay a fee which licences you to operate a polluting vehicle when not on private land.
There is no exception for cyclists, any more than there is an exception for carriages, horses, pedestrians, roller skaters or anything else. Exemptions are only for vehicles with zero local emissions (eg electric vehicles) or low emitters - my i10 is only about £30 a year, whereas my Scenic is best part of x10 that cost.
There is no fee to use roads (except for toll roads, which are generally either private or motorway), they are the public highway and available to all - free at the point of need. What is taxed is motor vehicles on the basis of emissions
Whether some ill-informed people appreciate the distinction is moot when faced with the actual fact.
Hope that clears things up
I'm with Titanus on this one. For the vast majority of motorists there is no practical difference between VED and Road Tax. VED is a charge you have to pay every year in order to use the public road network. Road Tax was a charge you had to pay every year in order to use the public road network. Arguing about pooled or ring fenced funds is meaningless to most people. Most motorists pay a fee to use the roads, cyclists do not. That's the crux of the matter and semantics make no difference.
Unfortunately you're wrong. You don't pay a fee to use the road network. You pay a fee which licences you to operate a polluting vehicle when not on private land.
There is no exception for cyclists, any more than there is an exception for carriages, horses, pedestrians, roller skaters or anything else. Exemptions are only for vehicles with zero local emissions (eg electric vehicles) or low emitters - my i10 is only about £30 a year, whereas my Scenic is best part of x10 that cost.
There is no fee to use roads (except for toll roads, which are generally either private or motorway), they are the public highway and available to all - free at the point of need. What is taxed is motor vehicles on the basis of emissions
Whether some ill-informed people appreciate the distinction is moot when faced with the actual fact.
Hope that clears things up
Not really. so you don't pay a fee to use the road network. You pay a fee which licences you to operate a polluting vehicle when not on private land.
Since a vehicle polutes whether on public or private land it's not really a fee on poluting vehicles then is it. It's just another tax, it just happens to be related loosely to polution.
As for the term 'road tax', do a google search and see who the top slot is held by - yes it's the govt. There are also thousands of results from respected organisations who also refer to VED as road tax. Why is this? It's because that's how many refer to VED.
Getting hung up on what it is called is pedantic. Cyclists don't pay because this tax is related to emissions, it has bugger all to do with what it is called or what it is used for - hopefully we can at least agree on that.
But you're blatantly wrong about "paying to use the public road network" - VED is paying to pollute the air.
Also, stating "motorists pay a fee to use the roads, cyclists do not" is also incorrect as roads are a product of our taxes, so most cyclists will also be paying to use the roads unless they somehow manage to avoid all taxes.
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Latest Comments
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Petrol prices are soaring - and could soon go well above 150p a litre...
- Clem Fandango 18 min 53 sec ago
Any piece of "journalism" that includes the phrase "lycra clad/lout" or "as a cyclist myself" within the headline or opening paragraph can...
- Benthic 32 min 29 sec ago
The thing is, motorists' killing grounds are not limited to schools, hospitals and nurseries and their environs.
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Highway Code rule 237 If you are dazzled by bright sunlight, slow down and if necessary, stop.
- Benthic 37 min 38 sec ago
'Suitable advice' can already be found in the Highway Code.
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Im betting these come out of the same factory as the SG and the Grip grab gloves. Identical apart from the Silicon overlay....
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Oh, and for long rides (100 miles ish) a whole pack of fig rolls and a couple of jam sandwiches normally does my fuelling.
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Indeed....
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