Friday, 28 August 2015
Do You Obey Rule 163?
Click HERE to watch this video. Please drive carefully!
Until we get the sort of separate cycle lanes provided in the Netherlands, we all need to be more careful of how we drive our cars past the people of bicycles. And please don't tell me "but Motorists pay Road Tax, cyclists don't" That is INCORRECT. In fact, all taxpayers finance the roads, what motorists pay is Vehicle Excise Duty. And anyway, that response does not excuse dangerous and bad driving!
Having a daughter who cycles to work in London this video resonated with me I can tell you! Having seen the way some motorists drive past cyclists in London I fear for her safety on a daily basis. Apparently truck drivers are often the worst culprits since their job depends on getting to where they are going in the shortest possible time and often they don't even see cyclists who are on the inside when they are turning left. Scary but my daughter likes cycling better than being cramped on the Tube not to mention the money saved. Thanks for drawing this to our attention.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter cycles to work in London too.You may be interested in this article someone just sent me http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/25/man-pushes-cyclist-into-london-traffic-metropolitan-police?CMP=fb_gu - sadly, it isn't just the road users who can cause accidents, pedestrians can be a danger too.
ReplyDeleteEven in France - where they are, generally, more aware of cyclists - this sort of overtaking happens. Mr FD could have had a very nasty head injury thanks to a drunk on a motorbike, had he not been wearing his helmet. I hope you don't mind Ang, but I'm going to link to this post from my blog!
ReplyDeleteJ cycles to work and uses the busy A road nearby. I know that it is dangerous and I worry about him every day. However, both of us are becoming increasingly frustrated by the cyclists who insist on hurtling along our pavements with scant regard for pedestrians even when the roads are deserted. I have been effed and blinded at for complaining about it, and I have lost count of the number of times that I have narrowly missed being injured by cyclists in recent weeks, and it's not just stereotypical 'boy racers on bikes'. Only last week me and John were almost hit by a middle aged female cyclist who raced around a blind bend on the pavement in the dark. Her reason for doing so? She lived at a house on the road which was around the bend! I'm just glad that it was me and John and not our elderly neighbour who gives his dog its last walk of the day at that time. She could have killed him, or the dog, or both. I guess there are just selfish, thoughtless people no matter what their mode of transport.
ReplyDeleteI agree - there are thoughtless drivers, cyclists AND pedestrians. However we travel, we should be aware of others. On my route from here to the church, the cycle path is actually half of the pavement - very clearly marked. I am getting increasingly frustrated by the elderly ladies who walk on the pedestrian section- but let their dogs, on leads, wander across the cycle path. They would never let the dog go onto the road, but seem to think that as it is 'pavement' that is ok.
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