The police/council need to start promoting cyclist safety

[DanCharles]

The police or the relevant motoring authorities need to start promoting and teaching cycling safety to MOTORISTS. A cyclist could know all the safety and have all the knowledge one needs to use the road but still be at risk because of motorists that do not realize that cyclists have the same right to the road as them. I'm not slagging all motorists here, most motorists are great but alot of them do not know how to treat a cyclists while driving. As a young cyclist l, using the road can be a scary ordeal when there are aggressive drivers lurking around. As an example I was on a quick 13 miles the other day and I was almost home on the round about just before my house. I take the lane and signal my intentions when a waiting motorist on the junction to the left of me (he just there and wanted to join the round about) blasted his horn and yelled 'Get out the way, what so you think the pavement is for'. Really? The pavement of for pedestrians. What makes this even more humorous Is that he was sat there clearly on his phone. I know recently the government invested some money into getting people into cycling. Where has it gone too? Anyway crazy rant aside, I just think motorist need to be made aware that cyclists have a right to be on the road and they need to know how to treat a cyclist and just to give them space. Anyway that's my rant, I'm sure there will be mixed opinions here but all are welcome.

[reohn2]

You need a sixth sense and a thick skin to cycle on UK roads,ignore the shouts when you're doing nothing wrong these people are self centred idiots.
As for the police or government,local or national,doing anything about the rights of cyclists,forget it,along with the idiot drivers that cyclists encounter on every ride,they're part of the problem.

[pwa]

Dan

as I'm sure you know, most motorists are not too bad and most are on your side. Try to keep that thought in your mind and don't let the odd moron ( who probably doesn't have many friends) spoil your cycling.

[beardy]

After a few years you will have got used to it and no longer let it ruin your day as much.

It is probably worth noting right now that regardless of what the law says you are not going to see any enforcement and going to the Police will normally achieve nothing in the absence of an ambulance being used and even then very little.

Another point is that you must keep your own actions perfect if hoping to involve the Police as any minor indiscretion (like swearing in your anger) can be seen as an excuse to drop action as you are no longer "an innocent victim".

To an extent you can prevent many incidents with your own actions and road positioning but not all incidents.

You can always do a King Canute and try and fight the tide though it may be better to only bother when you have a cast iron case, with evidence, that you have a halo and the driver had horns and a tail.

[fluffybunnyuk]

You mean like the cyclist that just came off the pavement on the peckham rd 15 mins ago, and swerved in front of a co-op lorry trying to cross the road. I thought he was a goner, somehow he popped out the other side.
Actually thinking about it, while there are walliesl ike that around to be squished I feel i'm somewhere towards the back of that queue...

[Vorpal]

It would probably help to have some decent public service campaigns about cyclists' rights to educate the public about why cyclists may take the lane, how much space to give them when overtaking, etc.

Unfortunately, education thus far has been mainly about training cyclists, and handing out advice with hi vis tabards and the like.

Try not to let other people ruin your ride. If they get upset about something, it's their problem, not yours. I know it can be hard to do, and the more abusive someone is, the harder it is to not get upset about it. If it is serious enough to report, immediately write down, or record everything you can remember, so you can contact police later.

If there is something to learn from an incident or encounter, review it in your mind for that purpose (e.g could I have done anything better / different to prevent what happended). In this case, it sounds like the driver was just clueless.

In that kind of situation, I just do my best not to let it bother me. Dwelling on someone else's idiocy won't impreove my day. Enjoying my ride, will.

[Mark1978]

I'd stopped yesterday, on a property entrance a good metre or so away from the road. Driver comes past BEEP BEEP BEEP. I have no idea why?

[TonyR]

Since where I mainly cycle is suitably equipped, my usual response to any entreaties to get on the pavement is to suggest they should be in the Park and Ride.

[mjr]

I'd stopped yesterday, on a property entrance a good metre or so away from the road. Driver comes past BEEP BEEP BEEP. I have no idea why?

Maybe the driver recognised you? Give a cheery wave, shout a hello and continue. I can never tell who's behind the reflections of the windscreens/windows.

[Mark1978]

I'd stopped yesterday, on a property entrance a good metre or so away from the road. Driver comes past BEEP BEEP BEEP. I have no idea why?

Maybe the driver recognised you? Give a cheery wave, shout a hello and continue. I can never tell who's behind the reflections of the windscreens/windows.

That's the point thought. It could mean "Hello mate how are you?" "Wow, nice bike" or "I'm coming past mind you don't pull out" or "I hate cyclists and wish you to die soon" - it could literally be anything.

[mjr]

The police and councils do need to start promoting cyclist safety and primarily to those most at fault for most cyclist-injuring collisions: motorists. Far too many police and council safely campaigns waste their money on offences by cyclists which are illegal but not hugely unsafe, or things that aren't even illegal such as wearing street clothes instead of dayglo human cannonball outfits.

Maybe the driver recognised you? Give a cheery wave, shout a hello and continue. I can never tell who's behind the reflections of the windscreens/windows.

That's the point thought. It could mean "Hello mate how are you?" "Wow, nice bike" or "I'm coming past mind you don't pull out" or "I hate cyclists and wish you to die soon" - it could literally be anything.[/quote]
Yeah, but if it's a hater, it's sort of amusing to still be cheerful and show that you're not ground down.

[AndyBSG]

IMO the police need to start enforcing ALL traffic laws full stop.

It seems that nowadays police 'traffic enforcement' consists entirely of relying on GATSO camera's to issue SP30 fines and little else.

With the exception of last years' 'Safeway' exercise I can't remember the last time I saw a random police road side operation stopping vehicles and carrying out random checks like Insurance, MOT, driving license, vehicle defects etc

[Psamathe]

With the exception of last years' 'Safeway' exercise I can't remember the last time I saw a random police road side operation stopping vehicles and carrying out random checks like Insurance, MOT, driving license, vehicle defects etc

It's happening again as we speak.

But these enforcement campaigns targeting specific offences illustrates how little enforcement is actually happening these days. It seems to have moved to the South American policing methods where enforcement is based around targeted campaigns. So if this week/month is targeting RLJs, you can drive around pissed out of your brains texting at twice the speed limit in the knowledge that no Police officer will bat an eyelid at your behaviour, just as long as you don't RLJ.

Far better to have a policy (and resources for) continuous enforcement of all regulations. That said, Safeway is probably better than nothing (which is what we seem to have most of the time).

Ian

[DanCharles]

It would probably help to have some decent public service campaigns about cyclists' rights to educate the public about why cyclists may take the lane, how much space to give them when overtaking, etc.

Unfortunately, education thus far has been mainly about training cyclists, and handing out advice with hi vis tabards and the like.
.

This is exactly what Im talking about. Most campaigns have been aimed at teaching cyclists how to be safe. But there seems to be nothing to teach motorists about cyclists and there rights.

[DanCharles]

Id just like to add also that the likes of Jeremy Clarkson make Cyclists - Motorist relations worse but constantly talking about hating them on his Motoring Elitist show.