Cyclists are treated as if they are staionary.

[reohn2]

*wait*, why would I wait - I want to be in that traffic jam I can see ahead *now*

Correct,I'm constantly overtaken when in primary and within 50m of a twenty+ car jam is countless,one particular jam,where the overtaker knows 100% it'll be at least three TL sequences before they'll get a even a sniff of getting through,yet persistently feel the need to ''get ahead'' only for me to overtake them again within 2 seconds

If you were to explain it in any other non motoring situation,people would describe it as mad or stupid,yet the problem persists .

[Tom Richardson]

I want to be in that traffic jam I can see ahead

seems to me that some motorists have difficulty seeing ahead past a bicycle. Its to only sane explanation I can think of for why they overtake in places that they do (e.g approaching traffic jams, pinch points, junctions, red lights, when I've slowed down because pedestrians are crossing the road in front of me, when I'm cycling past a junction that they want to turn in to etc)

[reohn2]

I want to be in that traffic jam I can see ahead

seems to me that some motorists have difficulty seeing ahead past a bicycle. Its to only sane explanation I can think of for why they overtake in places that they do.

Particularly on blind right hand bends,which which happens with increasingly and alarming regularity in my neck of the woods
Not to mention overtaking when I have a clearly extended right arm in the middle of the road and I'm about to turn right,another alarming though not as regular occurance

[Mark1978]

OK, I know I learned to drive a very long time ago (my provisional licence was in Latin) but I was taught that when passing another vehicle you only pull back into the nearside lane when you can see the passed vehicle in your rear view mirror. How hard can it be?

Much of the behaviour I witness on a daily basis makes me question the way drivers are trained these days. If I was running the country our roads would be less crowded because it would be much harder to get a driving license in the first place (I'd include a test of candidates mental attitude, any sign of short temper / road-rage = no licence) and I'd revoke licences for offences such as mobile phone use, tailgating, applying makeup, shaving, reading the newspaper and many many more things. I could easily take 20% of drivers (and their vehicles) off the road thereby curing congestion.

I always was a liberal softie

Absolutely! Driving should be treated properly as something which requires skill and expertise and only to be undertaken by people with the required skillsets and atttitude. At the moment driving is seen as a right, which it is not.

If you can't pass a tough driving test well there's always cycling.

[Postboxer]

As more than 50% of people think they are above average at driving, you could put that in a manifesto, selling it on the fact that congestion would be eased by fewer drivers, then get elected as most drivers would think they would get the benefit and not consider the fact that they might not meet the standard.

[danhopgood]

I think part of the problem is motorists aren't always good at assessing the speed of cyclists and do it partly based on what they look like, rather than how fast they're actually going.

Example, pretty girl in swirly dress on bike. Driver thinks - bound to be slow - and acts accordingly. She may be slow, but not always - could be Victoria G (nee P) going down hill with the wind behind her - definitely not slow. I then think there's a tendency for drivers to be embarrassed about backing out of a manoeuvre - they commit early and if they get it wrong, the cyclist suffers.

In their defence, many drivers don't ride bikes, so they don't always appreciate what difference a tail wind/hill/ pretty girl on bike to chase can make.

[Vorpal]

I think part of the problem is motorists aren't always good at assessing the speed of cyclists and do it partly based on what they look like, rather than how fast they're actually going.

+1 Also, it often seems to me that drivers just assume that cyclists go 6 - 8 mph, independent of circumstances. And then there's the must. pass. cyclist I have sometimes been going at or near the speed limit, and still had drivers over take.

[mjr]

+1 Also, it often seems to me that drivers just assume that cyclists go 6 - 8 mph, independent of circumstances. And then there's the must. pass. cyclist I have sometimes been going at or near the speed limit, and still had drivers over take.

+1 Then they can't pass some partial obstruction in the lane (parked car, for example) which I could have passed if they hadn't moved into the way. I love it if my brakes squeal as I stop tight on their back bumper in that situation, ideally with headlight on

[reohn2]

The problem IMHO is that a good percentage of drivers don't think end of.
Further more they don't like being told how they've almost caused a incident,when I catch them up in the inevitable traffic jam at the next TL!
It's all so much man mind thyself that's the issue,a complete lack of courtesy for no gain,or at most a few seconds.

[Mark1978]

+1 Also, it often seems to me that drivers just assume that cyclists go 6 - 8 mph, independent of circumstances. And then there's the must. pass. cyclist I have sometimes been going at or near the speed limit, and still had drivers over take.

There's also the concept that drivers don't think of overtaking cyclists as actual overtaking. You used it in your own post 'pass' a cyclist, whereas I bet you would say 'overtake' for a car. Many drivers have the attitude that it's their right to breeze past cyclists quickly.

[reohn2]

The problem IMHO is that a good percentage of drivers don't think end of.
Further more they don't like being told how they've almost caused a incident,when I catch them up in the inevitable traffic jam at the next TL!
It's all so much man mind thyself that's the issue,a complete lack of courtesy for no gain,or at most a few seconds.

Today climbing slowly toward a 20+ vehicle TL jam about 25m further on,when Mr Sillybu@@erinnisssanjuke* decides with oncoming traffic and no room,he'll overtake me with inches to spare,he got a slapped passenger door and a mouthful of clean abuse through his closed window(as he wouldn't open it) when I rode up along side him.
The jam is caused by two sets of road works and a closed bridge on the only other route through the village,everyone locally is aware of it,and if they're not it was obvious he couldn't get through on at least the next two TL changes.
The stupidity of it just completely beggered belief

*biggest small car I've ever seen,not to mention ugly with it

[[XAP]Bob]

I think part of the problem is motorists aren't always good at assessing the speed of cyclists and do it partly based on what they look like, rather than how fast they're actually going.

+1 Also, it often seems to me that drivers just assume that cyclists go 6 - 8 mph, independent of circumstances. And then there's the must. pass. cyclist I have sometimes been going at or near the speed limit, and still had drivers over take.

I've been doing 40 in a 30, and had people overtake. Their car didn't like the speedbump...

[Mark1978]

My theory is that we should build up two vast opposing armies. That way there can never be a war.

[MikeF]

I think part of the problem is motorists aren't always good at assessing the speed of cyclists and do it partly based on what they look like, rather than how fast they're actually going.

+1 Also, it often seems to me that drivers just assume that cyclists go 6 - 8 mph, independent of circumstances. And then there's the must. pass. cyclist I have sometimes been going at or near the speed limit, and still had drivers over take.

Quite common in a 20mph speed limit near me. Some just have to pass even though it means going considerably faster than the speed limit (and me at 20mph) bouncing over a speed bump and then braking hard at a roundabout.

However there are many non cycling motorists of all types who think that cyclists never travel at speeds just faster than a pedestrian.

[profpointy]

I think part of the problem is motorists aren't always good at assessing the speed of cyclists and do it partly based on what they look like, rather than how fast they're actually going.

+1 Also, it often seems to me that drivers just assume that cyclists go 6 - 8 mph, independent of circumstances. And then there's the must. pass. cyclist I have sometimes been going at or near the speed limit, and still had drivers over take.

I had that doing slightly more than the 20mph residential speed limit - car slowly squeezed past even though not really all that much room. I was on a 1000cc motorcycle