Author Topic: Cyclist down  (Read 29587 times)

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #175 on: 07 August, 2012, 12:57:01 pm »
Not sure how to put this without it being taken the wrong way but
I am uneasy about the we must educate cyclists around hgv etc.
I was watching under tens last month in Holland happily riding out of the school gate and straight onto the road, am I right to assume they have greater street awareness than their British counterparts?


Probably because the road markings outside many Dutch schools give priority to cyclists (look for which way the 'dragon's teeth' are facing) - plus they have the presumption of liability.
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #176 on: 07 August, 2012, 02:20:22 pm »
Not sure how to put this without it being taken the wrong way but
I am uneasy about the we must educate cyclists around hgv etc.
I was watching under tens last month in Holland happily riding out of the school gate and straight onto the road, am I right to assume they have greater street awareness than their British counterparts?

No, but their culture is very much the cycle has right of way, there are (probably) thousands of kilometres of segregated cycle paths - with their own traffic lights. And most cycling is of the utility variety, generally slower, and nothing at all to do with racing/audax etc. etc. just a way to get from a to b in a very flat country.

Is most of their utility cycling also not geared to getting one over everyone else in the queue?
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #177 on: 07 August, 2012, 05:49:03 pm »
Not sure how to put this without it being taken the wrong way but
I am uneasy about the we must educate cyclists around hgv etc.
I was watching under tens last month in Holland happily riding out of the school gate and straight onto the road, am I right to assume they have greater street awareness than their British counterparts?

No, but their culture is very much the cycle has right of way, there are (probably) thousands of kilometres of segregated cycle paths - with their own traffic lights. And most cycling is of the utility variety, generally slower, and nothing at all to do with racing/audax etc. etc. just a way to get from a to b in a very flat country.

Tbh I found myself on a road a lot more than you might imagine. And going by what has been posted elsewhere the culture of the bicycle had to be got back from the car, and the law seems to have been the big influence rather than respect.
There are also some rather big club runs, much bigger than anything I have ever seen in the UK.

Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #178 on: 07 August, 2012, 05:51:01 pm »
Not sure how to put this without it being taken the wrong way but
I am uneasy about the we must educate cyclists around hgv etc.
I was watching under tens last month in Holland happily riding out of the school gate and straight onto the road, am I right to assume they have greater street awareness than their British counterparts?


Probably because the road markings outside many Dutch schools give priority to cyclists (look for which way the 'dragon's teeth' are facing) - plus they have the presumption of liability.

Whatever it is, its truly amazing to see  :thumbsup:

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #179 on: 07 August, 2012, 08:33:42 pm »
I'm of to Holland in a couple of weeks.  It's always nice to be there and feel 'normal'...
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #180 on: 11 August, 2012, 03:30:19 pm »

The bus is a Wright Gemini, in what looks like Arriva livery.  This type of bus is in use on London bus routes and as such the driver should have had a much better view down the near side than an HGV.

Thanks for the pointer but it looks to be Stagecoach, probably from outside London? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stagecoach_Group_bus,_new_corporate_livery,_Banbury,_2006.png

We are unlikely ever to know if it was a factor but it seemed almost inevitable to me that something like this would happen, with so many drivers not used to London roads and habits. Doesn't make it better in the slightest; the wrong place at the wrong time.

I rode past the transport hub today, there were quite a few in that livery, all appeared to be from Manchester.

Re: Cyclist down
« Reply #181 on: 11 August, 2012, 05:25:34 pm »
Also there is a notorious stretch of road around here that is narrow and quite frankly scares the shit out of me every time I have to ride along it. The other week I was followed by a German registered HGV for nearly one mile and never once did it attempt to pass me, something that has never happened afaic remember with a british registered truck who normally get three quarters of the way past before squeezing you into the gutter.
Lets be honest the standard of driving in this country by those who can cause the most damage is shocking.

I don't think it is necessarily that British HGV drivers are worse than the Europeans.  On many of my rides I encounter a high proportion of European lorries (A55 near Holyhead; lorries going to/from Ireland).  Some of the scariest overtakes I've ever had (apart from the 2 that actually hit me) have been from Dutch lorries.  Really really shockingly bad, brushing my shoulders.  This from a left hand drive vehicle were theoretically they would have a better view of me (I would be directly in their eye-line). I have found Eastern European and Irish lorries drivers to be as bad.  On my route, the British lorries drivers are good drivers, as are German ones. 

There is a HGV driving school in the area and if every British lorry driver drove the way they do then the roads would be a safer place. They always wait on double whites, narrow roads and difficult hills.  They wait far enough behind that it doesn't feel like you are being pressurised (without that revving engine noise that precedes a dangerous close overtake).  I can't say the same for driving instructors for car drivers...