Coroner wants cyclists to be educated about danger of HGV's

[glenn forger]

You muppet . .try quoting in context...the bit you quoted on is in direct contradiction of the often vaunted claim here in that the more cyclists on the roads, the safer it becomes for all cyclist.

How? (doofus)

 

[Linford]

How? (doofus)

If you can't figure it out for yourself...I'm not going to waste my time trying to do it for you...

 

[Roadrider48]

Let me be clear. I am an everyday cyclist! But I have say that HGV drivers are very highly trained and it's not an easy test to pass by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Roadrider48]

The problem is with the use of the word cyclist.

A cyclist is sometimes obvious. He has a shiny helmet, is dressed up like a highlighter pen and has a gobsmackingly expensive bicycle. He rides 20 miles to work and back every day and does a hundred at the weekend on his even more gobsmackingly expensive bike. You would hope this cyclist knows not to go up the inside of an HGV.

Or, it may be a 10 year old lad popping to football practice just down the road. He's just done bikeability so he knows he can't ride on the pavement (it's illegal). Obviously he hasn't passed his driving test yet, so he not an expert road user like an HGV driver is. There's a thin part of road with a bike painted on it next to the kerb, Surely that's where he's meant to ride? The local authority wouldn't paint a bike there if it wasn't safe to ride there would they?

Cyclists can be very experienced or very novice. And they're all legally obliged to use the terrible, life threatening infrastructure. Whats needed is proper, safe segregated cyclist friendly infrastructure that everyone who is physically capable of operating a bicycle from age 5 - 95 can use. Cyclists should not be same roads as HGV's.

Good post!

 

[glenn forger]

If you can't figure it out for yourself...I'm not going to waste my time trying to do it for you...

The fact some children have accidents and training makes no difference to the accident rate doesn't come anywhere near disproving the truism that accident rates decrease when cycling rates increase, since the vast majority of child accidents on bikes don't involve other vehicles. (Doofus)

 

[Linford]

The fact some children have accidents and training makes no difference to the accident rate doesn't come anywhere near disproving the truism that accident rates decrease when cycling rates increase, since the vast majority of child accidents on bikes don't involve other vehicles. (Doofus)

Jeez...how old are you?

If you can''t move past playground taunts, then I'm not going to waste my time debating this with you.

 

[theclaud]

.Christopher Reeve was injured doing a similar thing, and so I'd say it is far more risky than riding on the average road in the UK.

Ah, Linf's relentless logic sweeps all before it, as ever.

 

[glenn forger]

Jeez...how old are you?

If you can''t move past playground taunts, then I'm not going to waste my time debating this with you.

You've said that already, when you refused to explain why you think your ROSPA report disproves something.

 

[glenn forger]

KenningtonPplOnBikes‏@KenningtonPOB
I've cycle trained 100s of lorry drivers; none would want their 20yr old daughter using CS2 Aldgate

 

[MarkF]

You're wrong of course, my mother in law is afraid of traffic. She wishes to continue cycling, it's the traffic that stops her.

But it's not 100% the traffic's fault is it? My mother (75) went on a (useless) cycling course in the summer, she now rides on the roads using my old Dahon folder, I am not saying she likes the busy roads, but she got bored of the towpath..............the traffic is not going to disappear.

Regarding HGV's, I've been put in danger by all sorts of vehicles and drivers, but rarely by professional drivers, that is HGV/Bus/Taxi guys.

 

[Sara_H]

But it's not 100% the traffic's fault is it? My mother (75) went on a (useless) cycling course in the summer, she now rides on the roads using my old Dahon folder, I am not saying she likes the busy roads, but she got bored of the towpath..............the traffic is not going to disappear.

Regarding HGV's, I've been put in danger by all sorts of vehicles and drivers, but rarely by professional drivers, that is HGV/Bus/Taxi guys.

Generally people getting squashed is the fault of traffic. And that's what people are afraid of, and what stops them from cycling. Even with all the training in the world, people still get hurt by drivers, because drivers don't pay enough attention, their vehicles have blind spots, the sun was in their eyes etc etc. But take the cyclists off the road and provide them with a safer alternative and you've negated a large part of the risk.

 

[glenn forger]

Regarding HGV's, I've been put in danger by all sorts of vehicles and drivers, but rarely by professional drivers, that is HGV/Bus/Taxi guys.

Then how come lorries are just 4% of traffic in London but involved in 53% of cyclist fatalities? (2011)

 

[MarkF]

Generally people getting squashed is the fault of traffic. And that's what people are afraid of, and what stops them from cycling. Even with all the training in the world, people still get hurt by drivers, because drivers don't pay enough attention, their vehicles have blind spots, the sun was in their eyes etc etc. But take the cyclists off the road and provide them with a safer alternative and you've negated a large part of the risk.

I am glad I encouraged her to go on the cycling course as crap as it was, and, I was delighted that she decided to not give up, but to ride again. When do you suppose the "safer alternative" might be available to her? My mother is 75! Right now the shared roads are available to her and she is going for it, I don't worry because the chances are her coming to harm are pretty much infinitesimal. Explain that to your MIL, take her out, show her, help her, encourage her.

 

[MarkF]

Then how come lorries are just 4% of traffic in London but involved in 53% of cyclist fatalities? (2011)

I don't know Glenn, I commute between Bradford & Leeds.

 

[glenn forger]

Of the nine cyclist deaths involving HGVs in 2011, seven involved construction lorries. Sub-contractors, like the driver that killed Svitlana. The big firms have strict safety regimes, mirrors on lorries, extra training, the sub contractors couldn't care less, will refuse to update their vehicles and even rudimentary checks on drivers aren't bothered with.