Cycle lanes are dangerous - or is it the idiot that uses them that is dangerous?

[Number14]

I know you had a grass verge escape route, but I'd not be going up the inside of two HGVs with a junction on my left approaching.

Were you hurt?

Hence the slow down and the look in front of the wagons. The road here is too narrow for a cycle lane and tomorrow I'll be going down the middle of the road. Once bitten, twice shy.

Nothing major - a few grazes on my had and a massive dent in my ego but I'll get over it.

 

[hackbike 666]

That's not your fault...(just seen the vid as my phone isn't posh enough to play videos at work in the messroom)

The mobile user was terribly placed and that would have p155£d me off...I mean wtf?...Don't these half wits realise what they do and how they drive/road positioning can lead to accidents....More than once I have had this in the last 13 commutes in 14 days...Wrong lane more than once because they are too busy yapping into their mobile phones.I even had a bus doing it oustide Liverpool Street as he swerved right...in front of me,and mr Carlsberg lorry happily yapping away at Bank.(Today)

Hope you are ok btw and I can't see how the cycle lane comes in for blame there...even with the vegetation.

Yes the two lorries did not look too clever...esp the one with the left turn road.

 

[dondare]

Having seen the vid:

That filtering was a bit iffy altogether. Having said that, I'd probably have done the same, including the lorry bit.
Since I ignore cycle-lanes I don't complain when motorists ignore them, too. And it was one of those don't-mean-buggerall cycle-lanes with a broken line so the cars are allowed into it anyway.

Nothing much else to say here except to look where you're going and you've already realized that.

 

[magnatom]

Oops!

The crash, was of course your fault. Not quite been there, but I've bought a similar T-shirt!

I absolutely hate cycle lanes like that, and I have to agree with Origamist, I wouldn't pass the HGV's. It's great that you are looking at the cabs etc, but as I have experienced, a driver or and HGV can appear to look straight at you, but not see you.

As for the car in the lane, yes, muppet. He'll be from the, 'I can drive just as well when using my mobile, as not', i.e. crap all te time.

 

[hackbike 666]

Nothing much else to say here except to look where you're going and you've already realized that.

Is it actually that or was the mobile phone user a distraction?

I must admit I would have been p155£d off at the motorists lack of brains and poor positioning and would have probably had a go as well.

As for the car in the lane, yes, muppet. He'll be from the, 'I can drive just as well when using my mobile, as not', i.e. crap all te time.

Definitely.IMHO it was mainly his fault for the accident.

 

[AndyCarolan]

First thoughts are that that cycle lane is a poorly thought out waste of road space. I certainly would not be using it.

Glad no one was badly injured

 

[TWBNK]

Fair play for posting it.

 

[dondare]

If I allowed myself to be distracted by every mobile-phoney I wouldn't get to the end of the road. You'd think that driving whilst using the bloody things was compulsory rather than illegal.

 

[Number14]

Oops!

I absolutely hate cycle lanes like that, and I have to agree with Origamist, I wouldn't pass the HGV's. It's great that you are looking at the cabs etc, but as I have experienced, a driver or and HGV can appear to look straight at you, but not see you.
(!

If I didn't pass the lorries it would have taken me nearly 20 minutes to cover the next mile.

I'm trying to get my average below 1hr, not increase it

 

[Origamist]

If I didn't pass the lorries it would have taken me nearly 20 minutes to cover the next mile.

I'm trying to get my average below 1hr, not increase it

You can overtake them!

 

[hackbike 666]

First thoughts are that that cycle lane is a poorly thought out waste of road space. I certainly would not be using it.

Glad no one was badly injured

Fair enough....and I may use it if I had to....but I will let you into a little secret....I have a brain and quite a bit of experience and a few people on here know I dislike the Blackfriars Bridge layout...so I now avoid using

Blackfriars Bridge (northbound)
Southbound is just about acceptable.
Waterloo Bridge (constant crap roadworks)
Southwark Bridge (one cycle lane usually out and too many lorries/heavy vehicles)

and Tower Gateway to Westminster Bridge apart from on special occasions when I am filming but not specially to commute.(weekends but even yesterday was crap on that road)

Yes I use cycle lanes but there are some roads I avoid.

 

[dondare]

First thoughts are that that cycle lane is a poorly thought out waste of road space. I certainly would not be using it.

Glad no one was badly injured

You notice that there's a marked area in the centre of the road that encourages motorists to drive closer to the cycle lane, which in any case is too narrow to be of any use even in theory.

 

[hackbike 666]

You notice that there's a marked area in the centre of the road that encourages motorists to drive closer to the cycle lane, which in any case is too narrow to be of any use even in theory.

Yes but the mobile phone wielding twat did not help by steering with one hand and not being straight but at an angle...yes the vegetation didn't help...(we don't see a lot of that in the cycle lanes in Londinium just broken glass)

If he was paying attention he wouldn't have caused a problem.

 

[thomas]

If I didn't pass the lorries it would have taken me nearly 20 minutes to cover the next mile.

I'm trying to get my average below 1hr, not increase it

Better than getting squished

My thoughts:

• The lorry overtook v. close
• I wouldn't have undertaken the lorry, although you were probably reasonably safe as he'd only just gone past and should be aware you were there
• As you now know, don't worry about what other people are doing wrong as much...because it hurts. Or if you do feel the need to tell people off, stop!

 

[hackbike 666]

Better than getting squished

• As you now know, don't worry about what other people are doing wrong as much...because it hurts. Or if you do feel the need to tell people off, stop!

Good point really....distractions don't help.