Last night on my commute home I stopped at possibly one of the busiest round a bouts in Bristol, "The Bear Pit".
It was about 5pm, so dark, very busy with commuting traffic, shopping traffic and just traffic. There were four bikes stopped at the lights, which was good, stopping at red lights. On those four bikes there was the total of:
1 helmet
4 lights (two front, two back)
1 high vis jacket.
And they were all on my bike.
I can't help thinking that cyclist can only start claiming being victims of bad road users when we all help ourselves. On know I'm preaching to the converted on here, but thank you for letting me vent.
James
Yes, it was illegal of them to be riding without a white front light and a rear red light and if there had been police officers about I would have expected them to have been FPN'd and asked to dismount their cycles.
Did they also have a red rear reflector and orange pedal reflectors on both sides of the pedals?
Do you have orange pedal reflectors on both sides of the pedals?
I have all the items on my bike that means during the hours of sunset to sunrise I am legal.
http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/regulations/lighting-regulations
http://ukcyclerules.com/2010/11/08/bike-lights-and-reflectors-the-basics/
I do not wear a Hi Viz jacket, as it would be hidden by my backpack, instead I have a horrid looking yellow with Hi Viz striping backpack cover.
I do wear a helmet, it will not keep me safe, some studies have shown drivers drive closer to people with helmets (
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/5334208.stm), and the one off I did have in my 7000+ miles commuting this year, the helmet played no part at all in my protection (
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khJny4bJ0DE).
Despite all of the precautions I take, and the fact I comply with the law in regards to vehicle regulations and road regulations, I still get idiots and I still have to put up with drivers who think it is OK to routinely speed and tailgate in URBAN AREAS or on SMALL COUNTRY ROADS. If they want to play that game, go and do it on the motorway where the more vulnerable road users are not allowed (I would rather they didn't, and didn't do it at all).
Thankfully on my particular commuting route most cyclists have lights and stop at red lights, not all, but then I look around and see that most motor vehicles are routinely doing more than the 30 mph limit, which is more dangerous? Which kills more people? How many more people were killed by cars on pavements than cyclists on pavements? (
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/uk_accident_statistics_for_pedes,
http://www.publications.parliament....d/cm090126/text/90126w0003.htm#09012627000041)
This is NO EXCUSE for having no lights or for riding on the pavement, but I would prefer some sense of perspective when you look at the bigger picture.
Car drivers need to face up to the fact that they routinely cause thousands of deaths a year amongst themselves as well as others and seem to accept this in order to keep their cars and traffic flowing...
Which is more silly? No lights or the lemming car drivers?
You are welcome to your opinion and you will have sparked some comments.
The one thing we share in common with this incident is the belief they should have lights on their bike.
Anything beyond that is asking the cyclist to cover the shortfall for inattentive routinely speeding drivers who won't see you anyway...
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