Cyclist Dies

[User]

 

[gavintc]

Sad, whatever the set of circumstances. I always feel a shiver when I read that a cyclist is dead. RIP.

 

[amnesia]

A 76 year old man died on a busy DC near me last Sunday whilst taking part in a TT.
He rode into the back of a broken down car.

Whilst I suspect it was entirely his own fault, it still hits home when it's on a road I use at least once a week.


R.I.P.

http://www.bournemou..._trial_tragedy/

 

[mcshroom]

It is definitely sad.

It was on the local news here (Border) last night and the footage they showed was of a sharp bend with hedges (single lane). That may have not been the crash site itself though as there was just a police van going round it.

I ride roads like that every day, and the drivers can get overconfident on them if they are local (and bloody lethal when rat-running!

). Riding primary helps but it is always a good idea to keep your wits about you on them as often the drivers aren't expecting anything coming the other way.

 

[HLaB]

RIP

 

[PBancroft]

Hardly makes the news but as it is only a few miles from where I live and a road I often cycle, I suppose it has a little more meaning to me. Does any one else find it shocking what little interest the media gives to the carnage on our roads.

Yes, actually. Unfortunately with news media variety is the spice of life. Rail accidents happen comparatively very rarely, so they have more "shock" value. "Accidents" on roads happen all the time and media (if not the public) get bored of them. They're old hat. It's a bit like the idea that good news doesn't sell - it doesn't, and neither does bad news most people would expect to hear.

Very, very sad.

 

[Over The Hill]

When I was young I was an idiot on the road and drove to fast. Now older and wiser I actually drive quite slowly and carefully but am amazed at the antics of others. Cars have got a lot faster in recent years and are very insulated from the outside world. I think there is a general attitude of "I will be OK" if they hit anythign with all the airbags and safety stuff on a car now.

That then seems to allow them to ignore the daily carnage on our roads. It seems to be put down to bad luck rather than bad driving.
Unfortunately cyclists seem to always come off badly being so exposed and often not seen.

 

[numbnuts]

RIP

 

[amnesia]

When I was young I was an idiot on the road and drove to fast. Now older and wiser I actually drive quite slowly and carefully but am amazed at the antics of others. Cars have got a lot faster in recent years and are very insulated from the outside world. I think there is a general attitude of "I will be OK" if they hit anythign with all the airbags and safety stuff on a car now.

That then seems to allow them to ignore the daily carnage on our roads. It seems to be put down to bad luck rather than bad driving.
Unfortunately cyclists seem to always come off badly being so exposed and often not seen.

+1 on this... it was on a motoring program a while ago (5th Gear ?) that Volvo are working to the premise that no-one will die in a Volvo come 2020, they will be that safe, and predict impacts etc. They didn't mention the safety of pedestrians or cyclists though.

In my experience, Volvo drivers drive soooo slowly that they're unlikely to die in a crash now !

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Oh crumbs. Sad. For some reason this year seems to have been particularly bad for cyclists. Or is it that I'm getting (even) more sensitive?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I remember seeing road predictions for the future, and one was that everything would be controlled for you by guidence systems and nobody would ever crash into anyone else ever again.

Which is ok, until you think about what the cyclist would have to do to try and predict and avoid the cars which were once driven by total zombies, but now ARE zombified, guided weapons!

Would they be designed to see and react to other things on the road, therefore making things MASSIVELY safer??

Would bikes have to go the same way, therefore taking all the fun out of it, or would they just get a small receiver fitted so that they come up on the car's 'radar'??

Would we then still be getting abuse about how we slowed their car up??

 

[Cush]

Re-Volvo drivers. I am one because I tow a caravan and have a dog cage in it. So I drive it both loaded and solo. When doing the End to End I noticed that, when I was on a road with passing places, if I was meeting an oncoming car most people waited for me to get up to them. The exception was Volvo drivers and most were middle aged females between mid twentys and early fortys and they would barge through leaving the minimal of room for us to pass each other but those Volvo's with a trailer or caravan on tow waited as did most other drivers.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Car Automation. You know it makes sense!

Never a collision ever again!