Cyclists that ignore road etiquette and the highway code

[gaz]

Gaz!

Hello. I am a sound engineer, and thus I am really anal about such things, and I have been biting my tongue for too long over this!

Please get a pop shield for recording your voiceovers.
http://www.maplin.co...op-shield-31676

There, got it out of my system

Is it sill bugging you on the latest ones?
at first i was using the internal mic on the computer, which would explain the poor quality, on the more recent ones i'm using a headset. I may invest in a better microphone full stop when i upgrade my computer in a few weeks.

 

[Dan B]

Exactly. It comes down to "people like us" (who get excused their misdemanours on a 'it could have been me/there but for he grace of god' basis) vs "people not like us" (whose crimes are committed because they're scum)

 

[BSRU]

Is it sill bugging you on the latest ones?
at first i was using the internal mic on the computer, which would explain the poor quality, on the more recent ones i'm using a headset. I may invest in a better microphone full stop when i upgrade my computer in a few weeks.

Can you get Brian Blessed to do the voice over's?

 

[BentMikey]

This article comes to mind for the OP:

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/so...bikers-pushing-their-luck-20110603-1fl1p.html

 

[wiggydiggy]

................
Have you ever responded to such wayward cyclists? I've often been tempted to shout out "THE RED LIGHT'S FOR YOU TOO!", but I confess to being too timid to say anything, even though I know I should.

Greg

No never and I dont think you should either. If they have a death wish then so be it and whilst on the road I'd rather concentrate on making sure I am safe, well positioned and paying attention to traffic around me than trying to change the attitude of others. I think by concentrating on cycling safely myself I am doing more good than shouting at whatever the latest wally is doing.

This article comes to mind for the OP:

http://www.theage.co...0603-1fl1p.html

I think thats a bit tongue in cheek rather than a honest to god vitriolic attack? Some of it rings true though....

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

This article comes to mind for the OP:
http://www.theage.co...0603-1fl1p.html

Brilliant!

 

[Red Light]

If they have a death wish then so be it

Its hardly a death wish. Its typically treating the junction as any pedestrian would and going if the way is clear. The stats for London show the number of cyclists being killed running a red light is very low and about a third less than the number killed by red light running cars. It has also been suggested by the Times that their unwillingness to cross on red is the reason why so many more women than men are killed on bikes in London despite there being many more male cyclists than female. Personally I always obey the lights but making out those who don't are on a death wish is misleading. Even our Prime Minister and Mayor of London are known to take a flexible approach to red lights when cycling.

 

[BentMikey]

I think thats a bit tongue in cheek rather than a honest to god vitriolic attack? Some of it rings true though....

No really?

 

[BentMikey]

Its hardly a death wish. Its typically treating the junction as any pedestrian would and going if the way is clear. The stats for London show the number of cyclists being killed running a red light is very low and about a third less than the number killed by red light running cars. It has also been suggested by the Times that their unwillingness to cross on red is the reason why so many more women than men are killed on bikes in London despite there being many more male cyclists than female. Personally I always obey the lights but making out those who don't are on a death wish is misleading. Even our Prime Minister and Mayor of London are known to take a flexible approach to red lights when cycling.

I'm with Redlight - risky cycling behaviour doesn't lead to mass death. Someone posted a study supporting this a while ago, anyone still have the linky?

 

[Midnight]

I see RLJers and aggressive pavement cycling every day, and often wondered whether or not I should say something, but I don't say anything because I suspect that if I did then I'd probably just get a mouthful of abuse in return. The pavement cyclists tend to be chavs on BSO's, but the RLJers I see are old enough to know what a red light means, and often wearing all the gear. So are they likely change their ways just because I say something? I think not!

I always stop behind the lights, and within the ASL if there is one, not just because that's the legal thing to do, but because IMO it's the also the safest place to stop. There are those who think they can get through a red safely, but I don't share that opinion regardless of statistics. I also hope that in doing so I can show motorists that not all cyclists are the same, bust as Downfader says, I suspect that most people only notice the bad ones.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Its hardly a death wish. Its typically treating the junction as any pedestrian would and going if the way is clear. The stats for London show the number of cyclists being killed running a red light is very low and about a third less than the number killed by red light running cars. It has also been suggested by the Times that their unwillingness to cross on red is the reason why so many more women than men are killed on bikes in London despite there being many more male cyclists than female. Personally I always obey the lights but making out those who don't are on a death wish is misleading. Even our Prime Minister and Mayor of London are known to take a flexible approach to red lights when cycling.

Judging by the behaviour displayed both in front of my own eyes and from the many vids available out there I'm happy with my impression that a lot of the people that ignore road etiqutte and the highway code do want to die as quickly as possible. I'm talking about bad cycling in general not just RLJ which I think often over shadows other bad point of some cyclists e.g. lack of awareness, undertaking, gap-cutting

The women/men divide I've read myself before, theres the times one you mention ( http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1695668.ece ) and one I read describing the same thing ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8296971.stm ) Both of them yes do suggest RLJ can means you avoid the 'crush zone' but to me if its not safe to get to the front, hang back and take a good position.

 

[Red Light]

Judging by the behaviour displayed both in front of my own eyes and from the many vids available out there I'm happy with my impression that a lot of the people that ignore road etiqutte and the highway code do want to die as quickly as possible.

If they do want to die as quickly as possible then they are spectacularly unsuccessful at doing it.

The stats for London over a five year period where TfL research is that about 18% of cyclists RLJ (similar to the percentage for cars and buses) and the resultant deaths are:

• 2 cyclists who died while jumping red lights:
• 7 motorbikers died jumping red lights (one of these collisions also killed a car driver);
• 3 cyclists were killed by drivers jumping red lights;
• 7 pedestrians were killed by drivers jumping red lights;
• 7 people (drivers or passengers) were killed in collisions between two motor vehicles (excluding motorbikes), at least one of which was jumping a red light.

So that's two cyclists succeed in their death wish out of about 1billion cycle journeys over that period. You've about a 100,000 times greater chance of winning the lottery jackpot in that time than you have of being killed red light jumping. If they have a death wish I'd suggest standing outside waiting to be hit by a meteor might be more successful.

 

[wiggydiggy]

If they do want to die as quickly as possible then they are spectacularly unsuccessful at doing it.

The stats for London over a five year period where TfL research is that about 18% of cyclists RLJ (similar to the percentage for cars and buses) and the resultant deaths are:

• 2 cyclists who died while jumping red lights:
• 7 motorbikers died jumping red lights (one of these collisions also killed a car driver);
• 3 cyclists were killed by drivers jumping red lights;
• 7 pedestrians were killed by drivers jumping red lights;
• 7 people (drivers or passengers) were killed in collisions between two motor vehicles (excluding motorbikes), at least one of which was jumping a red light.

So that's two cyclists succeed in their death wish out of about 1billion cycle journeys over that period. You've about a 100,000 times greater chance of winning the lottery jackpot in that time than you have of being killed red light jumping. If they have a death wish I'd suggest standing outside waiting to be hit by a meteor might be more successful.

I've already said I wasnt talking specifically about RLJ but my impression in general of cyclists that display an ignorance to the highway code and road eitiquette in general do seem to be hellbent on their own destruction. I appreciate you taking the time to find those figures, but its just reinforcing the 'fixed on RLJing' view that is becoming prevalent.

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

No really?

Now, now. Not everyone does irony!

 

[mknash]

I usually make a comment to them pointing out that they shouldnt be doing what they are doing.

I try to do this pointedly so that drivers can see me. This is in the hope that if they see other cyclists are annoyed, it will help separate "cyclists" from "bad cyclist" in their heads.

My uncle was actually quite surprised to see a cyclist upbraiding another rider over RLJing once, and that stuck in my mind