Do you feel that cycling is getting more dangerous

[night cycler]

On 3 separate occasions, I have only just evaded being run in to by cars from the side. One was a car approaching a roundabout far too fast and jumping on the brakes, front end of car in to roundabout.

Another was a car coming straight out of a give way on my right side. I booted the side of that car!!!

The 3rd incident was a car approaching the end of a dual carriageway too fast, he locked the wheels up snd skidded, he got some verbal!

I ride on the footpath as much as reasonably possible now. About 2 weeks ago I was cycling along the cycle lane in slow moving traffic and decent width roads both ways. There was this woman in a car wanting to share the cycle lane with me, both nearside wheels inside the white line.

 

[Slick]

I sometimes think more people seem to give me more space when overtaking, which is good.

Other than that, I feel its much like its always been and we just need to pick our battles carefully.

 

[Drago]

Nope. It's been like Ben Hur for as long as I can remember.

 

[fossyant]

Near Christmas is always risky, even when driving, as most people are dashing about and won't give way, or let people out.

 

[Gwylan]

0830 to 0855 and 1450 to 1530.
School run.
Either to dodge the late mark or need to get Jacarantha to her vegan oregano class.

Do my best to avoid road biking during these times. All the lights and dayglo make no difference to a yummy on a mission.

 

[Jotheboat]

Daft as it sounds, both more and less dangerous.
I do feel that some give me more space and consideration - perhaps they themselves are cyclists.
Others are faster and angrier, apparently in more of a hurry.
It's rare to have a ride where there's not one alarming incident.

 

[Moodyman]

On the whole, I find the roads better. Since the well publicised changes to the Highway Code in 2022, I find motorists more patient and giving more room.

But, there are occasional idiots. I think much depends on your own riding style and preemption of issues.

 

[Punkawallah]

Can’t say as how I have. The general opinion in the cab is that cyclists should be done away with so that traffic can move, but they agree that the MIB follow the Highway Code. However it would be much better if they stuck to the cycle paths, even if those do not go where the cyclists are trying to get to. So it appears that cyclists are seen and recognised, which is an improvement over them not being noticed.
Although I, too, avoid the school run.

 

[Mick Mudd]

Two kinds of people ride bikes, "cyclists" and "pedallers".
We are the sensible cyclists, and the pedallers are not..

A pedaller in action-

 

[Drago]

However it would be much better if they stuck to the cycle paths...

Which would be a lot easier if the cabs weren't using it as a convenient car park while waiting for their social services funded fare at school chucking out time.

 

[a.twiddler]

Nope.

 

[grldtnr]

Nope. It's been like Ben Hur for as long as I can remember.

On the whole, I find the roads better. Since the well publicised changes to the Highway Code in 2022, I find motorists more patient and giving more room.

But, there are occasional idiots. I think much depends on your own riding style and preemption of issues.

Drago, was it ever thus?
Perhaps when I was a mere weanie, back in those halycon days of the late 6o's, when I started to ride, cycling was safer, but then I was not even a teenager, i didn't start to have issues with traffic till much later, into my 20's, by then i was going further & faster by bike.

Moodyman, I suppose it very much depends on where you live,
I cannot agree with you, I do not find motor traffic anymore conscientious & forgiving.
I think the nub of the matter, is that here in Britain, in the suburbs it's too congested, the standard of driving has declined, technically the instruction might well be good, which goes along with the pass standard of the driving test, but that i mean the it is well scrutinised, but the pass rate isnt acceptable & tells a different story ,is a 50% pass rate good enough?

In my day learning to use the roads, 50 yrs ago, we progressed from bike to moped, light motorcycle, big motorcycle to car, a natural learning progression, as much as dictated by means to do so.
Nowadays , Cars are so much more faster ,powerfull , than we ever had, a little runabout has far more power than fast cars of the '60's, even the EV cars have abundance of power.

I think these days, cars are all to easy to drive, many systems do what 'we' used to do to control them. Coupled with the modern drivers, 'learn',....they don't learn , they are taught how to pass the driving test, not pass the standard to pass the test.
It's about time, drivers of cars had to complete the same modules as motorcyclist, , and a specific part be included about cycling,,getting a motorcycle licence is much tougher than a car licence.

It's a been a long rant, I've had a good long squwark, I 'll settle down and chew on my sunflower seeds.

 

[All uphill]

I feel safer the more assertively I ride. Improving my positioning, early and clear signals, lights on seems to have made a big difference to being seen and treated with respect.

I wear normal clothes and a woolly hat when out. Don't know if that makes a difference to the way I am perceived.

 

[Oldhippy]

No, as @All uphill says perfectly.

 

[Jotheboat]

I feel safer the more assertively I ride. Improving my positioning, early and clear signals, lights on seems to have made a big difference to being seen and treated with respect.

I wear normal clothes and a woolly hat when out. Don't know if that makes a difference to the way I am perceived.

Maybe round you're neck of the woods, but up here, there isn't the respect. If I tried to ride assertively round here I'd either be knocked off to told to **** off fatty.
As I said above, plenty of people do respect cyclists but the ones I feel most at risk from, or I'm the most wary of, are youngish females.