How Do You Deal With Traffic Coming From Behind?

[kayakerles]

...And then give a cheery wave to those that do treat you with respect. Its a nice feel good thing, and they'll be more inclined to continue to drive sensibly. If its a local road the odds are they'll encounter you again, so all the more reason to foster good relationships with other road users.

I might also add, if you are NOT treated with respect, try not to instantly turn into a snarling, finger-flipping, yelling/face-making beast. It will only get you and/or other cyclists treated as poorly or worse. It's smart for us to stay the high road. 👍

 

[PaulSB]

I don't see it as "coping" with traffic in any shape or form. It's simply a question of riding in a safe and aware manner for any given situation. Instinctive really. Ride a metre from the kerb and in most situations one is in a safe position which requires drivers to pass in a sensible manner - which most do. It's also a position which effectively "takes the lane" where the road narrows for any number of reasons.

Shoulder checking is instinctive.

If I felt I had to "cope" with other road users I'd probably give up.

 

[Mo1959]

I might also add, if you are NOT treated with respect, try not to instantly turn into a snarling, finger-flipping, yelling/face-making beast. It will only get you and/or other cyclists treated as poorly or worse. It's smart for us to stay the high road. 👍

Easier said than done when you get a fright though.

Most days I’m fine, just tootling along roughly a metre from the side and listening and shoulder checking, but for so reason I occasionally get this fear that the vehicle I can hear coming up behind me might have a driver that’s not paying attention or looking at a phone or something and will plough into me. I know it’s silly and try and stop myself thinking like that.

 

[DaveReading]

I know it’s silly and try and stop myself thinking like that.

Not silly at all - we know it happens and in the end we just have to trust motorists (up to a point) and hope our faith is justified.

 

[Slick]

Easier said than done when you get a fright though.

Most days I’m fine, just tootling along roughly a metre from the side and listening and shoulder checking, but for so reason I occasionally get this fear that the vehicle I can hear coming up behind me might have a driver that’s not paying attention or looking at a phone or something and will plough into me. I know it’s silly and try and stop myself thinking like that.

Not silly at all Mo, I get the same fear when I can see an approaching traffic island and I can hear the roar of an engine when the driver obviously hasn't and I wonder which obstruction they will decide is least likely to cause them harm.

 

[DRM]

Conservative estimate is one in seven vehicles, which shouldn't be on the road for at least one of those reasons.

Mate of mine used to be a Special Constable, in Bradford, he told me that one weekend he was asked to accompany a traffic officer on duty around the city, apparently the ANPR was pinging so often that it was impossible to pull them all over for a chat as there was so many, the outcome was that he refused point blank to take his own car into Bradford, as it wasn’t worth the risk of being hit by an illegal driver/vehicle.
This is going back to around 2005.

 

[DRM]

I might also add, if you are NOT treated with respect, try not to instantly turn into a snarling, finger-flipping, yelling/face-making beast. It will only get you and/or other cyclists treated as poorly or worse. It's smart for us to stay the high road. 👍

I’ll give considerate drivers of a wave of thanks all the time, it doesn’t hurt and costs nothing, however unless it’s a downright dangerous manoeuvre it’s not worth spoiling a ride to start shouting and bawling at them

 

[fossyant]

Sounds like you are doing the right thing. I'm just getting back on the road bikes after a major injury caused by a driver, and I usually pick quieter roads now. I was a city centre urban commuter, no more though.

If there is a big truck coming up, I'll get out the way where safe to let them pass. Smaller lanes I'll ride primary where needed, especially blind bends.

Its so much nicer for road riding in North Wales than South Manchester .

I'm making good use of the Garmin Explore for avoiding major roads in North Wales. Yesterday I went through a farm yard and over a cattle bridge to cross the A55 .

 

[Lovacott]

Even the drivers who come out with that know it’s bollocks.

A couple of the blokes at work keep banging on about the no tax and insurance thing and how unfair it is that I can buy a tax free bike on the CTW scheme.

They can't seem to grasp the fact that my taxed and insured car is not on the roads when I'm on my bike.

The other one I keep hearing is how dangerous cyclists are because they ignore the road rules and cause accidents all over the place.

Meanwhile, a poor bloke was killed on his bike two weeks ago only 500 yards from my house.

Local gossip is that the 22 year old driver had no tax or insurance and was coked up.

Bideford Cyclist Killed. 22 Year Old Arrested.

 

[snorri]

A couple of the blokes at work keep banging on about the no tax and insurance thing and how unfair it is that I can buy a tax free bike on the CTW scheme.
The other one I keep hearing is how dangerous cyclists are because they ignore the road rules and cause accidents all over the place.

It really is a waste of time and energy arguing these two points, many private motorists feel hard done by when in fact private motoring is subsidised from general taxation. Or put another way, tax payers who do not drive or own a car are subsidising those who do.
It is probably best to simply ask these "blokes" for data to back up their claims and say you will not engage in pointless argument until they present you with the data and references as to where it was obtained from.
You'll wait a long time.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A couple of the blokes at work keep banging on about the no tax and insurance thing and how unfair it is that I can buy a tax free bike on the CTW scheme.

They can't seem to grasp the fact that my taxed and insured car is not on the roads when I'm on my bike.

The other one I keep hearing is how dangerous cyclists are because they ignore the road rules and cause accidents all over the place.

Meanwhile, a poor bloke was killed on his bike two weeks ago only 500 yards from my house.

Local gossip is that the 22 year old driver had no tax or insurance and was coked up.

Bideford Cyclist Killed. 22 Year Old Arrested.

Ask them if they leave their cars parked on the road. Ask them how much they pay to obstruct that part of the road. Tell them the cost of the bit of road they are hogging is about £6,000. Tell them their annual tax should be £6,000 per year just for that parking privilege. Ask them how much tax they pay for their car. Then tut tut tut, express shock at how much you are subsidising them to obstruct roads 99% of the time.

 

[PaulSB]

Ask them if they leave their cars parked on the road. Ask them how much they pay to obstruct that part of the road. Tell them the cost of the bit of road they are hogging is about £6,000. Tell them their annual tax should be £6,000 per year just for that parking privilege. Ask them how much tax they pay for their car. Then tut tut tut, express shock at how much you are subsidising them to obstruct roads 99% of the time.

Can I ask where the £6000 figure comes from? It's an interesting point I've never heard before. Do you have a link please?

 

[Bazzer]

A couple of the blokes at work keep banging on about the no tax and insurance thing and how unfair it is that I can buy a tax free bike on the CTW scheme.

They can't seem to grasp the fact that my taxed and insured car is not on the roads when I'm on my bike.

The other one I keep hearing is how dangerous cyclists are because they ignore the road rules and cause accidents all over the place.

Meanwhile, a poor bloke was killed on his bike two weeks ago only 500 yards from my house.

Local gossip is that the 22 year old driver had no tax or insurance and was coked up.

Bideford Cyclist Killed. 22 Year Old Arrested.

To add to the earlier responses to your comments, not all drivers pay VED. Neither of the cars registered in my name are eligible to pay VED; both are specifically exempt.
Your colleagues are presumably content with other Government tax breaks available to all such as ISAs and could avail themselves of the CTW, should they meet the criteria.
Edited to add: Should your employer install an electric car charging point at, or near, your normal place of employment, your colleagues presumably would be happy to accept the current status, that no benefit in kind arose for electricity provided, even if the mileage on cars charged at the point was for getting to and from work, i.e. private mileage.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Can I ask where the £6000 figure comes from? It's an interesting point I've never heard before. Do you have a link please?

Department of transport publish the cost of building roads of various types. from that you can calculate the cost of a bit of road roughly 4m by 2m occupied by a parked car. Sorry don’t have a link to hand as it’s something I saw a couple of years ago.

 

[PaulSB]

Department of transport publish the cost of building roads of various types. from that you can calculate the cost of a bit of road roughly 4m by 2m occupied by a parked car. Sorry don’t have a link to hand as it’s something I saw a couple of years ago.

Thank you.