How Drivers Kill Cyclists

[Black Country Ste]

At 2pm on Friday I was cycling south in Pershore Road, Birmingham. Directly into the sun, glare off the wet road, completely blinding me and everybody else. I was seriously concerned about being rear ended or side-swiped.

How is this relevant to mobiles? Well, was anybody texting? I don't know, visibility was about 50ft. That's fifty feet farther than somebody distracted by their phone.

 

[summerdays]

I wish a cycling police officer would ride up the traffic and issue some penalty notices.

Just spotted the following via twitter:

So I'd rather it wasn't a special day but still better than nothing, it will be interesting to see how many he gets!

 

[Arjimlad]

I tweeted the general A&S Police account about it & they did ask me where I had in mind... so maybe something will be done..

 

[theFire]

I saw a Cycling Met Police officer pull over a driver for being on the phone recently:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c__KMtE9JpY


Made me smile, wish they'd do it more.

 

[Recycle]

Do you have any videos of cyclists with no lights at night? Of that guy who was killed the other day RLJ ing? I think we get too fixated on what others are doing while large swathes of our own brethren are doing nothing to help themselves.

I fixate on drivers because the twat using a mobile phone behind the wheel will kill me. The twat cycling without lights will kill himself.

 

[benb]

I fixate on drivers because the twat using a mobile phone behind the wheel will kill me. The twat cycling without lights will kill himself.

Quite.
Anyone who thinks driving whilst on the phone is in any way equivalent with doing the same thing when cycling is flat wrong.

 

[Feastie]

Ironically had this happen to me the other day, but I was actually in a car myself. Trying to pull into the "slow" lane on the motorway to come off at the next junction but it was quite solid traffic already despite being nearly 1 mile away, so indicate in the hope that somebody might let me in. I see the car behind seems to have stopped to let me over, for a few seconds now, in the way you would if you were letting another car in. Amazing. Wave thanks, pull in and then suddenly the car tries to take me out, with a narrow miss on that one.

Sooo they didn't stop to let me in, they had stopped to text on their phone and just not realised the traffic ahead had moved forward!! They then continued to text the whole of the time they were behind me!

 

[summerdays]

Ironically had this happen to me the other day, but I was actually in a car myself. Trying to pull into the "slow" lane on the motorway to come off at the next junction but it was quite solid traffic already despite being nearly 1 mile away, so indicate in the hope that somebody might let me in. I see the car behind seems to have stopped to let me over, for a few seconds now, in the way you would if you were letting another car in. Amazing. Wave thanks, pull in and then suddenly the car tries to take me out, with a narrow miss on that one.

Sooo they didn't stop to let me in, they had stopped to text on their phone and just not realised the traffic ahead had moved forward!! They then continued to text the whole of the time they were behind me!

I was in the car with Mr Summerdays in heavy traffic (Aztec Roundabout nearing 4 pm for the locals), and a car suddenly changed lanes into the slight space ahead of us without indicating at all. Thought nothing more of it until he repeated the same manoeuvre at the next roundabout to get into the lane for joining the roundabout, so as he was now beside us I could see one arm was draped across the steering wheel and the other glued to his ear so that explained the lack of signals, he didn't have a hand free. Last I saw he was joining the M5 still on the phone!

Today's commute not icy, and fine really apart from 2 cars who had to overtake to stop at the traffic lights immediately in front, so I immediately re overtook them to get into the box. Apart from anything that junction is slightly uphill so I prefer to get as near the top of it before the lights change. Plus I was making the point about completely pointless overtakes!

 

[andyfraser]

Today's commute not icy, and fine really apart from 2 cars who had to overtake to stop at the traffic lights immediately in front, so I immediately re overtook them to get into the box. Apart from anything that junction is slightly uphill so I prefer to get as near the top of it before the lights change. Plus I was making the point about completely pointless overtakes!

I hate that. There are two places on my commute home that are slightly downhill and 30 mph zones and I can hold 25 - 28 mph going down them. The first one has some semi-blind curves. Even though I'm near the speed limit, and take primary through the first area, and am not holding anyone up, every vehicle, without fail, has to pass me.

They'll all be breaking the speed limit for starters and I'm surprised there aren't any accidents. The other night three vehicles, two cars and van, came passed together with virtually no space between them. If the front car had to stop quickly there'd have been a pile up.