How to get along with other drivers

[Garethgas]

Following some rather heated discussions regarding the hatred between motorists and cyclists, I was dismayed to see such worrying attitudes among some posters.
I'm new to this forum and as such am not familiar with the posting style of members so it may well have been tongue in cheek...I don't know.
Anyway, rather than have each thread deteriorate into a slanging match, I was hoping that some of the wiser element could offer some tips on avoiding conflict and promoting safe and happy cycling for all?
There is an enormous wealth of experience on this site so I was hoping to pool our thoughts and opinions.
Not the ones you can read in any of the books but the ones you've found to work for you.
I'll go first with a rather mundane one, but they all help:
Keep primary position to a minimum. A motorist will see when you do/do not have a chance to pull over. Giving way is a sign of courtesy not weakness.

 

[glenn forger]

Fine, hug the gutter, where the broken glass and drain covers lurk, ignore the Government-approved advice and what's taught in all Cycling Proficiency or Bikeability courses.

Good luckl!

 

[Brandane]

Difficult one this, as there are varying cycling styles for varying road conditions. What works for me in the rural area where I live, has to be adjusted when I go to Glasgow, and again when I have cycled in the living hell, which IMHO, is London (not trolling, I just don't like the place).

For example, red light jumping. This might be a crazy irresponsible thing to do at 5pm in Piccadily Circus, and rightly attracts criticism on here. However, am I really causing a problem by turning left on a red light, at 3am, in rural Ayrshire with no other traffic around? I would have no problem with that, and yes I know what the law says.

There are selfish, ignorant, aggressive twonks in cars and lorries. There are also selfish, ignorant, aggressive twonks on bicycles. What I am learning from this forum, after several years, is that a larger proportion of cyclists have a chip on their shoulder about cars and drivers, than drivers have about cyclists. This is not a healthy situation for those cyclists.

 

[sazzaa]

Keep primary position to a minimum. A motorist will see when you do/do not have a chance to pull over. Giving way is a sign of courtesy not weakness.

In my experience most motorists barely even notice what a cyclist's situation is, I take primary as and when required to keep myself safe. I don't weave in and out of parked cars because it's dangerous, a car can wait until they are safe to pass me without me swerving in and putting myself in danger.

 

[Garethgas]

I don't need luck.
After over 50 yrs of cycling, with no incidents of any note, I must be doing something right.
Hugging the gutter is just a term used to imply the rider is in some way timid. My default position is secondary (not in the gutter), but there
are parts of my ride where only primary is safe.
Reading books is all well and good but you have to apply the theory in practice.
Making cheap jibes doesn't add anything to this topic.

 

[glenn forger]

How many miles do you do?

 

[roadrash]

you said
I'm new to this forum and as such am not familiar with the posting style of members so it may well have been tongue in cheek...I don't know

and i cant decide whether your post is serious or not (i hope not)

 

[Garethgas]

In my experience most motorists barely even notice what a cyclist's situation is, I take primary as and when required to keep myself safe. I don't weave in and out of parked cars because it's dangerous, a car can wait until they are safe to pass me without me swerving in and putting myself in danger.

I suppose everybody talks about their own riding areas and the riding style can vary enormously when I'm in a town or rural area. Perhaps I could have worded it better by saying use primary wisely and be aware of other traffic behind you.
I'm not trying to make up my own highway code here, just trying to explain that pulling over to secondary when you can will allow the cars to get ahead without causing frustration.

 

[summerdays]

Fine, hug the gutter, where the broken glass and drain covers lurk, ignore the Government-approved advice and what's taught in all Cycling Proficiency or Bikeability courses.

Good luckl!

Not necessarily agreeing with him but he didn't say he was going to cycle in the gutter, I took his comment to mean that he would cycle in secondary where appropriate (well I suspect that's a slightly generous version, but it is unfair to put words in his mouth).
[edit:actually you have clarified ]

Me I think that you can be nice to motorists (usually helps if they have also been nice to you- and the converse is definitely true), and that a smile often helps both sides rub along. And abiding by the law!

 

[RedRider]

some tips on avoiding conflict and promoting safe and happy cycling for all.

be confident, remember your absolute right to be on the road. Signal intentions ( doesn't need to be an arm signal, can be as simple as changing road position in good time) and be predictable.
For me this means taking a primary position most of the time and at junctions all of the time. I tend towards courtesy so I'll move into secondary to let a car pass if it feels safe to do so.
As an aside, for a period last year I suffered from sciatica which reduced confidence in my cycling ability. I found myself hugging the gutter more and deferring to motorists on the approach to pinch points etc. For the first time ever cycling felt dangerous and I got plenty of close passes. Was a valuable learning experience.

 

[sazzaa]

I suppose everybody talks about their own riding areas and the riding style can vary enormously when I'm in a town or rural area. Perhaps I could have worded it better by saying use primary wisely and be aware of other traffic behind you.
I'm not trying to make up my own highway code here, just trying to explain that pulling over to secondary when you can will allow the cars to get ahead without causing frustration.

Maybe just a case of bad wording. My big issue on my route is a short stretch of 40mph busy dualler, most cyclists seem to hug the gutter on it but when I've tried that cars have zoomed past just inches away from me, (you know, because two lanes means they should both be filled with cars...) so now I take primary. I think one way of not pissing drivers off is just to wait in a queue of traffic sometimes instead of filtering, especially if you're just waiting at red lights for a few seconds, I don't see a huge need for filtering in that situation, it sometimes feels like it's more hassle than it's worth anyway.

 

[Brandane]

Fine, hug the gutter, where the broken glass and drain covers lurk, ignore the Government-approved advice and what's taught in all Cycling Proficiency or Bikeability courses.

Good luckl!

There you go AGAIN, misinterpreting what people have posted, and twisting their words around to suit your agenda.

 

[sazzaa]

Oh, also, giving a gesture to thank drivers when they've been waiting patiently behind you and when they give you loads of room, it's sometimes nice to be nice.

 

[glenn forger]

Primary Position complies with the National Standard for cycle training, which is referenced within the Highway Code.

One of the purposes of primary position is to prevent motorists from attempting to overtake. This is often essential for the safety of both the cyclist and the motorist. The minor inconvenience suffered by a motorist ‘held up’ by a cyclist in primary position is more than compensated for by the safety of both parties.

Cyclists hugging the kerb are vulnerable for a range of reasons. Positioned to the left of traffic, rather than straight in front of it, they are arguably harder for motorists to spot. This applies whether or not the cyclist is wearing a helmet and hi-vis clothing. Keeping close to the kerb can also lead to motorists making the false assumption it is acceptable to pass extremely close to a cyclist, as the majority of the carriageway is left invitingly free.

The road surface next to the kerb is often more uneven, which means that cyclists may have to frequently pull out into oncoming traffic to avoid hazards such as broken glass, potholes, and cars parked next to the kerb. It is safer to remain in primary position, particularly on a busy road, than it is to consistently pull in and out of the gutter into oncoming traffic.

Finally, a worrying cause of fatalities among cyclists is collisions with HGVs and other vehicles turning left at junctions. A cyclist progressing up the inside of a vehicle, even in a cycle lane, may not be seen and if the lights change and a vehicle turns left, the cyclist is immediately in grave danger.

As the Highway Code makes clear, cyclists do not have to stick to cycle lanes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/acti...yclists-must-take-the-middle-of-the-lane.html

 

[roadrash]

no one has more right to use the road than any other road user, i cycle , i drive, i try to be courteous to other road users at all (well most) times, but as ive said before .. there are nobs in all walks of life , cyclists and drivers included