New cycling infrastructure - a noteworthy obstacle is cyclists themselves, apparently.

[wiggydiggy]

In Leeds they've nearly finished a fully segregated bi-direction cycle route down this road. I'll take a picture next time I'm down that way.

Its a massive help as Leeds has been on an anti-car (good!) trip lately and lot of roads have been closed to private traffic meaning the few that are left open like this one are very busy.

The segregation is on the left and takes up the space previously occupied by these parked cars: https://maps.app.goo.gl/THxkQLBraivSNEgc7

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When you get shared cylelanes with pedestrians
or even the ones with a white line down the middle which the pedestrians generally ignore

then they are not really much use except for people who are just nipping out for a nice leaisure ride or something

If you had a road where people were generally to be expected to be wandering around aimless on it then there would be uproar
but for a cycle lane it is just accepted

TBF they are good and useful - jsut not as good or usable as some drivers seem to think!

I also seem to remember that there is a highest advised speed when using them
and I also seem to remember thinking "yea Gods that's fast with pedestrians a few inches away from you!!"

 

[YMFB]

Oh, top trumps, eh?

In that case please allow my to show you my Lamborhini Countach card - I'm a retired copper who used to teach advanced driving. That's proper advanded driving to coppers, not the watered down civilian 'advanded" which is actually a lower level than police "standard".

Indeed, I was taught to drive by my Dad who was a RoSPA instructor and I was a civilian gold certificate holder before I'd even passed my driving test (my first test was cancelled due to fog so the observation drive I had booked for soon after actually took place on L plates, dual carriageway taking the place of the motorway for this purpose.)

The most dangerous sector of driving society, in terms of the disproportionate number of smacks they have compared to their numbers, is the under 30s. They ace the over 70s by some margin, so if we're using the likelihood of of a driver having a smack as a yardstick then the under 30s should be retested every two years first.

I would agree that anyone who drives for work above and beyond simply driving themselves from A to B should hold a professional licence, with strict training to obtain it and penalties for abusing it. It's a nonsense that some of the worst drivers are "professionals", but hardly surprising seeing as they're some of the worst paid out there. Businesses aren't likely to attract either top talent or conscientious characters for the abysmal salaries drivers earn.

As a retired police officer you should understand that continuous assessment and training is required to maintain the required standard. The Police motorcycle riders I have worked with are clearly highly trained and excellent riders. The RoSPA examiners are almost exclusively retired police officers who give their time to help others.

Having cycled 55 miles today in Wiltshire and Hampshire including and one short section of shared footpath and cycle path i maintain that a large proportion of the car drivers do not understand the Hierarchy of road users.

I maintain a multi faceted approach is require, training is part of that, but so is physical separation of vunerable road users from vehicles.

 

[classic33]

Having cycled 55 miles today in Wiltshire and Hampshire including and one short section of shared footpath and cycle path i maintain that a large proportion of the car drivers do not understand the Hierarchy of road users.

I maintain a multi faceted approach is require, training is part of that, but so is physical separation of vunerable road users from vehicles.

Part of the problem/issue is that some driving instructors are passing on their bad habits to those under their instruction. There's a large, well known in these parts, driving school whose instructors could do with being retested. Ignoring ASL's/bike boxes and clear road signage. Signs as simple as No U-Turns, No Entry and directional signage. Some are even selling outdated copies of the Highway Code. I've reported two of them for what they are doing.

Physical separation of road users doesn't work though. There's more vehicles parking up on footpaths, simply because the drivers feel entitled to do so.
Drivers need to realise that we as cyclists aren't getting in the way/slowing traffic down, we are part of the same traffic as they are. Build segregated facilities and you reinforce that perception. Why are there no calls for motorists to use the facilities that were built for their benefit, motorways?
Cyclists are removed from the equation, so some of those using them seek another group using the same roads to blame.