Police Acknowledge Drivers at Fault - So Hand Out Hi-Viz!

[simon.r]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. A quote from a BBC News article talking about the increase in 'serious cycle crashes':

"Officers said in two-thirds of cases, vehicle drivers were at fault and have begun a series of events to hand out high-visibility equipment to cyclists."

So, we have an acknowledgement that in the majority of cases vehicle drivers were at fault. And the response is obviously not to address that issue, but to 'educate' cyclists.

Oh dear...

 

[400bhp]

It's acknowledgement so it's start.

 

[oldfatfool]

Would be interesting to know how many of the cyclists involved where already wearing Hi-viz.

 

[Red Light]

Next week they're handing out chasity belts to women in their drive to cut rapes in Nottingham

 

[Boris Bajic]

I see no reason to mock the action of the police in this article.

They note the KSI figures and note some of the causes.

They are not in a position to eliminate human error or momentary inattention.

Why not, then, address what they are in a position to address while also raising the issue of looking out for cyclists.

This isn't the perfect solution that will end all death and misery at a stroke, but it is (as 400bhp says) an acknowledgement and it is something rather than nothing.

The questionable taste of the chastity-belt comment is in keeping with its inapplicability in this instance. Drivers who wallop cyclists (as quite a few have walloped me) tend not to have violent assault as a motive. Every time I've been hit or forced off the road through the fault of another, it's been because the driver was unaware of my presence or had misjudged my speed.

 

[redcard]

It's acknowledgement so it's start.

It's a start? Is that the stage we're at?

 

[Scoosh]

I believe what they should be doing is starting a national media awareness campaign to re-educate drivers of all vehicles to be prepared for, watch out for, give room to and be courteous towards all cyclists - pedal and motor.

It's only when a national campaign (in the manner of drink driving) is pursued will we see a change in drivers' attitudes. It's the attitudes which are the key in almost all incidents reported here and on vids etc.

Oh - and anyone causing death/injury while in charge of a car or other vehicle should be charged with using an offensive weapon.

<Rant mode over>

<almost>

 

[derrick]

You wil never educate bad drivers, you may be able to make some more aware, but at the end of the day the goverment will never spend enough to make it safe for cyclist,

 

[MontyVeda]

'it's a start' is one way of looking at it, but 'a start' of what?

"I didn't see the cyclist because he wasn't wearing hi-viz officer."

the start of shifting the blame?

 

[ufkacbln]

The problem is not whether the rider is wearing HiViz or not!

All the research shows that he problems are due to:

The driver failed to look at all
The driver looked but did not actually "see"
Th driver looked, saw and then failed to drive appropriately

 

[Recycler]

The problem is not whether the rider is wearing HiViz or not!

All the research shows that he problems are due to:

The driver failed to look at all
The driver looked but did not actually "see"
Th driver looked, saw and then failed to drive appropriately

Do you have a link for that research? I would be interested to see it.

 

[Recycler]

I believe what they should be doing is starting a national media awareness campaign to re-educate drivers of all vehicles to be prepared for, watch out for, give room to and be courteous towards all cyclists - pedal and motor.

The "Think bike" campaign has been running for some time now.

 

[Linford]

The problem is not whether the rider is wearing HiViz or not!

All the research shows that he problems are due to:

The driver failed to look at all
The driver looked but did not actually "see"
Th driver looked, saw and then failed to drive appropriately

I would tend to agree on this point, but I would say that when drivers do have their eyes open, the high viz does put that person up on the radar a smidge earlier.

 

[Poacher]

The problem won't be solved by hi-vis, and it isn't always due to the driver being unaware of the cyclist's presence or misjudging their speed. Some incidents are caused by active aggression on the part of the driver, such as the one who took great exception to my riding on the road (at ~22 mph) in preference to the parallel cycle farcility last Friday, and tried to run me into the kerb. I'll try to attend one of the Notts police's events and ask a few pointed questions. If I can get some sort of commitment from them to take the problem seriously, I'll probably invest in a camera and try to get some of these prats banned from driving (not that being banned actually stops them, but it might just lead to a more realistic penalty). Just think, if we can get the idiots off the road, it'll end congestion!

 

[roadracerash1]

We need a complete overhaul on the driving theory and test on the "vulnerable road users" section in my opinion. I think too many people have misconceptions of cyclists and they have issues with... should they be on the road? If i cycle on the road motorists ridicule you. If you cycle on the pavement you are braking the law. We just have to put up with morons on the road basically. I have bike lights, pedal reflectors (unfortunately ) , pay road tax on my vehicles, have 3rd party insurance for bicycles and follow the highway code. Don't we have every right to be on the road as well?