road safety

[swee'pea99]

I believe among motorcyclists Volvos are the most feared, driven as they tend to be by smug self-righteous twats who feel invulnerable. I'm surprised at the listings for buses and black cabs - as a daily London rider I find both very safe as a rule. Especially cabbies. Partly because they tend to be good drivers, partly I suspect because accidents are hassle and time-wasted to them, and that costs them money. Oh, and give me inner city riding over country any day. London driving is sane and slow; it's once you hit the suburbs that you get cretinous psychopaths in fast Fords thinking close passes at 50 MPH are a bit of a laugh.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Those flatback/pickup 4x4 objects with chrome roll bars and bull bars with names like animal are dangerous! Usually driven by a thick necked builder or a 5 foot 4 inch bloke who doesn't know what indicators are for!

 

[summerdays]

Motorcyclists for their ability to accelerate very fast but not for any agro, just means that if I'm crossing a road especially the motorway slip road then I need to watch out for them in particular.
Workmen in white vans or pickup trucks, who tend to be on their phone.
Teens especially a car full of them.
Building lorries for their reputation.

But each group has good and bad just like cyclists!

 

[screenman]

The vehicles are not a problem, the drivers maybe but again not all. Yesterday's exciting moment was caused by a person on a bike.

 

[BEHMOTH66]

Any car that pulls up along side you in a ASL and then has the cheek to go over that line too as if the extra 3 meters makes a difference. cars and lorries parked in Cycle lanes

 

[Drago]

Vauxhall Corsa's, usually black in colour and lowered on the suspension.

yes, there's one of those near me, almost had me off a few years ago. If I weren't in the job I do then his car would be suffered an unfortunate accident by now.

 

[vickster]

I believe among motorcyclists Volvos are the most feared, driven as they tend to be by smug self-righteous twats who feel invulnerable. I'm surprised at the listings for buses and black cabs - as a daily London rider I find both very safe as a rule. Especially cabbies. Partly because they tend to be good drivers, partly I suspect because accidents are hassle and time-wasted to them, and that costs them money. Oh, and give me inner city riding over country any day. London driving is sane and slow; it's once you hit the suburbs that you get cretinous psychopaths in fast Fords thinking close passes at 50 MPH are a bit of a laugh.

Maybe in central London, not that I've noticed a plethora of cyclist considerate cabbies or bus drivers. The former are worse, self righteous MGIF merchants, even though they have not much more power than I do on the bike.

Out here in the burbs, buses are similarly driven, except the w@nkers then pull in 100yds after rumbling slowly past. It astonishes me that barely any drivers around here seem to know where the bus stops are on their route or understand the meaning of the bus stopping ping when there's a cyclist to bully. I would say on nearly every ride around here, I have at least one bus which goes past only to stop almost immediately.

That was the best thing about my Xmas morning ride, not one bus on the roads!

 

[John the Monkey]

Between Manchester and Wilmslow, I'd say my heartsink cars are;

1. Audis
Pointless impatience, inattention and agression
2. New shape Minis
Generally inattention, usually due to being on a 'phone, or trying not to spill an enormous cup of coffee.
3. Range Rover Evoques
These people looked at regular Range Rovers, and thought, "Hmm, what I need is one of these, but looking like an elephant sat on it, and a shitty view out the back." A mixture of agression, impatience and inattention is the hallmark of their drivers.
4. Busses
Not all busses, but "Magic Bus" and the school busses run by Bullocks (in Dublin Bus livery, sans the Dublin bus logo) are vehicles you want ahead of you, believe me.
5. Any vehicle whose driver is on the 'phone.
Easier to spot in winter, when the screen lights up their stupid, selfish faces.

 

[sidevalve]

Motorcyclists for their ability to accelerate very fast but not for any agro, just means that if I'm crossing a road especially the motorway slip road then I need to watch out for them in particular.

You cycle across motorway slip roads ?!!!
As for the OP I don't really find any group worse than any other really and yes I'm sorry to say that includes some total d---heads on bicycles. Just assume everybody's a total idiot and you live tend to live longer [and don't get anywhere near so stressed out].

 

[summerdays]

You cycle across motorway slip roads ?!!!

The cycle path cuts across the bottom of the slip road at the roundabout, until the last week or so one side was controlled by lights the other side you had to pick your moments which was normally the gap between the lights changing, but if it was a motorcycle waiting then I knew I didn't have enough time to cross. They have now put in lights on the other side but I'm not sure if it helps due to the deign taking you away from the direction you want to look. And I'm not sure if it will improve on the occasions when you need to cross the lanes through stationary traffic queuing to join the motorway.

 

[theclaud]

Just assume everybody's a total idiot

I see - a sort of projection. It's a wonder it doesn't keep you off the roads altogether.

 

[Crackle]

Anyone with a baseball cap on backwards, anyone who peers through the steering wheel not over it, anyone who wobbles the steering wheel in an unsure way, anyone who doesn't move their head or their arm and looks like they've been glued in the driving seat, anyone towing a farking caravan.…… there may be more… ..the metal box is normally sick pachoderm.

 

[vickster]

I'd also say anyone wearing a hat full stop in a car. A yoof, thug type or old duffer. Why does anyone need to wear a hat in an enclosed car!!??

 

[lee1980sim]

OK my worst one is...funeral processions, they drive just at or just under a steady cycling pace meaning everyone gets backed up and despite me travelling at the same speed as the traffic cars try to pass or ride along side of me so when somethings coming the other way they try to push me to the kerb

 

[John the Monkey]

...that includes some total d---heads on bicycles.

we get those in Manchester too, although I can remember only five or six (I think) that have caused me problems.

And by problems, I mean having to brake when I didn't expect to, or swerve slightly.

Not thinking "Oh my F****** God maybe this is how I die" in the way that I did when one of those Dublin Bus drivers decided to teach me a lesson. Or when an Evoque driver was too busy on his phone to bother giving way to me on a roundabout. Or any number of close passes, tailgating and idiocy from drivers that characterise a bike commute here.