Saddened by ninja

[Davidsw8]

Any stats to back up your popularist opinion or have you just been reading the Express?

lol, how dare you!

No stats whatsoever, just anecdotal evidence based on my own cycling round London twice a day, every day.

 

[Recycle]

The vast majority of motorists do get insurance, do not talk on mobiles, do not jump red lights, do turn their lights on, do clean their windows - the minority who do not are antisocial law breakers, just as are minority of cycling ninjas. But no reasonable law abiding motorist would dream of defending the antisocial motoring law breaker as you defend the cycling ninja.

Mmmm!
There are many electronic speed checking devices spread around most cities. Spend just 5 min at anyone that monitors a busy road and you will find that motorists disregard the speed limit in greater numbers (and proportion) than cyclists jump lights.
Wales recently had a blitz on motorists using mobile phones and netted 1000 with little effort. It's estimated that those fined for the offence only represent about 5% of those doing it.
Drunk driving accounts for about 30% of casualties which is an indication that it is routine practice since that measurement is also only a fraction of offenders.

I dislike defending cyclists breaking the law, but they are only doing what ALL road users are doing, just in a more visible way.

 

[Davidsw8]

You will have to excuse me if I don't take it seriously then.

Adrian, I didn't expect you would

 

[Dilbert]

Show me the newspaper columnists arguing that, if motorists want to be taken seriously on our roads, they need to put their house in order.

There won't be one for the reasons I described above, there just is not an sense of 'drivers' in that manner within the popularon at large, because so many of that group are drivers. IMHO the perception of drivers as a group only exists within non-driver road user groups.

Back to the topic:

Its not just car drivers we are lighting up for, its other cyclists, peds, horse riders etc.

As we live in democracy which is heavily dependent on cars/in love with cars, we can only hope to improve the lot of cyclists by breaking down stereotypes and trying to push for change that can be presented as benifit to the majority of the population. Getting the RVLR modified to exempt cycles is not going to happen, and trying would just reinforce the stereotype of cyclists, held by many drivers,as lawless hooligans who think the own the roads.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

I remember when I was a much younger cyclist I used to fit lights because it was the law,nowadays I fit the best I can manage due to the fact I want to be seen.

So different now,lighting technology is so much better/cheaper.

 

[400bhp]

Show me the newspaper columnists arguing that, if motorists want to be taken seriously on our roads, they need to put their house in order.

Come on Adrian, this is ridiculous. Newspapers as you well know often don't reflect reality.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

Motorists taken serious on the roads?

They almost own the roads.

 

[Recycle]

People don't think of themselves as drivers in the same they think about cyclists as a group (from both sides of the fence).
A view discussed and shared by a group of cycling buddies over dinner on saturday

You've been drinking the Kool-Aid.

 

[400bhp]

Popular opinion would also have us think that many things in life cause cancer and that immigrants are responsible for 99% of the country's ills.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

I remember when I was a much younger cyclist I used to fit lights because it was the law,nowadays I fit the best I can manage due to the fact I want to be seen.

So different now,lighting technology is so much better/cheaper.

Unfortunately we're in a a lighting arms race at the moment due to the creeping implementation of daytime running lights, which has become an excuse for the use of 24 hour fog lights. On top of this bi-xenon lights are on the increase too

 

[400bhp]

Oh, sorry.

Car drivers = nasty

cyclists = holier than thou

That better?

 

[Recycle]

No it is not ridiculous. The reality is that drivers and cyclists, being people, are both as likely to behave badly in our roads but we have a polularist opinion that it is true of cyclists with no corresponding opinion for drivers. This popularist opinion is fueled in part by influential newspaper columnists.

Motorists not only make up the majority of opinion, but you would struggle to find any one of them who speeds or uses a mobile phone behind the wheel, who doesn't regard himself as an above average reasonable law abiding motorist. None would ever consider their actions to be anti-social, and if pushed would defend themselves in much the same way a RLJ cyclist does.

 

[Miquel In De Rain]

I dislike ninja cars or cars with one headlight out.

 

[Davidsw8]

Motorists not only make up the majority of opinion, but you would struggle to find any one of them who speeds or uses a mobile phone behind the wheel, who doesn't regard himself as an above average reasonable law abiding motorist. None would ever consider their actions to be anti-social, and if pushed would defend themselves in much the same way a RLJ cyclist does.

People do whatever they can get away with IMO and cyclists can get away with a lot more than motorists can.

I'd be curious to know what the percentage of motorists who, as standard behaviour, RLJ or use their mobile phone while driving is compared to cyclists who RLJ, ride light-less or pavement cycle every time they get on their bike is.

 

[Recycle]

I'd be curious to know what the percentage of motorists who, as standard behaviour, RLJ or use their mobile phone while driving is compared to cyclists who RLJ, ride light-less or pavement cycle every time they get on their bike is.

As I said in an earlier post. If you want a sample of law breaking frequency, just spend 5 min watching an electronic speed checking device. You'll get your answer.