Should cyclists be made to keep off narrow roads?

[John Shingler]

yeah, ban everything.

 

[Idoru]

yeah, ban everything.

Ban everyone instead, much safer.

 

[GrasB]

Situation partially caused by the recent minimum passing distance being introduced.

No a situation that has been in existence for a long time but drivers chose to circumvent by passing at an unsafe distance endangering cyclists.

 

[classic33]

No a situation that has been in existence for a long time but drivers chose to circumvent by passing at an unsafe distance endangering cyclists.

As has been noted, its an Australian site. They are trying to say that they cannot give the legal minimum passing room required on narrow roads.
Solution! is to ban cyclists from narrow roads.

Similar rule is now being sought in Ireland. How long before it gets to these shores?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

That whole statement says to me that the person moaning shouldn't even have a driving licence

Agreed. Authors of letters like these should have their licence suspended and only get it back after a retest and having completed 500 miles of cycling, preferably on narrow roads.

GC

 

[GrasB]

As has been noted, its an Australian site. They are trying to say that they cannot give the legal minimum passing room required on narrow roads.
Solution! is to ban cyclists from narrow roads.

Similar rule is now being sought in Ireland. How long before it gets to these shores?

The situation has always been there. To safely pass a cyclist you have to cross the centre line of the road. The situation hasn't change, it's just the awareness of the situation has been reinforced.

 

[classic33]

Now there's a legal minimum distance they have to give, to cyclists though. Or break the law.

Passing another car would entail crossing the same line. But they're not calling for cars to be banned from using narrow roads.

 

[GrasB]

Now there's a legal minimum distance they have to give, to cyclists though. Or break the law.

Passing another car would entail crossing the same line. But they're not calling for cars to be banned from using narrow roads.

When deciding to pass a cyclist too close a driver had to decide between endangering or not endangering the cyclist. Now they have to chose between endangering the cyclist and breaking the law or to not endanger the cyclist and not break the law.

The law has simply reinforced the problem that they should pass a cyclist on the opposing cartridge way by adding an extra incentive to pass a cyclist properly.

 

[steveindenmark]

Of course we should be banned from narrow roads.

And roads with hills or headwinds.

 

[sackville d]

Of course we should be banned from narrow roads.

And roads with hills or headwinds.

Damn it all man,they`re my favourites!

 

[Mummy3monkeys]

Some car drivers (I do drive!) are reckless and pay no heed to rules of the road anyway, this is just one more reason for those that don't cycle to hate cyclists more!!

 

[simonplatt]

to many motorists we are not considered cyclists, just an obstruction that they have to pass at any cost, the near misses that i have seen when they have overtaken, on or when approaching,
a bend
a hump back bridge
a road junction
a parked vehicle
etc. etc.
i have been run off the road, seen approaching vehicles run off the road,
and after their stupid risks to others and themselves, i have usually caught them up at the next junction. and all on narrow roads.

oh, and tractors and hgv's take up half of the oncoming lane as well as their own. a fork lift bucket appeared from around the bend the other day, it was in front of me in my lane well before the tractor driver could see me.
and....these narrow roads have a national speed limit of 60 mph.

guess who i'd ban.

 

[Cyclist33]

No - BUT they can act responsibly. Is it asking so much to wave a car past when you feel ok for them to pass. They have deadlines to meet and places to go just the same as you do. Bicycles DO NOT have any more right of way than motorists and just because many drivers are ars---es doesn't mean you have to be one too.

I do what you suggest, as it happens, in scenarios where it makes sense to me to do so. But "they have deadlines to meet"?? Come come, how much later do you actually think a driver would be if they had to hang back a bit till it were safe to pass?! The principle would apply equally if a car driver were behind another car driver; the "impatience" argument encourages road rage in all its forms and if you were really concerned about meeting a deadline you would anticipate that bikes, like cars, form part of "traffic" and set out a bit earlier accordingly.

 

[brand]

Some car drivers (I do drive!) are reckless and pay no heed to rules of the road anyway, this is just one more reason for those that don't cycle to hate cyclists more!!

In some ways this say it all. We (cyclist are the enemies of speed....relatively) so we are slowing down everyone else.....spite... ?​

 

[ufkacbln]

Absolutely right - large vehicles NEVER cause problems on narrow roads?


If a road is too narrow for a car to pass a cyclist safely then it is far too narrow for two cars to pass, and the delay in a vehicle reversing to a passing poit is often longer than it takes to pass a cycle making this a greater problem.

These roads should either be closed to traffic or made one way.