Update - Speed Awareness Course

[Graham O]

Following the thread earlier this week about the antics of people attending the local Speed Awareness Course, I've had a chance to speak to the team running the course. They have identified the main problem with the car/bike interface is that most car drivers don't have enough experience of bikes.

Many youngsters no longer ride very much as kids and it is only in recent years that cycling has been growing, rather than declining. The government also introduces new ideas such as advance stop lines, toucan crossings etc but does nothing to inform current drivers of what these mean. They leave it to self education which means that few take the trouble to learn what it means.

For those of us in our '40's, we grew up when most kids rode and the parental taxi service was unknown. Cycling has been part of our lives and we know how to respond to cyclists on the road. Modern youngsters have only their driving tuition to rely on and that is lacking. I recently read the Highway Code and was surprised to find no mention of leaving 6 foot when passing a cyclist, (or I couldn't find it).

Gone are the days when, as a kid, my dad took me to see the workers leaving Portsmouth Dockyard. 8000 cyclists came out en-masse. Even buses gave way to that many!

 

[LLB]

Following the thread earlier this week about the antics of people attending the local Speed Awareness Course, I've had a chance to speak to the team running the course. They have identified the main problem with the car/bike interface is that most car drivers don't have enough experience of bikes.

Many youngsters no longer ride very much as kids and it is only in recent years that cycling has been growing, rather than declining. The government also introduces new ideas such as advance stop lines, toucan crossings etc but does nothing to inform current drivers of what these mean. They leave it to self education which means that few take the trouble to learn what it means.

For those of us in our '40's, we grew up when most kids rode and the parental taxi service was unknown. Cycling has been part of our lives and we know how to respond to cyclists on the road. Modern youngsters have only their driving tuition to rely on and that is lacking. I recently read the Highway Code and was surprised to find no mention of leaving 6 foot when passing a cyclist, (or I couldn't find it).

Gone are the days when, as a kid, my dad took me to see the workers leaving Portsmouth Dockyard. 8000 cyclists came out en-masse. Even buses gave way to that many!

Would agree with these findings. Many drivers have little experience outside just driving cars, and many who did forget what it was like to cycle or were riding oblivious to the dangers to themselves by their ignorant behaviour, and have since carried into their cars.

 

[PBancroft]

For those of us in our '40's, we grew up when most kids rode and the parental taxi service was unknown. Cycling has been part of our lives and we know how to respond to cyclists on the road. Modern youngsters have only their driving tuition to rely on and that is lacking. I recently read the Highway Code and was surprised to find no mention of leaving 6 foot when passing a cyclist, (or I couldn't find it).

It does say to give as much room to a cyclist as you would a car... the problem is many cars pass bloody close to each other.

Slightly off topic, did anyone see that Andrew Marr show about Britain from the air? Very revealing about the problem of widening roads etc. which, if it was doable, I think would solve a lot of the near pass issues.