Watching an experienced cyclist on our roads

[mjr]

Whether true or not, I have heard it said several times that being "doored" is the single biggest cause of injury and fatality to cyclists.

I doubt that but it's often said to be one of the top five that cyclists can most easily avoid. The other in the top five that cyclists can avoid is failing to stop or give way at junctions.

The remaining three (left hook, right cross and sideswipe) are mainly in the hands of motorists and highways engineers, sadly, and cycle craft tactics can help reduce but not prevent them.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

On street parking here is such that to leave adequate clearance on bike or car means moving to the centre of the opposite lane along a section with restricted visibility and traffic rounding a bend from the other direction at 25-30mph.

If I took the correct position I’d be dead by now. If I waited, as I’ve been told on here I should as failure to do so is aggressive, I would cause serious traffic build up behind me.

I live on a road that is too narrow for cars to be parked on both sides, so their owners park them halfway on the pavement either side and that means that for about 100 yards there is a narrow funnel which is only just big enough to carefully thread a car. Consequently I ride slap bang in the centre of the road, thereby staying out of the doorzone and preventing the occasional ambitious feckwit who'd try to squeeze past if I skimmed the parked cars.

Most drivers give the time to get through there, even though it's up a long hill. I still get the odd nobber who'll come down the hill (passing many opportunities to pull in and wait till I pass) and come right at me to bully me with their SUV. It doesn't work.

Nothing cyclists or drivers can do about such situations other than pass parked cars far to closely.

Ackcherly, drivers could do something about it by not littering valuable road space with their cars. In my road, *every single car* dumped half on the pavement could be in a driveway or garage but they're too feckin' lazy to do that, or they want to 'keep the driveway free for visitors', or the garage is full of shoot they don't have space for in the house but they can't be arsed to clear it out and actually use it for a car.

It's always struck me as bonkers that someone would buy a house with a garage, only to fill it with worthless junk yet leave their £40,000 Merc out on the street. ¯\_(?)_/¯

(Apologies for the ranting tone, it's not directed at you.)

 

[glasgowcyclist]

it's often said to be one of the top five that cyclists can most easily avoid.

That's one of those easier said than done things.

It's perhaps easy to do on a quiet street that's reasonably wide and has little traffic. On my commute along a main artery into the city, with thousands of parked cars and high traffic volume it's definitely not easy, not even for me and I've been doing it for years. Sure, I stay out of the door zone but I do so in the constant fear of inattentive/impatient drivers passing me too closely so it's a constant battle of awareness and positioning. It's incredibly easy to see less-experienced riders who attempt to do the right thing being forced ever closer to the parked cars so that once one car has passed with little room to spare, a stream of others follow and the rider cannot resume his safe position outside the door zone.

This isn't helped when the council paints a cycle lane right alongside parked cars, making newbies (who are therefore more vulnerable) ride precisely where they shouldn't, and giving aggressive drivers an excuse to bully wiser riders "back into your lane".

 

[mjr]

That's one of those easier said than done things.

Of course. "Most easily" still doesn't necessarily mean it's easy.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

If you are passing parked cars around my way it's 99% chance the car that appears will drive head on to you to force you into the door zone. Any other outcome will lead to disgusting verbal abuse and possibly assault with the vehicle. The men are even worse.

 

[si_c]

It's always struck me as bonkers that someone would buy a house with a garage, only to fill it with worthless junk yet leave their £40,000 Merc out on the street. ¯\_(?)_/¯

Sadly most garages are too small to fit a modern car, and be able to do things like, get out of it. Cars are much larger than they used to be, and even when I was a child, my dad couldn't fit his car in the garage.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Sadly most garages are too small to fit a modern car, and be able to do things like, get out of it. Cars are much larger than they used to be, and even when I was a child, my dad couldn't fit his car in the garage.

I haven't found new builds to be any better. My SiL has one with a double garage but that's where they keep the barbecue and lawnmower etc so both cars stay outside where they block the pavement. They could easily fit in the garage but I think pavement parking has become so normalised that garages are seen as extra rooms instead.

 

[PaulSB]

I was recently told pavement parking is to become legal in the near future.

 

[Blue Hills]

This isn't helped when the council paints a cycle lane right alongside parked cars, making newbies (who are therefore more vulnerable) ride precisely where they shouldn't, and giving aggressive drivers an excuse to bully wiser riders "back into your lane".

Agree - all too common in London. They should be outlawed. What would folk think if pedestrian walkways were painted up the middle of roads? Presumably that someone was taking the P with a bad joke/inviting mass casualties.

 

[Drago]

I haven't found new builds to be any better. My SiL has one with a double garage but that's where they keep the barbecue and lawnmower etc so both cars stay outside where they block the pavement. They could easily fit in the garage but I think pavement parking has become so normalised that garages are seen as extra rooms instead.

I've mentioned on these hallowed pages before of my neighbour who keeps his double garage stacked shoulder high with worthless tat, while his £150,000 Aston Martin sits out in the acid rain.

 

[mjr]

I was recently told pavement parking is to become legal in the near future.

I think it's currently not illegal outside London except for a few local bylaws, as long as you leave 1.2m footway clear. You can't legally drive it onto or off of the pavement, but you'd need to be seen driving to be convicted. It's a very stupid situation that MPs have allowed to continue for decades