What has cycling done to your driving skills?

[Hip Priest]

I've been commuting by bike since May, and have gone from being someone who drove everywhere, to someone who drives perhaps once, maybe twice, per week. I've noticed some changes in the way I drive, both positive and negative, and thought I'd list them here. So...

Positives

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I'm much more aware and look around more at junctions. I also find myself doing 'life-savers', and checking my blind spot, which is something I'd got out of the habit of doing over the years.​

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I'm not as confident (read 'cocky') as a I used to be. This could be seen as a negative, but it's probably a good thing. Like many drivers, I'd become a bit blase, but now I take more care.​

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Whilst I've always been alright at sharing the roads with cyclists, there's always room for improvement, and I've improved a lot since becoming a cyclist myself.​

Negatives

I'm losing my skills. I used to be brilliant at parking, and other tight maneuveres, but I've turned into that bloke you see having to back out of a space, trying to straighten the car up.​

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The flipside of the confidence thing, is that I now feel more nervous at motorway speeds than I used to. I'm not sure if it's not being used to the speed, no longer trusting other motorists, or a combination of the two.​

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My interest in cars and motorsport has dwindled! I used to be a petrolhead, and seriously into motorsport. But when I think of 2012, I find that I'm looking forward more to the Grand Tours and Spring Classics than the start of the racing season.​

 

[col]

Ballsed it up for me, Im always trying to lean into corners.

 

[Hip Priest]

I forgot to add. I'm now much more impatient. I've I get stuck in traffic, it is much more frustrating than it used to be.

 

[biggs682]

i give fellow cyclists evan more room when i am in the car

 

[derrick]

Only use car weekends, and that's only to transport the mtbs to the forest, get really frustrated in traffic jams, still love driving on country roads although it does not happen very often, never really liked motorways, get on and of them as quick as possible, what speed limit, still into F1, always been aware of cyclists, parking skills 10 out of 10 acording to my wife, she don't rate my driving though, can't think why.

 

[Holdsworth]

Wouldn't know, I passed my test in June 2010 and haven't driven a car since due to the cost. I started commuting by bike about a week after I passed my test because I was starting a summer job about 5 miles away, those first few days were difficult and I had no road sense (RLJ, Pavement riding etc.) but that soon sorted itself out when I had a close call at some traffic lights and I finally got the message

I suppose though I have a greater understanding of the needs of other cyclists and how act safely around them, not like I'll get to put that into practice any time soon though

 

[gaz]

Nothing much, i still regularly drive.

 

[Bicycle]

My cycling has probably had some impact on my driving skills. I started to cycle at about seven and got into cars and motorcycles as a teenager. I drove trucks briefly in my late twenties. Most of the (limited) road sense that I had when learning to drive came from cycling on the road.

I think (broadly) that experience of conducting all types of carriage through traffic have some positive knock-on effects on the way we behave in all others.

The greatest benefit I've seen in my riding and driving has come through the ageing process. I now feel slightly more mortal than I did as a young man. I'm not in such a rush and I seem more able to smile and let things go.

The greatest harm done to my driving was probably done by the combination of cycling and my exclusive use of A-Series Citroens for about ten years. That was the adoption of a driving/cycling style that meant gaining all the speed you can and never, ever, ever braking or scrubbing any off for corners. On a bicycle, lost speed is hard to gain back. In an A-Series Citroen it simply will not be gained back.

So I just went into corners too deep and too fast for many years. Huge fun, but the only way to drive a car with no power is pied a plancher.

I'm older now and like the sound of a lazy diesel just doing what it does.

I am not terribly good at cycling, driving or riding a motorcycle; but I am less bad than I would be had I not gained a decent amount of experience of all the rest.

As to trucks... I once side-swiped a thing called a 432 in a Bedford TK and took the heat shield off his exhaust... I was on a perfectly straight road. Bicycles were no help when it came to driving a truck. The driver of the 432 didn't notice, as he had headphones on and was shut into his compartment. Which is probably just as well.

 

[ray c. flagg]

I give cyclists more room, don't curse them when i'm stuck i a jam... having started to commute this year on the bike gained a lot more respect for cyclists. Only negative i have is now i'm even more ticked off when i have to pay for fuel/tax/insurance....

 

[StuartG]

It was my midlife introduction to motorcycling that changed my driving style. The most basic was not rely on mirrors to know what is happening around you. I now always turn and look before altering course. Its only when you do this that you realise your potential blindspots. That dramatically reduces the risk of left/right hooking.

As I've always cycled I hope I have always given space and precedence. What I have found lately as I get older is I am more inclined to follow speed limits and critical of those that do not.

 

[stoofer]

I hardly drive at the moment but if I do need to for any length of time, the next time I'm on my bike I find myself checking my imaginary mirrors.

 

[Strick]

I'm still a regular driver (days out at weekend etc), and find that I enjoy it again. I was getting to the stage of hating it, but since I rarely use the casr for commuting now, and pretty much only for pleasure I find it enjoyable again.
My habits have changed for the better, I always considered myself a "reasonable" driver who shared space fairly well. I do now find myself hanging back more, and giving more space. I seem to be more patient in general, and relaxed.
If i'm on a dual carriageway or motorway, I dont HAVE to be right at the speed limit, cruise control is generally set somewhere around about 60mph on these roads.

 

[fossyant]

I drive much slower and try and chill out, even if I do get stuck in traffic. Down side is I still drive round pot holes !

 

[numbnuts]

I drive a lot slower too, sometimes I think 30 is fast- well it is on a bike

 

[moralcrusader]

Down side is I still drive round pot holes !

No necessarily a bad thing, providing it's safe to do so - replaceable of suspension due to the smashing up it gets from bad roads is neither cheap or simple, trust me!

I don't think that there has been much change to my driving since I started commuting regularly - perhaps a general improvement in awareness of the problems that driving can cause to cyclists and the correct way of dealing with them.