Bradley Wiggins in hospital after being knocked Off his bike
Discussion
This:
That as well as the roads not being adequate for safe passage of modern traffic flows. And who thought it was a great idea to biuld those stupid cyclist-squeezing bottlenecks on a-roads? You know, those 'safety bollards'.
y2blade said:
Just heard that today's phone in on Radio 2 is "Cycling is too dangerous" 
And this:Twincam16 said:
Every morning I negotiate a roundabout where it seems normal for drivers to sit at their entry, looking right at me through their side windows, and seeing that I'm on my way round, pull right out while still looking right at me.
Tells me the problem is road users. A decade or so of speed kills has told people that everything is fine as long as they stick BELWO the speed limit. So we get gommos driving everywhere at that unthinking mono-speed.That as well as the roads not being adequate for safe passage of modern traffic flows. And who thought it was a great idea to biuld those stupid cyclist-squeezing bottlenecks on a-roads? You know, those 'safety bollards'.
Digga said:
This:
That as well as the roads not being adequate for safe passage of modern traffic flows. And who thought it was a great idea to biuld those stupid cyclist-squeezing bottlenecks on a-roads? You know, those 'safety bollards'.
+1y2blade said:
Just heard that today's phone in on Radio 2 is "Cycling is too dangerous"
And this:Twincam16 said:
Every morning I negotiate a roundabout where it seems normal for drivers to sit at their entry, looking right at me through their side windows, and seeing that I'm on my way round, pull right out while still looking right at me.
Tells me the problem is road users. A decade or so of speed kills has told people that everything is fine as long as they stick BELWO the speed limit. So we get gommos driving everywhere at that unthinking mono-speed.That as well as the roads not being adequate for safe passage of modern traffic flows. And who thought it was a great idea to biuld those stupid cyclist-squeezing bottlenecks on a-roads? You know, those 'safety bollards'.
As A rider of Pushbike, horse and Motorbike (not all at the same time) I blame everyone/everything else.
Hoofy said:
superkartracer said:
Grim news indeed
Regards why people can't see -
http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyc...
^^ our eyes are s
t thats why.
Interesting and worrying. I have noticed that saccading - and tried to get my eyes to scan smoothly. Regards why people can't see -
http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyc...
^^ our eyes are s
t thats why.
So, if you pick a point on the monitor and keep and keep your eyes fixed, can you move your head around loads and the eyes stay locked on without any juddering?
Why is that then?
Twincam16 said:
Digga said:
Twincam16 said:
According to my motorbike tutor, you slow down and keep looking because you never know what idiots other people will be...
Ture that last part. Approached a 3-way mini roundabout at the weekend and a car arrived at the entry to the right of me (i.e. their right of way), slightly before me, and stopped. The driver just looked at me gormlessly, waiting.So I set off and she immediately set off, nearly t-boning me. I had to accellerate to avoid a collision. I wouldn't have minded, but I was driving the Mrs' car and would never have heard the end of it if I pranged it.
Distinctly lacking in gorm, the lot of 'em.
Shane Sutton (UK cylcing coach) also knocked down in a different accident - seems more serious: http://news.sky.com/story/1008803/bradley-wiggins-...
Digga said:
Tells me the problem is road users. A decade or so of speed kills has told people that everything is fine as long as they stick BELWO the speed limit. So we get gommos driving everywhere at that unthinking mono-speed.
That as well as the roads not being adequate for safe passage of modern traffic flows. And who thought it was a great idea to biuld those stupid cyclist-squeezing bottlenecks on a-roads? You know, those 'safety bollards'.
Seems fair (those pinch points really are the devils' work when it comes to cyclist/car interactions, how they ever got through planning is beyond me).That as well as the roads not being adequate for safe passage of modern traffic flows. And who thought it was a great idea to biuld those stupid cyclist-squeezing bottlenecks on a-roads? You know, those 'safety bollards'.
The stuff about saccades is interesting - how, exactly, do you make sure people are competent drivers if they don't even know what their flaws are? How do you manage potential problems if you don't know they exist?
Agreed about the speed thing to. The roads near me, in general I'd be happy for people to blast along at high speed. If I'm e.g. cycling up to a junction and they want to turn left, I'd rather they slowed down, evaluated the situation, and sat behind at my speed if they're unsure about whether they can safely overtake before the junction.
Unfortunately, the actual 'thought' process seems to be more 'get past the cyclist, THEN work out whether or not you can get past and make the turning. If you can't, turn anyway'. And since the police don't seem able to catch these morons, the only people to react are the council... who promptly decide the only situation is to stop anyone travelling at speed down that road
.I don't accept that fact at all. Millions ride bikes and a small number are involved in accidents. I don't know why that means we should somehow consider bike travel horrifically or inherently dangerous to that degree at all. There's been a high profile incident. I doubt there'll be a significantly increased debate around cycling on the road in a few months time. And if there were I'd hope a higher proportion of motorists took more care as a result.
More likely is the World will keep spinning on its own merry course and the odd thread will crop up here where lots of shouty people will get very upset about having to share the road with cyclists.
More likely is the World will keep spinning on its own merry course and the odd thread will crop up here where lots of shouty people will get very upset about having to share the road with cyclists.
2fast748 said:
My g/f drove past the scene not knowing what was going on and saw a police car heading that way. There was also an accident on the southbound exit slip of the M6 there that the police were attending to.
All she saw was a woman being restrained which as I've read might have been Wiggo's wife trying to batter whoever hit him!
It is a messy set of junctions though but there is a speed camera 200 yards up the road so it must be safe?!?
I also know the spot, it's a tricky set of junctions and garage entry and exits, also just off the motorway....All she saw was a woman being restrained which as I've read might have been Wiggo's wife trying to batter whoever hit him!
It is a messy set of junctions though but there is a speed camera 200 yards up the road so it must be safe?!?
Not surprised there was a bump there, people make mistakes :-(
Good wishes to Wiggo on a speedy recovery !
IroningMan said:
Ozzie Osmond said:
Face the facts - if bicycles were invented today they'd never be allowed on the roads.
And why people are still allowed to ride farm animals on the roads beggars belief.
And if private cars were invented today?And why people are still allowed to ride farm animals on the roads beggars belief.
As for bikes and horese being antiquated, they are, but then they are also very efficient and (in the case of the former at least) very economic means of transport. Other countries have made much more progress (mainly because they've put more thought and investment into the matter) at enabling a variety of transport to co-exist.
IMO make awareness of cyclists, integrated into the road test i.e safe distance, safe overtaking, observation etc as they are vulnerable road users. Vice versa, safe defensive cycling to be taught when you buy a bike compulsory.
Not too difficult at all to implement overnight, could help reduce these collisions.
There are a lot of cyclists on the road now, & safety of them is a growing concern as highlighted.
Reckon the driver will learn there lesson, be a plank not too, after all they picked Bradley Wiggins to have a collision with.
Speedy recovery Wiggins
Not too difficult at all to implement overnight, could help reduce these collisions.
There are a lot of cyclists on the road now, & safety of them is a growing concern as highlighted.
Reckon the driver will learn there lesson, be a plank not too, after all they picked Bradley Wiggins to have a collision with.
Speedy recovery Wiggins
RJJ said:
IMO make awareness of cyclists, integrated into the road test i.e safe distance, safe overtaking, observation etc as they are vulnerable road users. Vice versa, safe defensive cycling to be taught when you buy a bike compulsory.
Not too difficult at all to implement overnight, could help reduce these collisions.
Cycling Proficiency was part of my final-year primary school PE lessons. If you didn't have a bike they supplied one (the people from ROSPA turned up with a truckload of them). Every kid left school able to ride a bike (I'm shocked at the number of kids who grow up not being able to do this TBH), and ride it safely.Not too difficult at all to implement overnight, could help reduce these collisions.
I also reckon that the driving test should be more along the lines of the motorbike test. CBT to ensure the learner-driver knows the basics of operating a car before they're allowed out on the road, and a two-part practical test - one part being the one we've already got, the other part being in a closed centre where you'd have to demonstrate your ability to reverse a car into a parking space, and carry out a speed-trap-monitored emergency stop and object avoiding swerve on a soaking wet skidpan from 40mph.
The reason I'd implement this is simple:
-The majority of damage to other peoples' cars is probably done in car parks as a result of poor parking, either driving into them at the wrong angle and stoving someone's door in, or judging the space badly and parking too close so the door hits the adjacent car. If people practised parking in this way and had to demonstrate it, hopefully it would reduce damage.
-In this country, it rains a lot, making the roads slippery. Merely standing on the brakes is not enough, especially considering the dreadful budget tyres most people seem to buy. Knowing how long braking distances will be in the wet, demonstrating this knowledge and compensating for it is important, as is knowing about the increased potential for understeer in the wet when swerving to avoid something, and how it's dealt with.
Digga said:
+1 Why slow at clear junction or roundabout unless you're running an insuarance claim scam?
Because green lights will go amber then red; if you lift as you approach a stale green, you can come to a nice smooth stop if need be.I think that the emphasis should be on smoothness and safety over speed.
Smooooooooooooooooth. Better than not smooth.
Can I just ask a question which I would genuinely love to know the answer to.
Why do cyclists groups always campaign for cycle facilities (which we usually don't have the space for in the UK, and which the lycra brigade usually ignore anyway) and lower speed limits (when most collisions probably happen at junctions where vehicles are travelling well under the speed limit)? Why not better education for cyclists and motorists that they need to be aware of each other?
Why do cyclists groups always campaign for cycle facilities (which we usually don't have the space for in the UK, and which the lycra brigade usually ignore anyway) and lower speed limits (when most collisions probably happen at junctions where vehicles are travelling well under the speed limit)? Why not better education for cyclists and motorists that they need to be aware of each other?
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