Passing Cyclists!!

Author
Discussion

Jazzer

Original Poster:

1,665 posts

203 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Hi!

I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but there seems to be a huge number of moronic drivers who think they have right of way over oncoming traffic when passing cyclists.

I was on the receiving end of this stupidity three times in 20 minutes this morning, including one driver who thought it OK to crawl round a corner on the wrong side of the road on a fast B road.

Talking to others, a fair number think that oncoming traffic should give way!!!

Have I misunderstood The Highway Code all these years?

Today was the worst I have ever witnessed with cyclists clogging up the roads, causing massive frustration for drivers. ....time they paid some road tax perhaps?

Jazzer


DoubleD

22,154 posts

107 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Road tax for cyclists.....this should go well!

thecremeegg

1,952 posts

202 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Uh oh, here we go!

reiimii

4 posts

44 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Reminds me of that episode on old Top Gear

Dont like rolls

3,798 posts

53 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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I wonder what cyclists would say if there was a massive increase in Horses on the roads/time trial courses

Riley Blue

20,915 posts

225 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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<Reaches for pop corn>

105.4

4,065 posts

70 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Jazzer said:
Have I misunderstood The Highway Code all these years?

Today was the worst I have ever witnessed with cyclists clogging up the roads, causing massive frustration for drivers. ....time they paid some road tax perhaps?

Jazzer
When it comes to passing cyclists and horses, I always try and pass wide and slow. The consequences of an accident with either of these two types of road users doesn’t bare thinking about. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of either of them, and any sort of incident with a pedestrian, horse rider or cyclist is going to be viewed very dimly by the Courts, (against the car driver).

As for cyclists paying Road Tax, well, I’m a cyclist, I pay Road Tax on two vehicles. How much more tax should I be paying for the privilege of riding my bike? Give me a figure?

grudas

1,304 posts

167 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Some drivers go into this stupid mode when they see a cyclist.. "must pass now at all costs" whereas usually waiting for 20 seconds gives you clear view with plenty of space. Never had problems with cyclists in London or country lanes. Common courtesy to look out for vulnerable road users but you try and explain that to entitled motorists who scream "insurance, license plates, tax!!!!" Etc and miss the point of just being human taking care.

Captain_Morgan

1,225 posts

58 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Jazzer I’ll start paying road tax when you do...

abzmike

8,243 posts

105 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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OP - sounds like the problem is with the drivers rather than the cyclists... and cyclists really annoy me.

Jazzer

Original Poster:

1,665 posts

203 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
quotequote all
Jesus!!

I never said the problem was with cyclists, but I do think their proliferation on already congested roads is an issue.

Why shouldn’t cyclists pay road tax?

I cycle, but do so in evenings when roads are quieter and I therefore feel safer.

Something clearly needs to give here, or should we sit back and watch death tolls in accidents involving cyclists continue to rise?

Fewer cars, fewer cycles and a bit of education would help, as would some degree of taxation....

fathomfive

9,876 posts

189 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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Not this st.

Again.

rossw46

1,293 posts

159 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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If I only had a quid for every time someone says cyclists should pay road tax.

No such thing exists, it called VED, vehicle excise duty, based on emissions, how much VED do you reckon EVs like Teslas pay??? Zero, that's right, like a bicycle, they emit no CO2. Roads are funded out of general taxation, which I'd wager most cyclists pay one way or another, so please don't ever use that utterly absurd line again.

As others have said, it sounds like the drivers in this case need to understand the highway code.

Tall_Blk

376 posts

190 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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105.4 said:
Jazzer said:
Have I misunderstood The Highway Code all these years?

Today was the worst I have ever witnessed with cyclists clogging up the roads, causing massive frustration for drivers. ....time they paid some road tax perhaps?

Jazzer
When it comes to passing cyclists and horses, I always try and pass wide and slow. The consequences of an accident with either of these two types of road users doesn’t bare thinking about. I don’t want to be responsible for the death of either of them, and any sort of incident with a pedestrian, horse rider or cyclist is going to be viewed very dimly by the Courts, (against the car driver).

As for cyclists paying Road Tax, well, I’m a cyclist, I pay Road Tax on two vehicles. How much more tax should I be paying for the privilege of riding my bike? Give me a figure?
Well said. Many of us are both cyclist and motorist.

One thing though, road tax does not exist anymore otherwise those paying over £500 per year will resent those paying £30 considering both cars take up the same road space.

abzmike

8,243 posts

105 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
quotequote all
Jazzer said:
Jesus!!

I never said the problem was with cyclists, but I do think their proliferation on already congested roads is an issue.
Clam down dear...
Saturday morning cyclists and bad drivers are out and about. Shocking news.

Gweeds

7,822 posts

51 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
quotequote all
Jazzer said:
Jesus!!

I never said the problem was with cyclists, but I do think their proliferation on already congested roads is an issue.

Why shouldn’t cyclists pay road tax?

I cycle, but do so in evenings when roads are quieter and I therefore feel safer.

Something clearly needs to give here, or should we sit back and watch death tolls in accidents involving cyclists continue to rise?

Fewer cars, fewer cycles and a bit of education would help, as would some degree of taxation....
So the issue is cyclists taking up less than 50cm width and not cars that are 2m wide?

And you don’t pay road tax.

Something does need to give. And it’s the endless fking entitlement of some drivers thinking the road is theirs and theirs alone, and everyone else is congestion. But not them of course. Never them.

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

175 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
quotequote all
Jazzer said:
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but there seems to be a huge number of moronic drivers who think they have right of way over oncoming traffic when passing cyclists.
Completely agree with that, I see this so often. A month or so ago I had to do an emergency stop/swerve because of an idiot doing a dangerous overtake.Spoke to the cyclist about it who said it was a very close call for him too.

Not just overtaking cyclists in my experience - some drivers will swerve out and drive head on despite any obstruction in their lane. f'in wkers.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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My driving instructor taught me (1990) that on wide roads I could pull across on to the other side of the road a bit and oncoming traffic would just have to squeeze over a bit.

Can't see that working nowadays, everyone is angrier.

bigandclever

13,750 posts

237 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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fathomfive said:
Not this st.

Again.
It must be at least 25 minutes since the last one.

MrGTI6

3,157 posts

129 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
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I will only pass cyclists if I'm certain it's safe to do so, leaving them plenty of room. Unless they're riding two-abreast, in which case I'll do my utmost to scare the living crap out of them.