Dangerous Drivers

[LadyDeliah]

Just thought I'd share this appalling account of extreme cycle hatred that sums up why I want to challenge some motorists' sense of entitlement and prejudice towards cyclists whenever I get the chance:

http://road.cc/content/news/84212-norwich-police-seek-driver-who-tweeted-about-collision-cyclist

[LadyDeliah]

This guy got community service for his second conviction of causing a cyclist's death by dangerous driving:

http://road.cc/content/news/83478-ctc-and-families-cyclists-killed-same-driver-25-years-apart-call-appeal-against

[Otta]

My work filter is saying that site is "Malicious".

Like most cyclists! ;-)

[LadyDeliah]

Lol

[Otta]

Most cyclists are fine. Some are dicks and dangerous.

Most motorists are fine. Some are dicks and dangerous.

[srisky]

Otta Wrote:

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> Most cyclists are fine. Some are dicks and

> dangerous.

>

> Most motorists are fine. Some are dicks and

> dangerous.

Precisely.

[LadyDeliah]

Dick cyclists are annoying, dick motorists are dangerous.

[DJKillaQueen]

Well two dick cyclists crossed EDR and PR junction at 2am on Thurday night, through a red light, at speed, as I crossed through green. Thay also had no lights and dark clothing. I missed them by a metre after braking hard. I call that dangerous.

[srisky]

LadyDeliah Wrote:

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> Dick cyclists are annoying, dick motorists are

> dangerous.

Just because they are not travelling at 'speed' does not mean that they can not be a danger to themselves and others.

ETA: I am not anti cycling - I would LOVE to cycle to work but do not feel confident enough to for the exact reason I just stated above.

[LadyDeliah]

No comments on the articles I posted then?

Just rehashing the old some cyclists injure or kill people argument despite the ratio being massively skewed towards motorists being the primary harbingers of death and destruction?

[Otta]

Oh Come on LD, just because a bike isn't a car, an idiot on a bike can still hurt people pretty bad if they hit them at speed, and more to the point, they can cause accidents.

I'm not a motorist or a regular cyclist, but as a pedestrian, I've come closer to being hit by cyclists than cars on a number of occasions (usually when they're going around stationary vehicles at top speed).

This is like people slagging off all mothers with buggies just because a few are selfish idiots.

[Otta]

"harbingers of death and destruction?"

Never had you down as a drama queen LD.

[DJKillaQueen]

I agree Otta. No-one denies that there are dangerous motorists, but the majority never have accidents or endanger anyone.

[*Bob*]

LadyDeliah Wrote:

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> No comments on the articles I posted then?

Yes, the article says as much about motorists and cyclists as the Philpott case says about prevailing attitudes to parenting.

ie - hardly anything at all

[Louisa]

I think cyclists should be banned from dangerous inner city trunk roads. LL is a prime example. Buses, lorries, vans and cars all competing in a small space with pedestrians crossing sometimes without due care and attention. Cyclists just add to this pressure, so how about putting cycle routes along back roads and banning them from bigger roads. Just a thought.

Louisa.

[LadyDeliah]

It's the hatred of cyclists by motorists that is what worries me.

The incident in the first article is a hate crime by a stupid woman using her car as a weapon against a cyclist in my opinion and it is this kind of dangerous attitude to cyclists that I want people to question.

I am going to invest in a helmet cam to report the dangerous drivers I encounter everyday and the abuse I receive when I try to pull them up for endangering my life.

Why should motorists be allowed to get away with this kind of behaviour on a daily basis without it being challenged?

[DJKillaQueen]

But it works both ways LD......look at this case for example......

http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/news/10349601.Cyclist_found_guilty_of_assaulting_van_driver/?ref=rss

People lose their tempers on both sides.

You are not the police. If you choose to challenge every driver you feel isn't driving to a standard you set, then you are putting yourself at risk of being abused and will find little sympathy from the Police, unless the driver has caused an actual accident (and failed to stop) of course. As a lawyer you should know this.

[Albert Fegg]

I think I saw a dick cyclist in a movie I watched last night. Sorry, serious post, carry on...

[Louisa]

Just to lighten proceedings a little heres a joke I found.

The other day on a ride, I was speeding down a narrow, twisting, mountain road. Then along comes a man who was driving very slowly uphill toward me, honking his horn and shouting at me.

"PIG! PIG!!" he yelled. "PIG! PIG!!"

So I flipped him the finger and shouted back some things I dare not repeat as I buzzed by him.

Still thinking about this awful man and his shouting, I turned the corner and promptly collided with a pig.

Louisa.

[LadyDeliah]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

>

> You are not the police. If you choose to challenge

> every driver you feel isn't driving to a standard

> you set, then you are putting yourself at risk of

> being abused and will find little sympathy from

> the Police, unless the driver has caused an actual

> accident (and failed to stop) of course. As a

> lawyer you should know this.

Actually that is not correct. If you see someone commit an offence you have the right to make a citizen's arrest. This is what security guards' and other non-police arrests are based on.

If someone is committing the offence of dangerous driving, putting my life in danger, I have the right to challenge them.

[LadyDeliah]

And because I know none of the law abiding EDF motorists want to breach the Highway Code, I thought I'd post this so you know what you are expected to do when overtaking a cyclist:

The Highway Code Rule 163 states that you should

Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so

not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake

use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out

not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle

move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in

take extra care at night and in poor visibility when it is harder to judge speed and distance

give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road

only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so

stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left

give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211-215)

[LadyDeliah]

More help for all you caring motorists, listed under the section Vulnerable Road Users along with horse riders:

211

It is often difficult to see motorcyclists and cyclists, especially when they are coming up from behind, coming out of junctions, at roundabouts, overtaking you or filtering through traffic. Always look out for them before you emerge from a junction; they could be approaching faster than you think. When turning right across a line of slow-moving or stationary traffic, look out for cyclists or motorcyclists on the inside of the traffic you are crossing. Be especially careful when turning, and when changing direction or lane. Be sure to check mirrors and blind spots carefully.

212

When passing motorcyclists and cyclists, give them plenty of room (see Rules 162 to 167). If they look over their shoulder it could mean that they intend to pull out, turn right or change direction. Give them time and space to do so.

213

Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make.

[DJKillaQueen]

You are beginning to come across as just a little bit obsessive :) (and not in a good way).

I don't think you'll get far trying to citizens arrest any car driver either.

[LadyDeliah]

Lol, maybe, maybe not.

Anyway, here is an example of a community being destroyed by traffic engineering and the dominance of motorists, who fought back with safer options for other users of the public space:

Enjoy :-)

[Townleygreen]

LD, having actually read your two links, I am shocked by the attitudes towards cyclists that are expressed there. The first one, a stupid woman was prepared to injure a human being and then boast about it on twitter, the second a mad old judge is not prepared to give a proper sentence to someone who killed a granny who was on a bike.

Unbelievable!