Road user standards

[malumbu]

As there are so many whingy threads on this forum I thought I'd start one.  On the road the other day I saw three road users who didn't signal properly.  Delivery motorcyclist who thought they'd check their phone mounted on the bars before doing a fast left turn followed by a driver who indicated as they turned - pretty common experience.  Then a hire bike on the next junction that turned left without any sign.  All I would have needed is a pedestrian walking out on their phone to complete the quartet.  Lack of signals meant traffic from the minor road was held back.

So, there is no refresher training for motorists and bikers.  Once they pass their test the only likely future training is a speed awareness course.  Few go for advanced training and sadly IAM is considered fuddy duddy by many.

There is a commitment to free cycle training for all, but not enough money, instructors or unfortunately demand to role this out across the country.

And not sure how much training there is for pedestrians, do they still do stuff at school?

Me?  I've done advanced motorcycle training, eco driving and cycle training.  It's all about sharing the road and none of this manufactured road wars that has become an urban myth.

And hats off to the cyclist in central London who just clipped me as I dashed out between cars who smiled when I apologized rather than the barrage of abuse a younger me would have given.

So let's make this an ULEZ/LTN/CPZ thread, and avoid this road wars nonsense.  I know it may be difficult.

(Inspired by a rather entitled motorist yesterday who was ranting about having to give way at junctions to pedestrians)

[Forest Hill Climber]

Firstly I don't agree that there are lots of 'whingy threads' on ED Forum. There are lots of things in the world going wrong and it's positive to discuss it.

Coming back to Road User Standards, there's plenty to complain about  -  especially lack of enforcement regarding  frequent speeding, illegal use of car horns, ridiculously loud music from vehicles, etc etc.

One thing that happened to me this week - I was driving in East Dulwich on Monday. A person on a mountain bike sped past on the inside and bashed my wing mirror hard. He looked back but speeded up instead of stopping. I followed him, but he clearly didn't want to discuss what happened, so I couldn't follow without engaging in dangerous driving myself.

Was it deliberate or an accident? Has this happened to anyone else lately? Hopefully not a new sport in the area.

[RichH]

  On 20/07/2023 at 11:46, malumbu said:

So, there is no refresher training for motorists and bikers.  Once they pass their test the only likely future training is a speed awareness course.  Few go for advanced training and sadly IAM is considered fuddy duddy by many.

There is a commitment to free cycle training for all, but not enough money, instructors or unfortunately demand to role this out across the country.

And not sure how much training there is for pedestrians, do they still do stuff at school?

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The first (and last) time on this forum I recommended advanced training for motorists (ADI/ROSPA), road training for cyclists and even re-introducing the Green Cross Code for pedestrians, I was told that my ideas were "stupid"! 

Clearly I was talking to people who aren't prepared to learn anything new because they believe that they already know everything 😞

Therein lies the real problem. 

[CPR Dave]

Guys please stay on topic so that this doesn't get lounged. 

[Bic Basher]

Considering the whole premise of this thread is to bash and troll, it should be lounged.

 

 

[malumbu]

Purpose of this thread is to discuss whether there should be training, and subsequent training, for road users.  Pretty clear.  If you don't have anything to say then don't.

Cheers Rich and FHC for sharing your thoughts.  One of my issues is this manufactured war between road users, perhaps the major parties have a vested interest in maintaining this.  It would be better to campaign to encourage better sharing of roads, and the right behaviours, road positioning, communicating, observing.  Equally as applicable to pedestrians.  I don't buy this personal responsibility stuff, as many are simply ignorant (not aware).  I genuinely did learn from public information campaigns of the past even though easy to lampoon.  Views Rocks?

[Bic Basher]

  On 20/07/2023 at 20:44, malumbu said:

Purpose of this thread is to discuss whether there should be training, and subsequent training, for road users.  Pretty clear.  If you don't have anything to say then don't.

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Who made you a mod Mal?

[first mate]

This should be lounged as premise not ED specific. 

[malumbu]

As I started the thread don't you think that I had a view on the subject.  Rather than sniping perhaps share your views Bic.  

[first mate]

There are so many areas of life where more education may be required. Littering is one example. Why is is it that up and down the country there is so much litter on city streets, in parks and on pavements? I never quite understand the seeming compulsion to just discard, wherever you happen to be standing or sitting, once used. Is it lack of education or just laziness or something to do with our national psyche? 

 

[malumbu]

You can get behaviour change without a big stick, most dog owners pick up poo, few smokers smoke in front of children or in a house with none smokers.  More can always be done, cool people don't litter and drive, cycle and walk considerably.  Even cooler blokes leave the seat down

[first mate]

On this I agree, so it is a shame that the council seem intent on using sticks and not carrots in terms of CPZ etc..

In terms of cool people don't litter and so on. Judging by the amount of litter there must then be a lot of 'uncool' people around. We have to consider what it is that makes you 'cool' and why so many people apparently are not? Oh and most blokes leave the seat up.

[malumbu]

Ex - good point about public campaigns as I don't recall many of these and I'm pretty receptive.  Government does do national campaigns eg self assessment and billboards and YouTube do have an impact.  Not aware of any campaigns on men leaving the seat down....As climate change and falling biodiversity fack the planet up what a shame it becomes a political hot potato what a shame we don't have an 80s Aids type campaign - don't let your children and their children die of our ignorance.

Back to the subject - I did the cyclists in a HGV cab a couple of times which is quite sobering.  Safe Urban Driving is where truckers and cabbies spen a day on push bikes, great if that was rolled out to all road users