There are lots of posts on this site from cyclists - I want to highlight a driver’s perspective.
Yesterday I had to do a hospital run to Kings during the evening rush hour. Not something that I would have chosen to do but essential at the time.
As I drove round the South Circular, there was a cyclist who was dressed entirely in black who was weaving between the lanes of traffic. Only a tiny light on the back of his bike showed that he was there.
We all have to share the roads, so it makes sense that everyone can be seen and so be safe. Please cyclists - wear something light or fluorescent so you can be seen in the dark. Thank you!
It’s terrifying the amount of cyclists you see on London Road all dressed in dark clothes. A reflective jacket is very cheap and can be easily worn over a normal jacket.
These people are called idiots and exist on bicycles, scooters, roller skates and if they could weave in and out… cars. They also have a shorter life expectancy than the rest of us, so fear not.
You are so right. The danger is anything that uses lithium based batteries. Rather more laptops self-ignite. Maybe we should ban phones on TfL too. Bliss!
I’ll not comment on cyclists hi-viz as I drive a battleship-grey car …
Lights are only part of the problem. Daylight is just as dangerous for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. It’s not seeing. Cars over 3 years old are, at least, tested every year. But not the driver. I was horrified when I went for my last eye-test which prescribed stronger lenses for my long range vision.
Being at an age when one is becoming more forgetful I asked if I would still be legal if I drove without. The answer was ‘no problem’ That’s the problem. Plus my cockpit is equipped with all the latest gizmos for hands-free communication - an entertainment manual bigger than the car manual, warm and snug and protected from the elements.
It is difficult to maintain the level of alertness necessary for safe driving. Plus the training to drive is woeful. As a motorcyclist you are taught to not trust your mirrors, look over your shoulder before turning. How many drivers do that? Near zero.
It’s very different on the outside - you have no alternative but be alert, to track a path through the congestion whilst avoiding the pot holes and trying to out-think the drivers around you. This can be challenging. Yes there are poor riders but they are mostly a danger to themselves. Poor drivers, on the other hand … and aren’t we all sometimes?
When it comes to KSIs we really must try to avoid victim blaming.
It’s a standard measure used in road safety statistics. You will find it in many Department of Transport and research papers. On the road the ratio is of the order of 1:10 (killed:seriously injured) and a reminder that consequences of collisions are much greater than the headline death figures.
As an example if you had two junctions: one with one death and another with 10 seriously injured incidents. Which would you prioritise for improvement?
Whereas in air travel it’s probably the opposite way round. Important when making comparisons between different modes of transport.
I had a few refresher driving lessons before buying my car last year as I hadn’t driven for a while. My instructor thought it was amusing that my automatic reaction when moving out was to do a shoulder check rather than a mirror check. I’ve cycled for so many years that it’s an automatic reaction.
This is a weird time of year… it’s easy to get caught out by the shortening days. You start cycling and it’s daylight and then realise you’re caught in twilight. In the days before automatic headlights, it wasn’t unusual for drivers to forget to turn them on because their eyes acclimatised and they didn’t always realise how dark it had become. The same can happen on a bike… it’s not always just a cyclist with a death wish.
If you really want I’ll upload a video just from this week where I had lights on and reflective clothing and still had a van cut across me and nearly ran me off the road.
So from a cyclists perspective I’d like to ask people to get off their phones while driving and look where they’re going.
Right. So despite it being covered in hi-viz with big flashy lights on it AND being parked in a lane with a big red X over the top of it, it STILL got hit. That’s exactly my point.
