UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => shootin' the shit => two wheel spiel => Topic started by: webbo on January 28, 2012, 08:26:06 pm
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I got run down by some dozy teenage girl last september. When I found out the bonding in my frame was broken I got in touch with this company out of cycling weekly www. cycle-claims.co.uk. They were really helpful and kept informed right through the process.
They even got me what I paid for my bike 5 years ago which I had been told never happens.I would reccomend them if similar happens to you.
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Forget to say let me know first then I can get the refers fee. :lol:
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good beta
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There is a pretty good thread on LFGSS on what to do when you get knocked off your bike.
http://www.lfgss.com/thread4213.html (http://www.lfgss.com/thread4213.html)
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Shocking...
Bus Driver purposefully knocks cyclist off (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-17066798)
Don't care what was said or went before thats intent to seriously harm, not just dangerous driving, far too lenient a sentence.
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I find it bizarre, that in this country, if you stabbed someone with a lolly stick; it would constitute "assault with a deadly weapon" at the least and "attempted murder" at the worst.
But, hit them with a few tons of moving metal and its at the least "driving without due care and" and at worst "dangerous driving"; both of which seem to carry lower tariffs than common assault...
Or to put it another way, you'll do more time for blacking someone's eye with your fist, than you will for putting them in a wheelchair with a car.
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Wow.
At least in this case he got chaged with GBH, although I would have thought it would have been GBH with intent. I read the article on the local papers site http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Driver-used-bus-weapon-cyclist-Bristol/story-15254244-detail/story.html (http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Driver-used-bus-weapon-cyclist-Bristol/story-15254244-detail/story.html) which has a quote from the cyclist effectively saying that he did not think the driver meant it - which probably halved the sentence (by removing the intent).
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Christ, the video makes intent quite clear!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/feb/17/driver-jailed-bus-weapon-cyclist (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/feb/17/driver-jailed-bus-weapon-cyclist)
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Attempted murder. Lucky the area he was thrown across was empty.
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Here's hoping that a fellow inmate who's a cycling enthusiast and built like a brick shit house takes a liking to said bus driver and decides to make him his "special" friend :lets_do_it_wild:
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http://www.stewartpratt.com/?p=580 (http://www.stewartpratt.com/?p=580)
Good piece on the injustice of the UK law.
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http://www.stewartpratt.com/?p=580 (http://www.stewartpratt.com/?p=580)
Good piece on the injustice of the UK law.
Similar piece (http://ibikelondon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/in-courts-youre-on-your-own-our-laws.html) :no:
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There must be more to it than there seems... because this just does not make sense! Ru, can you explain this?
http://road.cc/content/news/74613-jury-fails-reach-decision-cyclist-death-case-where-driver-blinded-sunlight (http://road.cc/content/news/74613-jury-fails-reach-decision-cyclist-death-case-where-driver-blinded-sunlight)
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A cycling barrister's thoughts: http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/causing-death-by-careless-driving-some.html (http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/causing-death-by-careless-driving-some.html)
Simon Lee: Constructive comment on FB, well done
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I drive to work (having done 5 years of bus penalty and refuse to do any more)... Dronny to Sheff Central - it's 7 miles, and no doubt a quick ride in the morning... Home would be loads of uphill, but fantastic training.. but I just daren't do it. Admitedly my pushbike is unsuitable at present but I could get a proper one sorted pronto.... I'm just too scared, and articles like this don't make me any more willing, as much as I'd really like to, to start doing a daily Russian roulette with vans, cars and buses, etc.
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It's not that dangerous really underground.
Don't fall foul of thinking it is because examples of accidents are well reported and easy to recall.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic
With about 30 deaths per billion km, it's no more dangerous than being a pedestrian, and your odds of dying in a lifetime of commuting is something like 0.005%
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I stopped as it made me stressed.. I kept getting angry with the car drivers.. Now I walk and get stressed by cyclists riding on the pavement ;)
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As a cyclist, and a driver, these reports heighten my awareness of he dangers of cars vs cyclists whilst driving. I definitely consider a cyclist's presence for longer, but now cycle far less. I used to consider that most accidents were due to one party being a dickhead, but the more I watch and read shows that many people are are as equipped with the skills to deal with other cyclists on the road as they are to parallel park.
I stopped as it made me stressed..
Me too
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It's not that dangerous really underground.
Don't fall foul of thinking it is because examples of accidents are well reported and easy to recall.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic)
With about 30 deaths per billion km, it's no more dangerous than being a pedestrian, and your odds of dying in a lifetime of commuting is something like 0.005%
I quite like the concept of Micromort (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromort) or Microlifes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microlife) the later concept introduced by David Speigelhalter (http://understandinguncertainty.org/micromorts) when it comes to thinking about the risk associated with activities.
He's posted quite a few blog articles on this topic.
Microlives (http://understandinguncertainty.org/microlives)
Micromorts, horses and ecstasy (http://understandinguncertainty.org/node/1302)
David Spiegelhalter, Using speed of ageing and "microlives" to communicate the effects of lifetime habits and environment, BMJ, 345, December 2012 (http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e8223)
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I rarely cycle to work or ride in town. However if I do on the advice of a cycling mate many years ago, I treat it as though I was riding in a bunch in a road race. In that you need to be watching everyone round you, be aware of the road in front and be ready to take action in an instant.
Not always that easy at half 7 in a morning with a hangover.
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This really riles me. Why is it not deemed as criminal to kill someone with a car?
And it doesn't seem like this blinded by the sun thing adds up, to me. what is the situation where you look down the road and don't see a cyclist then you are blinded by the sun (for 3 secs) and suddenly there is a cyclist under your wheels? if it was on a straight road you shoul have spotted the cyclist earlier. If it going round a corner you'd not have the sun in your eyes for very long. So presumably you've just come round a corner and suddenly been blinded. But then the corner has to be a blind one too. So you're approaching a blind corner and you don't slow down, the sun blinds you and you don't slow down. You're a dick.
My problem is it seems like a lie. A lie that's become popular because it seemingly works.
Killing someone by accident I'd struggle to live with. Killing someone then lying about the reasons...could I do that?
I'm biased, I'm sure there's another way at looking at these cases.
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I dont think people should let the current press stress them into not cycling... theres more press on the topic these days as more and more people are cycling, its no more dangerous, drivers arent any more or less aggressive than they have ever been.
The numbers of cyclists have increased and these people are becoming more vocal, more prominent in our society and the press is reflecting key times of friction. To borrow a phrase, its heading towards a critical mass where cycling is demanding to be seen by the whole of society as a valid way to transport ourselves, this is causing friction. As they also say... if you cant beat them, join them.
plus its great all round fitness training :great:
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I dont think people should let the current press stress them into not cycling... theres more press on the topic these days as more and more people are cycling, its no more dangerous, drivers arent any more or less aggressive than they have ever been.
I don't think it's less safe on the roads than it was when I was a teenager, however I'm less naive to the dangers now. Buses and lorries turning left/mobile devices/more older people driving/uninsured drivers weren't a consideration to me back in the 90s.
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I don't think it's less safe on the roads than it was when I was a teenager, however I'm less naive to the dangers now. Buses and lorries turning left/mobile devices/more older people driving/uninsured drivers weren't a consideration to me back in the 90s.
Dude thats just age ;) as you get older you see more risk in things around you
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This really riles me. Why is it not deemed as criminal to kill someone with a car?
It's crazy. A car is potentially a lethal weapon even when driven well. I can't see why causing accidental death or injury with a car through stupidity should be any different from any dangerous weapon. If I walked into a crowded shopping centre closed my eyes and started swinging an axe around my head if I killed or maimed someone I'm sure that I would get more than 12months. Why is driving a car at 50mph whilst being blinded by the sun any different? If you can't see in front of you cannot assume the road is clear.
Courts and many drivers seem to think people become less worthy humans when they hop onto a bike. The risks drivers take with bikes are crazy. Partially I think it is frustration from being stuck in traffic and when the traffic does speed up they feel they have to retake the bike that has passed them to make a point even if they are coming up to a junction or queue of traffic or about to turn left. Many do with without pulling out at all unless they have to, so riding in the gutter is the worst thing you can do. They will over take a bike rather than drive slowly for 5 seconds to join the queue.
I do commute a short distance currently, mostly on bike paths/quiet roads. The last few days I have stuck to the main roads as they were clear of snow. I've always enjoyed riding in traffic, it can be done reasonably safely if you keep your wits about you. Assuming no-one is aware of you is a good start, being lit up like a christmas tree even in daylight is a good idea. Being 'aggressive' in your road position and speed is a must. Passing lines of traffic is rather satisfying. Using other vehicles to protect you on roundabouts etc works well. All that said I do feel more vulnerable now in traffic than I did as a kid, not sure if it is me getting older or driver attitudes getting worse or a bit of both.
As well as the definitive way to kill a dog which is attacking you whilst riding along, Ballantine's legendary bicycling book has a great section on biking safely in traffic, old but still relevant.
[Like most cyclists, I also drive, which also seems to get forgotten]
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I agre with webbo.. I ride to work... Only in BST, twice a week... It's against flow of traffic, ie out of a city.. I don't go through a town centre. No dual carriage ways.
Only 15km.. But i interval train between set points and do " I must climb this 90sec rise in top gear" type of burst training.
Every spring I lose 5lbs.. And I never never get sore legs when doing DH MTB.
Choose yr routes, make it a fun programmed exercise session in your week... Just don't do it if u are not in the mood... As TLR once said on here about commuting.. If it ain't fun.. Don't bother.
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I don't think it's less safe on the roads than it was when I was a teenager, however I'm less naive to the dangers now. Buses and lorries turning left/mobile devices/more older people driving/uninsured drivers weren't a consideration to me back in the 90s.
Dude thats just age ;) as you get older you see more risk in things around you
This was key to my point. I hadn't missed this. My body doesn't let me forget. However, youtube, the Internet in general, CCTV and shows like the one on the bbc recently weren't informing my riding when I was growing up.
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I hope this doesn't put people off cycling, that wasn't the idea. It certainly won't stop me cycling around town, although it will be playing on my mind at times. As Stu points out, statistically you probably won't be killed by a driver who can't see where he is going. But this woman was, and the probability of her being dead tomorrow is one, and will be forever more. I imagine that's the figure most in her family's mind at the moment - that and the three seconds the man was driving for without being able to see where he was going.
I'd like the law to give drivers - myself included as I probably drive more than I cycle - more of an incentive to be careful around cyclists, in the form of convicting those in cases like this and handing down tougher sentences.
I get quite nervous when driving near cyclists - I know how vulnerable they are and what a potentially destructive machine I'm in control of and how it would probably blight the rest of my life if I caused them injury or death by my carelessness (as it may have done to the driver in this case). But if the driver isn't a cyclist and has no direct experience of doing battle with traffic and doesn't know how many potentially lethal situations you can encounter in a simple trip to the shops, then this consideration to their welfare may not be present. Knowing how serious it would be for them if they caused an accident may help to counter that lack of empathy.
The culture of victim blaming is in evidence here too - it is noted in the report, and presuably in court, that the woman was wearing a helmet and 'appropriate' clothing - whatever that is (suit of armour maybe) - presumably because these are the first things drivers want to know - can I shift the blame for my careless driving onto the victim?
The Crown Prosecution Service has 7 days to persue a retrial and I hope they do.
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I agre with webbo.. I ride to work... Only in BST, twice a week... It's against flow of traffic, ie out of a city.. I don't go through a town centre. No dual carriage ways.
Only 15km.. But i interval train between set points and do " I must climb this 90sec rise in top gear" type of burst training.
Every spring I lose 5lbs.. And I never never get sore legs when doing DH MTB.
Choose yr routes, make it a fun programmed exercise session in your week... Just don't do it if u are not in the mood... As TLR once said on here about commuting.. If it ain't fun.. Don't bother.
Makes a lot of sense. This is why I bought a turbo trainer. I love having a fix gear for 'playing out' but it has to be fun and I want to feel some control over the risk. This ain't going to happen on the A65 :no:
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Being 'aggressive' in your road position and speed is a must.
:agree: critical because even is some twat gets pissed off and whips past with no room to spare you at least have somewhere to escape to that isn't the kerb.
[Like most cyclists, I also drive, which also seems to get forgotten]
Number of times I've had twats (including bus drivers) completely ignore this fact e.g. "You're not paying any road tax" (which actually is irrelevant as 'road tax' isn't ring-fenced for road maintenance!) is ridiculous (dangle keys with car key, "Look I own a car too" soon curtails that pointless line of defense). Another classic is "You should ride on the pavement".
I'll always remember a bus passing me and making contact with my right arm as I cycled from Fulwood to Broomhill. Caught up with him at the bus stop and (politely, no point starting off hot-headed) asked whether he realised he'd passed me too close. His response "There was a car coming the other way and not enough room to pull out". My response "Perhaps you should have waited then you fucking idiot because I don't have a metal cage around me unlike the car you didn't want to hit". :wank:
I'll continue to cycle too and from work and am quite happy to gesticulate (finger(s) or :wank: if they're shit, polite hands up to say thanks when its clear that someone has waited and passed when safe to do so, which is just as important although I doubt many check their mirrors). Given the opportunity I'm more than happy to explain to the inconsiderate ones why. Unfortunately even stating the bleeding obvious (i.e. regardless of blame* cyclists are the ones who will get injured or killed should a collision occur) usually results in zero recognition.
* Sheffield in particular is dire for ruts & pot-holes which can throw you off track even when you have your wits about you.
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The attitude of some bus-drivers towards cyclists is shocking. I don't understand it, they have to go through a pretty advanced driving test to get their PSV license and they should know better.
If I was regularly commuting by bike through any busy town centre I think I'd invest in a helmet-cam to record any idiotic behaviour.
Whilst we're on the subject of large vehicles can I just say that the cyclist also has some responsibility regarding their behaviour around them?
When I'm in the artic I'm super-careful when passing cyclists and will give them as much room as I can and have sometimes crawled at 10mph for 1/2 mile behind a cyclist before being able to pass. Whilst this can be a little frustrating when in a rush I don't really mind this one bit as I'm a cyclist too. It is nice if they do pull onto the pavement and wave you past but I don't expect them to do so.
The problem is there's a lot of thick cunts driving trucks and whilst 90% of drivers that I've seen are pretty decent around cyclists (perhaps just for the reason that nobody wants a death on their hands) I've also seen some people who come way too close to bikes, either because they don't care or they just don't think of the consequences.
But that aside, it's important for cyclists to appreciate the reality of driving a 55ft x 8.5ft lorry through busy cities - the driver has a lot to concentrate on and only has his mirrors to help him see what's down the sides and behind. Even though modern mirrors are pretty good there's still a lot of blind spots around a wagon. If it's dark/wet/lorry has filthy mirrors from 200 motorway miles then things are even worse.
Even if the lorry is moving in a straight line, it's very hard to see any of the area immediately around the cab. If the lorry is turning left and you're a cyclist anywhere down the lefthand side of the wagon (known as the "blindside" because the driver is totally reliant on mirrors here) then you may well not be seen at all. My advice is if you're near a big wagon on a bike, then just stay behind it or pass on the RHS (assuming it's a RHD wagon) when it's moving in a straight line and keep as far out from it as you can.
(http://philcarpenter.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/blind_spot_campaign_tfl.jpg)
(http://intandemcompetition.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/lcc-lorry-risk-zone.jpg)
(http://asbestos-claim.typepad.com/.a/6a0133f31f6c9b970b014e8705c7a9970d-pi)
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I don't understand why car drivers (including mrsTT) stop in the cycle box at traffic lights instead of the stop line at the back of the box.. It makes no difference to be 3m further forward!
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To neil and bubba...
Epic posts.
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To neil and bubba...
Epic posts.
+1..
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Get the karma in... IMO they deserve it.
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riding on the roads gives me the fear. a mate had a car turn left on him last year. crushed his ankle and hes now got 4 halos with 22 pins for a year and a half. think ill stick to parkwood. i was amazed in spain tho, people give you so much room when they pass you. i had trucks going on the other side of the road to over take. goes to show how when a country loves cycling how much more considerate they are to people on bikes.
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My brother tells me that their laws in Switzerland are biased towards that of the cyclists. They have more rights on the road and therefore motorists have to be extra vigilant. I guess culture is as important as law though. I think it'd take a long time for a change of law in the UK to influence the way the common motorist drives.
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The madness continues: http://road.cc/content/news/74720-hit-and-run-driver-who-said-car-was-stolen-faces-jail (http://road.cc/content/news/74720-hit-and-run-driver-who-said-car-was-stolen-faces-jail)
Changing the law WOULD work - look at the smoking ban in pubs. How many of us thought that would never happen, I was certainly cynical that it would be enforced. But it has been and it makes going to the pub a much more pleasant experience. Change the law, change the culture, and our towns and cities would be a better place. I don't hate cars - I drive, I ride a motorbike and I ride push bikes, they each have their place. I also use the train quite a bit. Fear should not be a consideration when choosing a mode of transport.
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Fear should not be a consideration when choosing a mode of transport.
Maybe this is true for you, but for me, this is bollox. Of course it should. It's paramount for me. It's the reason I don't have a motorbike (but I'd love one), the reason I don't get a lift from someone who's been drinking, the reason I wouldn't skateboard down a hill or ride a fixed gear down a mountain pass.
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Andyd - get a motorbike - they're ace!
Fixed gear bikes are awesome, it's like learning to ride a bike again. Clipped in you can go up some surprisingly steep hills, the descents are mental - you'd never believe your legs could spin so fast - and the skidding stops are SO childish (and hence fun).
Controllable fear is good, it makes you feel alive. I've never been any good on a skateboard but dropping down the Bunsall Incline into the Goyt Valley I've done 54.5mph on a bike, wearing just lycra - now that's a thrill. With a bit of aerodynamic preparation I reckon 60 is on the cards. But the sheep at the side of the road will have to behave themselves.
The thought of getting killed by something as banal as a car whilst pootling about in town... not so much.
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Andyd - get a motorbike - they're ace! agreed, but no way
Fixed gear bikes are awesome, agreedI've done 54.5mph on a bike, wearing just lycra - top or shorts? What was the best bit? The feel of the wind, the Lycra or a combination on both? Sadly, it always looks a little baggy on my legs!
My mate got a slow puncture on his 650 cc bike. He slid out at 40mph and his chest went under a white van coming the other way. 7broken vertebrae and a severed aorta. 4 months in hospital. His mum drove from 40 miles away every day to visit him. Now he still rides. I don't want to be that guy.
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LOL - I wear top and shorts, I'm wired, not weird. The best bit is avoiding the manhole cover and getting round the bend at the bottom. And it takes your mind off going up The Street to Pym Chair, which comes next on the Lamaload circuit.
Sadly bad luck stories are numerous with motorbikes, it's best not to dwell on them: enjoy your life and hope for the best.
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Motorbikes. Hmmm.
I remember when we used to use the Peak as our own personal race-track Neil - good times :)
But today there's more than twice as much traffic, the quality of the road-surface is appalling and the Police now have the technology to put you in prison for such behaviour.
I'm not sure I'd advise anyone to get a bike for the road these days. Sure, you only live once but there's just too many other vehicles on the road. Get a track bike instead, you can't really go fast on the road anyway...
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How steep is the road to Castle Naze? (Probably off topic.)
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Today was the first sunny day we have had in ages and I was out driving a fair bit and it got me thinking what bollocks this "blinded by the sun" plea is. A few times I anticipated the sun coming at me from the "wrong" angle and tried to see how hard it is not to "see" objects that had the sun directly behind them (pedestrians, trees, lamp posts etc) and unless you genuinely weren't looking you would definitely see them. Frankly it's a crock of shit.
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Motorbikes. Hmmm.
I remember when we used to use the Peak as our own personal race-track Neil - good times :)
But today there's more than twice as much traffic, the quality of the road-surface is appalling and the Police now have the technology to put you in prison for such behaviour.
I'm not sure I'd advise anyone to get a bike for the road these days. Sure, you only live once but there's just too many other vehicles on the road. Get a track bike instead, you can't really go fast on the road anyway...
Bang on bubs....
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Today was the first sunny day we have had in ages and I was out driving a fair bit and it got me thinking what bollocks this "blinded by the sun" plea is. A few times I anticipated the sun coming at me from the "wrong" angle and tried to see how hard it is not to "see" objects that had the sun directly behind them (pedestrians, trees, lamp posts etc) and unless you genuinely weren't looking you would definitely see them. Frankly it's a crock of shit.
I suspect it is just a fabricated defence in most cases. It can occur though, when the sun is low and in front and there is a reflective surface such as a wet road. I had to make a long drive yesterday, and the visibility was very difficult at times with the morning sun reflecting off a road surface covered in snow melt. It was horrendous and there were times I had to slow right down to be safe.
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Same conditions here and I'm still unconvinced that you wouldn't be able to see someone if you were looking
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I don't quite agree about a moment where you might not be able to see properly, but in that case to not stop or slow down and drive allowing space for a cyclist (I was on a motorway) is simply reckless, so it's no defence imo. FWIW I think the defences are most likely total fabrications.
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I'm not familiar with the exact line of defence, but its undeniable that visibility is impaired compared to normal conditions. The biggest factor is the state of your windscreen, in photography pointing even clean lenses into the sun creates what is called veiling flare - it measurably reduces contrast, often dramatically. As colour information is reduced looking towards the light, contrast is the main source of information.
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Today was the first sunny day we have had in ages and I was out driving a fair bit and it got me thinking what bollocks this "blinded by the sun" plea is. A few times I anticipated the sun coming at me from the "wrong" angle and tried to see how hard it is not to "see" objects that had the sun directly behind them (pedestrians, trees, lamp posts etc) and unless you genuinely weren't looking you would definitely see them. Frankly it's a crock of shit.
I can believe it, though I think the sun has to be low in the sky. Last year I remember coming home down the M65, heading west at about sunset. Traffic had slowed to 20mph, and of course I was wondering what the problem was...until I reached the crest of the hill and GAAAAH! Could only just see the road a few metres ahead, and this was with the sun visor down and the sun not actually in my eyes.
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I can see how the sun makes it difficult. Should the law see it as an excuse or reason?
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The law should not view it as an excuse.
Surely if a driver is blinded by the sun to the extent that they can no longer see the road ahead with enough clarity to drive safely then they should pull over and stop at the first opportunity?
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yes
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I too have been in conditions where its been virtually impossible to see the road ahead well, Ringinglow road is a classic - 4pm, wet road, heading directly into sun. Awful.
And I was passenger in a car once when we nearly hit a cyclist in such conditions - it was 23 years ago, but it made such and impression that I can take you to the exact spot - brow on a bend between Wardlow mires and Monsal Head. 8.30 am, heading to bakewell, wet road, sun straight into our eyes. Suddenly mate swerves round cyclist who appeared out of the glare about 20 yards in front of us. So very nearly hit him and neither of us saw him until the very last minute. Mate was like - "did you see him etc".
So - to all those saying 'its utter bollox'.. I'm afraid you're wrong.
I'm sure in the courts of law, the conditions at the time will have been examined. No court is just going to accept that 'oh the sun was in my eyes' without examining the plausibility, i.e. where was the sun at the time of the accident, had it just rained etc etc.
The courts aren't always so lenient - the driver who killed a guy that worked at the same place as me on ringinglow road pleaded that it was the sun, but he was reckoned to have been travelling at 70mph, got 18 months in jail. No sentence will ever bring back the families son, but the drivers life will certainly be a bit shit from now on too. Having that on your record is going to have serious repercussions through out your life.
I think andyd puts it nicely - excuse or reason.
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The law should not view it as an excuse.
Agreed
Surely if a driver is blinded by the sun to the extent that they can no longer see the road ahead with enough clarity to drive safely then they should pull over and stop at the first opportunity?
Really?? you'd do that. Just pull over and wait 20 mins till the sun's shifted position. Even if you were on the M65 like r-man.
Its usually just for a few seconds - maybe a bit longer on a motorway where the direction doesn't change much. Yeah slow down, etc, but is it not beyond the realms of chance that something unfortunate happens, to a few unfortunate people in those seconds??
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I'm not trying to be holier-than-though. Whatever I do day to day isn't the point - we all take risks and sometimes (often) those risks are unacceptable. That's a choice we make and have to live by.
But if you cause/are involved in an accident whilst you're driving in shit visibility when you could have pulled over then you only have yourself to blame. Sure, on the one hand it's just "something unfortunate" but the reality is you should have stopped.
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I was going post something similar. Unless you are an ambulance driver or the police you can always take a bit more time to get there.
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I'm not trying to be holier-than-though. Whatever I do day to day isn't the point - we all take risks and sometimes (often) those risks are unacceptable. That's a choice we make and have to live by.
But if you cause/are involved in an accident whilst you're driving in shit visibility when you could have pulled over then you only have yourself to blame. Sure, on the one hand it's just "something unfortunate" but the reality is you should have stopped.
Read all this... And I so feckin :agree:
No one dies being 10 minutes late... With the odd exception..
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/18/taxi-driver-fined-cyclists-death?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/18/taxi-driver-fined-cyclists-death?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487)
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I'm not saying don't slow down. I'm not saying don't drive to the conditions etc.
I'm trying to make the point that it is possible to be 'blinded' by the sun, suddenly and momentarily since this was being disputed by some posters. It's happened to me, and its happened to a mate when, by a million (trillion?) to one chance, there happened to be a cyclist there, which due to being a brow/bend situation, had not been visible from further down the road.
It would have been unfortunate for all concerned had my mate clipped him. He didn't. We were all lucky that day.
I agree that the sentences handed down by courts seem massively dis-proportionate.
Though without time or inclination to go do a whole load of research, is it the case that we are linking to 3 or 4 cases where the driver gets a fine or what ever, and out there, there are another 96 cases where the driver when down properly, but you don't really hear about it, cause its not news worthy. :shrug:
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Though without time or inclination to go do a whole load of research, is it the case that we are linking to 3 or 4 cases where the driver gets a fine or what ever, and out there, there are another 96 cases where the driver when down properly, but you don't really hear about it, cause its not news worthy. :shrug:
Here's a crude starting point (http://fullfact.org/factchecks/dramatic_rise_cyclist_injuries_road_casualty_figures-2909).
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Trucks and motorbikes eh :o
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/china-motorcyclist-lucky-escape-road-045717498.html (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/china-motorcyclist-lucky-escape-road-045717498.html)
FWIW Britain is a scary place to ride on the road. last year I spent most of my time in France, every time I came back it took about a solid week of riding to stop getting scared shitless by the cars buzzing past me, missing me by very little.
You do get acclimatised to it though and in about 10 years commuting I have only been knocked off once. I reckon the risk is worth taking really but more should be done to eduate drivers to be more like the continentals (more prosecutions for the "i didnt see you" possee and higher levels of compensation for RTAs).
Still not as bad as russia though:
Driving in Russia || TNL (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXz4P6EpX3s#ws)
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(more prosecutions for the "i didnt see you" possee and higher levels of compensation for RTAs).
Not just the drivers that need educating, but the police as well.
I got knocked off by a vehicle turning left who only decided to turn his indicators on after they had started turning (would any cyclist really be stupid enough to pass on the inside if they had seen a vehicle indicating their intention to turn left, no they wouldn't).
After picking myself up I informed the driver that I would be calling the police he promptly got in his car and drove off.
The police were not interested at all. I spent months writing back and forth only to be repeatedly told that because cause couldn't be attributed there would be no further work. This is despite the fact that I made it very clear to them that the more serious action taken by the driver was leaving the scene of an accident without exchanging contact/insurance details which is in and of itself a crime. The police's response was that they had spoken to the driver and it was felt he was "genuinely sorry" for driving off (a clear admission of his actions breaking the law!) and therefore it would not even be presented to the CPS to decide whether there was a case for prosecution. :wank:
The police do a tough job, I don't envy them, but this was clear cut with an admission of leaving the scene of the accident from the other driver. This encounter drastically changed my view of how willing some of them are to do their job properly and has not engendered any support or sympathy for the job they do from me.
I had to fork out for a new front wheel and had a lovely graze all up the left side of my torso.
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Not just the drivers that need educating, but the police as well.
Would agree with this, a similar thing happened to my ex. A car knocked her off her bike, did a runner and and she ended up in A+E. I got the numberplate, I even got address as I saw it parked up a few days later. all details to the plod and they did SFA.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-21226126 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-21226126)
Tandem. Shocker.
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I wonder if "followed" is different from "pursued"?
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i think the law need changing and basically be on the side of the cyclist unless evidence proves other wise. the majority of cyclists dont ride like twats putting themselves in dangerous situations. so if a car knocks you off 90% of the time they are at fault. so if the law says you will get 'done', eg fine or time, if you knock a cyclist off people would poss be a little more careful.
did you write to the police complaints about the lack of action? also you could take the driver to the small claims court to recover any lost money for the wheel. it sounds like he admitted guilt.
if i was knocked off, and the police did nothing and i knew where the f**ker lived, id be saving a whole load of my dogs deposits and covering his car with them for a few months lol.
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Should be like at sea; steam gives way to sail. Similar basis; petrol* gives way to pedal.
(OK slackers any fuel powered vehicle, including diesel)
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Sadly, the best way to change peoples behaviour seems to be through their wallets...
As stated in may previous posts, a change in the law whereby the driver is automatically at fault unless they can show they are 'innocent' (AKA the Dutch model) is the way forward...
Has anyone ever pursued claims for damages (material damages probably easiest) through the small claims court? Wondered if this had surfaced in any of the cycling literature/websites...
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This has to be good news...
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/536689/ministry-of-justice-agrees-to-look-at-bad-driving-laws.html (http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/536689/ministry-of-justice-agrees-to-look-at-bad-driving-laws.html)
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We can live in hope that this isn't just the government paying lip service. I hope it signals a start of a positive cultural shift towards cycling. I can dream. :hug:
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Norm exactly getting knocked off your bike but...
Brilliant
bike lanes on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/25037336)
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Genius
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funny.
I was once stopped by a special constable and he tried to ticket me for riding on the pavement.
Lets be clear the pavement was about 25 feet wide, it was 7.30 in the morning and other than the bafoon stopping me, there was one other pedestrian about 600 yards away. I'd jumped onto the pavement as the council had closed the road and I had no idea where the diversion would try and take me, the closed section of road was about third of a mile.
Sometimes I think the world forgets what common sense actually is.
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Not quite getting knocked off. Walking across the zebra crossing in Salisbury's carpark this knob comes down with the carpark lanes, turns right but only looks left and goes straight in to my trolley. When I politely asked him "What the fuck did he think he was doing" He first said he didn't look right as the traffic only comes from the left. I pointed out that it is usually to look both ways, he then stated I was supposed to wait till he stopped before stepping on to the crossing. I pointed out I was already 3 quarters of the way across when he hit me. In the end I got fucked off with trying to get him to understand why he was in the wrong and smiled and said "well it is not my car that's now got a knackered front end.
It seems some people lose all road sense once they've passes their test.
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Supermarket car parks... always full of idiots - and people who's minds are elsewhere... I think you should get in touch with claims direct (other opportunist thieving bastard solicitors are available) and get some compo for sore wrists (that were pushing the trolley) ;)
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Supermarket car parks... always full of idiots - and people who's minds are elsewhere... I think you should get in touch with claims direct (other opportunist thieving bastard solicitors are available) and get some compo for sore wrists (that were pushing the trolley) ;)
I've met you and I know you're joking...
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twat
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/28/stop-pampering-scottish-cyclists (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/28/stop-pampering-scottish-cyclists)
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Motorcycle Crashes into Bicycles 4/27/2013 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFaAqS2f18#ws)
(See comment under hosting site for details)
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Amazing the first guy walks at all, let alone walks away.
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Some good news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22347184 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22347184)
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my cycling buddies are wary of the new roundabouts, scared to get too enthusiastic and expecting that cars wont give way not realising cycles have right of way. I hope that there will be sooo much press around them that everybody will have heard about them and be prepared when they stumble upon them. I hope they pain the cycle path section of road a different colour to show the cyclist path.
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:(
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rider-down-in-bamford-peak-district (http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rider-down-in-bamford-peak-district)
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Saw a a heads up on a facebook group that someone had strung a cable at head height across B6051 between owler bar and barlow - about 500m from royal oak (S187WJ). Some cyclists reported it to plod and it was taken down.
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Unbelievable. Surely that can kill?
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Pretty lethal to cyclist or motorcyclist
I seen some postings about similar stuff on cheeky trails/ bridleways - but not heard of it on the road before locally.
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:(
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rider-down-in-bamford-peak-district (http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rider-down-in-bamford-peak-district)
That's horrendous, I bike through there all the time at speed. The visibility up and down the road is normally pretty good at that point (Brentwood Rd junction), although sounds like a van was in the way.
Poor guy. Be careful out there folks.
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Amazing the first guy walks at all, let alone walks away.
Do you reckon he just couldn't control it (he wasn't going all that fast for the corner) or he was too busy checking out the ass at 0:51 and didn't even see them??
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Do you reckon he just couldn't control it (he wasn't going all that fast for the corner) or he was too busy checking out the ass at 0:51 and didn't even see them??
See the comments on the YouTube page for further details/explanation (doesn't make a lot of sense to me though).
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See comments - looks like he fixated on cyclist and couldn't avoid him; a bit like tree skiing and focussing on the trees not the gaps.
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Also might have slightly clipped a foot/pedal at 0:03 which knocked him off line a bit.
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Also might have slightly clipped a foot/pedal at 0:03 which knocked him off line a bit.
The description on YouTube says thats what started the incident....
The rider was not speeding & riding fine until he hit his foot and stood the bike up causing the bike to go wide. He then target fixated on the cyclist.
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The rider was not speeding & riding fine until he hit his foot and stood the bike up causing the bike to go wide. He then target fixated on the cyclist.
If he wasn't speeding why did he need to put a pedal down? Poser. Public road not a racetrack etc. :furious:
The cyclists should have beaten him to death.
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The rider was not speeding & riding fine until he hit his foot and stood the bike up causing the bike to go wide. He then target fixated on the cyclist.
If he wasn't speeding why did he need to put a pedal down? Poser. Public road not a racetrack etc. :furious:
The cyclists should have beaten him to death.
There is greater detail on the YouTube page. :wall:
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From watching the clip a few times, from the angle of his helmet I'm guessing he's focusing on the inside of the bend watching for vehicles coming the other way, he doesn't even attempt to brake before hitting the first guy. He should have seen the cyclists for 1-2 seconds before hitting them, plenty of time to start to brake. The cyclists were right near the edge of the road so there was plenty of room for him to avoid them even without braking. Sadly probably just not a very competent or experienced motorcyclist. Glad the cyclist wasn't killed in this one.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/03/motorist-kills-second-cyclist-edinburgh (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/03/motorist-kills-second-cyclist-edinburgh)
Blooming eck! >:( :(
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http://ipayroadtax.com/no-such-thing-as-road-tax/i-knocked-a-cyclist-off-his-bike-i-have-right-of-way-he-doesnt-even-pay-road-tax/ (http://ipayroadtax.com/no-such-thing-as-road-tax/i-knocked-a-cyclist-off-his-bike-i-have-right-of-way-he-doesnt-even-pay-road-tax/)
Silly girl (stupid bitch).
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saw this on facebook - what an idiot!
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24942687 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24942687)
Sad statistic.
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I just bought some additional lights and a new hi viz jacket this morning. Luckily my commute is mainly canal towpath.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24942687 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24942687)
Sad statistic.
Add another to the tally from today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24989985) :no:
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Sensible EU legislation (http://www.ecf.com/press_release/first-step-to-safer-hgvlorry-cabs-taken-today/)
MEPs then voted in favour of allowing an increase in the front of the cabs. Not only that but MEPs inserted amendments that some of this space has to be used to decrease blind spots at the front and to the sides of the cab and to increase direct vision.
The current brick shaped cabs are a direct result of the current Directive. There are currently no direct vision specifications for HGVs and trucks in Europe despite them being necessary for motorcars . This could be the first step to making it a requirement that the driver of an HGV can see clearly around the cab.
:2thumbsup:
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...by a pothole and you could potentially sucessfully sue the local Council responsible for road maintenance (http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/cyclist-badly-injured-in-pothole-crash-wins-70000-payout-from-council-9204529.html). I hope Sheffield City Council take notice.
<tangent>Maybe its just me, but £96000/annum for "as a charity fundraising director" seems like a rather high remuneration rate for a job that is presumably done for "love" (wanting to help people) and not money. I'm not suggesting that the role shouldn't receive any remuneration but that just seemed quite high to me, regardless of performance within the role.</tangent>
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I hit a massive pot hole in the same area as the cyclist in the news article. Luckily I avoided a crash and just sustained a blow out. After changing the inner tube I then got ran off the road by an idiotic driver who went past doing about 50 mph leaving centimeters to spare and ended up in the verge/hedge.
Some places are horrific for pot holes and some councils should really do a better job at fixing them especially considering the large capital reserves some of them have and the amount of money they are pulling in from parking tickets etc.
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I knocked a lady off her bike last week after pulling out from a side street. It was dusk and I didn't see her at all despite looking. Luckily she was unhurt (although obviously shaken) and her bike was undamaged too. I only saw her when she went in-front of the headlights and managed to slam full on (had only just set off so wasn't going very fast) and just clipped her, causing her to skid sideways.
She was dressed in very dark colours and her light was quite frankly crap, but it made me wonder if I'd really looked? (as I suppose I tend to drive automatically a lot of the time). Decided I need to make more of an effort to look in future.
It shit me up at the time, after checking she was OK I gave her a lift to her destination to make sure she was OK, with her bike in the back..so no damage done in the end thankfully.