Car drivers forget Highway Code

As a cyclist ... my journey of 4.2 miles which should take about 12 minutes on my mountain bike, takes me about 25 minutes. The reason being? Cars impede my progress. They overtake ... and then stop in front of me. Move on - another vehicle overtakes ... and stops in front of me. Use the cycle-lane? How? The stalled cars are all over it. Cycle-lanes are there because cars move much slower than bicycles in urban conditions and because of the relative speed difference need to be segregated; this argument seems to have been lost in the cyclist vs car debate.

During my 25 minutes of course I am subjected to:
Nano-particulates
Nasty chemicals and odours from exhuasts predominantly on the left-hand-side of the vehicle
Endless drowning anti-social noise - especially from motor-cycles
Abuse from vehicles that don't like to see cyclists overtaking them because they obstruct the cycle-lane.

I always signal, use lots of flourescent clothing and the best lighting - I always wait at traffic lights - even when cars jump them.

And so on. I hate having to overtake cars ... but what am I to do? Spend 40 minutes on my journey ... I can't endure any more of it! Go on the pavement? Walk? A bus takes nearly as long as to walk? I know ... I'll use at least 30 times as much energy as I need to; spend a fortune; help destroy the environment and kill the local kids with poison. Why not ... I'll get a car!!!

I am a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner, an advanced motorcyclist and a car driver to boot. I think it is mad that cars and cyclists use the same carriage way when it is clearly too narrow; on busy roads following a cyclist for ages because it is too dangerous to overtake is not much fun! Pavements are there because pedestrians move much slower than cars and because of the relative speed difference need to be segregated; this argument seems to have been lost in the cyclist vs car debate. However, I don't blame the cyclist I blame a poorly conceived highway code for not dealing with this issue, and Local Councils who seem to turn a blind eye to the problem whilst people are frequently loosing there lives finding out that the best way to resolve a safety issue is to engineer it our a source.

I really did forget. The highway code allows cyclist complete freedom to ride wherever they please, pavements, up one way streets the wrong way, jump traffic lights, ignore halt signs, turn left or right without signalling, and ride 4 abreast at 15 mph on narrow country roads. We poor motor driven mortals have to have insurance,pass a driving test, pay tax on both the car and fuel, register with the DVLA.
Whilst the cyclist has none of these, causes accidents and get away with it because they cannot be traced.
Oh I did forget one thing that brings him into line with vehicle drivers, he can't drink and ride above the prescribed limit, but he never gets a ban from riding a bike

I have a somewhat relevant story to relate.

Many years ago, I was on a 60' steel houseboat with my father, making way in a narrow channel. A windsurfer (sail boarder) was coming towards us, head on. He wished to continue in his intended path, to make most advantage of the wind, and began yelling at us, "Power gives way to sail!"

My father walked away from the helm onto the front deck. When the windsurfer asked him what he was doing, my father yelled back, "watching the accident." By this stage the windsurfer couldn't get out of the way, and was run over.

Naturally, he (somewhat injured be being run over by a 60' steel boat) complained to the water police, who were kind enough to call us and let us know about the complaint. The man was soundly laughed out of the station, in spite of his recently-treated injuries.

Why? He was technically right on the right-of-way point.

Because he was a small, maneuverable vessel trying to claim technical right-of-way over a much larger, slower-maneuvering vessel. Our boat simply would have had to go to extra-ordinary effort, risking running aground, to avoid him, where he could easily have adjusted course earlier. We assumed he would have the common sense to avoid an accident where we probably couldn't have, and he was held liable for his own stupidity in choosing to assert right-of-way instead of acting to avoid an accident.

I'm not saying this same ruling would apply in the described situation. The cyclist may very well have an excellent point. I just want cyclists to remember that sometimes avoiding an accident is a much greater consideration than an academic argument over who may or may not have had right-of-way.

Bicycles should simply not be on roads designated 40 mph or more. If cyclists need to get around they need dedicated lanes and routes, not on the main roads either. If this is going to cost billions let the cyclists pay for them with some kind of tax. The days of cycling being "free" are over.

The next time I find a cyclist riding round the North Circular in London during rush-hour I'll .... There's simply no need for them to take that route. They are nothing but a danger to themselves and other road users.

As for cyclists who ride their bikes in the dark without lights, they're dead! Cyclists who ignore red traffic lights re dead too! Cyclist who ignore use of a designated cycle lane choosing the main highway instead: Dead!

How can I keep warm and 'chill out' at the same time. Happily for me , most of my hormones left me years ago! So I should be a safe driver ALL the time :-)

Dont get me wrong lass,I thought the three places that I mentioned would be good places for you, you know, home makers,home cooking,and keeping your man warm at night,chill out girl...oh sorry I forgot about the hormones !

I think you mean 'banned'. Well at least WE are safe on the roads the rest of the time- men-never. There are only 3 places where men should be seen, the pits,the sewers and up scaffolding. We don't mind you keeping our world running smoothly for us :-)

I say that woman drivers of cars lorrys motorbikes in fact anything with an engine that moves on the road should be band when they are going through there menstrual cycle lets face it lads its bad enough when there not going through there menstral cycle, woman should only be seen in three places the kitchen the nursery and the bedroom {proberbly best with the lights out }

The other day whilst driving down a one way road,I saw a cyclist on what I would describe as a motor assisted cycle with no protection on her head after riding down the footpath opposite which was not a cycle path, go straight across on the junction without stopping and riding the wrong way down the one way road on the footpath,also not a cycle path.She did not look to see what might be coming or if there were any pedestrians on the path.
Its not always the car drivers that are irresponsible,cyclists can be a nightmare when they forget hand signals,lights traffic lights stop signs and who may be behind them.I always give them a very wide berth when they are on the road but some think you are a mind reader.

Although The Highway Code makes reference to the law, it is essentially a “code” to promote road safety, not a rule book. We should all respect each other, and as gentlefolk and it is far more gallant to give way than stand on one’s supposed rights, especially when driving what amounts to a tank when seen from the saddle of a bike. Likewise anyone on a bike is foolish to take on a “tank” just because they feel their rights are being infringed.
Common sense and chivalry should prevail. The Dutch have recently had to change the law because it was previously legal to run over a cyclist that wrongly took right of way. Dutch law is now in line with air law: whatever the situation, you must do everything in your power to avoid an accident. Cyclists would earn a great deal more respect if they accepted that the rules of the road apply to ALL road users and pedestrians ALL of the time, not just to cyclists when it suits them. Car users should realise that a drivers licence is a privilege not a right. Anybody that cannot control his or her temper behind the wheel of what is potentially a 2 tonne killing machine should lose that privilege – permanently.

If the cars were parked on your side of the road then you should have given way...as for giving way to traffic coming up hill then that applies to Single track roads, so maybe you should re-read your highway code