Cyclists versus Motorists

dogmatix

Here's a tale from both sides starring yours truly. Hopefully it will illustrate the incredible morons who inhabit both the motoring and cycling camps.

Scenario 1:
I'm cycling home from work last week and I stop at the junction of Bridgefoot street and Thomas street (yes I am that incredibly rare breed of Dublin cyclist - I stop at red lights). At green, I start to move forward only for some <SNIP> to charge across to Thomas court. He was probably banking on the slow reaction of the traffic to give him the time to nip across. I'm forced to brake suddenly. I flip him the bird and he has the gall to stop further up and swear at me. The colossal <SNIP>.

Scenario 2.
I'm driving home from Ballinteer last night and driving through the junction of Templeogue road and Templeville road (coming from Springfield avenue). Then some <SNIP> comes from behind the line of cars waiting for their green light and proceeds to cycle straight across the junction in front of me. He did not even bother looking to his right! Naturally he had no helmet on him. As I was hitting the brakes I remember thinking "nice bike - a Specialized MTB - I used to have one of those...". Lucky for him I have a good reaction time, brand new set of tyres on the car and it had a full service just recently. Otherwise I would have been stopping about 2 feet beyond his left femur and pelvis.

So i'm thinking - why are red lights regarded by most cyclists and many motorists as an optional thingy, or maybe as some sort of challenge (lets see how long they are red before it gets a bit dangerous to break them). Or maybe it is a bull thing - you now the old "red rag" issue?

As for helmets - these are a legal requirement I believe. I always wear a helmet, because I have personally witnessed what can happen to a cyclist’s heads when they think they are "not cool" and then decide to make contact with a car bonnet or hard road surface. The results are not pretty and involve lots of bright red fluids leaking from your head onto black tarmac.

I hope that bloke last night is aware how lucky he is. And maybe the 90% of Dublin cyclists who think stopping at red lights is just so "square" might think again and sign up to http://www.stopatred.org campaign. And hey - maybe motorists might join up too!

I've posted this at both the motoring and cycling forums.

Cookie_Monster

I both cycle and drive. Since I started driving I have realised how dangerous I am on the bike (and how others are too) whereas before it wouldn't have bothered me in the slightest

I still frequently break red lights on the bike though, more out of habbit than anything else. Would never do it in the car. Strange how it becomes acceptable (to me) when on the bike

Cookie_Monster

dogmatix wrote: »

As for helmets - these are a legal requirement I believe.

Don't think they are yet but no proof to back this up...
Personnally I don't think they should be, it's your choice.

peasant

pre-emptive warning for all posters on this (usually very emotive) topic.

-watch your language
-no insults
-no trolling/ baiting/flaming/fighting

bannings will be swift.

@ the OP: good post (except for the <SNIPS> )

OldmanMondeo

As someone who used to cycle regularly when I was younger, I used to break lights etc. Mainly becaused I viewed to as a benefit to my safety. Most drivers, both now and then, do not take other road users into account. Cyclist are in more danger that other road users, at least motorbikes have the weight of the bike for some protection.

Since I started driving I would feel that I would watch / notice bike more, motor and cycle and will always try to give room.

With regard to the red light issue, it's probably more the F1 driver comming out in us all..

Beta Ray Bill

Yeah red lights seem to be a generally optional thing here in Ireland

Wanna know what worse though?

When the light changes from green to amber and people SPEED UP!! WHY!!! Amber means red is coming next prepare to stop but we speed up?

Ridiculous

Fair enough if the light goes amber and you are to close to stop or some jerk is riding your rear bumper its not safe to stop.

If I was a Garda and saw someone speed up to get through before a light goes red I'd Fine em'

TwoShedsJackson

Green means go, yellow means go faster, everyone knows that

As for cyclists, since I started driving I've been amazed at the antics a lot of these guys pull. During Operation Freeflow it was embarrassing to see them all stopping at the red lights nice and legal like as long as there's a fresh-faced garda recruit standing there with his luminous baton.

The reason many cyclists break red lights, cycle on the pavement, go the wrong down one-way streets etc. etc. is the same reason many drivers pull stupid stunts every day of the week: selfishness.

Most road-users have next to no consideration of anyone else who may be using the road, and act accordingly.

blorg

There are eejits cycling bikes and eejits driving cars. OP is a saint. News at 11.

Tragedy

I stop at red lights(even pedestrian lights) however I'll sometimes use pedestrian crossings to get across when they're red as long as theres no traffic

Raam

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

During Operation Freeflow it was embarrassing to see them all stopping at the red lights nice and legal like as long as there's a fresh-faced garda recruit standing there with his luminous baton.

It would be more embarressing to go straight through and then get done for it!
While out cycling, I always got waved through a certain set of pedestrian lights by the Garda on duty during Operation Freeflow.

Traumadoc

There has been a report recently that cyclists who obey the rules are more likely to be killed/injured.

Danbo!

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Personally I don't think they should be, it's your choice.

Should be made law I think. If a driver hits a cyclist he'll most likely get done for it no matter who was at fault. I commute to work by bike, and have seen plenty of cyclists getting themselves in trouble by breaking lights.

Example - Waiting on the canal for a green light, female cyclist beside me. as soon as she sees the cross-traffic's light go amber, she pedals straight through the junction, doesn't even look, and gets hit by a car coming through the amber (perfectly - had just gone orange, and no way he would have stopped - my opinion anyway). Que pedestrians, motorists and other cyclists taking her side.

boomboombazza

just to bring another element to the mix - pedestrians. they are just as bad at breaking red lights. as a pedestrian i was nearly knocked down by a cyclist on o'connell street. he went through the redlight and when i scremed ya stupid c*nt he had the cheeck to shout watch where you're going-he was the one who went through the red light:rolleyes: if i do get hit by a cyclist or my car gets hit by a cyclist i'm likely to loose the plot and knock lumps out of the offender:p- cyclists anger me more than anyone on the road

Stark

Yup, those pedestrians are desperate for breaking red lights. When cycling I often break red lights if it's safe to do so. I find getting a headstart on the traffic queued at the lights makes for a safer experience: no getting nearly crushed by someone who decides to turn left without indicating, and much easier to change lanes to take a right turn if the traffic is still catching up behind you.

TwoShedsJackson

Traumadoc wrote: »

There has been a report recently that cyclists who obey the rules are more likely to be killed/injured.

O rly?? Got a link or know where we might read this 'report'?

Stark

I think this might be the one he's referring to:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1695668.ece

Traumadoc

Yep thats the one. I saw one cyclist (post mortum)who obeyed the rules and got their brains squeezed out by a cement truck.

cyclopath2001

dogmatix wrote: »

As for helmets - these are a legal requirement I believe.

No that's not correct.

grahambo wrote:

Amber means red is coming next prepare to stop

Amber means stop.

Stark

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Amber means stop.

It means stop provided it's safe to do so.

cyclopath2001

Stark wrote: »

It means stop provided it's safe to do so.

A rule which is widely ignored.