Cyclists on M8 (again)

AugustusMinimus · 01-11-2011 10:30am #1

Winter's approaching. The clocks had been put back an hour. Sunday evening and it was quite dark.

As anyone on scene can attest to, there was also a very thick blanket of fog between Watergrasshill and Glanmire on the M8. Visibility was awful.

Low and behold, here be driving on the M8 when all of a sudden, I see a cyclist in the breakdown lane (only barely saw him, even if he had a tiny red light on the back).

I must say, what sort of an idiot is this guy. Visibility was truly awful. For the first time ever, I gave Glanmire Garda station a ring to report cyclists on this stretch of motorway. This must be the 10th time more I've seen cyclists there.

Eventhough they were breaking the law all those other times, this is the first time I believed whoever they were, were acting in an utterly wreckless fashion. (Not insinuating it is the same cyclists all the time btw)

I get the feeling my call was in vain and nothing much was done about it sadly.

heate · 01-11-2011 11:15am

All a driver should actually be on the lookout for on a motorway is other qualified vehicles that is vehicles which are legally allowed enter a motorway

AugustusMinimus · 01-11-2011 11:15am

I was driving around 50mph which was more than enough to slow down as other cars rear lights (even without fog lamps on) were powerful enough to safely drive at this speed.

On the other hand, a battery power bicycle rear light is not near as powerful or as piercing as a car rear light. You also have a much higher closing speed with a cyclists leading to less time to react due to the cyclists moving slower than a car would be.

Should I have assumed that there would be a suicidical rider on the motorway. To extrapolate further, should I have also assumed there was a drunk man sleeping in the driving lane of the motorway ?

We all have to make assumptions and my assmumption that there shouldn't be cyclists on this motorway (given the fog, although I expect them all the time when there isn't) was a valid presumption.

Cuddlesworth · 01-11-2011 11:56am

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Hows that then ?

I was driving around 50mph which was more than enough to slow down as other cars rear lights (even without fog lamps on) were powerful enough to safely drive at this speed.

At 80kph in heavy fog conditions the only thing you would be able to react to is other car lights. You are absolutely unprepared for any other situation because of your complete lack of visibility. This is Ireland, we have a slew of drivers who don't bother turning on lights, tractors who do 20kph with trailers that have no lights or reflectors and cyclists who choose to cycle on the motorway. Since you passed a cyclist with no time to react, you were travelling to fast for the conditions.

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

On the other hand, a battery power bicycle rear light is not near as powerful or as piercing as a car rear light. You also have a much higher closing speed with a cyclists leading to less time to react due to the cyclists moving slower than a car would be.

Which is why you slow down if you don't have the visibility.

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Should I have assumed that there would be a suicidical rider on the motorway. To extrapolate further, should I have also assumed there was a drunk man sleeping in the driving lane of the motorway ?

A drunk man is a acceptable risk, its a rare enough occasion for it to be negligible. A geriatric doing 30kph with no lights sadly isn't. Neither is a tractor or a cyclist.

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

We all have to make assumptions and my assmumption that there shouldn't be cyclists on this motorway (given the fog, although I expect them all the time when there isn't) was a valid presumption.

You can't say its a valid presumption when you admit in your opening post that you regularly see cyclists on the motorway.

I know I'm going to be seen as the bad guy here, because as a motoring forum you automatically side against the cyclist on the motorway. But you were driving blind.

AugustusMinimus · 01-11-2011 11:58am

Q. Do you have any idea what the coniditions were like ?
A. No

Q. Are you going off topic ?
A. Yes

If you want to complain about my driving (of which you know very little about) go start your own bloody thread.

Cuddlesworth · 01-11-2011 12:02pm

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Q. Do you have any idea what the coniditions were like ?
A. No

You described them adequately thanks.

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Q. Are you going off topic ?
A. Yes

Seems pretty on topic to me.

I like the ninja edit, I suggest reading up on what a forum actually is.

Cookie_Monster · 01-11-2011 12:19pm

heate wrote: »

All a driver should actually be on the lookout for on a motorway is other qualified vehicles that is vehicles which are legally allowed enter a motorway

Expect the unexpected.

Fundamental basic principle of driving...

Stark · 01-11-2011 12:21pm

heate wrote: »

All a driver should actually be on the lookout for on a motorway is other qualified vehicles that is vehicles which are legally allowed enter a motorway

That's the ideal world scenario. In reality, there's no road where you can completely switch your brain off. There was a deer on the M1 this morning for example despite animals on the motorway being illegal. The breakdown lane in particular could have broken down cars without lights and people walking to emergency phones.

I'm reminded of the M7 a few years ago when there was heavy fog and complete carnage as people didn't leave themselves enough time to react to things that were outside their field of visibility.

01-11-2011 12:24pm

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

................ Visibility was truly awful. .................

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

..........
I was driving around 50mph .................

If visibility was truly awful than I would think 50mph was far too fast.
If 50mph wasn't too fast than visibility couldn't have been that bad

barura · 01-11-2011 12:28pm

Hey, maybe I'm being a little too kind hearted here, but if conditions were so bad, why not give them a lift to where there going? Keeps them off the road and then you can lecture them in person, if you so wish. If they're training for something on the other hand.... Well, there's devotion and then there is blind stupidity. On the other hand, if they cannot afford a car, I'm sure a lift in those conditions would not go unwelcome.

EPM · 01-11-2011 12:31pm

Thread cleaned up.

Try keep this on topic, i.e. the use of the illegal use of the motorway in poor conditions.

This is not an anti-cyclist thread, or have a go at the OP thread either.

Keep this in mind before posting.

Stark · 01-11-2011 12:33pm

barura wrote: »

Hey, maybe I'm being a little too kind hearted here, but if conditions were so bad, why not give them a lift to where there going? Keeps them off the road and then you can lecture them in person, if you so wish. If they're training for something on the other hand.... Well, there's devotion and then there is blind stupidity. On the other hand, if they cannot afford a car, I'm sure a lift in those conditions would not go unwelcome.

They can cycle through Watergrasshill/Glanmire if they're commuting and can't afford a car. Regardless of the safety/duty of care arguments, it's still illegal for them to be on the motorway. The OP's responsibility goes as far as driving according to the conditions, not offering lifts to illegal motorway users.

Cookie_Monster · 01-11-2011 12:34pm

Stark wrote: »

They can cycle through Watergrasshill/Glanmire if they're commuting and can't afford a car.

why do you assume they can't afford a car?

EPM · 01-11-2011 12:35pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

why do you assume they can't afford a car?

Does it matter? Keep it on topic from here on in or there will be infractions.

krissovo · 01-11-2011 12:39pm

I think cyclists in the whole area are a danger to themselves. The road between Watergrasshill and Fermoy often has cyclists 4 abreast in poor conditions with them unwilling to move into single file when a car comes up behind them.

AugustusMinimus · 01-11-2011 12:42pm

barura wrote: »

Hey, maybe I'm being a little too kind hearted here, but if conditions were so bad, why not give them a lift to where there going? Keeps them off the road and then you can lecture them in person, if you so wish. If they're training for something on the other hand.... Well, there's devotion and then there is blind stupidity. On the other hand, if they cannot afford a car, I'm sure a lift in those conditions would not go unwelcome.

1. Illegal to stop on a motorway.
2. No space in the car for the bike.

AugustusMinimus · 01-11-2011 12:45pm

RoverJames wrote: »

If visibility was truly awful than I would think 50mph was far too fast.
If 50mph wasn't too fast than visibility couldn't have been that bad

Well, in my mind, 50mph was an adequate reduction in speed. Gave me plenty of time to adjust my speed when I came up a car in front of me.

However, it was not an adequate speed if the cyclist had been in the driving lane. However, its a fanciful suggestion that I should have adjusted my speed in anticipation of a cyclist being on a motorway, in the dark in fog.

If I had reduced my speed to what would have been necessary in such an instnace, I almost certainly would have been rear ended by someone else. I'd imagine 20mph would have been the necessary speed in my case to avoid rear ending that cyclist.

Back to the topic at hand. That particular stretch of motorway is particularly bad for cyclists. Saturday morning at about 9AM, there is practically always 2 cyclists heading from Glanmire to Watergrasshill in the breakdown lane. Whether they are the same two each morning, I'm not sure, but I would have to assume so.

01-11-2011 12:53pm

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

................. However, its a fanciful suggestion that I should have adjusted my speed in anticipation of a cyclist being on a motorway, in the dark in fog..................

I agree, but if it was ok to travel at 50mph the visibility can't have been that bad, truly awful visibility when fog is concerned at night would have me travelling at 10/15mph. If you can safely travel at 50mph it can't have been that bad in my view

Iwannahurl · 01-11-2011 12:59pm

"Expect the unexpected".

Perhaps it is only in Ireland, where motorways are new-fangled and cyclists (such as yours truly) and considered eccentric, that cyclists are to be "expected" on roads that they are sensibly banned from!

My only gripe with the OP was that he didn't report all the other idiot cyclists at every opportunity.

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

For the first time ever, I gave Glanmire Garda station a ring to report cyclists on this stretch of motorway. This must be the 10th time more I've seen cyclists there.

AugustusMinimus · 01-11-2011 1:21pm

Iwannahurl wrote: »

"Expect the unexpected".

Perhaps it is only in Ireland, where motorways are new-fangled and cyclists (such as yours truly) and considered eccentric, that cyclists are to be "expected" on roads that they are sensibly banned from!

My only gripe with the OP was that he didn't report all the other idiot cyclists at every opportunity.

Indeed. Prob should have rang the other times too.

This time I felt the person was truly endangering themselves and others by their actions though.

Matt Simis · 01-11-2011 1:37pm

All I can add is that there was at least one cyclist on the M3 today too. Weather conditions fine which meant cars doing the correct motorway speed, which left a staggering difference in speed between cyclist and car as well as the huge potential for dangerous buffeting from passing HGVs.

Im replaying the tyre blowout threads that people posted where an emergency pull over into the emergency lane would be required.. now becomes so much more difficult. And how do they cross over the merging lane for off ramps, considering cars are merging from one lane to the off ramp at speed!? Totally crazy.

Amtmann · 01-11-2011 2:25pm

Iwannahurl wrote: »

My only gripe with the OP was that he didn't report all the other idiot cyclists at every opportunity.

As a regular M8 user, I have reported (and continue to report) the cyclists that I see every single week on the M8 between Watergrasshill and Glanmire. It makes no difference whatsoever. It's a waste of money. The guards at Glanmire Garda station (0214821002) simply do not give a damn.

Blazer · 01-11-2011 2:25pm

krissovo wrote: »

I think cyclists in the whole area are a danger to themselves. The road between Watergrasshill and Fermoy often has cyclists 4 abreast in poor conditions with them unwilling to move into single file when a car comes up behind them.

^^
I can never understand this mentality...I cycle myself and the first thing I do is cycle one abreast as I've no intention of being knocked down.
I think these gimps suffer from the mentality known as "dickhead"

aujopimur · 01-11-2011 2:28pm

I'v seen and reported these irresponsable pr1cks cycling on the M8 on several occasions, but the problem persists.

CiniO · 01-11-2011 7:08pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Expect the unexpected.

Fundamental basic principle of driving...

Obviously true.
But expecting cyclist on the motorway is beyond my imagination.
I've never seen such thing in my life.
I would expect it the same much as seeing UFO on the way home.

Honey-ec · 01-11-2011 7:14pm

CiniO wrote: »

Obviously true.
But expecting cyclist on the motorway is beyond my imagination.

You'd think the same about someone reversing up the hard shoulder of a motorway because they've missed their exit, but I've seen it. Twice.

bad2dabone · 01-11-2011 7:17pm

Anyone cycling on a motorway has a deathwish in my opinion. Insane.

EPM · 01-11-2011 7:47pm

Honey-ec wrote: »

You'd think the same about someone reversing up the hard shoulder of a motorway because they've missed their exit, but I've seen it. Twice.

3 car crash on M7 Saturday lunchtime. Saw about 20 do it!

-Corkie- · 01-11-2011 7:59pm

I have witnessed these cyclists on the M8 several times sometimes cycling two abreast very near the driving lane. I have rang the AGS in Glanmire too but they dont give two hoots. They will care when one of them ends up under a truck or a car.

Why in gods name can they not use the N8 or whatever its called now. That flipping road is empty all the time...

yllw.ldbttr · 01-11-2011 8:00pm

One of these cyclists is a repeat offender, I live in the area and I've seen him on the motorway at least 20 or more times.

I've blown the horn at him a few times, I would really like to stop and say it to him, but I'm not going to further endanger other road users just to try educate what I can only describe as one ignorant cyclist.
He clearly knows what he is doing and I can only assume that he is of the opinion that he is above the law.

As I mentioned before, I've seen cyclists roll past cops (doing speed checks) on this stretch of motorway, the cops couldn't give a damn... no point in ringing the local garda station.

Amtmann · 01-11-2011 8:10pm

I raised this matter in the Emergency Services forum a while back and was told by one user that I couldn't possibly know that the Guards don't prosecute these cyclists. Technically true; but Glanmire and Watergrasshill are small and it's the same cohort of individuals continuously flouting the law for the past two years. If the Guards had ever done anything about it, the problem would have stopped by now.
So, yes, I think the Guards there turn a blind eye. Scandalous. When a fatality does occur (as it inevitably will), I'll have no problem linking to all of the relevant posts on Boards.ie in an email to journalists. Threads like this are a valuable chronicle of Garda inaction.

Cyclists on M8 (again)

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