Safe Speed Forums

In the part of the world that I live in there are some roads which have a dashed cycle lane set up on both sides of the single carraigeway road.

I've noticed that many drivers now pass cyclists making sure that they do not cross either the central dashed line or the cycle lane, however this means that they are passing very close to the cyclists.

I feel that some motorists think that it is OK to pass cyclists without moving out to give them room because the council have painted these lines and the implication is that it is safe to do so.

More Education perhaps

Welcome!

Personally I'm in two minds about designated cycle lanes for that exact reason. I don't cycle on the roads any more but when I used to I found exactly that - with no marked lane drivers move over to where they think is appropriate (whether or not it is is a different question!) whereas with marked lanes they seem to think that just because they aren't in the cycle lane that the cyclist has enough room.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I agree, I have always thought that the narrow cycle lanes formed with just a white line a few feet from the kerb are dangerous and pointless, as it just provides an excuse for motorists to drive fast and close to cyclists.
On the other hand, why are these people still cycling? Are thay mad? This is the 21st century, we should all have cars now (I recon most adult cyclists do too, but have left their car at home).
The roads are for cars to use. People should realise this whether they are thinking of walking or cycling. Those that are too young to drive must surely have parents that could take them wherever they want to go, and there are always taxis for those that do not. Yet again the poor motorist is expected to reduce speed and make other allowances for those that do not "get with the times" and use the correct, modern mode of travel.
I have even heard cyclists defend their use of the road by saying that they do actually pay road tax but have left their car at home for whatever reason! Why oh why do they do that? Is it just to wind up us motorists? Pointless!

Rant over ;-0

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Always remember; It is not possible to reach a destination if you do not travel fast!

Ooooohhhh. You'll rattle a couple of cages with that one!

At the end of the day, motoring is about making allowances for all kinds of things. I have my opinions on cycling on the road but at the end of the day its a question of choice. TBH if I lived closer to my place of work I'd cycle, but then the cycle lane network here is excellent and there is little of no need to cycle on the roads anyway (a pet hate of mine is people who insist on cycling on the road when there is a perfectly suitable alternative). It IS cheeper and the fitness benifits are obvious.

You'll find if you stick around here that we are about tollerance of others. We have drivers, bikers, professionals, cyclists and all sorts here and we are all interested in safety as a whole.

Welcome

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

quite pointless seeing as cyclists use the roads by right rather then under license

I just posted this in the cycling on the pavement thread, but it seems more appropriate here...

Cycle paths at the side of the road are generally bad. They get filled with debris and stones which makes using a road bike on them a dangerous affair, mountain bikes fair a little better but you are still going to have issues when you need to do an emergency stop on what effectively amounts to gravel.

Next time you're on a big roundabout, have a look at the bits that nobody ever drives on, see how they're basically full of gravel. That's what happens to cycle paths. They are completely unuseable to a cyclist and generally only useful for parking cars in, which is what usually happens anyway. Smile

Cyclists are entitled to use the roads and as motorists we have a responsibility to not hit them and to be courtoeus, considerate and generally not be a dick about it.

Cycle paths create animosity and danger for both sides. To the car driver, some of their space has been sacrificed for the cyclists so they should bloody well get in the cycle lane. To the cyclist the cycle lane is an unuseable death trap and they need to be in the road in order to have a chance of a decent surface to cycle on. Since the presence of cycle lanes often means the loss of overtaking opportunities / lanes on that road, the car stuck behind the cyclist is going to get pissed off.

So when you're in this situation, don't blame the cyclist and blast past them with about 3 inches to spare, blame the local council for trying to look like they're doing something while actually making things worse for everyone.

But no, do not demand that cyclists use the path, I wouldn't wish having to mingle with idiot pedestrians upon anybody, plus once you put them on the path many of them feel entitled to use pedestrian crossing. I am fed up of cyclists appearing from nowhere and flying across a certain zebra crossing in town that I have previously ascertained to be clear and therefore safe to proceed.

Yes I now take into account that this is pretty likely to happen, and slow down accordingly, but I shouldn't have to. Many motorists do not (especially if they are not local) and it's going to cause an accident.

Cyclists belong in the road.

It's best for cyclists to avoid cycling too near the kerb - 30 cm (1') is the recommended distance. That way you pick up less broken glass, nails etc, and also have room for manoeuvre in case of potholes. Most motorists pass me with adequate room - although some just scrape by, and a few think that being "so far" from the kerb is "obstructing" them. I've not noticed much difference when there is a cycle lane to be honest. If I position myself 30 cm from the kerb, I'm often near the outside of the cycle lane anyway, which seems to bear out your experience.

However not all cycle lanes are even that wide:

http://www.warringtoncyclecampaign.co.uk/ (facility of the month)

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Brian

Dashed cycle lanes (advisory cycle lanes) are a complete waste of money and resources.
Cyclists don't have to cycle in cycle lanes.
A dashed line means drivers are allowed to cross it.
So both parties can use both parts of the road anyway, as if the advisory cycle lane wasn't there. It actually serves no purpose whatsoever.

I ignore advisory cycle lanes and drive as if they weren't there. And I seem to manage to do this without running them over. Like I did before the paint was there.

Have you also noticed that whenever these advisory cycle lanes meet a junction or somewhere where a cyclist would like a proper bit of cycle lane the lane suddenly ends?

Why are councils wasting money and paint on doing this and making our roads look ugly? We know the only good reason for these advisory cycle lanes is that the council can say "we have more cycle lanes now!" even though they haven't actually done anything useful.

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Andrew.

I was struck by the paralell with speed limts there!

With no cycle lanes, motorists think for themselves and use their jusdgement to give cyclists a wide enough berth.

With marked lanes, they stay between the lines because someone who "knows better" has done their thinking for them to keep everyone safe...

...Hmmmmm!

I take it you don't ride much (at all)?

Cumbria doesn't really lend itself to cycling unless you're super-fit! I do cycle occasionally but it's nearly always on single track roads and it's nearly always with a kid on the back too!

I was struck by the original poster's comment of:

"I've noticed that many drivers now pass cyclists making sure that they do not cross either the central dashed line or the cycle lane, however this means that they are passing very close to the cyclists. "

but maybe he doesn't cycle much either!

I guess it's different in urban areas?

I would like to think that those cycle lanes are there to provide a path for the cyclist to overtake stationary traffic when the traffic is in a jam.

There is a cycle lane along Beech Street, Barbican (London) up to the junction with Aldersgate Street but in order to provide traffic with 2 lanes to get through the junction, the cycle lane ends to forcing your way to the front is quite tricky. An example of the cycle lane ending when you need it most.

One of the problems of cycle lanes on the lead up to a junction is that traffic may be turning left and the cyclist must join the main line of traffic (even if the cyclist is turning left - it would be dangerous for a cycle and a larger vehicle to attempt to turn at the same time so the other turning vehicle must wait). Of course a competent cyclist should know to do this.

I've had an idea for cutting road casualties: make cyclists and pedestrians take compulsory cycling and walking tests before they can venture out onto our roads. Some seem so oblivious to their surroundings that it is no surprise when they get mown down. Then again, some motorists are oblivious to the outside world too, and others are so old and frail they would try pushing on their car's brake pedal a day later in their hospital bed!

Actually This is not as daft as (Some people anway) might think!

There are a lot of things that pedestrians and cyclists could be "Trained" about that would significantly reduce pedestrian/cycling casualties.

Without specific training people have to learn by personal experiance and the slow learners (Or the merly unlucky) will suffer as a consequence!

Of course in my day (Back in the Dark Ages) you had schools doing cycling proficiancy (With a strong hint that if you hadnt passed the test you shouldnt cycle!) and the Tufty Club (Anybody remember that? Its a bit before Green Cross Man!)

Nobody seems to do this anymore (Or so it seems )

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

I cycle a lot in London and I have to agree on the sheer pointlessness of the cycle lanes delineated by dashed lines. On the King's Road in Chelsea, there are massive pot-holes in the cycle lane! And I find that lorries always stick over into the cycle lane making it impossible to progress sometimes.
Just remembered, the double yellows and reds are always painted over halfway over the cycle lane, making it even more dangerous to use!

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The light at the end of the tunnel is the light of an oncoming train..

Mole said


I do cycle (and walk and drive) and find many road users haven't got a clue about other peoples safety and what they should do to help.

The Speed Kills marketing campaign and the way that independant thought is being eroded (not just on road safety) is what I was highlighting also the thoughtless way the authorities do things and then blame everybody else but themselves for the ensuing carnage

As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus said "Lets be careful out there"

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I walk I cycle I drive and I vote

I cycle a lot, mostly to work and back (maybe 100 miles a week, sometimes a bit more). There are no cycle paths of any sort, and I wouldn't use them if there were. I'm cycling to get from a to b, not to fanny around looking at the scenery with my family. I ride at an average of nearly 20mph, with a top speed of getting on for 40. I can't do that on a cycle path.
A cyclist's place is on the road, not on some funny coloured tarmac pretend road covered in broken glass and dogshit and with give way lines every fifteen yards.

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We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the kerb.

Hello again everyone, by the way.

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We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the kerb.

Ambleside comes to mind. Very close to Ted's heart as he almost came a cropper on his bike there and has been at war with the council over it ever since. Only an idiot would ride on that lane.. and the Mad Lad decided to be one and test it.! He's like that I had a rather lurid and graphic account of a coach breathing down his lycra as far as the traffic lights - at which point he apparently went to the pub for a strong drink - and got the bus back to Keswick!

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