Safe Speed Forums

Only 14 deaths and not a helmet or a hi-viz jacket to be seen.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

I know.

Helmets and hi viz are desired by your bog standard "It's my road" car driver for two reasons as far as I can see:

They want cyclist to wear helmets so when they hit them as a result of their crap driving (as they expect to do) they like to imagine the helmet on the cyclist will mitigate the damage they do.

They want them to wear hi viz cos they're not looking properly.

I still can't understand the desire for many to mandate cyclists to have insurance, and as for wanting them to pay "road tax", they do, and they are exempt from VED.

And funnily enough the dutch used to operate a registration scheme for cycles (often called for by your Mr Toad drivers) but quickly recognised it was pointless. I saw an old dutch bike a while back with registration plates on it, being ridden through a red light.

There are a lot of those in Amsterdam, I'm told....

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

Hah, yeah, and your visitor on a bike always stops for those red lights, gotta get rid of that excess energy you get from being a cyclist somehow!

How is this for an interesting parallel:
Low limits and strict speed enforcement are desired by your bog standard "speed kills" commentator for two reasons as far as I can see:

They want drivers to go as slow as possible so when they get hit them as a result of their crap walking/cycling/driving (as they expect to do) they like to imagine the speed will mitigate the damage they do.

They want them to go slow cos they're not looking properly.


I am against mandatory use of helmets and high-viz. However, those who call for strict enforcement on the basis of "if it saves a life" must also accept mandatory helmets and high-vis, otherwise they will show themselves as biased.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

i've spent a lot of time in hazardous locations - last ten years on West Coast main line ,with LIVE train working . That taught me what I've TRIED to impart to our cycling/walking fraternity - that road safety imposes a demand on ALL users to look out for the safety of other users .
Perhaps we need the German approach -where there's no such thing as an accident - whether caused by driver /cyclist or pedestrian.
On thee subject of Hi Viz - a simple tale - on a rail replacement site all you see is a sea of orange Hi Viz ,which blinds you to the individuality
One day ,I noticed one bloke take off his orange jacket ,to remove his next layer . He then became very visible from the crowd . Like last night, when i thougt "what the f888" ,at traffic lights , seing what I thought was a car with one mis aligned head lamp - it turned out when closer to be a Motorbike in front of the car .
Now ,Im not trying to be controversial , but it seems that there's a new way for Brits to get cycle paths (unless we get substiantial police presence in town centres) - force pedestrians off the pavements . Coming to a town centre near you . I'm seriously considering carrying a walking stick to combat it in our town centre .
You see -Weepy - you as a cyclist are judged by the actions of the inconsiderate few .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

ah well if t*sco had actually done their green travel policy as required they might have incorporated some cycle facilities into their new squillion pound store & road layout

I am splitting this thread to here - Crossing Paths & Pedestrian Crossings

and to here : Strict Liability

If anyone thinks they'd prefer any left posts in either of the above splits please let me or any admin know and it will be made so.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Not just T*sco, but the Nasty And Bent Borough Craps had employed some council officials to police the pedestrian area - or woke up the town centre PC/pLASTIC POLICE this would be nipped in the bud .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on