Quote:
Originally Posted by Kursk
Some of the people who cycle around London are from other (more forward-thinking) Countries in which cycling is given greater precedence in road strategies and practices. This, together with the fact that Britons tend to be inexplicably aggressive when they get behind the wheel, contributes to the potential for disaster.
It is not only 'stupid' cyclists that get killed by stupid motorists. Many motorists fail the rocket science test daily; it's just that for cyclists, and I accept that there are varying rider skill levels as there is driving ability, the result can be catastrophic.
No, it would be poor judgement. But then, town planners are guilty of poor judgement for not properly accommodating all road users within their designs. The result is bolt-on arrangements for cyclists that are just not good enough.
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Of course not - it'd be ridiculous to assume that idiots only come on 2 wheels which I why I don't. The point is that, whoever's right or wrong, cyclists are far more vulnerable than any other road users so if their instinct for self preservation is serving them well you'd expect them to be far more careful on the roads than many of them actually are. The idiocy isn't limited to novice cyclists either - some of of the lycra clad 'tour de asphalt' brigade are the worst offenders and you'd really think they'd know better. Frankly I'd swap life for self righteousness any time and I just don't understand why you see so many cyclists make the most alarming decisions on busy roads. A car/bus/van/lorry driver may be just as stupid and/or inconsiderate but is far less likely to be injured in any contact with a cyclist and that might be why some of them act the way they do.
Town planning is of course a long term business and if they've got it so badly wrong in respect of motor vehicles, it's no great surprise that they haven't got to grips with the needs of a small group of road users which has only relatively recently started to grow. It'll take decades to sort out reasonable provision for cyclists so in the meantime they're going to need to do their utmost to protect their own interests by at least applying some common sense. It may not be fair but it it would be the prudent thing to do whilst awaiting more/better cycle routes.