BBC Panorama this evening

[WelshGas]

Has this "Vigilante " ever confronted rogue cyclists or pedestrians who flout the Highway Code or Traffic Laws and posted those videos on the WWW?
Oh, I forgot, its almost impossible to formerly identify such transgressors.
Maybe we should remove all Number Plates from vehicles so we are all on an equal footing, unidentifiable.
There must be a Human Rights Law that prohibits the identification of a subset of road users and their prosecution while leaving other road users free reign to flout these Laws/Regulations safe in the knowledge that they cannot be identified.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Has this "Vigilante " ever confronted rogue cyclists or pedestrians who flout the Highway Code or Traffic Laws and posted those videos on the WWW?
Oh, I forgot, its almost impossible to formerly identify such transgressors.
Maybe we should remove all Number Plates from vehicles so we are all on an equal footing, unidentifiable.
There must be a Human Rights Law that prohibits the identification of a subset of road users and their prosecution while leaving other road users free reign to flout these Laws/Regulations safe in the knowledge that they cannot be identified.

Mikey will not stop or hinder their passage, due to safety issue of the user. If he stood in front of a bike and the guy fell off and broke his arm, he’s made another issue…
He does verbally give them a dressing down and calls out selfish inconsiderate riding.

Remember, there will always be a few bad eggs.
The majority are decent law abiding cyclists. Everytime I hear some numpty call out the cyclist who went through a red light, I would ask when was the last time they ever saw a car speeding. Let’s be honest, we’ve all done that at some point.

 

[WelshGas]

Mikey will not stop or hinder their passage, due to safety issue of the user. If he stood in front of a bike and the guy fell off and broke his arm, he’s made another issue…
He does verbally give them a dressing down and calls out selfish inconsiderate riding.

Remember, there will always be a few bad eggs.
The majority are decent law abiding cyclists. Everytime I hear some numpty call out the cyclist who went through a red light, I would ask when was the last time they ever saw a car speeding. Let’s be honest, we’ve all done that at some point.

So the "user" who fell off and broke his arm obviously wasn't " Cycling " with due care and attention because he was unable to stop safely? Like I said, different standards of accountability and obviously he wouldn't be identifiable .

 

[soulstyledevon]

So the "user" who fell off and broke his arm obviously wasn't " Cycling " with due care and attention because he was unable to stop safely? Like I said, different standards of accountability and obviously he wouldn't be identifiable .

Impeding the travel of 2 wheels vs 4 wheels will have different consequences.
You would be happy if people are potentially injured…???

 

[GrannyJen]

Impeding the travel of 2 wheels vs 4 wheels will have different consequences.
You would be happy if people are potentially injured…???

I would be more than happy, in fact deliriously overjoyed, if I could injure the creatures that derived so much pleasure frightening the life out of my dear old Mum by riding as fast as possible and passing as close as possible on a footpath without any audible warning.

Sadly we will never get rid of the aggression by others towards cyclists whilst so much idiot behaviour is tolerated and even condoned.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

And if helmets are so vital for mitigating risk, why do the Dutch (who hardly ever bother with helmets) have the lowest cycle accident rates in the world?

I reckon it’s because they pootle about upright on their bikes without breaking into a sweat.

One significant difference is that the Netherlands has a significantly better cycling infrastructure than the U.K. Most cycle routes are segregated from motorised traffic and are designed and maintained with cyclists in mind. In the UK local authorities deem a bit of white paint on the ill-maintained road, just beside the gutter to be adequate cycle provision.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PeteS]

Caution - rant incoming.

Im genuinely nervous responding to this thread…but here goes!

So, as with many others in this thread, l’m equal parts cyclist/motorist. I’m also fairly obsessive/compulsive about my driving, and by ‘fairly’ I of course mean completely and utterly. The purpose of this paragraph was to get over that I both know and follow the rules of the road obsessively. And I honestly believe the laws and the punitive measures available are sufficient, the issue is enforcement and particularly failure to take action when people break the law with serious outcomes.

So, my experience as both a cyclist and a motorist (often in the same commute - literally park & ride!) is that there are both good and bad drivers and to the same degree, good and bad cyclist. But the volumes of these road users are unequal meaning you tend to encounter more from one cohort.

The rules of the road are not unclear or ambiguous, but too many folk either forget or disregard the rules. Of course cyclist are significantly more vulnerable on the road, but again the rules and laws [when respected] safeguard all road users from each other. Of course sometimes accidents cannot be foreseen or avoided but these appear to be in the minority these days.

I’ve unfortunately witnessed and been first on the scene of 2 fatal road collisions and another resulting in significant injury

1. Speeding Motorcyclist came off bike on corner and sadly slide directly into the path of an oncoming car, which had no opportunity to take avoiding action. Motorcyclist suffered injuries incompatible with life. 1 life lost and two families lives destroyed.

2. Cyclist (no helmet) cycling down a street when an elderly lady walked out between two parked cars. The noise of the cyclist head hitting the road will remain with me. Cyclist died of head injury. Elderly lady sustained multiple fractures and died a week or so later in hospital.
3. Cyclist (think carbon bike, Lycra, angry etc) doesn’t fancy stopping/queing at Zebra crossing, so passes cars at speed and ploughs through a mother and toddler crossing. The toddlers face and body was struck by the wheels and pedals as the cyclist road over her. Her injuries, particularly the facial injuries were significant. The cyclist failed to stop and I don’t believe was ever traced.

So my personal view is that any form of road user, as with many aspects of life…should follow the rules…but if one chooses to break the rules, one should be prepared to accept the consequence (legal or otherwise).

I have literally no sympathy or FTG to any motorist or cyclist who breaks the rules and suffers as a result. Is it really so hard to follow the rules?!

I do have sympathy for innocent victims of those who take liberty with the rules and will
always do what I can to help, both in the moment, with my camera/dashcam footage and, if necessary in the witness box.

My view is that when I am driving I have a duty not to cause harm to anyone or damage anyone’s property.
I do have a dashcam which is there to help provide evidence in any incident. I hope that I am never in the situation where I have to use the evidence.
I do feel that all cyclists should have some form of identification and insurance. I understand that there are good and bad cyclists but having a way of tracing bad cyclists and making the responsible for there actions would help raise the profile of the vast majority of good cyclists.

 

[Snowball1935]

In giving priority to cyclists, on the basis of restraining those (motor vehicles) which cause the greatest harm, one point was overlooked.
Suppose an HGV driver took evasive action due to a foolish and dangerous move by an errant cyclist, and it resulted in a severe traffic collision - because safely stopping a 38-tonne HGV in an emergency is a difficult job at any time - then it is the cyclist who has caused the greatest harm.

There is a dangerous stretch of narrow, two-way carriageway through our small town. It is always busy, is a bus route, and carries large vehicles, being a main road which carries vehicles to and from the M1 and M69 m-ways.
At one end of this stretch are two senior schools, along it is a Lidl and a Wickes, and at the other end is a Tesco superstore. Many teenagers therefore travel this section of the highway, some on foot but also some on bikes and a number of these cyclists behave in what can only be regarded as crazy behaviour. On one side is a wide pavement divided into pedestrian and cycle traffic, but several of these cyclists (including some adults) ignore the cycle path and ride on the road, or on the opposite narrow pavement, putting themselves and pedestrians at risk. Occasionally, a cyclist will ride on the wrong side of the road.
I find it impossible to imagine the mindset of these people.

 

[wave]

The only reasonable way to do that would be to make dash cams mandatory to allow the motorist to prove no fault.

On a more controversial point, I think that I encounter fewer bad drivers because about 99% of my cycling is in everyday clothes and no helmet. My theory is that cycle specific clothing somehow dehumanises cyclists in the view of many motorists.

If not dehumanise, then certainly signal to some drivers that 'here is a cyclist who can look after him /herself', I don't need to be quite so careful.

 

[wave]

Probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

You need to read more then - it would seem less ridiculous! Examining counter-intuitive explanations often leads to a firmer grip of the facts.

 

[SimonC]

Has this "Vigilante " ever confronted rogue cyclists or pedestrians who flout the Highway Code or Traffic Laws and posted those videos on the WWW?
Oh, I forgot, its almost impossible to formerly identify such transgressors.
Maybe we should remove all Number Plates from vehicles so we are all on an equal footing, unidentifiable.
There must be a Human Rights Law that prohibits the identification of a subset of road users and their prosecution while leaving other road users free reign to flout these Laws/Regulations safe in the knowledge that they cannot be identified.

A small proportion of road users are idiots, whatever mode of transport they use. In general an idiot (nominally) in control of several tons of powerfully motorised metal is more of a risk than, for example, an idiot riding a few kg of plastic or an idiot who is walking. So treating all road users the same would not put "all on an equal footing". That's why disqualified motorists are still allowed to walk or cycle.

 

[Amarillo]

Has this "Vigilante " ever confronted rogue cyclists or pedestrians who flout the Highway Code or Traffic Laws and posted those videos on the WWW?
Oh, I forgot, its almost impossible to formerly identify such transgressors.
Maybe we should remove all Number Plates from vehicles so we are all on an equal footing, unidentifiable.
There must be a Human Rights Law that prohibits the identification of a subset of road users and their prosecution while leaving other road users free reign to flout these Laws/Regulations safe in the knowledge that they cannot be identified.

If there is such a human rights law it is ignored in every country except North Korea.

But we all know that pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are not equal. Pedestrians and cyclists use the highway by right; motorists do so under licence.

And why is it that a small subset of motorists feel the need to highlight the transgressions of a few cyclists when we all know that lawbreaking by motorists, such as speeding, is endemic.

 

[Alistair Hardy]

Great bloke.
Fully support the cause.
He’s doing nothing wrong in my book.

He's a first class Prat and hopefully will get filled in one day

 

[Amarillo]

My view is that when I am driving I have a duty not to cause harm to anyone or damage anyone’s property.
I do have a dashcam which is there to help provide evidence in any incident. I hope that I am never in the situation where I have to use the evidence.
I do feel that all cyclists should have some form of identification and insurance. I understand that there are good and bad cyclists but having a way of tracing bad cyclists and making the responsible for there actions would help raise the profile of the vast majority of good cyclists.

There’s a very good reason that no country in the world (except North Korea) registers cyclists. The cost to society is far greater than its value to society.

 

[Amarillo]

I came across this muddled sign this morning.

 

[WelshGas]

Impeding the travel of 2 wheels vs 4 wheels will have different consequences.
You would be happy if people are potentially injured…???

Yes. They would probably do it only once.

 

[WelshGas]

I came across this muddled sign this morning.

So cyclists can walk with their cycles.

 

[Corradobrit]

I came across this muddled sign this morning.

I have a feeling that lower sign is not exactly kosher.

 

[Corradobrit]

According to the HC, "Blue rectangle road signs are informational signs" only and do not reply compliance unless they happen to be on the motorway. Carry On and Keep Cycling.......

 

[Amarillo]

According to the HC, "Blue rectangle road signs are informational signs" only and do not reply compliance unless they happen to be on the motorway. Carry On and Keep Cycling.......

The upper sign instructs cyclists to use the pavement and pedestrians to use the cycleway.

 

[WelshGas]

The upper sign instructs cyclists to use the pavement and pedestrians to use the cycleway.

Probably safer for the pedestrians then, seeing as most cyclists seem to avoid dedicated cycle ways.

 

[DaveB]

Probably safer for the pedestrians then, seeing as most cyclists seem to avoid dedicated cycle ways.

It’s a disease caught from motorists linked to an inability to read speed limit signs which most suffer from.

 

[Maxx]

I mentioned the rules/laws of the road in an earlier post. Many of these laws of are quite old, even those updated in 1989, however they were written in a time of forward looking than now, hence they use the term ‘mechanically propelled vehicle’ rather than ‘motor vehicle’, the most obvious reason being bicycles fall within the definition of a mechanically propelled vehicle, (which for the purposes of the road traffic act, they do) therefore rules such as ‘being in control’ of a mechanically propelled vehicle applies to cars, motorcycles and bicycles etc with parity…just sayin.

 

[Amarillo]

I mentioned the rules/laws of the road in an earlier post. Many of these laws of are quite old, even those updated in 1989, however they were written in a time of forward looking than now, hence they use the term ‘mechanically propelled vehicle’ rather than ‘motor vehicle’, the most obvious reason being bicycles fall within the definition of a mechanically propelled vehicle, (which for the purposes of the road traffic act, they do) therefore rules such as ‘being in control’ of a mechanically propelled vehicle applies to cars, motorcycles and bicycles etc with parity…just sayin.

Bicycles definitely do not fall into the category of a “mechanically propelled vehicle”. While bicycles can be described as a machine, the propulsion system is a human body.

Steam locomotives and electric vehicles are both “mechanically propelled vehicles”.

 

[Laura Hill]

There’s a very good reason that no country in the world (except North Korea) registers cyclists. The cost to society is far greater than its value to society.

Bicycles must be registered in Japan. I appreciate you referred to 'cyclists' but it amounts to the same thing as the registered own of the cycle is responsible for it.

In some areas, Tokyo for example, insurance is required.

Regarding "The cost to society is far greater than its value to society" do you have a source for this or did you make it up?