Cyclists - Rules of the road

Carlos Orange

Bongalongherb wrote: »

I drive every day, and I just don't see many breaking red lights. I don't know what country you are from, but it seems you see every cyclist breaking red lights with that attitude you have there.

Not every but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a majority.

cajonlardo

delahuntv wrote: »

I think the op needs a wee holiday.

I suggest taking this weekend off and head to Kerry to get away from those pesky cyclists. Killorglin or Cahirciveen or even Killarney should be just perfect.

You could be onto something.

Maybe all the cyclists could go for a week and the next week all the drivers ...

Doctor Jimbob

Guaranteed if every cyclist obeyed red lights there'd be a load on here complaining they can't accelerate as fast when they turn green.

delahuntv

cajonlardo wrote: »

You could be onto something.

Maybe all the cyclists could go for a week and the next week all the drivers ...

All the cyclists are there this weekend! - 11500 officially + probably another 10000 unofficially!

S. Goodspeed

goz83 wrote: »

Ah now here,...don't be lobbin that in here. Doesn't belong

I think all the general anti-cyclist sh*te these days can have nothing but a negative impact on the safety of cyclists so it's not unreasonable to bring that terrible story in here.

I obviously don't have any evidence to support this but it seems reasonable to assume that drivers (like the op and plenty others) who see cyclists as a nuisance or the enemy will, either consciously or subconsciously, give a cyclist less space when over taking him/her and be more likely to overtake when it's unsafe to do so. Both of which greatly increase the risk of a human (cyclist). But sure the f*ckers run red lights and don't pay "road tax"...

Bongalongherb

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

Guaranteed if every cyclist obeyed red lights there'd be a load on here complaining they can't accelerate as fast when they turn green.

Nope. When the lights turn green I just move off slow whether a cyclist is in front of me or not. See the difference with me compared to a lot of other drivers, is that I have a ton of patience, I just take my time and never get angry. Maybe I'm just a relaxed person that has all the time in the world.

wendell borton

I drive a car on the road and don't pay road tax.

Doctor Jimbob

Bongalongherb wrote: »

Nope. When the lights turn green I just move off slow whether a cyclist is in front of me or not. See the difference with me compared to a lot of other drivers, is that I have a ton of patience, I just take my time and never get angry. Maybe I'm just a relaxed person that has all the time in the world.

I'm not saying every driver is like that, but the amount of times I've had drivers speed past me much too close for comfort after a red light is ridiculous.

I try to stay as far left as I can so I'm not holding anyone up, but on narrower roads I don't feel safe at all doing so.

Dog walker 1234

Loving this thread, LMAO:)

Bongalongherb

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

I'm not saying every driver is like that, but the amount of times I've had drivers speed past me much too close for comfort after a red light is ridiculous.

I try to stay as far left as I can so I'm not holding anyone up, but on narrower roads I don't feel safe at all doing so.

Unfortunately there are asshole drivers out there that have no consideration for either pedestrians or cyclists. They seem to be in so much of a rush that if they lost 8 seconds of time they are going to die or something.

Those asshole drivers will obviously get their fines eventually, let's call it Karma. Be safe cycling, and watch everything, especially the lunatic drivers

Kalman

Buzz Meeks wrote: »

I saw a cyclist the other day and they didn't even have a bell on the bike.
Needless to say I reported the matter.

No bell? And you reported it, what did they give you, a medal ?

Andy From Sligo

Haha what funny answers on here been pee'ing meself laughing - oh dear maybe I shouldnt have posted, I didnt realise there would be so many stressed out people about it - i was only saying like

Andy From Sligo

Sorry about the bad timing of post I didnt hear about the cyclist being mown down the other day in the hit and run ....

Massimo Cassagrande

Lyaiera wrote: »

It's a lose/lose situation. You cycle in the middle of the footpath and pedestrians give out. You cycle in the middle of the road and the drivers give out.

Mainly as if God wanted us to cycle, he wouldn't have invented cars. I rank bikes with horses. And skateboards. Alright for kids and fields..suspect for adults and roads.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Shout out to the Asshole on the quays this morning who thought it was ok to weave out through the throng of people crossing on the green man. All the other cyclists could stop but clearly he was special

Pinch Flat

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Shout out to the Asshole on the quays this morning who thought it was ok to weave out through the throng of people crossing on the green man. All the other cyclists could stop but clearly he was special

Wow a guy on a bike who happens to be an ar$ehole. Chances are he's an ar$ehole when driving as well.

Anyway while we're giving shouts i'd like to personally thank the taxi driver who nearly run me over this evening in Westland row. Clearly I need to review 200 lumen flashing lights - they're clearly not enough

ticklemetoe

if i was in charge of the roads, i would forget about fines for bad cyclists, it is not cost effective.
if you gave every garda a carpet knife and they just slashed the tyres of the bikes when the cyclist broke the rules of the roads, within a week every cyclist would a model road users.

tritium

psinno wrote: »

At least it show some acknowledgement that the nicely coloured lights at the side of the road have some supposed meaning.

You mean the 'make it up as you go along' version of the rules of the road?

Carlos Orange

tritium wrote: »

You mean the 'make it up as you go along' version of the rules of the road?

57% of cyclists on my way into work went through a red light so make it up as you go along seems to be working a little better.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Jawgap

ticklemetoe wrote: »

if i was in charge of the roads, i would forget about fines for bad cyclists, it is not cost effective.
if you gave every garda a carpet knife and they just slashed the tyres of the bikes when the cyclist broke the rules of the roads, within a week every cyclist would a model road users.

Good idea - extend it to other vehicular road users and tyre fitters would be the new millionaires by Friday of the first week;)

diomed

Another cyclist killed by a car driver this week.
Car driver reaction https://www.logicalsignals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Hear-No-Evil-See-No-Evil-Speak-No-Evil.jpg

PreparationH

diomed wrote: »

Another cyclist killed by a car driver this week.

Of course, unless you were there and saw it happening, another way of writing that would be: "Cyclist's complete disregard for road rules and legendary sense of entitlement leads to fatal road accident".

Yes, people die on the roads all of the time, but the manner in which you and others love to say "killed by car driver" is to me at least, not representative of the reality. While Ireland's cyclists continue to behave in what can only be described as an astonishingly obtuse fashion, I'm just amazed there isn't more of them killed ever day.

Cyclist need to take responsibility for their own actions first, only then can they point the finger at others.

Carlos Orange

diomed wrote: »

Another cyclist killed by a car driver this week.

35 drivers , 15 pedestrians , 11 passengers, 8 motorcyclists and 3 cyclists have died on the roads this year in Ireland. You would need to be psychic or very well informed to be able to assign responsibility to many of them.

cajonlardo

PreparationH wrote: »

While Ireland's cyclists continue to behave in what can only be described as an astonishingly obtuse fashion, I'm just amazed there isn't more of them killed ever day. .

I pay €360 for Motor insurance. I pay €25 for Cycling Insurance. Now, do you think the insurance company has researched the risks associated with each?

RobbieTheRobber

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Wow a guy on a bike who happens to be an ar$ehole. Chances are he's an ar$ehole when driving as well.

Anyway while we're giving shouts i'd like to personally thank the taxi driver who nearly run me over this evening in Westland row. Clearly I need to review 200 lumen flashing lights - they're clearly not enough

I'd like to give a shout out to the lady in the silver golf who tried to side swipe me through a solid white cycle lane line, all so she could apply her makeup in moving traffic.
She is the real MVP of my weeks cycle

Kalman

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

750 euros for road tax! >> That seems rather high, is that for a car? If as you say, you don't pay it, then you are not being ripped off!

PreparationH

psinno wrote: »

35 drivers , 15 pedestrians , 11 passengers, 8 motorcyclists and 3 cyclists have died on the roads this year in Ireland. You would need to be psychic or very well informed to be able to assign responsibility to many of them.

You don't have to be a psychic to predict that there is an unacceptably high mortality rate in the Dublin cyclist population, all you have to do is share the road with Dublin's cyclists.

What is not fair nor representative is to completely ignore cyclists responsibilities when accidents occur. You do not have the ability to confer absolution on Dublin cyclist behaviour and from what I've seen they are just as responsible as other road users for the accidents that happen, if not more so.

Most of the behaviour I witness on Irish roads by our cycling population is grand... there are, however, a sizable amount of them who, to me at least, behave in a way that is absolutely insane. I'm just amazed there aren't more of them killed.

Kalman

Jawgap wrote: »

Good idea - extend it to other vehicular road users and tyre fitters would be the new millionaires by Friday of the first week;)

Yes and plenty of work for solicitors!!

Mint Sauce

So what about all the other drivers who undertake traffic turning right into cycle lanes separated by a solid white line, thats against the ROTR. Two rules broke if done so without checking mirrors, three if not indicating. Two rules broke for not indicating or checking mirrors if a broken line.

Drivers who stop in the advance areas for cyclists if lights red. Against ROTR. Or who continually creep into the juction untill the lights turn green.

What about generally turning left without indicating, opening passenger doors without checking, parking in cycle lanes, overtaking forcing cyclists into the kerb or railings, motorbikes using cycle lanes. Driving aroind with no lights. Etc etc etc.

As for cycle lanes, when I'm not driving my car, and using my bike, i will use them more when the above in relation to drivers and cycle lanes stops happening, when councils maintain them properly, when pedestrians stop using them as an extension to the pavement.

If no lane at at, I will continue to cycle at the very least a doors width into the road, to force drivers around me, rather than squeze by, to actually wait behind me if turning left. If I am out with someone else, I will ride two abreast as I am totally allowed to do.

Obviously road conditions will detect my behaviour. If traffic I will ride a bit closer to the kerb, or ride in single file so that I am not empeading traffic flow, i wont be knob and will indicate, look over my shoulder etc.

Point is, cyclists are not the only ones at fault here.