The Internet | Mrs B - 9/1/2022 14:39 The Pretender - 9/1/2022 03:55 I've passed tests in 4 classes of vehicles, in 2 countries, I've done 2 advanced courses in my car and Bike Safe on my motorbike. I held a Class A CDL in the US on harvest and driven coast to coast and border to border. I've done a lap of New Zealand, ridden my sports bike in 7 European countries and driven the car in 5. People out and about after dark should wear light clothes and use lights as appropriate, but there's no excuse for hitting them. A lot of cyclists were getting squashed by truck in London when they slipped past on the left at the lights withut the driver knowing. There was an ad campaign to educate cyclists and drivers, and all trucks were fitted with extra mirrors. Run one over now and the driver is for the high jump. When you're dead under the tandems, it only matters from a legal standpoint whether you were right or not. You're still dead, your family is still bereaved. You are of course, absolutely right. However, I sense an attitude problem with driving on NAT, in that people assume they have a right to drive, when they are in fact only licensed to drive. Not only that, but the drivers of the largest vehicles, far from having to shoulder the most responsibility, should have priority. Time and again I see on here people justifying buying a large SUV on safety grounds, this then just becomes an arms race to see who has the largest vehicle and doesn't help when you eventually hit something big enough to stop it. Here in the UK, one has an absolute right to walk, run, ride a bicycle or a horse on almost every road except motorways. We have swung a little too far the other way, in my opinion as a cyclist, in that the state has shifted the responsibility of road safety onto the shoulders of motorists and almost absolved pedestrians, etc of any responsibility, even though 95% of road traffic collisions involving pedestrians are caused by the pedestrian not looking the stats are in here http://www.speedcamerareport.co.uk/ People should wear bright clothes when riding bikes, but speaking from experience, it doesn't stop drivers putting cyclists at great risk through poor observation, poor forward planning, aggressive driving and down right incompetence. There are plenty of unlit obstacles that can appear in the road, deer, fallen trees, debris in high winds etc and one should drive accordingly and be able to stop on your side of the road in the distance you can see to be clear. I'll also add, that when you do screw up, and this applies to life in general, hold your hands up and admit it, then learn from it, rather than looking to blame someone else. |
Joggers, walkers and bike riders
