| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Cyclist on Thames Road | |
| Posted by: | Marc Fez | |
| Date/Time: | 23/07/14 12:20:00 |
| Actually as a group, cyclists are far better at following the rules of the road than motorists. We've seen multiple posts in this thread of cyclists calling out other cyclists for breaking the rules. How many times have we seen a motorist call out another for speeding, running a red, stopping in a ASZ etc? How many motorists actually begin to stop on amber rather than mashing the accelerator to beat the light? How many actually wait behind the first stop line for the way to be clear so they don't end up running the red? How often do motorists yield to pedestrians as they should when turning from a main road to a side road? What percentage of motorists actually obey the speed limit ALL the time? Keep in mind that the majority of all motor vehicle fatalities are speed related. According to an Admiral insurance survey, http://www.admiral.com/press-releases/23082012/worrying-attitude-to-speeding-on-the-uks-roads-revealed/ More than three quarters of UK motorists drive over the speed limit, while a quarter believe that driving over the speed limit is acceptable. And from a You Gov survey, http://yougov.co.uk/news/2013/11/21/London-cyclists-red-lights/ When it comes to running red lights, a majority (53%) of London cyclists avoid the practice altogether. But a significant group – 35% – admit that they at least ‘occasionally’ ignore red lights at traffic lights. Both those surveys rely on self reported behaviour so are likely subject to similar biases. The difference is that cyclists in large numbers are 'newer' to the streets of London than motor vehicles. People are used to seeing motor vehicles break the law regularly and it has become 'normal'. The types of rules commonly broken by cyclists are different, but there are similarities. For cyclists, jumping red lights is essentially the same as speeding. It can be done to get where you're going faster, it can be done in a safe manner and it can be done recklessly. As far as the pavement is concerned, see the following statements from http://www.ctc.org.uk/sites/default/files/file_public/pedestriansbrf.pdf The risk that cyclists pose to pedestrians on the footway/verge o In Great Britain between 2008 and 2012, there were 2 pedestrian deaths involving cyclists on pavements or verges, whereas on average, 39 pedestrians each year were killed by motor vehicles on pavements/verges.7 o In London (1998-2007), just 2% of pedestrian collision injuries on the pavement involved cycles; the other 98% involved motor vehicles. And while we're at it, from the same paper: The risks of red light jumping to pedestrians o Between 1998 and 2007 in London, where cycle and pedestrian flows are high and signalled junctions ubiquitous, just 4% of pedestrian injuries due to red light jumping involved cycles; the other 96% involved motor vehicles. So as you can see, motor vehicles are the primary danger to pedestrians either on the pavement or off. Therefore we'd be better off with more cyclists and fewer motorists. Of course this is all evidence based, so of little use to the average anti-cycle bigot on this forum. If you're a motorist getting your knickers twisted over cyclists not following the highway code, you should worry about your own team first and perhaps examine your own behaviour. You're the worst offenders and cause the most damage. |