A sad day yesterday ... another cyclist killed on our roads

[Brandane]

I would say that most of our near neighbours in the western world show that it is quite feasible to have a better culture (at least on our roads). There are certainly worse places to walk/cycle further afield, but that's not much of a silver lining.

Yes, France springs to mind. But they are not all crammed on to a small island. Their population density is less than half of the UK..

 

[matticus]

So do you think that contributes to this?

I think the basic problem is that we live in a nation with a higher than normal proportion of selfish, entitled, ignorant feckwits. I see it in all walks of life, every day

(Apologies if I'm misunderstanding you.)

 

[Brandane]

So do you think that contributes to this?

(Apologies if I'm misunderstanding you.)

I'm no expert, but yes, quite possibly. I could give examples, but please let's not go way off topic and turn this into a thread more suited to the dark side of the forum...

 

[Bazzer]

Pretty much.

I spoke with the local council as I had a near miss while in my car.

Clown overtook 2 cars and came into my lane forcing me onto a grass verge and caused damage, it was that or a potential head on, reply from the council as I was speaking about that incident and the anti social driving in general was unless we have deaths and many highways won’t do anything.

It isn't just anti social driving.
Every winter for the last four years I have had exchanges with my town's highways department about a road which ices over, because there is a problem with the drain outside a local farm, which causes water used by the farm to flow over the road. - Just a nice thin but wide layer, which freezes regularly over the whole of the road. - This on a road with very few street lights and on which I ride regularly. The lighting also makes it difficult to see the spread of the ice until you are on top of it.
Cars can cross the ice with ease, but the road camber makes riding across it sphincter twitching.The chap responsible for our area at the Council openly admitted to me that the only way he would be able to secure money to do something about it, was for someone to be killed; which really means a cyclist. Because if it was a motorist, the reality is they would have to be incredibly reckless and very unlucky, because there isn't that much to hit.

When I used the term 'in collision with' I never knew I was being controversial or dull. I hadn't sought to apportion blame to Helen or the driver of the van. I simply had tears in my eyes as I typed those words.

A week ago a car driver pulled out very suddenly from a standstill while I was on a small roundabout. I just about managed to avoid riding straight into the driver's door. I was going straight ahead, he was emerging from my left to turn left (his left) to leave by the same exit. I could see the back of his head clearly, he just hadn't looked, his head was turned away while he chatted to his passenger, then he just went. He then pulled up outside a shop, I decided to challenge him politely. He didn't believe that he hadn't looked, he denied nearly knocking me off, but then he spotted my riding companion, who then told him that he had pulled out. Without a trace of sincerity, he just said 'well, then I suppose I should apologise', but no actual apology followed. Then the passenger, who I took to be his wife, chimed in, saying 'don't apologise, it's their word against ours, two against two and there's nothing they can do'. Then the window went up and he looked away. Absolutely spineless detestable wretch of a man.

After another couple of miles, we were turning right on an urban road in an estate with a limit of 30mph. We were doing 22mph on our bikes, we checked behind, and moved out to the correct position. I made the turn, but there was a sudden squeal of tyres and the car behind her just about pulled up without rear-ending her. The gap was about an inch. I could see the phone in his hand.

A couple of miles after that a small van pulled out from my right. I could see he had seen me, but he just decided to come out anyway forcing me to scrub the kerb with my front wheel. At the tee junction ahead he was turning right, so I went on the inside (we were going left), I called out 'you very nearly had me off my bike', he just waved a dismissive hand and drove off.

Further on another van driver yelled at my companion to 'get off the road' and then close passed me forcing me off the road into the verge.

There is a cultural problem in this country (UK) of ours. It's not just a lack of care for cyclists, it is something deeper.

I got sick of this type of behaviour and bought a camera.

 

[Pale Rider]

It isn't just anti social driving.
Every winter for the last four years I have had exchanges with my town's highways department about a road which ices over, because there is a problem with the drain outside a local farm, which causes water used by the farm to flow over the road. - Just a nice thin but wide layer, which freezes regularly over the whole of the road. - This on a road with very few street lights and on which I ride regularly. The lighting also makes it difficult to see the spread of the ice until you are on top of it.
Cars can cross the ice with ease, but the road camber makes riding across it sphincter twitching.The chap responsible for our area at the Council openly admitted to me that the only way he would be able to secure money to do something about it, was for someone to be killed; which really means a cyclist. Because if it was a motorist, the reality is they would have to be incredibly reckless and very unlucky, because there isn't that much to hit.

My brother demolished part of a dry stone wall in his car after hitting a patch of ice.

Last he heard, his insurers were refusing to pay for the wall because their investigators found the cause of the ice was due to poor drain maintenance by the land owner.

In your case, I'm surprised the local authority hasn't prevailed on the farmer to fix the drain, but perhaps it's nothing to do with him, only outside his premises.

 

[matticus]

If cyclists often destroyed walls/houses/parked-cars when they crashed, it would get a lot more attention.

 

[iandg]

The weather really was terrible on Sunday and reminded me of a friend years ago killed in a totally different type accident but the result was the same. When it came to mind, I knew that the same conditions would likely bring trouble for someone. I know its still very early, but had there been any updates as to what happened?

Not heard anything yet.

 

[davidphilips]

Heartfelt symphony to all Helens family and friends, can not even think what her children are going through.

 

[Bazzer]

My brother demolished part of a dry stone wall in his car after hitting a patch of ice.

Last he heard, his insurers were refusing to pay for the wall because their investigators found the cause of the ice was due to poor drain maintenance by the land owner.

In your case, I'm surprised the local authority hasn't prevailed on the farmer to fix the drain, but perhaps it's nothing to do with him, only outside his premises.

Other than the farm buildings, which are set back from the roadside, if a motorist went off the road, they would most likely go through a wire fence on to fields. In winter, the fields would require a tractor or a winch to remove any errant motorist.
As I said, they would be unlucky to be killed: either a freak hit at speed of the farm buildings, or perhaps rolling at speed while not wearing seatbelts.
The farmer is known locally to be difficult to deal with and the person from the LA I spoke with, was well aware of the individual' s reputation.
There is no incentive for the LA to deal with this properly, unless someone is killed and realistically, that is unlikely to be a motorist.

 

[tinywheels]

as a previous poster said buying a camera solves a number issues.
personally I have numerous lights, some so bright and obvious it's hard to see anyone claiming they didn't see me. plus a showers pass green jacket that's visible from the moon. Strobe helmet lights and a go pro to back up . yes I look a total twat,but I don't care.each to their own etc.

 

[lazybloke]

Carry on, Sun readers will continue to enjoy the exclusive stories and you will continue to hear about them secondhand.

Did you mean to suggest the Sun is the paper for top-notch journalism, or was that sarcasm?
The odd exclusive doesn't make up for the appalling bias, untruths, trashy gossip and scatterings of hatred.

 

[mjr]

as a previous poster said buying a camera solves a number issues.
personally I have numerous lights, some so bright and obvious it's hard to see anyone claiming they didn't see me. plus a showers pass green jacket that's visible from the moon. Strobe helmet lights and a go pro to back up . yes I look a total twat,but I don't care.each to their own etc.

They'll simply say you dazzled them and they mistook your jacket for a road sign.

We cannot win by pandering to motorist demands to carry ever more equipment and dress ever more ugly.

 

[mjr]

A white Peugeot van travelling west was involved in a crash with a cyclist riding a black Trek bicycle which was heading east at Southwick Bridge.

The van did it alone, did it? #absentDriver #motoristPolice

 

[Johnno260]

I have had less issues since I purchased a Proviz jacket, could be chance, could be in low light I'm like a Christmas tree.

As for lights, like most I have tried a ton, best ones I have now but they're aren't cheap are my Garmin lights, UT800 and RTL510, the rear light for a solo cyclist is like a rear set of eyes, I can't sing it's praises enough.

 

[monkers]

The van did it alone, did it? #absentDriver #motoristPolice

Those are not my words. Feel free to take issue with the author though.