Why is riding on the footpath an offence?

[User6179]

I tend to find that some times people do not notice they are walking on a shared bike path, so they tend to get a shock when someone cycles past them or end up shouting at the cyclist.

Well then the cyclist is at fault for not slowing down or shouting ahead to warn the ped !

 

[wiggydiggy]

I am not saying one should ride on footpath in crowded London streets, but there are footpaths in other parts of country where you hardly see any pedestrian most of the time.

Don't you think law should be updated?

The quick answer from me is Yes.

There has been a serious collision between a lorry and a cyclist on a road that is almost entirely devoid of 'peds on the accompanying pavements, the road has no cycling provision e.g. wider lanes or optional/mandatory cycle lane. At least one person I have talked to about this has admitted they illegally use the pavement as they feel unsafe on the road. They are not alone in that as I see at least one cyclist using the pavement everytime I travel down this road.

http://www.examiner.co.uk/incoming/serious-crash-wakefield-road-causes-7303155

 

[Crankarm]

The quick answer from me is Yes.

There has been a serious collision between a lorry and a cyclist on a road that is almost entirely devoid of 'peds on the accompanying pavements, the road has no cycling provision e.g. wider lanes or optional/mandatory cycle lane. At least one person I have talked to about this has admitted they illegally use the pavement as they feel unsafe on the road. They are not alone in that as I see at least one cyclist using the pavement everytime I travel down this road.

http://www.examiner.co.uk/incoming/serious-crash-wakefield-road-causes-7303155

I now ride on the pavement of the road on which I was hit and run last year. There are occasionally other cyclists, runners or peds on it, but more often than not it's empty. It borders farmland and an RAF base with some housing miles behind a huge chain link fence. It might be shared use but I'm not sure, regardless though I'm on it as cars and all sorts of vehicles floor it down this road so the likelihood of being deaded is very high. I am even close passed on the pavement as it is not very wide but idiot drivers who think it's funny to scare cyclist by driving with one wheel in the gutter. Whippet buses are the worst, total w*^£%?s! Most pavements in Cambridge are shared use unless in the busy centre which is fair enough you can't having eejit cyclists weaving in and out of lots of peds chewing on burgers and struggling with big bags of shopping.

 

[Crankarm]

Well then the cyclist is at fault for not slowing down or shouting ahead to warn the ped !

Simple solution - get an airzound. They work, no more wondering whether dithering or obstructive peds are going to move, trust me they move and quickly, even dozy weekend nobber or mamil cyclists riding head on toward you on your side of the path get out the way pronto.

 

[User6179]

Simple solution - get an airzound. They work, no more wondering whether dithering or obstructive peds are going to move, trust me they move and quickly, even dozy weekend nobber or mamil cyclists riding head on toward you on your side of the path get out the way pronto.

Only nobbers have airzounds , where can I buy one

 

[summerdays]

Cycle paths are a death trap to pedestrians, period, they should be outlawed forthwith, wheels belong on roads not paths who ever came up with the idea of sharing a path with a vehicle that can kill someone wants shooting, I rode a couple yesterday and boy people really have no sense, cyclist that is, and today I saw the worst RLJ I have ever seen cyclist are a death trap.

I couldn't decide whether that was written with your tongue in your check or not until I read your other answers on this page.

Couldn't exactly the same be said about bikes and cars?

 

[Steady]

Slightly, to a degree, but overall no to making footpath cycling okay. It requires the power in be to have some common sense, unfortunately they don't, nor the cycling or walking experience to properly access anything.

I wouldn't begrudge anybody from using the footpath on a very busy road, but all foot path cyclists I see are on very quiet side street roads and should be encouraged to move onto the road.

The only times in adult age that I've used a footpath was uphill on busy roads on a heavy bike doing barely 5mph at the time and rarely is the path actually ever used. Perfect opportunity to turn a barely used path into "shared use" with little chance of pedestrians or cycles ever clashing on it, but that will never happen.

 

[summerdays]

Every day at least 5 miles each way of my commute is on cycle paths (beside a very busy dual carriageway) I've not seen a single bike/pedestrian accident, though I have seen bike /bike ones and they are pretty rare.

On the same route I've seen bike /car accidents and lots more car/car accidents. In fact the junction that I've seen the most accidents at is currently undergoing a major redesign (lasting till Nov), due to the problems there. Thinking about it the last accident I saw this week was the aftermath of looked like a lorry had sort of left hooked a car - everyone but the car looked ok.

I don't see a problem with the idea of cycle paths (though I'm currently experiencing problems with the vegetation over growing the path which was already too narrow at that point).

There is also a path that isn't a cycle path that I do cycle on. It's 10% uphill and I do it about 4 mph, it is narrow and twisty so it's extremely difficult to pass cyclists safely. I would say at least half the cyclists I see cycle of that bit of path including the Lycra clad mob, only the fastest ones stick to the road. I'm not safe from the cars even then as every year a couple of cars take the worst bend too fast and then end up crossing the onto the other side of the road, over the path and end up either in a ditch or a tree. I cycle down the hill on the road because my speed is similar to the cars (well after the nasty camber corner). I'm prepared to state my case and be fined if necessary. And I'm lucky if I'm going fast enough to be able to overtake a pedestrian.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I couldn't decide whether that was written with your tongue in your check or not until I read your other answers on this page.

Couldn't exactly the same be said about bikes and cars?

Yea it could, but the point I am trying to make is many cyclists seem to have this righteous attitude, I do about 7,000 miles a year and I see more disregard for road/path rules committed by cyclists, I also see per 100 more bad cycling that is likely to cause injury than per 100 cars/vans/trucks, last night on my way home from Wakefield, I saw a guy on a mountain bike go down the out side of a waiting queue of traffic of which i was part of, go through a red light at speed, then speed up the central part of a crossing cross on the pedestrian crossing and then re join the road, I have had bike jump of paths into my path, I have seen a cyclist riding a bike on a FOOTpath no hands drinking smoking and on the phone (better rider than me I couldn't do it) I see cyclist on paths cross a junction as in from one path to the next, then use a zebra to get to the other side, so many things its no wonder car drivers have no respect when I as a cyclist see all this, you may say but these are not cyclists but they are, like I said I dont use cycle paths I personal think most cycle lanes are a waste of money certainly the one from here to Wakefield is car its a discretionary one not maintained as a cycle lane surface breaking up ect and stops where it would be needed most on a slight climb but quite steep which has the narrowest of footpaths next to it single file pedestrians at best. I know that most uses of shared path ways are responsible like most road users, but cyclists have a bad reputation, why do you think that is, and how can we as cyclists correct the bad cycling, dont get me wrong I am not a perfect cyclist, quite bad sometimes but I never try to put others at risk.

 

[summerdays]

Cyclists do not have a bad reputation because of a few bad ones, they have a bad reputation because of the way the press and motorists look for the bad behaviour of the few and stigmatise the entire group of people together as being bad. Does it happen to car drivers? No - apart from some moans on cycle forums, but usually there will be comments critiquing anyone who says all drivers are bad. That doesn't happen the same way with cyclists!

And I will see more unsafe driving than cycling ever day (I see over 100 cyclists every day and perhaps a few do something daft, I think I would be safe in saying 1 in 10 motorists would be doing "wrong" things if you take into account: seat belt wearing, red light jumping, mobile use, eating at the wheel, stoping in the ASL, and speeding.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Cyclists do not have a bad reputation because of a few bad ones, they have a bad reputation because of the way the press and motorists look for the bad behaviour of the few and stigmatise the entire group of people together as being bad. Does it happen to car drivers? No - apart from some moans on cycle forums, but usually there will be comments critiquing anyone who says all drivers are bad. That doesn't happen the same way with cyclists!

And I will see more unsafe driving than cycling ever day (I see over 100 cyclists every day and perhaps a few do something daft, I think I would be safe in saying 1 in 10 motorists would be doing "wrong" things if you take into account: seat belt wearing, red light jumping, mobile use, eating at the wheel, stoping in the ASL, and speeding.

I don't read the press ( I know what its like) just what I see, RLJ I have seen more cyclists than cars do it, mobile use seen that on a bike more than just a few times, if memory serves me well the ASL can be crossed if unsafe to stop before it, like an amber light that actually means stop, cyclists eat whilst riding which actual is as dangerous if not more so than behind a wheel, you have the right to wear a helmet or not car drivers dont wrong in law yes a safety issue to a cyclist probably as it can give an indication to mind set of the driver.
I get passed quite close on numerous occasions only two spring to mind that I was a little apprehensive, a couple of times on coming vehicles who I presumes had not really checked the road ahead and when you consider the number of cars vans trucks that pass you this is actually low in comparison to the number of bikes I see with no regard at all to junctions and lights and regulations.
I have ridden and driven most things including trucks so I am just going from experience.
And I wish these dam doves would stop trying to commit suicide against my window.
Having said all this I might get tomorrow or the next day

 

[fabregas485]

Well then the cyclist is at fault for not slowing down or shouting ahead to warn the ped !

Even if you were to shout ahead, you get people with headphones, music at max. They have no chance of hearing you.

I agree though, speed should be limited on a shared walkway

 

[summerdays]

Even if you were to shout ahead, you get people with headphones, music at max. They have no chance of hearing you.

I agree though, speed should be limited on a shared walkway

You shouldn't assume the person in front can hear, I've cycled with a number of deaf people, though they do tend to be better at looking than your average cyclist.

 

[mobi]

The law which prohibits riding bike on pavement was introduced in 1835!

If mobility scooters are allowed on pavement, then cyclist at slow speed should also be allowed IMHO.

 

[gavroche]

I think pedestrians are to blame for not knowing how to use shared paths. They tend to walk using the full width of the path and people with dogs with extending dog leads are the worst! Those leads are lethal as usually, their master is on one side of the path and the dog on the other, with that thin lead between the two.