The things I’ve learned as a cyclist

 

 

I came back to cycling about 15 years ago following a 20+ year lay off. The things I’ve learned are:-

* There’s far more traffic about and most of it is being driven at least 10mph over whatever speed limit is in force for any particular road.

* Driver behaviour (I’m a driver too) has got far worse. So many selfish drivers who think the whole road is there’s and no one else on the road matters at all.

* BMW’s, Merc’s, and Audi’s, when driven by males say under 50, are usually a danger to all road users. It’s as though they’ve read a driving manual that simply says ‘You’re the King of the Road’.

* Company vehicles/white vans often seem to be driven madly. Targets to reach and parcels to be delivered meaning speeding is all but required?

* A significant number of pedestrians only seem to listen for the noise of approaching vehicles rather than looking to see what’s coming. As cycles make little or no noise I’ve taken to treating all pedestrians who are not looking at me as as a potential danger to me and indeed themselves. My most amusing encounter was a chap in his 30’s walking backwards into the road, right in front of me, to take a photo!

* Do driving schools teach trainee drivers how to overtake cyclists safely? I’m wondering as I’ve been close-passed by such cars at times. Are there refresher courses for driving school drivers? You’d think whenever there are changes to the Highway Code they’d be called in for such refresher training; are they?

* Painted on Cycle lanes mean absolutely nothing as vehicles just park in them causing danger to cyclists. Indeed, there’s an argument to be had that they create danger rather than make cyclists safer as those of us who pedal have to turn into fast moving traffic to get around park vehicles. Well meaning but damn dangerous.

* The police generally (my experience is within Merseyside & Lancashire) seem not to have any remit/willingness to deal with drivers who act dangerously around cyclists. It takes a cyclist to be knocked off before they’ll take much, if any, notice.

* Dogs on those extendable leads can get well into the road and often do only to be pulled back rather too late. I’m guessing the dog walkers simply listen for vehicles behind them and only when hearing a vehicle approaching pull the dog in?

* Some motorists (always youngish and male) seem to like shouting at cyclists simply because we’re there. Things shouted at me ‘get off the road you’re slowing the traffic down’, ‘get on the pavement where you belong’ and the classic ‘read the Highway Code and get insured’. Of course, cyclists should not be on pavements except young children but sadly the police don’t enforce this. Cyclists usually know the Highway Code better than drivers! Oh, and I’m insured as are all the cyclists that I know.

* On country lanes beware the young farmer with his tractor that’ll do 40 mph pulling a trailer far wider than his tractor or with the bucket down charging at you!

* When a cyclist gives way to allow a vehicle to pass or waves a vehicle on few drivers can be bothered to raise a hand to say thanks. It’s as though they expect cycles to give way to them whatever the circumstances.

* When I’m driving and overtaking a cyclist I go as far as I can in the opposing lane to pass them only to see following vehicles passing the same cyclist far too closely. I guess many fellow drivers have no idea about trying to allow 1.5m between a cyclist and passing vehicle and look at me as doing something odd?

* I’ve only once seen the 1.5m for passing cyclists HC advice advertised on a dot matrix highway sign, that was in Bradford this year. A Sefton Council highways officer told me that when the new advice came out of government and the Highway Code was amended accordingly they put the new advice out on social media and I congratulated them for it. They responded saying they’d taken so much abuse from drivers about the posting that they’d taken the advice down/stopped promoting it!

* There are some bad cyclists out there, running red lights, riding at speed on pavements and acting just like bad drivers. I suspect a bad driver is a bad cyclist.

* Our roads generally are becoming like the wild west with the only law enforcement being after the accidents apart from the odd speed camera.