Sharing the Roads - Safety Quiz

The following quiz is for cyclists and drivers alike. The "A" responses are split for cyclists and drivers simply pick the appropriate answer, if like most cyclists you are also a driver you could.

As you go through make a note of your selected multiple choice answers and check them at the end and see what sort of road user you are.

Questions

1) The traffic light ahead is about to turn red, what do you do?

A (drivers)  - Press the throttle to accelerate so as not to get caught out by the light
A (cyclists) - Keep pedaling bikes don't really need to stop
B - Ease up and stop if the light is red - there will be a green along in a minute
C - How do I know if it might turn red?

2) What do you do at advanced stop lines when the lights are red?

A (drivers) - Drive into the box as long as there's no bikes in it
A (cyclists) - Move ahead of the traffic and put my bike ahead of the box
B - Stop behind the box in my car or in the box on my bike
C - What are advanced stop lines?

3) How much room should you allow when passing a cyclist?

A) (drivers) - Enough so my car won't get messed up
A) (cyclists) - A foot or so, I'll be past quickly so they'll hardly know I'm there
B) - The same as passing another vehicle and at least a metre
C) - Cyclist! what cyclist?

4) If a cyclist is riding well out into the road approaching a junction what do you do?

A) (drivers) - rev the engine, beep and pass as fast an close as possible to teach them a lesson
A) (cyclists) - pass on the inside, make a comment or offensive gesture to teach them a lesson
B) - Wait patiently behind as he's probably making sure he is safe until past the junction
C) - Junction! what junction!

5) A long queue of cars has formed and you want to turn right about 5 cars along. What do you do?

A) - Pass those 5 cars on the wrong side of the road indicating to make it alright
B) - Wait until you can make the turn correctly from your own side of the road
C) - How many cars did you say?



How did you do?

Mostly "A"s - You are a facist driver/cyclist! You shouldn't be allowed to share our roads and your vehicle should be melted down to make speed cameras.

Mostly "B"s - You are patient and respect other road users. I'm happy to share the roads with you, even if you are a little too good for your own good!

Mostly "C"s - You really aren't trying are you. I'm not sure you should be on the roads at all, even when you've sobered-up.

BMW and Audi - Safety Recall

I'm sorry to announce a major safety recall of all models of BMW and Audi cars.

The recall, covering all saloon, estate, coupe and hatchback models dating from 1995 to the current models., is in response to serious and life-thretening safety issues affecting approximately 90% of these models.

Two major faults have been identified and all owners should stop using their vehicles with immediate until they have been checked by an approved dealer.

The faults both affect the braking system of the vehicles;

• The first fault affects the ability of the vehicle to stop at the first solid white line of an ASL when a red light is showing - however slowly the driver approaches the red light the brakes cannot bring it to a stop until the vehicle is well across the stop line and sometimes across the second stop line.

• The second fault also affects the braking system when approaching a light which has turned red such that when the driver presses the brake pedal the system misinterprets the instruction and increases the throttle causing the car to speed through the lights. In extreme cases the system will even change gear to enable the vehicle to accelerate more quickly.

Clearly this kind of system failure puts the vehicle occupants, other road users and pedestrians at considerable risk, hence the need to recall all affected vehicles.

Should the manufacturers be unable to resolve theses issues then further action may be required which could involve a major safety recall of all the licences of affected drivers.

Traffic behaving badly

We sometimes have to point out to people that when riding your bike on the road you aren't just riding in traffic, you are traffic.

Recently when crossing Manchester by bike from Victoria Station to Piccadilly station, a five or six minute ride I was shouted at by a cycle courier, on his retro steel-framed racer, because I wouldn't pass on the inside of some traffic, causing him some delay. The traffic involved was a "bendy" bus, another bus, a tipper truck and another couple of lorries!  I don't take too well to being shouted at by fellow cyclists but I'm afraid that my reply to this consisted only of two words, neither of which I can print here!

Funnily enough I caught up with him after only half a mile. All his risk taking and anger didn't get him anywhere faster than my relaxed and safe approach on my Brompton.

Anyway I carried on to my train and on to London where I was able to get out on my bike a few times. It was great to see so many people on bikes but the behaviour of some of the cyclists made the courier in Manchester seem quite sensible.

In no special order some of what I saw included:

• passing on the inside of cyclists who are riding in the correct position
• passing inside large vehicles (including around junctions)
• Riding on and off pavements to pass queuing traffic
• disregarding red lights
• reacting rather than planning
• not signalling or checking before manoeuvring
• not allowing pedestrians room

I'm not just having a go at fellow cyclists here but having read so much about the tragic deaths of cyclist in London, especially involving large vehicles turning left, I was surprised by the general lack of care for one's own safety (or lack of sense?). At one point a number of cyclists told me that the next set of lights was regularly policed so it would be best to stop, I've said before that red lights are fairly clear - it is best to stop when the light is red, police or not!

Whenever I was passed by cyclists behaving badly (not only men!) I found that in half a mile or so I was passing them anyway - nobody is saving any time!

Of course the non-cycling London traffic was at least as bad as anywhere else but the following bad driving in no way mitigates the bad cycling.

• squeezing and driving too close to the kerb
• really poor and unpredictable lane discipline
• not stopping at red lights (several vehicles per change)
• inappropriate parking on roads
• illegal parking on separate cycle paths and pavements
• not signalling or checking before manoeuvres
• not allowing pedestrians room
• tail-gating and pressurising
• inappropriate speed
• sprint - stop mentality

Whenever I was passed by motorists behaving badly (not only men!) I found that in half a mile or so I was passing them anyway, often waiting in a queue - nobody is saving any time!

Hare and tortoise springs to mind!

Truck on the cycle route

Heading down to work this morning I came across this truck parked across the shared cycle and foot route near Milnrow. The driver didn't notice me on account of being sound asleep at the time.

I get a bit fed up with inconsiderate behaviour like this but just think how you would tackle this path if you use a wheelchair, ride a trike or if you were a person with limited vision.

Stop Lines

I can't help wondering if both motorists and cyclists actually know what Stop Lines at junctions are all about. Am I alone, or is there a wide lack of understanding? I think its time for a rant!

Where there are traffic lights there are accompanying stop lines. When the traffic lights are red, or amber, then all traffic must stop behind the stop line. If you have already crossed the stop line then you should continue through the junction.

In the case where there is a cycle advance box at the junction there are actually two stop lines the front one is where pedal cycles must stop and the back one is where motor vehicles must stop. Pretty simple and straightforward really. So why do I need to have a rant? Because I'm fed up of people ignoring the rules and creating pressure and risk for everone.

I'll pose a simple question; When should you cross a stop line whilst either the red or amber light is showing?

Possible answers (all incorrect); When the light has just changed, when I'm in a hurry, when there is nothing coming the other way, when I want to get ahead of the traffic to stay safe, when no-one is looking, when ....

The only correct answer is: NEVER

Simple question, simple answer so why do so many motorists and so many cyclists fail to follow the simple rule?

EXCUSES;

I think there are some who genuinely don't understand the rule - if you drive a motor vehicle you should understand the rule and there is no excuse for not knowing, you must have a licence and you have access to the highway code. If you ride a pedal cycle you should understand the rule or you are not safe to cycle on the road, and you also have access to the highway code.

Some cyclists think it is sometimes safer to set off before the traffic so set off before the light changes. Sorry guys but it isn't safer, in fact it adds to the overall sense of rushing and encourages some of the other road users to behave similarly and annoys others, that doesn't make anyone safer!

Some people say "everyone else does it" - are you lemmings or people with minds of your own?

THERE ARE NO EXCUSES - just reasons

You do it because of ignorance, pressure, a need to hurry, misguided advice, peer pressure, because you can get away with it or for other obscure reasons of you own. They are reasons but don't excuse your actions.

JUST DON'T DO IT!!

Ring a Bell?

I hadn't had a bell on a bike since the 70's until I started to use a Brompton to commute a couple of years ago. The bell on the Brompton came in for frequent use on towpaths where its polite ding seems to go down well with most pedestrians.

In fact I've since added a bell to my mountain bike (which didn't have one for its first 14 years) because I often use it on the towpaths and sometimes a couple of bridlepaths where I have also found it useful. Sometimes a pedestrian might not hear the bell, especially if they're wearing headphones, so I'll shout to alert them.

Either way I'll slow down to pass people and always thank them for letting me pass - these are shared use paths so we ought to "share nicely" (like our Mums told us when we were little). There has been a "Two Tings" campaigns on towpaths around the country and in Rochdale bells were fitted free of charge to towpath users who wanted them.

Not sure I'll put one on my road bike though, I don't think it would work so well with traffic and the general noise levels on the road.

Cyclists Dismount

Am I the only one who gets fed up with poor information, poor signage and crap road design?

One of my favourites is the "Cyclists Dismount" sign, there's one at the end of my street. This is a sign that clearly tells cyclists what to do, in pretty direct and demanding tone, yet it actually carries no weight at all. The "Cyclists Dismount" sign is actually purely advisory, it has no legal force and as such it should surely ask or advise e.g. "cyclists please dismount". When I don't dismount people on foot or in cars assume I'm being irresponsible and breaking the rules; I'm not, the sign itself is giving a wrong impression.

If there is a genuine need for cyclists to dismount then there is a correct sign in the Highway Code, the "No Cycling" sign. Of course that can't be used in places where we are actually allowed to cycle so local authorities keep using the "Cyclists Dismount" sign.

There are lots of other silly things that the authorities do relating to signs, road layouts etc. and some of these will be included in this blog under the label "Cyclists Dismount"