Strict Liability Law - Drivers to be auto blamed for all accidents with cyclists

[dannyjo22]

I don't understand cyclists who don't wear helmets.

I think because they are next to useless in anything approaching a serious accident and are good for the times you have a minor slip on your own with no vehicle involved or for the minor falls kids have learning to ride.

I have never used one, I put on on my son though on his balance bike.

 

[rogan]

I don't understand cyclists who don't wear helmets.

Yeah sometimes I wonder 'what on earth is going on it the world!!' when i see pedestrians walking down the road who aren't wearing high vis vests and airbag jackets.

 

[Basher]

Yeah sometimes I wonder 'what on earth is going on it the world!!' when i see pedestrians walking down the road who aren't wearing high vis vests and airbag jackets.

Hardly the same is it?

When you've had a friend killed on a bike who would still be alive if he had a helmet on, your opinion might change.

 

[dannyjo22]

Hardly the same is it?

When you've had a friend killed on a bike who would still be alive if he had a helmet on, your opinion might change.

He would still be alive? How, impact speed? They are tested to something like 12mph. He had an impact less than 12mph and died?

 

[SlyReaper]

Hardly the same is it?

When you've had a friend killed on a bike who would still be alive if he had a helmet on, your opinion might change.

The numbers suggest helmets offer no protection.

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1012.html

http://www.camdencyclists.org.uk/info/tforum/hillman1991

You can also find sources that conclude the exact opposite, but I tend to err on the side of skepticism. I'm sorry that your friend was killed, but anecdotes are not evidence, and you can't say for certain that a helmet would have saved him.

 

[Basher]

He would still be alive? How, impact speed? They are tested to something like 12mph. He had an impact less than 12mph and died?

He was knocked off and landed in a field. It was the opinion of the coroner that a helmet may well have saved his life.

 

[platypus]

I presume you mean they causes LESS damage to the roads. If they caused no damage bike lanes would last forever and never need maintaining.

Odd. Certainly around here all damage caused to cycle paths is by cars.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

Yep, I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to move around cars, onto the road, because they where parked in the cycle lane.

I admit to having once knocked a side mirror off of a car but then, if the passenger hadn't thrown a drinks can onto the road, which then didn't wrap around my front tyre, which then caused me to skid which in turn caused the collision, it wouldn't have happened at all.

 

[platypus]

Unlike motorbikes, bicycle doesn't have speed, low center of mavity and does not move along sustainable, predictable path to guarantee safety of the "driver".

Like everyone, you're generalising. Some bicycles are slow, I can easily cycle faster than traffic as can a lot of cyclists.

You're right about the trouble of an unpredictable path - again I can only speak from experience but its because of the utterly dire state of most cycle paths that you have to move in and out. Potholes, stones, pedestrians, parked cars, etc. Unfortunately we simply cannot have seperate cycling paths and highways, so the solution, as ever is an almost impossible one.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

I want to know why v0n can't give more than 30cm clearance. I ride about 6000 miles a year in London and people very rarely get that close. Very rarely.

 

[platypus]

As above ,

I have just about had enough if cyclist in London - I would like to say its the few but in my experience its the majority - breaking the Highway Code , aggressive argumentative .

I even had 2 a breast going down a country lane in North Essex the other day and when I challenged them about the que of traffic behind them I got told to go f myself - charming .

I am convinced it a Lycra thing .

In London, are you surprised? Thats a London thing and in no way at all restricted to cyclists.

 

[platypus]

People that ride in tandem are selfish idiots and making excuses about doing it to force cars to safely over-take is both counter intuitive and a lie.

You do it so you can have a 'chat' with your buddy, why pretend you have some self-imposed highway-code enforcer status.

With any luck you've been suspended for your attitude in this thread. I presume you drive with the same attitude.

 

[rogan]

Hardly the same is it?

When you've had a friend killed on a bike who would still be alive if he had a helmet on, your opinion might change.

Of course it is, If i grab my bike to ride round to the shops am I expected to get 'in-gear', get my cycling kit out, high vis and put a helmet on to go get a pint of milk?

I proactively don't wear a helmet when I'm riding around London now, i've tried with and without, all these studies etc believe what you will but not wearing a helmet definitely makes drivers a little more aware of you,

If 'scaring' drivers by not wearing a helmet is what I have to do for them to give me ample room then that is what I will do.

 

[grudas]

In London, are you surprised? Thats a London thing and in no way at all restricted to cyclists.

there's just as many dumb cyclists in london as there are drivers... there's one VERY aggressive idiot on my way to work(first mile tbh he lives somewhere around me) and he does all he can do to annoy me and get as close to me every time he sees me.. but once i catch up with him at the traffic lights he just sits there scared to make eye contact.. what a flippin nupty..

today a van driver literally drove 2" away from me and then tried to force me of the road until i turned off.. that was central london.

the video posted above shows very little of what really happens on the road..

i would love to strap a camera to my bike and film one week of my commutes, would be a nice video showing a bunch of turds trying to kill me.. plus a tone of cyclists and pedestrians that act like idiots on the road..

now im not a sin either but i don't put other people at risk!

this is a never ending discussion tho... and the obvious point here is that;

we need new road infrastructure for cycling to be "safe" and london is kinda getting to the right direction(i wont lie i cycle 100-130 miles/week and haven't had a chance to use the cycle highways) so its far from usable.

cyclists should be able to do a test that would teach them the basics! i see a lot of people that are unavare of their suroundings, that don't look before turning etc etc.. a driver at least has to pass a driving test! cycling is just jump and go.. it shouldn't be forced.

drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are all the same, all of us want to get from point a to point b with a different kind of transport and there's no reason to hate each other or spit around saying how one has to pay for w/e etc.. plus there's a dumb driver a dumb cyclist and a blind pedestrian on the road right now.. so we're all the same

 

[platypus]

My point is - cyclist moan that drivers do not allow space to overtake yet, when riding side by side on a normal road, the cyclists are not allowing cars to overtake at all should the motorist want to whilst leaving enough space between vehicle and bike that the cyclist is demanding as per above image.


edit: what I am saying is, if you add another cyclist onto the image, the car will now have to drive on the verge to overtake whilst giving the same clearance for BOTH bikes as they are for the single bike in the pic above

Not quite the verge, but your point is still valid. And yes, unfortunately there are cyclists who won't move over. Again, as usual its all generalisation on both sides. Some of us move over to allow vehicles to pass, some don't. Some drivers and cyclists are bad. And so on.

 

[zenf]

I proactively don't wear a helmet when I'm riding around London now, i've tried with and without, all these studies etc believe what you will but not wearing a helmet definitely makes drivers a little more aware of you,

If 'scaring' drivers by not wearing a helmet is what I have to do for them to give me ample room then that is what I will do.

That seems like an odd assumption to make... I'm definitely not any more careful around cyclists who aren't wearing a helmet; if they go under my wheels, they're dead, regardless.

 

[dannyjo22]

He was knocked off and landed in a field. It was the opinion of the coroner that a helmet may well have saved his life.

Ah right you said Would have saved, the coroner said Might. Sorry for your friend but if he got hit hard enough to knock him into a field the helmet wouldn't likely have done **** sadly.

I think it's just a line the coroner would throw out almost all the time in incidents like that were a helmet wasn't worn.

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

That seems like an odd assumption to make... I'm definitely not any more careful around cyclists who aren't wearing a helmet; if they go under my wheels, they're dead, regardless.

It's not that odd, there have been numerous studies that would back up his claim. It's claimed to be a subconscious thing so if it is true you probably aren't aware.

I'm not sure I believe the claims though.

 

[zenf]

It's not that odd, there have been numerous studies that would back up his claim. It's claimed to be a subconscious thing so if it is true you probably aren't aware.

I'm not sure I believe the claims though.

Very weird... Even subconciously, I wouldn't have thought many drivers would think a bit of reinforced plastic will stop over a ton of metal from crushing a person into the road.

 

[platypus]

Very weird... Even subconciously, I wouldn't have thought many drivers would think a bit of reinforced plastic will stop over a ton of metal from crushing a person into the road.

Thats probably why its subconcious. Christ.