Gloucestershire - a dangerous place for cyclists

“Sorry to bring up the car verses cyclist issue again and I must stress I am pretty neutral on who's to blame for the current situation but I just nearly had a cyclist across the bonnet of the car.

On entering a one way street in Gloucester this morning looked left to check for traffic, looked right (more out of habbit as the one way system was from the left) only to see a cyclist nearly upon me riding the wrong way down the street!!!

Ear phones on and phone in one hand texting!!!

You certainly don't help yourselves.”

“@Nogman you're right I hadn't considered collisions between cyclists and pedestrians. However the consequences are still not as bad as a collision between a cyclist and a car.

My personal experience as a cyclist is it is more likely that a pedestrian will step in front of a cyclist because they haven't looked to see if the way is clear.

I will also ask you as a pedestrian - do you always wait for the green man to cross the road?”

“Another trolling cycling article by TiG. How about actually trying to inform and educate people
in a more positive way.

For a start a headline that 'THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ROAD TAX!' so that some of the whingers will get it through their thick skulls once and for all!

Followed by 'IT IS NOT ILLEGAL FOR CYCLISTS TO RIDE SIDE BY SIDE!'

Or start ramping up the pressure on the Local Authorities to do something about the state of the roads, cycling facilities and reducing congestion in the town - proliferation of poorly placed and co-ordinated traffic lights and excessive school traffic being the biggest problems.

At the very least get a photographer out on a junction and produce some evidence of this massive red-light jumping problem rather than using the photo of the muppet with the hair or the other one of a junction that is not even in Cheltenham.

The "keeno cyclists" as charliesymes likes to put it are also far more likely to be the most responsible cyclists out there because if they are serious then they will be members of British Cycling or CTC and will be carrying at least third party insurance anyway. As well as being from being more comfortable and aerodynamic bright lycra also gets you noticed which can only be a good thing!

People with poor spatial awareness and little consideration for others will be the same whether they are on foot crossing the road without looking, wandering aimlessly on the phone / with headphones, letting their dog run loose on a cyclepath, cycling on pavement, driving without using indicators etc.

The quickest way across Cheltenham during rush hour is on a bike, even obeying the Highway Code so if you're fed up of seeing a bike going past you, try it!”

“Wawa_M, I hear ya! :) I get annoyed by cars parking in the cycle boxes at red lights so those that do, I will ride alongside then plonk my bike and my behind in front of their car to block their way and make a point......me first thankyou very much! Then they have to wait until I pull away! I hate drivers who push and rev behind me. What drivers are also forgetting we cyclists not only have to deal with push cars buses and all else on the road, but dozy pedestrians who fail to look and step out of nowhere! Just the other day a stupid woman tried to cross with a buggy and baby rather than use the traffic light pedestrian crossing (which with a baby in tow would be a wise idea) no she decided to cross at the busiest part of the road with traffic in all directions and she steps out in front of me on my bike like I didnt exist! Not to mention also a lot of the roads are full of potholes, my journey home has turned into a game, dodgehole! Yeah so I know I take my life into my hands when I get on my bike but everything in life is a risk. As long as I know that I follow the road code and cycle safely. I treat everyone else like they don't know what they are doing.”

“But not from everyone, it seems...”

“Props, Wawa_M.”

“its the same old chestnut again and again.
As a cyclist I know i take my life into my hands. There are not enough cycle lanes - and those that are are through lumps, bumps over drains and potholes. My brother cycling, hit a raised drain cover IN A CYCLE LANE and was in intensive care for weeks. I don't jump red lights, but i DO kick cars that stop at lights in the red out area meant for cyclists - its there for a reason you idiots. I also flick the bird to car driver that get too close, and those that rev their engines unnecessarily if they cant get past me. When the speed islands narrow the lane i cycle right out into the middle so cars have to wait - i have been barged off the road with the car not stopping. I choose to cycle, yes but many of you drivers could actually get off your lazy behinds and walk the 5minute drive you are making. Tough if you pay tax - your stinky cars make stinky emissions and my cycling doesnt, get over it.”

“@JASB999
""@daveofglos

"I don't know where you drive but virtually every set of traffic lights has cyclists jumping the lights"

Really?"
Really. Junction of St Margaret's and Portland street, junction of Poole Way and High Street (I was narrowly missed on the crossing by two posties riding side-by-side who appeared from the far side of a van that was stopped at the lights - they deserve to have their bicycles confiscated under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regs), junction of Clarence Street and Clarence Parade (this one, on seeing that the lights were red in her direction, decided that the pavement would make a suitable alternative route), to name but three. I could go on.

"But to try and clarify my point: The risk the cyclist takes when jumping lights is that they risk serious injury or death to themselves...Very rarely, if ever, is the risk to the car driver when a cyclist is involved."
True. But what about the pedestrian who, on seeing that the 'green man' is lit, leaps out onto the crossing before the lights change back again, and is hit by a speeding cyclist who has jumped the lights?
I remember at least one case of an elderly pedestrian having died after being hit on a crossing by a cyclist who jumped the lights. And that was in Gloucestershire.”

“I don't know where you drive but virtually every set of traffic lights has cyclists jumping the lights"

SO WHAT? I ride through red lights when its safe, we are not stupid, and drivers, keep out of cycle boxes on trafic lights!”

“@daveofglos

"I don't know where you drive but virtually every set of traffic lights has cyclists jumping the lights"

Really?

But to try and clarify my point: The risk the cyclist takes when jumping lights is that they risk serious injury or death to themselves. If they are dumb enough to do this, then its their look out. But when a car is speeding or goes by a bike without leaving enough space then the car driver risks injuring or killing the cyclist.

Very rarely, if ever, is the risk to the car driver when a cyclist is involved.”