Councillor who slammed 'alarming' cyclists 'caught speeding' by Speedwatch group he set up

Mungecrundle wrote:

Beastmode also demonstrates very nicely why it is important to make sure you are highly visible in the environment. The sooner an alert and skillful driver is aware of a cyclist the sooner they can plan to deal with the situation thus maximising safety for the rider.

Not really, being more visible is such a hugely varied thing, I cycled to work in the rain and overcast skies today, had no problem seeing black cars some distance off despite lack of lights, same for all other obstacles.

I don't need you to make yourself more visible, that would be my failure to understand the road environment and to be looking properly, if there's a grey coloured boulder that's fallen from a rock face around the bend (on a grey coloured road), does it need an introducer, should it have flashing lights, hi-vis, no, because the onus is 100% on me to drive at a speed I can stop well within the distance I can see to be clear. If I can't see ahead far enough to stop in good time without slamming on should something or someone make it either hazardous to me or I be a hazard to them, then I am breaking the HC and not driving as a safe and careful driver should be (= standard ordinary driving).

This continual push to be 'more visible' as the vulnerable person is why in part the police and justice system act improperly and with discrimination toward people on bikes when it comes to getting killed or injured, this must stop. We must stop pandering to this victim blaming route, not only because we need to take a stand but also because 'being more visible does not work to increase safety, it takes people to actually bother to look and act, basically adhere to the law, nothing more.

pandering makes to lower the bar for lazy, dangerous drivers like the mungo in the Land rover who continued on at massively excessive speed such that he killed another human being. The bar is so low that despite a human being killed the excuses came thick and fast by the defence, the CPS doesn't consider driving essentially wth your eyes shut and killing human beings with a motor dangerous, the judge let the poor unfortunate motorists off with a slapped wrist and a jury would never entertain finding guilty on dangerous.

Just look at how many KSI incidents have ended in no or pitifully inadequate sentences despite the cyclist wearing hi-vis, helmet and lights or broad daylight, using lack of as reasoning for different judicial outcomes is BS because the outcomes are the same and wearing the garb just dininishes rights and widens the way the law is applied with no benefit to the vulnerable!

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

I'm assuming you mean the person following and filming. Whilst Greggs initial comments were a bit stupid, I don't see at any point when he is speeding above 50 in the video and he does give the bike a great amount of clearance on passing which I wished I got from everyone. 

In the meantime the person "trying to catch him" is driving one handed at similar speeds and concentrating on filming the car in front and the speedo. Unfortunately driving whilst filming on a phone is not classed as illegal according to a recent appeal against someone being stopped by Police for filming a crash scene. 

At 50+mph in a vehicle that size there should be a minimum expectation of the driver fully moving into the opposite lane well before getting to the back wheel of the cyclist. For an experienced cyclist it's fairly standard but that still doesn't make the overtake a good one, not at the very MAXIMUM limit never mind over that. Lesser experienced cyclists do not enjoy being passed at speed so that overtake wouldn't feel all that great, it's in part the reasom why many avoid these types of roads altogether.

On first observing mirror check, ease off the accelerator, 'See bike think horse right'? Slowing gives you more time to asses for the multiple scenarios that might unfold in the next few seconds. Check for turns, look for drains/potholes, deviations in the road for myself and the cyclist, puddles, farm entrances, animals, and upcoming bends or dark shadow from trees/high hedgrows etc.

Once done, indicate, mirror check again, is there an overtaker coming behind, observe ahead, is there still time/space to make a safe overtake, indicating after you've already started moving into the opposite carriageway is sub par driving, why even bother. You've no need to gun it if you've done everything else beforehand, keep checking, has the cyclist kept their line, have they seen something you haven't if they are moving out at last second, keep using mirrors, indicate and move back in a good two vehicle lengths ahead.

This should all take a matter of seconds for a considerate and alert driver, nothing out the ordinary, just what should be the normal standard of driving.

The driver of the car in front did not do this, they need some driver training and education as to why their driving isn't acceptable around vulnerable road users.

Russell Orgazoid wrote:

What a thick cunt

Succinct and to the point.