Police hunt driver who accelerated towards cyclist, knocking him from his bike, then fled scene

I agree, probably a drug dealer. It would explain his aggression.

I however have commited a similar offence. I have never used false plates, but I have obscured my number plate with sludge to get through average speed camera systems. Some of the speed limits they enforce are completely unacceptable, literally 30mph on a motorway on one occasion. Fuck that!

Speed aside, tolerence is required to other road users. I no longer drive because it is unbelieavably stressful. This will be a factor in the majority of incidents. I think road layouts, speed and parking enforcements among other things need to be re-assessed.

One thing that gets my as a cyclist is those pinch points they build to block a lane of traffic. Or those concrete things with illuminated cones on them placed on the center of the road. How the fuck do you make a road safer by placing obstructions on them? They just make bad drivers do worse things but you will not be able to teach the road safety authorites that because they are intransigent morons, or in my preferred words - fuckin cunts.

Titanus wrote:

I agree, probably a drug dealer. It would explain his aggression.

I however have commited a similar offence. I have never used false plates, but I have obscured my number plate with sludge to get through average speed camera systems. Some of the speed limits they enforce are completely unacceptable, literally 30mph on a motorway on one occasion. Fuck that!

Speed aside, tolerence is required to other road users. I no longer drive because it is unbelieavably stressful. This will be a factor in the majority of incidents. I think road layouts, speed and parking enforcements among other things need to be re-assessed.

One thing that gets my as a cyclist is those pinch points they build to block a lane of traffic. Or those concrete things with illuminated cones on them placed on the center of the road. How the fuck do you make a road safer by placing obstructions on them? They just make bad drivers do worse things but you will not be able to teach the road safety authorites that because they are intransigent morons, or in my preferred words - fuckin cunts.

Having read that, I was so glad to read that you no longer drive! Or is your whole post a wind-up?

"Speed aside, tolerance is required to other road users" Controlling your speed is one of the main ways of showing tolerance to other users, quite apart from the increased safety of driving slower?!

Bollards in the road are similarly there to control the speed of cars, without them people like you would drive at 80 in a 30 limit on the wrong side of the road.

Poster is fairly consistent and said he also drove motorbikes and likes going fast but realises this is not an option any more.

Jem PT wrote:

Titanus wrote:

One thing that gets my as a cyclist is those pinch points they build to block a lane of traffic. Or those concrete things with illuminated cones on them placed on the center of the road.

Bollards in the road are similarly there to control the speed of cars, without them people like you would drive at 80 in a 30 limit on the wrong side of the road.

What he's describing sound like pedestrian refuges. They aren't (primarily) traffic calming measures, they are to help pedestrians cross busy roads by allowing them to cross one lane (or set of lanes) at a time (so they only have to worry about traffic from a single direction - the alternative is traffic lights which stop all the traffic on the road.

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You're 'avin' us on, yeah?

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Titanus wrote:

... I think road layouts, speed and parking enforcements among other things need to be re-assessed.

I agree, but I think we differ in the direction in which these things should be going, as parking just about anywhere seems to be tolerated which I find unacceptable and a general level of breaking of driving law is tolerated. 

Titanus wrote:

One thing that gets my as a cyclist is those pinch points they build to block a lane of traffic. Or those concrete things with illuminated cones on them placed on the center of the road.

Traffic calming is used on roads which are not intended to be main routes, so they are a good indication you should be slowing down or choosing a different route. Slower vehicles or less traffic makes the road safer for those who live there and for cyclists trying to use it as a quiet route.

Traffic islands in the midle of the road are a different matter, on the one had they enable pedestrians to cross more safely, but on the other had I do agree that as a cyclist it feels like my body is being used by road designers as traffic calming which increases my personal risk.

Titanus wrote:

I no longer drive because it is unbelieavably stressful.

Stress when driving isn't generally an external force.

For example, you could spend the whole time in the outside lane on a road like the M4 or the M25 and rarely get above 60 mph for more than about 30 seconds - perpetually being held up over motororists who are nearly all trying to drive faster - or you could settle in on the inside lane and take it easy.  Either way, your journey time and average speed are unlikely to be very different - where as your stress levels will be polar opposites.  Likewise you can drive like a maniac around town, and the main difference it will make to your journey is that you will spend more time completely stationary, queuing in traffic.

bobbinogs wrote:

Now, if only people were made to display clear identification plates on bikes and cars then this kind of misdemeanor would never be a problem...he says in ironic tones.

Completely agree. Is it 15% of vehicles are not registered?

bobbinogs wrote:

On a more serious note, it does remind everyone that we need to be careful out there as not every driver is going to give a shit what they do when it comes to road incidents.

I hate this line of reasoning.  Some of my friends never say anything when we get close passed, but I always shout and wave.  Their logic is that cyclists are not going to win against a car or truck, or that the driver could be a pyscho. My argument is that if you at least let them know you aren't happy, they *might* just think about their actions.  And in nearly every instance, any vehicle that is following and sees me complaining usually manages to cross all the way over the white line...

I'm not saying we have to take any shit given to us Dave, more a case of balancing out the possibilities before kicking off.  I have developed a much more sangfroid attitude to the majority of close passes (which invariably happen at least once on every ride). I used to get really het up but found that doing so just turned a lovely bike ride into one of an angry mood and feeling confrontational with every other motorist (guilty or not).  Once you add into the mix the fact of kicking off against someone who is driving a lethal 2 tonne metal box and may not care what they do or to whom...then there is much to be said for just taking an extra breath before any reaction.

I agree.  It's best not to say anything to anyone these days.

Yes, I can understand that thinking  - you don't know what kind of idiot the motorist is; if they show complete disregard for vulnerable road users, then they obviously don't care what they do and who they do it to. 

Hmm - "at least once on every ride" is being kind.  I'm actually thinking of asking a campaign group to demand better designed traffic islands. They just encourage even closer passes - drivers seeem to think they're playing some sort of 'dodge the obstacles' game. 

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

bobbinogs wrote:

Now, if only people were made to display clear identification plates on bikes and cars then this kind of misdemeanor would never be a problem...he says in ironic tones.

Completely agree. Is it 15% of vehicles are not registered?

bobbinogs wrote:

On a more serious note, it does remind everyone that we need to be careful out there as not every driver is going to give a shit what they do when it comes to road incidents.

I hate this line of reasoning.  Some of my friends never say anything when we get close passed, but I always shout and wave.  Their logic is that cyclists are not going to win against a car or truck, or that the driver could be a pyscho. My argument is that if you at least let them know you aren't happy, they *might* just think about their actions.  And in nearly every instance, any vehicle that is following and sees me complaining usually manages to cross all the way over the white line...

Or they might retaliate and run you down, as happened here. Some of these people shouldn't be on the roads, in charge of 1 tonne of metal, zooming along, with a massive sense of entitlement.

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

...

I hate this line of reasoning.  Some of my friends never say anything when we get close passed, but I always shout and wave.  Their logic is that cyclists are not going to win against a car or truck, or that the driver could be a pyscho. My argument is that if you at least let them know you aren't happy, they *might* just think about their actions.  And in nearly every instance, any vehicle that is following and sees me complaining usually manages to cross all the way over the white line...

ditto. It also assumes that all car or truck drivers are psychopaths, which apart from being a prejudice view, in my experience is far from the truth.

But you only have to meet the one psychopath,and then things get out of hand quickly. I've had people several times deliberately try to ram me off the road for daring to object to them driving like incompetent fools near me and it's only because they were incompetent fools they managed to miss.

I feel acutely aware sometimes with a deliberate closs pass,its done to provoke a reaction, which is then their trigger excuse to escalate, some people are looking for a fight on the roads, I just bite my lip, stick my tongue out and for the really bad ones they'll know I wasnt happy with their actions when the letter from the local constabulary falls in their letter box.

A pity shake of the head sometimes works for me.

Awavey wrote:

But you only have to meet the one psychopath,and then things get out of hand quickly. I've had people several times deliberately try to ram me off the road for daring to object to them driving like incompetent fools near me and it's only because they were incompetent fools they managed to miss.

I feel acutely aware sometimes with a deliberate closs pass,its done to provoke a reaction, which is then their trigger excuse to escalate, some people are looking for a fight on the roads, I just bite my lip, stick my tongue out and for the really bad ones they'll know I wasnt happy with their actions when the letter from the local constabulary falls in their letter box.

That is true, but the same goes for any psychopath that you meet whilst on foot too

I do an exagerated gesture now simply for any following drivers. I doubt the first driver is even checking the mirror. I think the vast majority are incompetent or ignorant not malicious.

I did that when the DPD driver close passed and left hooked. Gesture to show should be further out etc. The merc right behind close passed me anyway.

Not claiming 100% success rate !

Never is. Plus sometime the other driver might punish pass to teach the cyclist a lesson for disrespecting a fellow driver. However I have had success as well but not sure if that is because of my movements or just the following driver was better anyway.