How do some car drivers even pass there test!?

Biker - motor or man powered?

When cyclists stop going down the inside of my vehicle to pass me when I'm in the left lane, then I'll think better of them. Let it be known now that car drivers are NOT taught to look for vehicles on their left as that is not how the British road system works. Roundabouts etc.. are from the RIGHT. Traffic overtaking is on the RIGHT, etc.. Cyclists going down the left side are asking to be run over.

Last time I looked, cyclists were not excluded from obeying the rules of the road. I do think they should have a license plate (but I'm not saying they should also pay road tax - some people think the two are inextricably linked). Cyclists do cause accidents between cars with their dangerous cycling and the sooner this is acknowledged, the better.

I do not object to them riding on the pavement either - IMHO it is safer for all concerned - they just need to be sure to alert pedestrians to their presence.

At the end of the day, car kills cyclist every time, so the cyclist needs to take their safety more seriously, and appreciate that drivers of cars and other motorized vehicles maybe didn't see them. I'm also sick to death of cyclists not wearing high-viz, and often riding illegally at night (i.e. NO LIGHTS).

I'm not suggesting you fit into any of these categories, but as usual the few create issues for the many.

Sounds like the passenger deserved whatever he got.

Best regards,
Vulcan.

Sorry Vulcan, I mean being a motor biker. I ride a Triumph Daytona 600cc.

As for the Cyclists point of view i agree with you as myself i've had afew run ins at night with cyclists popping out from no where wearing extremely dark coloured clothing and no lights on there push bikes, Also teen lads with these small 1 gear BMX bikes that ride in the middle of the road in groups of 4 or 5 weaving in and out do really annoy me.

MartinW wrote: I do not object to them riding on the pavement either - IMHO it is safer for all concerned   Would disagree with that. Any vehicle should be on the road. I've had a few experiences as a pedestrian with bikes on pavements. I watched my wife almost get injured by an idiot on a bike some years ago, and have nearly got clobbered myself.   In fact people have been known to be killed by bikes.

I dunno about that one, From my point of view it is safer to ride on the pavement for afew reasons,

1, Its safer for both the cyclists and the driver

2, When you do ride in the bike lane thats on the road you find yourself having to pull right out into the middle of the road because someone has decided to park in the bike lane to pop into the shops either because they are too lazy to find a safer parking space and walk back to the shop or are just too plain lazy all together.

3, When you try and ride in the bike lane that is clearly printed on the pavement ( Like seafronts in Brighton ) you've got people blocking it by walking in it or mothers with buggys and 3 kids running round her. They then moan at you for trying to get past them .

There are very few bike lanes both on the road and pavements, So if your rsomeone who is willing to stick to bike lanes and ride then its more then likely your going to be riding your bike for the 5 minutes of bike lane thats been printed before coming to the end and are either gonna have to push it on the pavement or take the risk and ride in the road, So in effect your better off leaving the push bike at home and getting the bus.

Road tax is a con, lets face it.

It was originally for the roads though, originally paid into the road fund. However, when that was no longer the case, the government of the day craftily still levied the tax.

 

The CO2 thing is a recent excuse. Basically it's a way of extracting money from the motorist, on top of the huge amount of fuel duty we already pay. Some pay less, some pay more, but I bet if you did the calculations there would be a net profit for the treasury.

 

If more funds are required, then government, if they were honest, would be straightforward enough to raise income tax. Rather than disguising the requirement to do so with road tax, VAT increases, taxing inheritance twice, taxing booze and telling you it's for your own good, [it is but thats not why they do it] and all the other crafty methods they use.

 

They won't of course, because the priority is the next election, and the complex way they tax us is to provide them the opportunity to give with one hand, and take with the other. It's a political tool. A way of disguising the amount of tax we really pay.

 

Speaking as someone who rides a motorbike and trains others to do so i have had my fair share of arrogant, ignorant or downright stupid  car drivers. Unfortunately it s a risk you take riding a motorbike. Airbus lad although i am not suggesting you did anything wrong and indeed seemed to have reacted well when a car pulled out in front of you it s what you do next that concerns me. You speak of chasing vehicles to find out "what their problem is" and giving "the hand gesture".Tempting yes but when faced with aggression some drivers will react with aggression. If you hadn t made the hand gesture to those two lads would they have tried to then pull you off your bike, would you then have needed to remove him from the car for some re education.And while you are focused on catching up with these vehicles and making gestures how focused are you on what else is happening around you. In honesty the majority of car drivers don t hate bikes but they make mistakes, unacceptable and it should nt happen but it does. When i have talked to them and explained what they did most will apologise for their error. It might be some other motorcycle that upset that van driver and he then took his frustration out on the next motorcyclist-you.Anyway thats my 2 cents worth, take care and keep it shiny side up

Very interesting topic, as a car driver ( who loves motorbikes but never been able to have one ) i myself always keep an eye on my rearview/door mirror for bikers, and if i ever see a bike coming up behind and see he wants to overtake, i move to the left leaving more space for the biker to overtake safely ( its always nice when they say thanks ).

I have read statistics compiled by auto insurance groups and the American Automobile Association which show that 75-80% of car-motorcycle accidents which are properly investigated turn out to be the fault of the auto driver.  Because of their situation, bikers are far more aware of traffic around them, unlike auto drivers who are much more likely to be distracted by other things in the car, or just not concentrating on driving enough.  Auto drivers, especially grannies (from an experience I had in 1979), do not look out for motorcycles.  Especially when making a left turn onto a road (right turn in the UK), as this causes them to cross in front of traffic and if they fail to see an oncoming motorcycle, it's too bad for the biker. 

I learnt when approaching cars at junctions to look at the eyes of the driver, if he/she makes eye contact then they have seen you if not be prepared to change direction or take evasive action.

I do this as a car driver and a pedestrian. You can tell quickly who will be an issue and who won't. I also ignore the indicators and watch the direction of the steering wheels - more than a few times this has saved me from the idiots have been indicating the wrong way and are in the wrong lane/have exceptionally poor positioning (I'd personally pull their licenses and make them re-sit an extended test)!!!!!

So if your blind spot was clear 5 seconds ago it doesnt mean it is clear now.

+1

Vulcan you are right that it is illegal to overtake on the left and vehicles shouldnt be there this doesnt mean that you should not observe your left hand blind spot.

I know. I keep a very good lookout, and in fact get odd looks from other drivers sometimes when I'm looking behind me and to the left, as if I had 3 eyes or something. Mirrors only show you a small amount of area, and I do NOT think that because the mirrors are clear, that it actually is (you can call them blind spots if you like - I call it failing to drive without due care and attention). I think mirrors should be banned - people are lazy and don't look around.

I practice on the road what is taught in aviation: MAINTAIN A GOOD LOOKOUT.

Best regards,
Vulcan.

Regarding mirrors, there is a point I,d like to make  and it affects both Bikes and cars when getting anywhere near large vehicles. Although these days modern trucks and buses are fitted with a whole raft of safety measures, there are still large numbers of older vehicles that are still fitted with the basic wing mirrors. irrespective of what system they have though the well known phrase, "if you cant see my mirrors, then I cant see you!" is still very relevant. In winter, bus and truck mirrors become absolutely covered in grime so its even more difficult to see you. ( especially the small number of motorcyclists who persist in having no lights on!)
other things to remember are NEVER NEVER try to undertake a large vehicle on the road. the N/S is a massive blindspot for the driver, all we can see is whats in the mirror and if your not in the frame you are invisible! NEVER try to pass alongside the the nearside if the vehicle is turning left, we need a hell of a lot of room and a tight turn will result in the vehicle pulling further out from the curb to allow room to turn, its not a gap to try and get through! (some woman tried this on me in a brand new Audi many years ago in Richmond on Thames town centre, Her stupidity blocked the one one way system for over an hour while the remains of the car were extracted from the wheelarch of my bright yellow double deck Leyland Olympian! the Audi was a write off, the bus got a chipped wheelarch!) Another thing to remember, especially with coaches is the rear overhang, when we turn, the overhang will swing in the opposite direction to the turn. So something like a typical single deck bus has a 14 ft tail! if we're turning left that tail will swing right. The driver will be aware of this but many motorists ignore the fact and get hit by the sweep. Its a common occurence. Bendy buses have their own set of problems  and some of the big multi axle coaches have rear wheel steering so beware! Regarding trucks, the same rules apply and especially around artics. If you have to pass these things , before you get to close, take a look at his registration number, if its foreign then the chances are its also left hand drive, in which case his OFFSIDE is the biggest blind spot, give yourself plenty of room to get by and beware of any thing ahead that may cause him to swerve out. At the end of the day its all about common sense, but basically, if it doesnt look safe, then it probably isnt! keep back and wait for a better opportunity, Its better to arrive late at your destination, than LATE at the local undertakers! an believe me you dont want to become 
human roadkill! Also remember this, A truck or a bus, if damaged, can be substituted by the company fairly quickly and so continue its service, Your bike or car would, I imagine , take a considerable time longer! Hope this helps!
PS.
A pic of me in an earlier life!

Leyland Olympian - wow! Nowadays it's all a mixture of Dennis Tridents and Scania Omnidekkas (at least where I live)!