Too many cyclists are being killed each year by lorries on the streets of London.
Something has got to be done.
Please, take a moment to recognize HGV's blind spots. and never ever cycle next to the lorry. If you stop infront of a lorry at the traffic lights always leave a gap of at least 3 meters.
2 comments:
as a driver, i wish to point something out to you here which will dramatically increase your safety on the road.
Whether you choose to take on board what i say is completely up to you, but this is the FACT of things, from a drivers eye view....
when you are a cyclist it is VERY DIFFICULT, especially at nighttime, for drivers to see you. In fact, many of you, especially those who insist for some daft reason on wearing DARK CLOTHES (idiots!) are almost completely invisible, and can only be seen by drivers at literally the very last second when they decide to come out of nowhere and cut right across the front of a moving vehicle. It is no wonder they get knocked over and killed sometimes.
And the problem is even worse when it is raining. Car windows steam up, making it even more impossible for the stupid cyclist with no lights on to be seen.
What they need to understand is that the visibility INSIDE of a car is far less than the visibility that a cyclist has! We have to look through an often steamed-up window!
As a driver in London, i can honestly say that if a cyclist has made an effort to make himself seen i.e. is wearing a HIGH VIS YELLOW JACKET, and has good high quality lights on his or her bike, i will give them all the respect on the road they deserve.
The dumb ones, however, who think it is perfectly acceptable to don dark clothes, have no lights, and meander all across the streets with their headphones blaring - well, lets just say that i am NOT going to go out of my way to give way to them.
It is the cyclists responsibility to make themselves seen - NOT the driver's.
If you dont believe anything i say, try spending a few hours actually driving around the streets of london AT NIGHT - I wonder how many of the stupid 'dark-clothed, no lights, headphone-wearing' cyclists you will FAIL to spot, and almost crash into as a result.
hi Jay,
thanks for the comments. I ride a bike and also drive a car, (and live in london) i agree with you about visibility. I also experienced very aggressive drivers, as well as very narrow streets that simply do not fit a blue cycle highway plus two car lanes - and the cyclists get squashed. I also experienced cars overtaking cyclists without leaving any space - i myself got clipped by a car and that was a very scary experience. And trust me, i did not do anything "stupid".
As driver, I know what you mean about steamed windows and blind spots - and we need to be extra careful when driving and treat cyclists calmly even if sometimes they may do stupid things. We need to learn to respect humans and not antagonise each other. My blog is not to blame. But it is to celebrate cycling. Unfortunately though, London has a high number of accidents and deaths - it is NOT a cycle friendly city and many times i catch myself worrying about my friends who cycle (and myself!). I want them to be safe, to stay away from big lorries. When a friend gets hurt, it is the most horrible feeling. And a death unbearable.
Be safe.
Post a Comment