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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
This will always be a hot topic between the two parties, I used to ride as a means to get to work and this was many years ago and I never had any problems. Times have changed and as a result more cars and more bikes.
I think the government need to put in place the infrastructure to accommodate cyclists, when ever a road upgrade is put in place it should have a bike lane included in the budget.
Although in saying this, the bike rider needs to use it. One example is on my way to work I come to a roundabout at the end of a major highway, bike rider would always weave across three and then two lanes of peak hour traffic. After a couple of bad incidences the government spent hundreds of thousands for a cycle overpass to get riders safety across the highway and they don't use it. The only people that do are the causal rider and kids.
One major road going into the city is quite narrow and although it's two lanes, put a cyclist and a car and a huge long trunk plus the occasional bus things can be quite scary. A it may not be were the cyclist is, it could be a couple of hundred meters back when someone rear ends someone else because of sudden braking.
I suppose what I trying to say is the cyclist needs its own lane and that also means that cars shouldn't be aloud to park in it.
Then everyone should be safe.Don't piss off old people
The older we get the less "LIFE IN PRISON" is a deterrent...Comment
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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
Rules apply to everyone, just as Bike riders run red lights, or ride in quite large packs, sometimes 3 a breast [see it all the time, but like i mentioned earlier, i just go into the right hand land], doesn't make it right because drivers speed, two wrongs don't make a right.
I understand the frustration with drivers getting away with speeding, as another driver myself, you see then weave in & out of traffic, think they own the roads, but the difference is that drivers actually do get caught, and get punished for doing so [fines, demerit points taken away etc], what is in place for bike riders that break the law?Comment
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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
I have no problem with cyclists riding two abreast/in packs. What I do have a problem with is the same two abreast/pack riding without being aware of what's going on behind them. You might feel entitled to ride as you will, but look around. If it's a multi lane road and there's not too many cars, go for it, cars can change lanes to get around you.
But if it's single lane or even double lane and there's a stack of traffic, be considerate and move over. The hold up may be a few seconds max, but multiply that by being the fifteenth car in a line being held up by this group. You might slow from 70k's an hour to 20 (as happens on the mad mile at the Burwood Hwy, where I ride every day), and then have to wait "a few seconds max" to finally get past. It's neither the time or the hassle that I believe frustrates drivers, it's the road hogging arrogance that sh!ts them.
If you want consideration as a bike rider, then you have to give it as well."It's over. It's all over."Comment
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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
Ha ha. Surprisingly, I don't find the mad mile too bad. The lanes are fairly wide, so that leaves room for car and bike as a general rule."It's over. It's all over."Comment
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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
As a few know on here, I'm a Police Officer who has been out on the road since June. That may not seem like a very long time, but I can offer the following observations:
- Car drivers and bike riders are just as bad as each other when it comes to breaking road rules.
- Between the two of them, they pale in comparison to the utter stupidity of pedestrians.
- The attitudes (and at times, conduct) of a very small minority of car drivers toward bike riders is one day going to get someone killed. We have far too many reports of cyclists being run off the road, tailed by car drivers, and other such behaviour.
- In the two incidents I have investigated where a collision with a bicycle has taken place, the bicycle rider has remained at the scene, admitted fault and accepted liability for damages.
- Cyclists riding two abreast are easily evaded with intelligent driving and a touch of patience. Cyclists riding one abreast, in most cases, pose virtually no traffic hazard whatsoever.
From a more personal point of view (nothing whatsoever to do with my employment as a Police Officer, I believe the argument that cyclists should have to pay registration is a complete nonsense. Cyclists:- Create virtually no wear and tear on roads, particularly compared to a standard car,
- do not contribute to carbon emissions and pollution in the city,
- Are far less likely to be involved in a collision where a third party is killed or seriously injured, thus reducing impact on TAC/Healthcare expenses.
- Do not use petrol, which means a lower demand and a therefore lower price for petrol.
Just as there are cyclists that need to pull their head in, so there are plenty of drivers who seem to think that some road rules need only apply to them at certain times, and will try just about anything to excuse driving which is, at best, downright careless.Comment
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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
It's like anything isn't it, the majority of bike riders & car drivers do the right thing, but you will always get a few cowboys that think they own the roads, and bugger things up the decent people out there.
I used to be a courior driver [inner city work] for a year or so, just as a small car driver, but then you would have your cowboy courior bike riders that are just nuts, unfortunatly during that year or so, about 2 or 3 lost their lives at various times, there was one really horrific one where he was hit by a car, and that impact flung him over one of the over passes on the West Gate fwy, and going by the way they ride, they kind of put themselves in very dangerous situations at times.
I had one encounter one time with a rider just came out of nowhere right in front of my path, fortunatly inner city driving is pretty much a crawl most times, so i had time to stop.Comment
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Re: Push Bikes Vs Cars
What westdog saidComment
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