How can cycling be made safer? How can vehicle drivers be less hostile to them?

Answer 1

I have lived in areas that put cycle/walking paths in to cater for the people who choose to ride to keep them safe & away from traffic & very rarely do these pathways get used. cyclist prefering to ride in the car lanes - 3 or more abreast.
Also the amount of cyclist who when using the road DO NOT obey the rules if the road ie not stopping at red light, riding more than 2 abreast (or in some cases depending on the place you live, more than 1 abreast) so it is no wonder those who actually pay road taxes & do follow the rules get upset.
The best thing is that cyclist have to register the bicyles (like motorbikes, trucks, cars, buses) and go for the licence training (as all those other catergories do) pay for 3rd party insurance (as all other vehicle shave to) and that they obey ALL the road rules, not just when it suits them.
( I also ride a bike but I try to use when possible all the riding paths I can & if I have to join traffic I do it so i do not obstruct the road form the people who PAY for the maintenance, as most times I am slower than they are, I also make sure in using the roads I obey the rules of the road.)

Answer 2

I think all car drivers should be made (perhaps as part of the license, although I appreciate that would be difficult to enforce for existing drivers) to spend a week cycling around cities and towns on a bicycle- that would certainly raise there awareness.
When talking about out of town roads, I think cyclists should steer as clear as possible of public roads and use cycle paths where ever possible- I certainly do as when driving I have a horrible idea of one day coming round a blind left corner only to find a bicycle right in front of me too late. Also bikes on dual carriageways with only a small hard shoulder can be a danger to themselves and car drivers as people overtaking cut across lanes. I realise that in some places there aren't enough cycle paths of a decent standard, but you shouldn't put yourself or anyone else at risk if you can help it.

Cycle helmets are an absolute must- people should see the after effects of a crash with and withoutbike helmets (also remember it is not just hitting a car that can do damage- if a cyclist come off on their own it can be just as bad!)

Also cyclists must obey the rules of the road- you can't expect respect unless you earn it!

Answer 3

Cycling could be made safer if there was a cycling portion to every driver education class. Educating the drivers about cyclists, what cyclists tendencies are, and what their rights are will improve operator awareness.

Cycling would also be safer if cyclists followed all the rules. Most rules are there to protect the cyclists, yet many cyclists don't follow them. Wear a helmet, stay to the right, be visible, ride a straight line, don't pass cars on the right at a stop light, don't ride ridiculously busy roads.

Most drivers are only hostile to a cyclist when the cyclist is annoying them. I doubt your average country road driver sees a group of cyclists and is overcome by sudden hate and rage. If you all are taking up the whole road, then they might get annoyed, beeping and such.

Moral of the story... everyone should follow the rules, and relax a bit.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, we are to blame for most of it. Many cyclists believe that they are sometimes pedestrians and sometimes road users. Because they have to get going without motors, there is the assumption that red lights can be ignored. We ride on pavements, use padestrian crossings, etc. The worst one thought is riding home from school/work in the winter, in dark clothes and no lights.

Then we complain about motorists/padestrians when there is a collision.
If you want to make cycling safer:

1. Read the highway code and stick to it.
2. Use lights
3. Insist our children do the same.

Only when this has been done should cycle lanes be considered. Note: Milton Keynes built a series of inter-conected paths for cyclists and pedestrians, far enough to stretch around the globe twice. These redways, although a great idea, soon became a muggers paradise.

At the end of the day, if you want to cut the hostility level, obey the same laws that they do.

Luck

Answer 5

Unfortunately we live in a world were common sense does not rain supreme. There are brain dead, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. They all have their own little brain dead habits that make it difficult for one another. Be it deliberately standing in the way (right of way is not right to block) buzzing pedestrians with bikes or running people off the road and throwing things at them.

The number and type of responses to this sort of question is proof positive that there is a turf war. Why, because too many people have absolutely no consideration for anyone else but themselves. (Pedestrians, Cyclists and Motorists ALL GUILTY).

The solution I advocate is wider shoulders a good three or four feet. This could double as a cycling lane and somewhere for motorists to pull over to take mobile calls or change tyres etc. This also gives a bit more room for Idiot motorists and Idiot cyclists to stay apart. It also frees up the sidewalk/pavement/footpath for the Idiot Pedestrians.

(Alternate solution just get rid of all the Idiots)



Just for the record
I also have a car that I pay registration and insurance on. I don't get any discount because I drive it less and ride more. When ever I do any business part of the my costs provide car parking that I don't use. When I buy groceries part of my purchase covers the cost of the fuel vouchers that I rarely use. I pay as much if not more in taxes than the average person. I enjoy many health benefits so am less likely to use the public health system. I cause virtually no wear and tear to the asphalt surfaces that I use. Riding reduces demand for fuel which in turn helps to keep prices just a little lower. (Not so much need for the "war against fuel prices”....I mean terrorism

There is of course the fact that cycling also combats obesity and reduces CO2 emissions.

Answer 6

What about re-engineering the push bike.

Fit all cares with a bike warning devices flashing dash board light via some sort of transmitter for each push bike and a local receiver for each new car say a 50 metre radius something like a blue tooth device granted impractical in heavy urban places but might help in other areas of road use.
and
Widen roads slightly creating a safe near curb lane for cycles in high traffic zones.

Better routed cycle paths.

Make people better drivers/cyclists full stop, why would anyone be hostile towards a cyclist, this worries me.

Answer 7

When I was a kid, our school would take us for an afternoon out at a Road Safety Instruction course where we were taugh the basics of traffic regulations. It ended with a kind of cycle test and the best would be given a cycle licence....That's probably a begining. In France, cyclists can be fined just like motorists and points removed from their driving licence (if they've got one). In Europe, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden are the countries with the highest rate of cyclists. It is not easy everyday, but despite the importance of the traffic (in the Netherlands at least as important as in England) things go quite well. Cyclists go on their lane whenever they can and motorists avoid to drive or park on cycle lanes. Pedestrians as well respect it. It is a habit and it works very well.
As motorists we tend to forget that roads do not belong to us but all kinds of vehicles and sometimes animals use it.
Maybe vehicle drivers should start first on bikes, then with a car...After all, when we were kids, the first things we were taught were the dangers from the road.
Widening the roads isn't the best solution as most of them can't (urban areas for exple), it's a question of education

Answer 8

We need to all be curteous and look out for each other, whether driver or cyclist. Sometimes it's just a problem of impatience. You need to look at both sides- bad drivers are terrifying when you're on a bike, but on the other hand some cyclists are terrible and therefore it's normal for drivers to get fed up. Let's all be a bit more considerate of one another, we can share the roads without any problems if we are careful.
Also, cyclists should make sure they are visible- lights and reflectors at night etc, and not weave in and out of traffic. Likewise, cars be careful! BAsically, follow the highway code!

Answer 9

Just only over a week ago my cousins, cousin also my old neighbour was out riding with her son, the handle bars started shaking and she went over the handlebars and hit her head. She ended up in hospital in a coma, then 2 days later she died, she never recovered, she was only 32 and left behind 4 young children the oldest only being 15. It was devastating. I believe every bike rider should be made aware of such dangers and made to wear the correct clothing at all times, not only that i think drivers and bike riders should have separate lanes made so there is no way that an accident could occur.

Answer 10

I have mixed feelings about cyclists. Most days I am a pedestrian but very occasionally I have the car. As a pedestrian I am frequently puzzled about why so many cyclists ride on the pavement - as a driver I am extremely respectful towards cyclists. I slow down for them, I give them plenty of room, etc. Only negative thing to say is that so many young cyclists do such dangerous things! They (for example) don't look behind them before they move out into the road - they just GO. I speak as one who regularly cycled in London. PS: I am horrified at the way drivers treat cyclists.