Cyclist'a lack of manners

rachk89 said:
Yes. Do you know how much you can blend into the background even in daylight? If you wear darker clothing or something that makes you camouflage then a driver won't see you until they are too close to react for most drivers. If there is a car coming the other way too unfortunately they will probably do the wrong thing and swerve to avoid the car and end up hitting the pedestrian ie you.

Your choice but I would wear it.
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What lighting we do have around here is yellow sodium lighting. Normal yellow hi viz is practically camouflage so I don't think I will bother thanks.
 
fburton said:
Is "normal yellow hi viz" different from reflective hi viz?
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That's a good question, and even people in the safety industry (as I am) get confused with. They are two separate materials. The high visibility element is the very bright fluorescent yellow colour, they are also readily available in orange, but those are really the only true hi-viz colours. (And meet the legal requirements for high visibility clothing for use on roads while at work)

On the garment are then silver (scotchlite) reflective strips. It is these that reflect the headlights to make someone visible at night. So the combination of the two elements produce a garment that makes someone visible in both day and night.

One of the discussions I regularly have at work is when our sites give first aiders or visitors purple 'hi-viz' vests, then try to argue that the reflective silver strips are the high visibility component.

This is why you only see airport ramp workers, rail workers or road workers on high speed roads wearing bright yellow or bright orange clothing. They are the only colours that meet the regs and provide the best protection.

Hope that helps.
 
Presumably this is the mindset of the chap who was cycling on a twisty single track lane near me yesterday - clad entirely in black lycra on his black road bike he looked very professional indeed. Sadly, against the virtually black bare hedges in the Stygian gloom of 3pm in December he was also almost entirely invisible until you were on top of him. I don't drive fast on the lanes, but plenty do - something in a bright colour and perhaps a flashing light would have helped to pick him out. My husband is both a cyclist and a horse rider and he never does either activity on the road without wearing hi viz on the basis that mounted on either a bike or a horse you are a vulnerable road user and the extra second of being seen by a motorist could save your life. God helps those that help themselves, as they say..!
 
electric_circus said:
Presumably this is the mindset of the chap who was cycling on a twisty single track lane near me yesterday - clad entirely in black lycra on his black road bike he looked very professional indeed. Sadly, against the virtually black bare hedges in the Stygian gloom of 3pm in December he was also almost entirely invisible until you were on top of him. God helps those that help themselves, as they say..!
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Completely agree. It really frustrates me when cyclists don't do what they can to help themselves, its the same as undertaking lorries that may turn left. Cyclists must do all they can to reduce their own risk regardless of whose fault an accident may be.

One of the approaches I have always taken, especially with the younger riders in our cycling club, is that its no use lying in hospital with both legs cut off saying the accident wasn't my fault.

Every cyclist has got to do all they can to avoid the accident occurring, regardless of cause, fault or blame.

I am also a motorcyclist, and a few years ago I was out riding on a lovely, sunny clear day. I came to a junction, was certain it was clear, went to pull out and my final check right a saw another motorcyclist heading towards me at huge speed, on a black bike, dressed in black, black helmet, no headlight on and was against a background of dark pine trees. If I had pulled out, we would probably have both been dead, but technically I would have probably taken most of the blame.
 
Yesterday I drove past a cyclist on the aforementioned country road to the yard, it was an oldish fellow who was cycling and leading two greyhounds - how's that for multi tasking! It was on the flat but very 'pot holey', I was super impressed.

Today, driving home I passed a group of approx. 20 cyclists coming towards me. A car was 'trapped' in the group with some in front and some behind so I stopped and flashed for her to pass, guess what - I got a thank you off a cyclist but not the woman who was driving, miserable cow!
 
Any cyclist not wearing hi vis thoroughly deserves to be run over IMO.

It costs very little money and time to just put one on.

Its also amazing how many cyclists ignore the legal requirement for lights.
 
DiNozzo said:
Any cyclist not wearing hi vis thoroughly deserves to be run over IMO.
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No child 'deserves' to die on the roads just because they are not in a hi-viz vest.

Motorists must take responsibility for the weapon that they are driving, which means taking into account vulnerable road users, including horse riders. We have young cyclists in our club, who wear our visible club kit, which may not be florescent yellow, but that does not mean that they deserve to die at the hands of a motorist who couldn't give a hoot about anyone but themselves, and are texting, speeding, driving too fast for the conditions, can't stop in the distance they can see etc.

Road signs are not florescent yellow, they are high contrast colours, as that is what drivers can focus on best

I had a friend who was killed while cycling, he was wearing conspicuous high contrast (but not fluorescent) clothing, he was clearly visible to the motorist who killed him for 28 seconds before he was hit in clear daylight. The driver that hit him just wasn't paying attention.

Every cyclist has got to do all they can to avoid the accident occurring, but that absolutely does not mean a young cyclist (or my friend) 'deserved' to die.
 
The cyclists round my way are great, certainly when I meet them whilst I'm riding. They always make noise and shout 'horse' to the group as soon as someone spots us, so we always know they are coming. They also pass at a reasonable speed, including really slow on the rare occasion that my horse gets really upset. And they are generally friendly and say hello as they go.

As a driver, yes it can be frustrating as they travel fast enough to make overtaking a problem sometimes, but I personally am glad that this group of people has chosen to get off their backsides and do some exercise in our beautiful countryside. Just because my car can go at 60mph doesn't mean I feel entitled to go that fast at all times. In fact I think those of us in our nice warm dry cars absolutely should have some patience and yield to anyone getting from a to b in an environmentally friendly way. And I don't expect to be thanked for it but it's very nice if I am, it would certainly improve the image some of you have of them.
 
Id never expect to be thanked as a driver by a cyclist or horse rider for simply following the highway code.

I would however expect cyclists to yield to horses. As a vulnerable road user themselves, they should be more than well aware how easy it can be to put peoples lives at risk by inconsiderate driving/cycling.
 
Darbs said:
No child 'deserves' to die on the roads just because they are not in a hi-viz vest.

Motorists must take responsibility for the weapon that they are driving, which means taking into account vulnerable road users, including horse riders. We have young cyclists in our club, who wear our visible club kit, which may not be florescent yellow, but that does not mean that they deserve to die at the hands of a motorist who couldn't give a hoot about anyone but themselves, and are texting, speeding, driving too fast for the conditions, can't stop in the distance they can see etc.

Road signs are not florescent yellow, they are high contrast colours, as that is what drivers can focus on best

I had a friend who was killed while cycling, he was wearing conspicuous high contrast (but not fluorescent) clothing, he was clearly visible to the motorist who killed him for 28 seconds before he was hit in clear daylight. The driver that hit him just wasn't paying attention.

Every cyclist has got to do all they can to avoid the accident occurring, but that absolutely does not mean a young cyclist (or my friend) 'deserved' to die.
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There is a reason that anyone working on the roads MUST wear yellow or orange high visibility clothing. Anything else is just not good enough.

No one will die from not going the wrong way- its less important that signs are absolutely visible as they are still and at regular points away from a change in the road eg. 300 yards from a round about.

Cyclists are regularly all over the road, and in blind spots.

I agree that vulnerable road users should do everything they can to protect themselves- but that includes wearing hi vis.

'High Contrast' clothing is just not good enough.


Also, I never meant to say that people deserve to die, just to be hit.
 
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