One of the best episodes of Top Gear was seeing Jeremy Clarkson (6ft 6) fit into the world’s smallest car (P50) and drive around the BBC studio and even getting into the lift. This small car, gave everyone, including old Motormouth Clarkson – lots of joy. I particularly love how it gives the motorist the perspective of being below everyone else. Rather than towering over other road users in their 4WDs 10 feet off the ground, this gives them the same perspective as a hedgehog crossing the road, which I think must be very good.
I really think this is the future of UK transport. Make cars a maximum of 3 feet wide, so that on roads, cars will take up the same space as bikes. Then all our roads can be painted like this one in Ambleside. This small car revolution will solve many of our problems such as congestion, use of petrol, shortage of parking and motorists breaking speed limit. e.t.c.
Of course, this kind of photo is enough to send the Daily Mail Intelligensia into fits of self-righteous indignation, only exceeded by EU laws banning bendy bananas (actually this was never an EU law, but it was good enough for a big story in the Sun).
One thing to bear in mind, is that these cycle lanes with broken lines means cars can (and do) drive into them when cyclists are not in the lane. In practise, they don’t really do anything because motorists don’t really have to pay any attention. I mean has there ever been a motorist prosecuted for driving in a cycle lane?
Hopefully, when overtaking, a motorist would give sufficient space to cyclists, regardless of whether there is a big green cycle lane or not.
I have mixed feelings about this kind of cycle lanes. On the one hand I think they are a good visual reminder that cyclists have a right to be on the road and it is important to give them space. On the other hand, when they disappear (which they usually do after about 10 metres) does this mean cyclists no longer have a right to be on road? Of course, they do have a right. But, there is a danger of having too many signs, too many regulations. There is a perception that with very thin cycle lanes, it actually encourages drivers to get closer to cyclists. Then if cyclists venture out of the small cycle lane, motorists get indignant the cyclist is going into ‘its’ territory.
It seems councils can never do anything right, cycle lanes are either too thin, too wide, too short, too much in the middle of pavements, too many junctions to cross e.t.c.
The vast majority of my cycling is on roads, with no painted cycle lanes. The real trick is to encourage responsible road use, regardless of the size of painted green lanes.
JimN, the CTC’s advice is to never ride closer than 1m from the kerb. I thoroughly recommend you read “Cyclecraft” by John Franklin, recommended by RSPA and Bikeability (the new name for Cycling Proficiency).
Comments like yours make me shudder. You’re clearly putting your safety at risk.
Must admit I feel safer in the lanes but of course could be a bad sense of security. However it does make me feel I should have more of a right of way than just keeping as close to the curb