A while back, I posted about a close encounter with a van driver not looking where he was going. Someone commented, it was my fault because I didn’t look him in the eye. If someone is driving without any attention as to where they are going, I’m not sure how trying to look him in the eye is going to make him observe a sensible speed limit and look where he is going.
I was once cycling around Brill when a DHL van lorry started reversing very fast round a blind corner, I took evasive action into nearby gutter, only to be gob-smacked the driver was holding a mobile phone in one hand, reversing at top speed. It sounds too ridiculous to be true, but I couldn’t have made it up. As is often the case, the driver just shouted at me. Presumably for not having a stereo playing very loudly ‘all you need is love, by the Beatles’ to announce my presence on the road.
Quite often I’ve heard people blame accidents on cyclists who were going ‘too fast’ Now when we say a cyclist is going too fast, we don’t mean they are exceeding the speed limit, but going faster than an old granny on a three speed Sturmley Archer.
If you read any newspaper account of a cyclist accident, you can almost guarantee in the first paragraph that there will be mention of whether or not they were wearing a helmet.
If all that fails you can blame the cyclist for not wearing sufficiently gaudy levels of fluorescent clothing.
If a pedestrian gets run over, we don’t start asking why weren’t they wearing a crash helmet, painted luminous pink. If a car is driving 10 mph below the speed limit we don’t start saying to the driver – well you must have been going too fast.
Over Christmas, I had a narrow shave with a lady opening a car door into my path. I just about anticipated it and swerved before I got cracked knee joint. Of course, it was my fault for cycling too close to the car door. But, if I’d been cycling in the middle of the road, I would have been in the wrong position for the cars impatiently waiting behind to take over. I know we are supposed to hold our ground and always cycle well away from car doors. But, on some roads, you just don’t feel comfortable cycling where you are supposed to.
A recent report suggests that cyclists get little protection from the law (cyclists left unprotected by the law at Independent). A case is sighted where a motorist deliberately drove into a cyclist but could only be given two years because he was only charged with dangerous driving.
Charity Cycle Ride
In particular the most common defence for knocking down a cyclist is – I didn’t see them. But, if you can’t see where you are going, why are you driving?
If you are riding in the right position on the road, if you going at the correct speed (whatever that is), if you are dressed from head to know in lights, and fluorescent strips of day-glo material, if you have a Paddington Bear strapped to the back of your bike for increased visibility it might, might, just not be your fault. That is of course unless you fail to be wearing inflatable airbags for protection when a 4WD drives into you.
On the other hand, on some occasions, I’ve seen cyclists take the most ridiculous risks, only for cars to take very good evasive action, and yet the cyclist then starts shouting abuse at the poor motorist. I guess it’s just human nature.
Of course, I should point out – it’s never my fault, and I have the flashing pink fluorescent lights to prove it.
But, is the apostrophe in the title in the right place? I hate those apostrophes, and if it’s wrong, I blame whoever thought up of English grammar.
Related
Hi Tejvan,
Just thought you’d be interested in this link;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12334486
I mentioned in a comment elsewhere on this blog that I was accused of cycling too fast when I crashed into a woman who walked out into the road without looking. It’s pretty infuriating. Pedestrians and motorists alike always seem to be against cyclists.
As for visibility, I always use lights and have a reflective strip across my backpack. I’m toying with the idea of getting lights for my helmet too.
I am always fascinated reading this debate, cyclist/motorists, yes I’m like a Christmas tree too. wearing a Yellow Hi Vis coat with reflecting strips, one light on the front but two red rear lights and another on my helmet. If I thought using a stereo would work I’d use that too, but someone would accuse me of not being able to hear traffic
……I wear hearing aids and sometimes the wind passing the microphones causes so much noise I cant always hear traffic to I have to anticipate as much as I can…….I’m just waiting for people hard of hearing to be stopped cycling because motorists can’t drive and pay attention.
Great article. I think all cyclists should now have a stero that is blasting out Beatles songs.
As far as I can see, your apostrophes are in the right place.
I think the answer is to get helmet cameras and record every journey, reporting dangerous drivers to the police.
I got rammed in a road-rage incident recently which led to an interesting discussion on my blog. http://brackenworld.blogspot.com/2010/12/insurance-job.html