Equal idiocy...

...is quite right.

I cycle a fair bit and even on quiet town roads cars will routinely pull out right in front of me without bothering to look. If I "act like a car", i.e. cycle in the middle of the road and give hand signals well before I act then potentially dangerous spots like mini roundabouts and dodgy corners actually seem quite safe - it's the bits you think you'd be safe which are where I've had most near-misses.

I also drive a fair bit and the number of t**ts on bikes who just dart out in front of you is unbelievable, as is the number of people who ride bikes with no lights or reflective gear after dark.

Of course there's a huge onus on a car driver to take extra care as they're in charge of, well, a car; but there's also a big onus on bike riders to look where they're going and consider other road users.

And yes, cycle lanes for all - bizarrely some fairly s**t places like Slough do this well - would make a big difference.

Posted By: Old Man, Aug 2, 10:20:30