Cycling UK Forum

The best drivers are the law abiding considerate ones.
The worst are the selfish and idiotic ones.

The problem is identifying which is which within the 10 seconds time span encountering them when cycling.It's nigh on impossible,so I'm forced to treat and act as if all are of the latter group for my own safety.

reohn2 wrote:The best drivers are the law abiding considerate ones.
The worst are the selfish and idiotic ones.

The problem is identifying which is which within the 10 seconds time span encountering them when cycling.It's nigh on impossible,so I'm forced to treat and act as if all are of the latter group for my own safety.

Of the first two I'd settle for the latter, but add awareness as a wish.

I treat them all just like you, irrespective of which mode of transport I am in control of. Also as a ped, too - saved me from serious harm only 2 weeks ago attempting to cross Hammersmith roundabout.

Bonefishblues wrote:.......I treat them all just like you, irrespective of which mode of transport I am in control of.Also as a ped.....

Agreed,there can be no trust on UK roads,far too many loonies on the loose IMO.

It's a shame that too many "professional" drivers don't maintain the standard to which they must (at some time) have demonstrated as being capable of. And as for cabbies and white van men, it would be great if some advanced driver qualification was even required before they could get paid for driving.

Best- ten years ago I would say HGV drivers by a mile. Now I'd say on average, they were probably slightly more dangerous than car drivers- fewer bad drivers as a proportion, but more and more bad ones, and bad driving on their part having more catastrophic results.
Best now- round here, Muller milk tanker drivers (and the local refuse and HGV companies).

Worst car drivers- middle aged males (Not all of them of course, but common faults- tailgating, speeding, the usual, coming from a cowardly type of aggression, and overconfidence in their abilities)

Most inconsiderate car drivers- on average, young females (failing to move out into the second lane to let drivers in on slip roads, that sort of thing, sometimes possibly due to underconfidence 'if I just stay in this lane I can't be doing anything wrong' and lack of anticipation 'I don't have to think about what anyone else is doing if I just drive straight on, close up in all queues, and never let anyone in to the queue or across me')

Based on a representative sample of one, I would say drivers of grey vauxhall people carriers for a total failure to spot me before pulling out to cross the roundabout that I was already on. Collision avoided by evasive action on my part and yelling as loud as I could.

Flinders wrote:Best- ten years ago I would say HGV drivers by a mile. Now I'd say on average, they were probably slightly more dangerous than car drivers- fewer bad drivers as a proportion, but more and more bad ones, and bad driving on their part having more catastrophic results')

Do you think that is due to the abundance of foreign lorries on our roads particularly from eastern Europe or are UK lorry drivers to blame?

worst -

young males and old >70 of any gender ( but not me I am the exception that proves the rule )

fat beer gutted hgv drivers also

also young females who are executives and wear trouser suits.

members of the house of Lords and others who drive range rovers

any one who drives one of those super sized US type cars that are too big for UK roads

I dont think you can generalise, all sorts display bad behavoir including some people on bicycles. Some young drivers in souped up motors and motorcyclists on banshees obviously need sorting out. I would like to see a one month ban for things like first time phone use, excessive speed, driving without due care in addition to fines and points. The penalties are not tough enough.

Al

Postboxer wrote:Devil's Advocate - Cyclists, most of them are fine but lots of them run red lights, cycle on pavements, ride with no hands, on phones, swerve around between traffic, have unsecure loads, including sometimes children, don't have lights nor reflectors at night. It's a good job these cyclists are only on bikes and not on something bigger, heavier and deadlier.

But the number of people killed by those actions are minute compare with motor vehicles. Their actions are more of an irritation than a danger. However in this country it seems motorists are "very prone to irritations".

I don't think you can categories drivers into types. There are many good ones and some bad ones. The problem is there doesn't seem a way of removing the unfit ones.

Worst drivers: minicabs, people on mobile phones and African women.

andrewk wrote:Worst drivers: minicabs, people on mobile phones and African women.

Seriously Andrew, what century are you living in? I'm appalled.[emoji107]

robing wrote:

Flinders wrote:Best- ten years ago I would say HGV drivers by a mile. Now I'd say on average, they were probably slightly more dangerous than car drivers- fewer bad drivers as a proportion, but more and more bad ones, and bad driving on their part having more catastrophic results')

Do you think that is due to the abundance of foreign lorries on our roads particularly from eastern Europe or are UK lorry drivers to blame?

No, at least, not considering what I see of number plates, graphics on the lorries, where I drive, LH/RH drive, and the individuals driving them.

My biggest concern is HGVs tailgating each other (I assume to save fuel) which in any collision, whoever's fault, would be very dangerous for other road users, and pulling out to overtake either without signalling, or as they signal, regardless of anyone in the lane they are moving into. In my experience, in Ye Olde Days they used to signal and wait for a gap. I would flash them out in front of me, where possible. No they are moving out as I'm actually alongside- in some cases, I've had to use the horn to point out I was there, as I had nowhere in the right lane to move into. Even then, rather than them being embarrassed about that, I then get aggression from them for it- you know the sort- flashing lights, deliberate tailgating with flashing lights - but what else could I do?
I wondered if this was because LHD vehicles might not have very good visibility on the right, but watching out for that, I found that it wasn't the LHD vehicles that were doing it.

I wonder if HGV driver might say 'nobody lets us into the middle lane if we signal'? Well, first, if they didn't take 5 miles to do their overtake it might help, as more people might let them out, but more importantly, that doesn't allow you to bully other vehicles alongside into moving over for you when they have nowhere to move to, or to brake hard to let you in when they are themselves being tailgated.

I do perhaps 60-70 motorway and dual carriageway miles every day (sadly).

I had a lorry pull out on me last week as described above. Your post prompted me to think about the last time it happened before that. I can't remember the previous time, tbh.

I do recall plenty of occasions when I have either moved over, speeded up, or slowed down to avoid conflict and facilitate a lorry moving out to overtake.

I often cycle on the single track road up Loch Etive to Bonawe. At Bonawe there is a large quarry. The HGV drivers from here are always considerate. The occasional bus service also gives no problems and the drivers now wave to me in passing.As usual the few problems come from large 4 X 4's but fortunately not many of them.