Tizme wrote:Please excuse me if I do not feel sympathy for you, speed limits are just that, not targets, just because you can drive at 40mph in a 40 zone does not mean it is safe to do so, far too many drivers seem to believe that as long as they are not breaking the speed limit they are "safe"
Not sure who you don't feel sympathy for - I agree totally with your point, as would most people reading this thread, I think.
Tell me though - how is that different in principle from the point I was making earlier about lights. Several posts earlier in this thread have as much as said that because a particular level of light output for a flashing front light is legal, then it must be safe and it is all that the cyclist needs to provide. Any incidents caused by a motorist not seeing them 'must' therefore be the fault of the motorist!!!!!
I know you didn't say this yourself - but perhaps those who did express that view might like to revise their opinion, or explain how their view of lights is different in principle from your point about dangerously fast motorists?
Tizme wrote:Most of the stupid, reckless cyclists will become/are already, stupid, reckless drivers, but then, instead being the ones injured, they will be the ones doing the injuring.
Yes indeed ! But 'most' of the drivers, in my experience, are sensible, safe and considerate to cyclists. It is a minority that give the majority a bad name. And I'm sure the reverse is also true. The difference is in the consequences where the cyclist so often draws the 'short straw'!
But I feel this discussion is starting to go round in circles. I don't believe we will solve this problem without a more fundamental cooperation, and investment in carefully planned infrastructure, and when we eventually do, it will be in spite of the 'them-and-us' attitude, rather than because of it.
Looking at this thread so far, there have been only one or perhaps two posts(I think) that rather grudgingly accepted that I might have a point about inadequate front lighting on busy roads. All the rest have been critical of that position, or in other respects, finding reasons to blame motorists for everything. To me - adequate front lighting is a no-brainer safety precaution (with some caveats about not dazzling oncomers) - I don't understand why that point has encountered such implacable resistance! But I think it is valuable that the topic has been aired, regardless of whether we end up agreeing or not