Its the mentality - and in some places law - that no matter how idiotic the cyclists behaviour is, if the motorist hits them even if it was unavoidable its instantly the motorists fault. Thats what i cant get behind. I dont see why one specific class of road user should be given licence to act like an idiot knowing someone else will take the blame....

You might like to think the law is like that, but I don't think it is. Not even in the Netherlands, where AIUI, the onus is on the driver to show an accident was the fault of the cyclist. Thats far from saying there is no defence.

Cyclists who skip red lights in London will end up getting splattered by a motorcycle despatch rider[1].

For some reason cyclists seem to be even more terrible at spotting bikes than car drivers in my experience. Many's the time I've been waffling past a line of stationary traffic, only to have some lycra-clad lunatic come steaming between two of the vehicles at a lighted junction with the green in my favour. Invariably they'll be looking the wrong way, to see if they can shoot the other lane without slowing down too.

Fortunately, most machines have very good brakes....

[1] 'cos they go faster than the rest of us and take no prisoners.

I believe in the cities such as London the Police crack down heavier on cyclists running red lights etc i suppose in a city such as London with so many cyclists if they all skip the reds and go the wrong way up one way streets then someone is going to die a hideous death so perhaps its more relevant for the authorities there.

i cant imagine being flattened by a Grand Cherokee would be a particularly fun experience so it amazes me that cyclists take such drastic risks sometimes.

Two points Jamie.

The first is that the City Police attention to RLJ (red light jumping) is down to public pressure. Their surveys tell them it's something the citizens want acted on. Very few RLJr's get hurt even less killed.

Nearly all recent cyclist deaths in London involve being crushed by a left turning HGV or hit by one from behind. Some of those are the cyclist's fault, I cringe daily seeing folks scoot up nearside, but too many are just dangerous driving. Worst offenders are the construction industry; cement mixers, skips etc. No coincidence that these are the trades that pay by the trip.

The other is that casual observers assume the right and safest place for a cyclist in London traffic is two feet or less out from the nearside kerb. But actually it's really dangerous there. The surface is broken and, after rain often flooded, bits of rubbish gather, thermoplastic paint & manholes are treacherous when damp. Drivers alongside have put you out of their minds and pedestrians don't look hard enough to see you. Railings leave you with no escape to the left when it goes wrong.

Much better to integrate with the traffic, keep high and visible in the road. The surface is better, the drivers and pedestrians can see you and space to the left is available if stuff starts to go wrong. Like driving you need to be defensive, watch for developing hazards and clues and use eye contact to negotiate with drivers and peds.

It sounds risky but used with confidence it works.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 16/11/2011 at 13:53