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Motorist v Cyclist



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Published Date: 09 July 2008
I'D like to respond to the many cyclists who have written in following the (admittedly childish and poorly expressed) views of Sir David Danum on the subject of Motorist vs Cyclist....
I'm writing from the other point of view - that of the much maligned motorist!! I've lived in Doncaster all my life and know the roads well. I've been driving for over ten years and my licence is clean. I am not an inconsiderate driver, nor do I go o
ut of my way to mow down any cyclist in my path. I have however been the victim of one cyclist's stupidity - he was riding on the pavement as I approached a junction with a main road. My view was obscured owing to the high wall present, and fortunately for the cyclist, I had slowed my car down in preparation for the junction ahead. Unfortunately the cyclist decided to ride right across the road in front of my car rather than stopping at the kerb and waiting. He didn't even bother to look and see if anyone was coming. It's a busy road and if it hadn't been me there, it would have been the person behind me. He shouldn't have been on the pavement anyway. He was knocked off his bike and I was left very shaken and upset with a deep scratch on my car from his bike. If I hadn't been slowing for a junction I would have hit him much harder and who knows what damage I would have caused to him. I would have had to live with that for the rest of my life....

And whilst my rant and rave continues, I'd like to mention the cyclist on Balby Road on Sunday July 6, 2008 who didn't think the red traffic lights actually applied to him, didn't bother to stop and was almost hit by a car which had the right of way!!

From my experience, cyclists are no more respectful or careful than motorists. There are problems on both sides. Don't lay it all at the door of the motorists! What with increasing tax and fuel costs, we suffer enough!

The law needs to be amended to ensure cyclists have to wear appropriate clothing and helmets, have to have insurance and have to have their bikes maintained. If cyclists wish to use the roads, they should be subject to some of the regulations that motorists are.

L Dickinson
Warren Road
Thorne





The full article contains 410 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 09 July 2008 10:06 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Doncaster
 
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greywolf,

donny 17/07/2008 10:52:05
as a motorcyclist I find myself in an unusual situation in that I can see both sides of the argument, I can't ride a cycle anymore due to being asthmatic, so I ride a 125cc motorbike instead.

If there is no cycle path then of course cyclists should be on the road (has mr danum forgot that its atually illegal to ride on the pavement?) but if they are on the road then they should follow ALL the rules of the road and highway code, that means not riding 2 abreast, stopping at red lights, and giving way to those who have legal right of way.

there are some very good cycle paths on york road but many cyclists choose to put them selves and others at risk by riding on the dual arriageway instead (if a car has to hange lanes to avoid a cylist in the middle of the road then he is putting himself in danger of hitting another vehicle) all beause they don't want to bother with having to cross side roads.

My son came off his bike the other day from riding way too fast on the pavement, once his broken wrist had been seen to I gave him a right telling off cause there are a lot of elderly people round here who could have been injured by his riding into them at speed if they had walked out of their front garden into the path.

having said that car drivers should stop acting like they are the only ones who have a right to be on the road, as a motorcyclist I DO pay road tax, yet I constantly get cars pulling out on me at roundabouts - even when I have clear right of way, and I've lost count of the times I've had cars recklessley pull out of side streets without looking properly, or tailgating me cause I choose to ride at the speed limit not over it.

Car drivers can be just as irresponsible and arrogant as cylists (and yes I regularly see cars running red lights - usually because they are amber gambling)

Don't get me wrong - motorcyclists can be just as bad, I hang my head in shame every time I see a motorbike using the roads as a racetrack or pulling wheelies on a pub
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greywolf,

donny 17/07/2008 10:57:12
public road, truth is there are reckless road users on all sides of the story, cyclists, car drivers and motorcyclists.

the sooner we reognise this and work together to sort out the problems caused by our own side as well as the others instead of just slagging each other off the sooner we can make the roads a safer place for us all
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