[Michaelj]

Was driving near roundabout and a cyclist shot past and everyone he was supposed to stop for slammed on their brakes. Also do cyclists have to stop at zebra crossings? Because almost got ran over. I think they need to make the rules stricter for cyclists because they cause so many accidents and near accidents it's unreal. The accidents are usually cars trying to avoid them IMO... Yes I know there's DVLA rules but I've never seen, read or heard of a cyclists being pulled over by police, let alone being done. I've even heard of cyclists hitting cars and cycling off..

ND CHEERS for the neg rep guys, am I wrong? Then please contradict me.

[Slumpy]

As a cyclist; most drivers are morons. As a driver-a lot of cyclists do pretty silly stuff too, but I'd say less so.

[FXX]

I'd say cyclists have it worse than drivers. Remember that every time they're forced to stop by someone who isn't looking, they have to start pedalling again which is pretty knackering if you have to keep doing it. I expect it gets frustrating being cut up every 5 seconds in town too.

Not saying cyclists are perfect but I can sympathise with them. Your claims of them causing "many accidents" are totally unfounded and pretty meaningless anyway.

[OU Student]

I wonder the same thing at times too. Almost got run over by a cyclist going through a red light.

[Ivanka]

Loads of British cyclists are horrible, much more horrible than the Czech ones. When I am in London, I am very pissed off by them most of the time - they keep driving on pavements and never let pedestrians go first.

[callum9999]

Yes they must abide by the same laws of the road.

The reason they get away with it more than car drivers is because they have no unique identifiers! Go to the police and tell them "a man on a blue bike did XXXXXX" and what are they meant to do!

As to the whole cyclists vs drivers thing, you get bad cyclists you get bad drivers. You get rude cyclists you get rude drivers. You get inpatient drivers, you get inpatient cyclists.

[ROG.]

London has Bicycle police to deal with the bad ones but I do not think anywhere else has those

Remember this - the greater majority of those riding bicycles are simply pedestrians on wheels and not what I would term cyclists so if you see one then imagine it is a pedestrian (no bicycle) doing it and you will then get to manage a situation better

[mikeyd85]

As a former cyclist, it always upset me when I saw other cyclists disobeying red lights. I'm amazed I've never seen one get hammered side on tbh.

[JC.]

The rules do apply to cyclists.
In london if they get collered going through a red light the rozzers pull them over and fine them.

Most cyclists rolling road blocks really don't have a clue how to behave on a public road.

[rmpr97]

Even I stop at red lights on a bike, its either that or being run over by a car - I wonder which I'd prefer?

Although cyclists are pretty frustrating, especially on buses when they wanna ride directly infront of them at 3mph. It's like, Jesus Christ get out of the ****ing way - You don't have a Ferrari bike.

Why the negs? Is it unacceptable to be frustrated at cyclists who selfishly hold up traffic?

[PQ]

There are a few red lights I ignore when I'm on my bike - but they're lights that are activated by traffic and only respond to cars...so unless I sit there and wait for a car to pull up next to me they wont change in my favour.

*when* I do this though I'm well aware that noone else should need to slow down/swerve or stop because of me - I treat it as if I was a pedestrian crossing at that point (but by riding my bike I can cross a bit quicker and so I'm even less likely to judge it wrong and cause someone in a car the inconvenience of hitting me) and basically only cross the line of traffic if it's completely clear and safe to do so.

I'm always surprised by car drivers who have a go at cyclists for not "following the rules" when the vast majority of drivers don't follow the rules either - particularly when it comes to driving near cyclists

(Original post by highway code)
163 Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should

* give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car

167 DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example

* stay behind if you are following a cyclist approaching a roundabout or junction, and you intend to turn left
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...code/DG_070314


213 Motorcyclists and cyclists may suddenly need to avoid uneven road surfaces and obstacles such as drain covers or oily, wet or icy patches on the road. Give them plenty of room and pay particular attention to any sudden change of direction they may have to make.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...code/DG_069858

[PQ]

(Original post by Michaelj)
Was driving near roundabout and a cyclist shot past and everyone he was supposed to stop for slammed on their brakes.

Do you mean they went all the way round in the left hand lane? Which is what cycling proficiency tests used to teach and what the highway code says drivers should anticipate:

187 In all cases watch out for and give plenty of room to

* cyclists and horse riders who may stay in the left-hand lane and signal right if they intend to continue round the roundabout. Allow them to do so

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...code/DG_070338

[Origami Bullets]

I'm not condoning it, but sometimes it is actually safer to jump a red light. Now, this doesn't apply to busy junctions, but sometimes there are lights that turn red and pedestrian crossings, despite the fact that there isn't a pedestrian in sight. At that point, it is safer for the cyclist to get ahead of the traffic, as they are not endangering others.

Car drivers aren't exactly angelic when it comes to obeying the rules of the road - the number I see parked on cycle lanes, opening doors without looking, cutting people up, not passing cyclists with enough space and sitting on a cyclists tail is alarming. I've also had pedestrians step out in front of me without looking, despite the fact that they were crossing a busy main road, away from a pedestrian crossing.

[cyfer]

I don't jump out of red lights out of respect but I also expect drivers to understand if I'm take up the whole road (because there are cars parked on the side so overtaking me could be dangerous).

[PQ]

(Original post by cyfer)
I don't jump out of red lights out of respect but I also expect drivers to understand if I'm take up the whole road (because there are cars parked on the side so overtaking me could be dangerous).

Exactly - I try to cycle considerately I expect drivers to do the same. Especially because if I wasn't on my bike then they'd be even further back in the traffic jam behind my car

[PQ]

(Original post by cyfer)
I don't jump out of red lights out of respect but I also expect drivers to understand if I'm take up the whole road (because there are cars parked on the side so overtaking me could be dangerous).

Exactly - I try to cycle considerately I expect drivers to do the same. Especially because if I wasn't on my bike then they'd be even further back in the traffic jam behind my car

On the other hand if it's a choice between putting myself in danger or breaking the rules then I'll break the rules. Car drivers breaking the rules aren't generally doing so in order to prevent injury to themselves.

[Joinedup]

I got pulled and told off by an off duty copper for running a red light on my bike... So you've heard of it happening now. It was a left turn with nothing about, it's not even illegal in some countries.

[PQ]

(Original post by Joinedup)
I got pulled and told off by an off duty copper for running a red light on my bike... So you've heard of it happening now. It was a left turn with nothing about, it's not even illegal in some countries.

daft thing is if you get off, walk around the corner on the pavement wheeling your bike, then get back on again it *is* legal...

[mikeyd85]

(Original post by Joinedup)
I got pulled and told off by an off duty copper for running a red light on my bike... So you've heard of it happening now. It was a left turn with nothing about, it's not even illegal in some countries.

I once got pulled and told off by an officer for cycling along the pavement. My argument that he was also cycling on the pavement was apparently invalid...

True story.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

(Original post by Slumpy)
As a cyclist; most drivers are morons. As a driver-a lot of cyclists do pretty silly stuff too, but I'd say less so.

Agreed. I am a very concientious road cyclists, but people think because they are in their cars they can just bully others, especially cyclists. I can't even count the amount of times I've almost been hit because a drivers decides they're not going to give me enough room. I've fell off my bike in the middle of a busy road plenty of times because I've had to break hard and swerve for some idiot driver oblivious to what is around them. There are drivers that don't bother edging out a bit when they pass you and come so close they clip you with their wing mirror then they blame you for it!

Cyclists can be idiots too, but in my experience there are more ignorant drivers out there.