http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Are expensive car drivers the worst? Science! en Sun, 17 May 2026 21:50:37 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323669 Sun, 01 Mar 2020 21:09:56 +0000 acsimpson 323669@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Although riding a bike before driving a car might be helpful for new drivers I don't think it wouldn't make a noticeable difference to road safety. You can teach pretty much anyone to do anything. Currently you only have to be able to drive once for an hour on your 17th birthday (or any day after) and you are allowed to continue driving unchecked for the next 50+ years. What we need is some way of ensuring competency is maintained, either through regular retests, harsher (some would say any) penalty regime, etc.</p> <p>I can't see passing a bike test as a teenager would make any difference to a middle aged bloke with spreading waste and anger management problems when it comes to over taking a cyclist. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323650 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 22:34:11 +0000 twinspark 323650@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I know dad's main focus on a pedal cycle as a pre-cursor to motorised transportation was that as you physically were making the progress within the confines of complying with traffic signals etc. you had a vested interest in looking ahead and "anticipation" otherwise the effort you expended was increased and for no benefit. You also had better hazard perception for example oil on the road, poor road surface etc. You also knew what was a safe pass and what was too close.</p> <p>If you apply the same principles to driving a motorised vehicle then you save fuel and improve emissions, whether that be scooter, motorbike, car, bus or lorry.</p> <p>He did apparently consider a motor bike, however I came along and it was not a practical reality! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323646 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 20:43:39 +0000 chdot 323646@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not sure that’s more radical. </p> <p>More people probably willing/able to pass a cycle test than a motor bike one. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323632 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 16:28:51 +0000 twinspark 323632@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Even more radical - My late father thought that unless you were physically unable to do so, it should be compulsory to ride a pedal cycle and pass a competency test on it before you were allowed to apply for a provisional driving licence </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323626 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 13:21:43 +0000 chdot 323626@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“they also rode a motor bike which I think meant they had better hazard perception.”</p> <p>So</p> <p>Radical</p> <p>No car licence without a motorbike licence?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323624 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 13:19:57 +0000 gembo 323624@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Was just driven at by chap in Audi. He was coming out the east drive of the high school, he was not really bothered that I had right of way. All proceeded very slowly, including me taking primary and then pulling to side once through pinch point. All other cars including Mercedes driven correctly </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323622 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:43:25 +0000 Rosie 323622@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>My closely observed scientific observation is that drivers of Porsches are total ***********. They tend to emerge at weekends and want to prove they are not the beaten down commuter. And by they, I mean "he". </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323620 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:25:38 +0000 wingpig 323620@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Also, PHC pseudotaxis are rarely BMWs or Audis. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323619 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:13:13 +0000 gembo 323619@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You need to test the hypothesis to destruction by recording cars well driven of the makes in question. And also cars badly driven that are other makes. Always being on the look out for confirmation bias, stereotyping and radge Russian gangsters driving BMWs </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323616 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 11:57:02 +0000 wingpig 323616@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Back when Raging Bike was a website you could report near misses on I'm reasonably sure that Beemers and Audi were amongst the most popular reported makes of oafishly-driven car.</p> <p>A former colleague who once had a BMW (albeit, he protested, second-hand from his brother) in between a Renault and some sort of big familywagon thing once gave me a lift to Glasgow and back and made me do the invisible brake pedal so hard that he swore at me. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323613 Sat, 29 Feb 2020 11:37:13 +0000 twinspark 323613@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@LaidBack - I'd like to think so.... although I believe an Alfa~Romeo (a sentient being according to the media!) was caught doing 81mph in a 30 limit in Edinburgh - completely outrageous, hopefully a lengthy ban after being locked up for a while.</p> <p>Equally I have been driven in my manager's Audi - They used the indicators, kept a 3 second gap on the motorway, let traffic in, understood how a box junction worked etc.... they also rode a motor bike which I think meant they had better hazard perception. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323601 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 22:20:32 +0000 I were right about that saddle 323601@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>IWRATS - ah, you mean more science.</em></p> <p>That is basically the inside of my head. MOAR SCIENCING. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323597 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 21:33:02 +0000 chdot 323597@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“obviously requiring a generous research grant”</p> <p>Isn’t it time CCE set up consultancy to harness and benefit (financially) from the collective wisdom/expertise here?? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323595 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 21:23:30 +0000 LaidBack 323595@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Personalised number plates are a good thing though as car more identifiable? Bit like having a logo.<br /> Alfa Romeo drivers are often careful - @twinspark? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323587 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 20:17:44 +0000 Morningsider 323587@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>IWRATS - ah, you mean more science. Excellent idea - obviously requiring a generous research grant so we can investigate this pressing issue. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323577 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:55:59 +0000 I were right about that saddle 323577@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Does this mean that cyclists on beat-up Apollo Slants with mis-matched tyres are the most polite? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323575 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:50:20 +0000 chdot 323575@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Science!</p> <p>Pah... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20114#post-323573 Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:39:10 +0000 Morningsider 323573@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Always wondered whether those BMW/Audi/Merc etc. drivers really are the worst? Some US researchers set out to find out whether this was true, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140520300359">guess what they found</a>:</p> <p>They are. </p>