We all know that motorists (and cyclists) follow the Highway code to the letter......
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Today's rubbish driving...
(11337 posts)- Started 13 years ago by Stepdoh
- Latest reply from chdot
- This topic is
sticky
-
Posted 12 years ago #
-
So unless the vehicle has cleared your entrance or your sure you can get past the other vehicles exit you should stop and wait for it to clear.
Oh right yes of course. It is still annoying when someone is messing about in the way Kirst describes though. You don't necessarily need to stop if someone looks as if they are going straight on. Just slow down and be prepared to stop if they are turning right after all.
Posted 12 years ago # -
No your quite right, anticipation is the name of the game if you can slow to speed that'll slot you behind the vehicle exiting that'll save you stopping regardless of whether the driver understands how roundabouts or their indicators work.
Posted 12 years ago # -
We are at a considerable disadvantage at roundabouts since we need to put some effort into moving again if we have to stop meaning that we are "in the way" and "holding everybody up" if we can't get away fast enough.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Absolutely, I always try and judge it and avoid stopping if possible, but never trust an indicator whether I'm behind the wheel, or behind the handlebars! That's the problem with the roads isn't it, other drivers ;)
Posted 12 years ago # -
This might seem perverse, but I actually prefer roundabouts to junctions. Which I know is counter-intuitive to what we're told (and most people's experiences), but I just find I get on better with roundabouts. Maybe I just ride funny.
Posted 12 years ago # -
^^^^ Post 666!
I like that there is the option to not stop if there is nothing coming unlike a red but in actual operation with cars and traffic and folk who can barely string a sentence together let alone operate a motor vehicle I prefer the more absolute of a red light.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@WC/Bax "clear floutation of the 20mph speed limit. Is it ever enforced?" LB have said they don't normally enforce 20mph limits, but yesterday I saw 2 traffic cops with speed gun stopping drivers for breaking the 20mph limit between Sheriffhall and Dalkeith. I wasn't around long enough to see if they got tickets as well as a serious talking-to.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Were they stopping cyclists breaking the 20mph? I'd love to get a speeding ticket for cycling too fast, i'd frame it.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Speed limts (in nearly all cases) apply to motor vehicles only.
Posted 12 years ago # -
@WC
" I just find I get on better with roundabouts"
Even Crewe Toll?
Posted 12 years ago # -
I also don't mind roundabouts.... just choose your lane and make yourself MUCKLE!!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
"When taking 1st exit to left on roundabout, unless signs show otherwise, signal left and approach in left-hand lane"
"...just choose your lane and make yourself MUCKLE"
Most of my regular roundabouts lack official lane demarcation, so I have to go with the position-myself-according-to-where-I-want-to-try-to-prevent-motor-vehicles-passing-me method.
Posted 12 years ago # -
My regular route used to be from South Queensferry to Bankhead Crossway. When they built the Gogar roundabout, and started building up the Gyle, I would use it to get onto the Broadway from the Maybury. The return in the evening, right round the roundabout, used to be quite an adventure (before they put lights on it). I gave up after a while, and I found safer routes.
However it did build up my senses about traversing roundabouts, and I've been aware ever since of traffic movements on them, picking out who's doing what, and whether the indicators they're showing really mean what they intend (often not).
Posted 12 years ago # -
"
The Highway Code (@HighwayCodeGB)
15/10/2012 07:45
DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example when approaching a school crossing patrol. Rule 167
"
Posted 12 years ago # -
I think that these Tweets about the Highway code are great. However they only reach a self-selecting and small proportion of the population. My big desire is that the Government spend a great more deal effort into trying to reach and educate the wider population.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"they only reach a self-selecting and small proportion of the population"
True, though 15k is a start!
They also follow 16.4k which can't be too productive!
Posted 12 years ago # -
This morning's rubbish driving for me goes to the white van who went through a red light to over take me and then cut me off by stopping sideways across the cycle lane as he tried to turn left into a busy side road :(
Guess I'm getting the full Edinburgh cycling initiation!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Taxi 748 pulled out from my left aiming for a gap in traffic at summerhall. Lucky I've got the drum brake, or it might have been much worse than it was.
May be on vid although always a gamble in the rain, we'll see.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Everyone.
What is it about the bad weather that brings out the muppets? Too close and too fast were the order of the day.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"What is it about the bad weather that brings out the muppets?"
Well some must be people who don't 'normally' drive - bus users, cyclists...
Though I suspect it's partly more vehicles, more delays, more frustration. Plus poorer visibility through wet glass - good reason for taking more care of course!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Plus poorer visibility through wet glass
I saw three other people on motorbikes this morning. This kind of weather is rubbish for bikers.
Usual overcapacity problems on the A71 at Longstone today with car drivers queueing on the roundabouts and blocking any cross traffic. I ended up in the inner lane and to get to my exit I think I cut across the path of a car following in the outer lane.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Taxi's were todays guilty party. I counted 7 blocking the road in various states of illegality today, including several stopped on double yellows, at traffic lights etc.
Also some more general muppets revving and speeding past me to join ques further along the road. Good job morons.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Chap who sailed right through red light at South Gyle Access. I suspect he hasn't used that road since the crossing was relocated, and it did make me perversely glad that I had suffered a failure-to-clip stroganogff moment upon the green man because otherwise I might have been totalled.
Deserving winner as he would normally be, the actual TRD prize goes to the two drivers behind him, who slowed almost to a halt but, presumably confused by the red-jumper, sheeped their way through the light until eventually stopping with their noses over the studs of crossing as I stared on in soaked disbelief.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ub: The sheep behaviour is quite familiar. On Shandon road the traffic lights are sometimes accompanied by a lolly-pop lady (aka "highway tranvserment patrol crossing supervisor"). The car in front of me drove on once the lolly-pop had left, even though the lights had just turned red. I got beeped at by the car behind for not moving, until they realised I was waiting for the lights :). It's probably easily done ... I'm starting to realise we just aren't really adapted to zooming about at the speeds we do: People make mistakes - what we need is to design the system to be 'forgiving'.
I quite like the post here:
http://waronthemotorist.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/the-telling-death-of-a-railwayman/Key points: 1) All incidents are investigated, including 'near misses'. 2) People aren't assumed to be perfect.
Posted 12 years ago # -
The real reason I opened this thread is to post the following:
Minimoth's friend is doing a dance from John o'groats to Land's end to raise money for some charities to do with Burma. I was amazed how far they'd got - nearly done!
But the 'rubbish driving' bit:
He had done most of the dance when he (and his support tricycle) got hit by a car :/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-19836937
"The driver, Alanna Rugg, has been charged with drinking and driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident."
Anyway, pretty upset by this - it makes me even more militant re wanting our roads to be safer.
He's out of hospital, but the last I heard, when he tried starting the dance again he wasn't really well enough...
my suggestion: Alanna Rugg sells her car and gives the proceeds to his charities. [can you sell things while in prison though?][p.s. thanks for this forum existing so I can grumble about this]
[edit: more recent news story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19926184 ]
Posted 12 years ago # -
Classic SMIDGAF this morning.
I'm riding East to West towards the Morrisons entrance on Portobello Road near Jock's Lodge. There's a small van waiting to come out; and a larger van coming the opposite way to me waiting to go in. I'm a distance away, so find it surprising (but nice) that the driver going in appears to be waiting for me, which he was. Unfortunately the chap in the small van coming out, after waiting what for him must have seemed like ages, decides he's going to pull out. When I'm less than 10 yards from the entrance.
But hah! I have video!
Posted 12 years ago # -
@ARobcomp I think there was something in the air yesterday. every single pedestrian/toucan crossing I approached featured a car going through red, several of which were taxis making U-turns, and then proceeding through the light, even though it had gone red while they were turning.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Another taxi nearly had me off at Summerhall through a gap in traffic. I really wish people wouldn't leave gaps (this time it was a Lothian bus driver - entirely too helpful for the wrong reasons).
Luckily for both of us, my sixth sense warned me and I was going pretty slowly - taxi driver avoided having to explain how he'd turned blindly past a bus and found a cyclist poking through his windscreen...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Crossing St Leonards today outside the polis station, pressed the button at the crossing, waited til the light turned red. Silver hatchback Y408 CDS with green P plate on the back had been waiting to pull out of St Leonards Lane, took advantage of the red light to pull out, turned right to head towards the Pleasance, and proceeded to - well, proceed right through the red light and almost hit me as I crossed. Luckily he was going very slowly. He seemed utterly bewildered by my anger and unparliamentary language; didn't seem to have any idea that he'd just gone through the red light he knew was red because he'd used it to get out of the side street.
As I finished bawling at him about handing his licence back, two polis officers appeared from the police station so I hailed them from across the road, told them I'd nearly been hit by this muppet going through a red light at the crossing - and they told me they were off to court so to report it at the station. So I did. Where they took the details, gave me an incident form and pointed out they wouldn't be doing anything without witnesses. *sigh*
Posted 12 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
