CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish driving...

(11258 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by Stepdoh
  • Latest reply from chdot
  • This topic is sticky

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  1. EdinburghCycleCam
    Member

    "I am increasingly inclined to believe a significant number of drivers are on their phones at stationary points in traffic. E.g. Traffic lights. Where there is quite often a big pause once lights turn green whilst first driver In queue gets off their phone. Not sure what to do about it? From above they do not like it when you tell them to stop. Touching the vehicle is another thing they do not like."
    I've started going up alongside them, taking my camera off my helmet and pointing it straight at the phone for a few seconds, then cycling off and reporting it to the police. So long as the footage is clear, the police will generally prosecute (Example:

    [+] Embed the video | Video DownloadGet the Video Widget

    I also make sure to point out (like in that example) that if they're on the phone as soon as they stopped, they most likely had the phone in their lap while driving.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  2. the canuck
    Member

    "Ive thought about this before .... needs an electronic retract and extend function on right and left .(and not the union flag...maybe an image of a bike. I am consulting with the engineering team.."

    Pool noodles.
    a mate in victoria (canada) has these on the back of her bike, and has the same experience as the guy with the flag. plus, they're bendy and soft, so no bother if they touch something.

    also, Victoria has an annual Tweed Ride, which I feel would be much better suited to Scotland...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  3. Frenchy
    Member

    also, Victoria has an annual Tweed Ride, which I feel would be much better suited to Scotland...

    There's one in London as well, I got caught in the middle of it this year. It didn't strike me as a great way to convince people that cycling is a normal, everyday activity, which I gather is one of its aims. But I accept that this may say more about me than anything else.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  4. wingpig
    Member

    "Pool noodles."

    One of the temporary Barley encampments on George Street is covered therewith, so you may well find some lying around nearby over the course of the next month.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  5. miak
    Member

    Well engineering has suggested detachable flags so use the flag of your choice ... they are designing button operated retractable extensions, Im hoping its going to be wireless :-) They always surprise me :-)

    Posted 5 years ago #

  6. Frenchy
    Member

    Driver going along George IV Bridge decided to just pull into the cycle lane outside the Missoni hotel. If I'd been a half second further on, I'd have been sideswiped.

    Asked him to check his mirrors before pulling into cycle lanes in the future, and he replied that he didn't realise it was one. Setting aside the fact that it's (mostly) bright red, he should have been checking his mirror before pulling in to the side even if there wasn't a cycle lane.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  7. miak
    Member

    if he didnt think it was a cycle lane why was he not driving in it to begin with? as its the left side of the road...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  8. Frenchy
    Member

    Good question. I think he had just realised the road turns into two lanes at the junction, so was making sure he was going into the left hand one.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  9. slowcoach
    Member

    @Gembo - "wondering if there could be a technical invention to prevent phone use in vehicles or higher resolution imagery to catch people?"

    signal blocker for drivers to use

    detector and reminder sign

    cameras in Australia

    Posted 5 years ago #

  10. jdanielp
    Member

    Is mistaking the 20 mph limit for 20 kph rubbish driving? A driver was going at that speed along Gilmore Place earlier despite there being no traffic ahead of them. I'm afraid that I became somewhat frustrated at having to cycle at such a slow speed behind their car so overtook.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    “

    ‘Irresponsible’ VW ads banned from TV

    “

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/cars/car-car-news/181993_e41c46561195e49581758fe454e35022

    Posted 5 years ago #

  12. Frenchy
    Member

    I'm still mystified as to how a company that was recently fined billions of pounds for misleading consumers can, apparently with a straight face, use the advertising slogan "Complete confidence".

    Posted 5 years ago #

  13. neddie
    Member

    VW ad banned...

    Perhaps now the ASA can move towards banning ads showing cars being driven in misleading situations, e.g. empty rural A-roads and empty city streets?

    From now on, cars must only be advertised shown in queues at traffic lights </dream on>

    Posted 5 years ago #

  14. the canuck
    Member

    if only...

    Posted 5 years ago #

  15. jdanielp
    Member

    How about banning car advertising completely? Cigarette advertising was banned... Alternatively, for every car advery produced, the company pays for an equivalently expensive campaign for a generally beneficial product.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  16. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Mrs McDaid and her family have now discussed with city council representatives installing central reservation barriers to separate traffic in the busy road.

    Mrs McDaid said: “It was quite a fair meeting, we got to put our points across and they listened, then they put the legal points across.

    “We learned some things are not just as easy and I think they learned we are not lying down and would like some changes done to the death-trap Maybury Road.”

    “

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/family-of-tragic-maybury-crash-victim-in-road-safety-plea-1-4777975

    Posted 5 years ago #

  17. acsimpson
    Member

    I'll tell you my thoughts on that article here.“Family call for Maybury Road improvements”

    Posted 5 years ago #

  18. piosad
    Member

    Absolutely mental driver of a white Merc at home time today. I emerged from the underground parking at Potterrow and joined the tail of the southbound queue when he came bombing down round the bend like he was Lewis friggin Hamilton. I felt that between him and the door zone (because of course the lane was parked all over, this being the Quality Bike Corridor) the door zone seemed the wiser choice. I was right as he bombed ahead to join the end of the queue at, er, the lights outside Appleton Tower, passing me very closely at a very unsafe speed. I hung back afterwards but I guess I really fail to understand the fun of driving at motorway speeds over stretches of a hundred yards.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  19. gembo
    Member

    White mercs are the worst, apart from black mercs and silver mercs

    Posted 5 years ago #

  20. Kenny
    Member

    Just back from a wee spin out west, and had an incident with an ambulance.

    Heading along the main road, I see on a side road on my left an ambulance, but there's parked cars on the left side of the main road that I'm on and I'm concerned that he won't be able to see me, so I pull out to near the middle of the road so I can clearly see the driver, and thus he can see me. I then note he is starting to pull out slowly, but I figure he'll stop, as I'm almost at the junction, and if he goes for it, I'm in trouble. And so he pulls out, and at a point where he could still have stopped so I can get by the front of him, he RAISES HIS LEFT HAND IN APOLOGY and keeps going, slowly. I slam on the (alas, not disc) brakes, and somehow manage to come to a halt before I slam in to the side of the ambulance. Thank goodness it wasn't wet.

    I turn around as he happily drives off, and notice there's a car behind me, which I'm then realising also had to do an emergency stop to not ram me from behind.

    I was displeased.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  21. Ed1
    Member

    were the blues on?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  22. Kenny
    Member

    Nope.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  23. dougal
    Member

    Back from a weekend in Amsterdam and nearly got left-hooked by a driver within moments of leaving the flat. It's a different world here.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  24. piosad
    Member

    My nursery commute has an unavoidable bit where you have to take the bike with the child seat, and lately the tagalong, onto a road with some impatient drivers. I never had any serious accidents but enough low level unpleasantness that I was looking forward to today being the last day before we start school and commute entirely on the towpath.

    On the way back today I stopped in an empty ASZ with no cars behind me last I checked. So I was startled when a car plonked itself to my right rather abruptly very close to me (and the occupied tagalong), stopping over not just the ASL but way over the stop line at the front. The driver proceeded to start fumbling around the passenger seat for something (phone?). The light changed and as I accelerated away I couldn’t help noticing the car was still stuck in the middle of the junction as I went round the corner. Totally clueless. Really happy I’m not commuting there any more.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  25. ejstubbs
    Member

    Riding the number 4 home the other day, with the lights at the top of Craiglockhart Avenue firmly on red, I observed a small SUV come to a halt so far in to the ASZ that their front wheels were beyond the ASL. Then, while the lights were still red, they inched forward until the entire vehicle was beyond the ASL. They then came to a stop.

    When the lights changed, the bus was up and away and waiting in the middle of the junction to complete its right turn before the SUV had even begun to move.

    I have never understood this sort of behaviour. I've come to the conclusion that such drivers, who break multiple laws and yet don't even bother to take any advantage of their villainy, are utter fools.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  26. jules878
    Member

    A general observation re Russell Road

    I'm constantly astonished the every time I cycle along Russell Road (usually 3 or 4 times each direction per week) that a car decides to overtake on blind corner.

    As I'm heading towards Roseburn vehicles overtake under the railway tunnel, immediately after as road bends to left, and/or on the next blind bend to the right.

    And when heading Dalry-wards cars are desperate to overtake on the blind bend entrance to the railway tunnel.

    Is it just me or do others have a fear of getting squished in a car sandwich along this stretch of road?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  27. Frenchy
    Member

    No, although my main worry there is normally drivers cutting the corner at the zig-zags.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  28. paulmilne
    Member

    @jules878 I confess I often ride on the super wide pavement when coming down from the zig zags and heading towards Roseburn park. But yeah, when on the road you get the usual suspects being asses. Doesn't help that the road surface on the long stretch ending at Roseburn Street is criminally bad and forces you to take primary even when you might reasonably want to stay further to the left.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  29. Frenchy
    Member

    That super wide pavement is actually shared use, isn't it?

    Posted 5 years ago #

  30. paulmilne
    Member

    @Frenchy, I certainly hope so!

    Posted 5 years ago #

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