Highway Code Hierarchy of Road Users

[enjay]

More often that not, the reason people ride on the pavements is because they do not feel safe on the roads, due to the amount of traffic, and the behaviour or drivers towards them.

 

And I have sympathy for those people, there are certainly some town/city centre roads I wouldn't want to cycle on, and places where I ride very defensively (which can further infuriate drivers, of course). Unfortunately some people think the best thing to do on a busy road is ride as close to the gutter as you can get, when sometimes the opposite is true. It is a different matter if someone is riding on the pavement to skip queues or lights though.

[Cazab]

And I have sympathy for those people, there are certainly some town/city centre roads I wouldn't want to cycle on, and places where I ride very defensively (which can further infuriate drivers, of course). Unfortunately some people think the best thing to do on a busy road is ride as close to the gutter as you can get, when sometimes the opposite is true. It is a different matter if someone is riding on the pavement to skip queues or lights though.

 

Oh absolutely, I would always advise to take the lane regardless of where you are, rather than ride in the gutter. However attitudes by drivers towards this create dangerous situations.

We need to encourage alternative forms of travel than cars, and make people want to do it and feel safe doing so. This is why physically segregated infrastructure is so important.

[mavhc]

More often that not, the reason people ride on the pavements is because they do not feel safe on the roads, due to the amount of traffic, and the behaviour or drivers towards them.

 

More often that not, the reason people don't walk on the pavements is because they do not feel safe on the pavements, due to the amount of traffic, and the behaviour of riders towards them

[Cazab]

More often that not, the reason people don't walk on the pavements is because they do not feel safe on the pavements, due to the amount of traffic, and the behaviour of riders towards them

 

I completely understand, the amount of cars which invade the space, drive on the pavement, block the pavement, damage the pavement and footpaths - that attitude is understandable.

 

Hence why physically segregated infrastructure is so important.

[mavhc]

I completely understand, the amount of cars which invade the space, drive on the pavement, block the pavement, damage the pavement and footpaths - that attitude is understandable.

 

Hence why physically segregated infrastructure is so important.

 

I was referring to cyclists and other few wheeled riders

[Davit2005]

Oh absolutely, I would always advise to take the lane regardless of where you are, rather than ride in the gutter. However attitudes by drivers towards this create dangerous situations.

We need to encourage alternative forms of travel than cars, and make people want to do it and feel safe doing so. This is why physically segregated infrastructure is so important.

 

We need to improve public transport, but there is no joined up thinking. The need for cars will continue.

 

Unfortunately we all can't live within walking or easy cycling distance from work.

 

Currently it would take me in excess of 2 hours each way on public transport a journey of 25 miles as the crow flies and drivable in 30 mins at road speeds. I only have a car for work and 10 years out of 36 years of having a driving license I have not had a car because I either walked, cycled up to 7 miles each way or used public transport (or hired a car when going away). A previous place I worked it was 7 miles but it was quicker to walk than rely on public transport, go figure.

 

Motorists (even busses) drive too close to cyclists and pedestrians that have to use the road in some cases because there are no pavements.

Edited October 9, 2024 by Davit2005

[Rob_D]

Unfortunately some people think the best thing to do on a busy road is ride as close to the gutter as you can get, when sometimes the opposite is true.

If I cycle too close to the edge of the road I'm worried I'll end up clipping a pedestrian, or the street furniture/bushes that's always far to close to the side of the road.

[HarryMonkey]

This is Lanzarote. The tarmac lanes are strictly for cyclists, skaters and scooters. Admittedly this is in a pedestrianised area, but even when it joins the busy main road, this lane continues.