Rental e-scooters to be made legal on roads in Great Britain from Saturday

[jeremyp]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060911102200.htm

Interesting to see a man put his life on the line in the cause of science

Dr Walker, who was struck by a bus and a truck in the course of the experiment, spent half the time wearing a cycle helmet and half the time bare-headed. He was wearing the helmet both times he was struck.

[Udayana]

...
As regards your last sentence above, I am sure they exist but I would just say that I haven't come across them, and I cycle every day. Perhaps it's just that in my area they have been carefully designated with safety in mind. All the close shaves that I've had have been on cycling on roads, with, for instance, vehicles either coming too close to me, not seeing me (in broad daylight)or turning across me giving me little time to brake. Incidentally I make sure my brakes are always in tip top condition.

It depends on the consideration given at the design stage and maintenance of the paths, so inevitably varies by district. I'd agree that mostly they are as safe or safer than normal roads.

With both shared pathways and lanes you need to especially careful at side road junctions: on shared paths you must stop or give way, in a lane you have right of way but motorists often don't consider that and pull out or turn in front of you. Motorists turning into or reversing out of driveways is also a problem - they don't seem to expect cyclists at all - though this happens on roads too.

My particular bugbears are: lanes poorly maintained - so full of rubbish or with untrimmed hedges/trees blocking the view or path and lanes/paths that stop leaving you on the wrong side of the road with no sensible way of getting back to the left side.

[Udayana]

If you were the only driver on the road, that would mean something. However, you are not, and it has, apparently, been found that people, as a rule, give more room to casual cyclists and ones that look like they don't know what they are doing than for cyclists who are dressed properly and with a helmet and who look like they are experienced.

Maybe there is a market for helmets designed to make one look like a wobbly old granny - with a layer of gray wool on top? 
 

[Enki]

It depends on the consideration given at the design stage and maintenance of the paths, so inevitably varies by district. I'd agree that mostly they are as safe or safer than normal roads.

With both shared pathways and lanes you need to especially careful at side road junctions: on shared paths you must stop or give way, in a lane you have right of way but motorists often don't consider that and pull out or turn in front of you. Motorists turning into or reversing out of driveways is also a problem - they don't seem to expect cyclists at all - though this happens on roads too.

My particular bugbears are: lanes poorly maintained - so full of rubbish or with untrimmed hedges/trees blocking the view or path and lanes/paths that stop leaving you on the wrong side of the road with no sensible way of getting back to the left side.

I've previously said that I always stop at any road junction when I'm on a cycle. I do accept that lanes can be poorly maintained. In my area though I know of only one that has a poor surface. I also agree that either on the road or on a shared pavement one has always got to be aware of careless motorists pulling out from drives.

As an aside, an interesting incident happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was cycling along a shared pavement when I saw in front of me that a man was pruning his privet hedge. The residue was strewn all over the pavement but as it wasn't too bad I decided to simply drive carefully until I was clear. He clearly saw me, but decided that he wasn't going to get out of the way, standing squarely in the middle of the pavement. My only other alternatives were to ride on the grass verge, which was full of wet long grass close to the road or to get off and walk around him. I decided to continue riding on the pavement, with my hands ready on the brakes. He moved at the last minute but made his point by saying loudly, 'Hadn't I heard of social distancing?' at which point I stopped, turned to him and told him loudly that unfortunately it was he who didn't seem to understand that I was riding legally on a public pavement, and that perhaps it was he who needed to be aware of social distancing by not obstructing the pavement. He glowered, and then disappeared down the path to his house silently. I then carried on, hoping that when I returned using the same path, he would be there again. Unfortunately he had gone, and the path was clear again.

[ekim]

What can the UK learn from Europe.............. https://www.euronews.com/2020/07/04/what-can-the-uk-learn-from-europe-about-the-pitfalls-of-electric-scooters

[Roses]

I wouldn't feel safe riding an e-scooter.

[Nearly Sane]

I wouldn't feel safe riding an e-scooter.

I wouldn't feel safe with you riding an e-scooter

[Roses]

I have been driving a car since I was 12 in 1962, and on the road since I was 17. Crossing all my fingers and toes, I have never had an accident.

[Aruntraveller]

I have been driving a car since I was 12 in 1962, and on the road since I was 17. Crossing all my fingers and toes, I have never had an accident.

I think NS was pulling your leg just a little bit.

[Roses]

I think NS was pulling your leg just a little bit.

REALLY? LOL!

[Steve H]

LR will be glad to know that I've bought a hi-viz top, which arrived an hour or so ago. I do not think they should be made compulsory, since lights are already compulsory at night, and make cyclists easily seen, but they are a useful optional back-up.

[Roses]

LR will be glad to know that I've bought a hi-viz top, which arrived an hour or so ago. I do not think they should be made compulsory, since lights are already compulsory at night, and make cyclists easily seen, but they are a useful optional back-up.

I am glad you have bought a high-viz top, because cyclists are NOT easily seen in dark clothing at night or in poor visibility, as I know for a fact being a driver. I still think you should wear a helmet.

[Steve H]

I am glad you have bought a high-viz top, because cyclists are NOT easily seen in dark clothing at night or in poor visibility, as I know for a fact being a driver. I still think you should wear a helmet.

They are if they've got lights, which are compulsory at night.

[Roses]

They are if they've got lights, which are compulsory at night.

Tiny little cycle lights are drowned by car headlights, especially if the road is busy.

[Steve H]

Tiny little cycle lights are drowned by car headlights, especially if the road is busy.

Come off it! They have to meet legal requirements, a red rear light will not be drowned out by white headlights, and if the road is that busy, there'll be so many headlights the cyclist will be lit up like Broadway.

[Steve H]

This bloke's red light is clearly visible. He is, of course, wearing a hi-viz top, but the pint is his red light's visibility.
http://www.kansascyclist.com/news/wp-content/uploads/Night-Ride.jpg

[Roses]

Come off it! They have to meet legal requirements, a red rear light will not be drowned out by white headlights, and if the road is that busy, there'll be so many headlights the cyclist will be lit up like Broadway.

They are drowned by car headlights, high-viz jackets make cyclists more visible. If you drove a car you might not be so cocksure.

[jeremyp]

Maybe there is a market for helmets designed to make one look like a wobbly old granny - with a layer of gray wool on top? 

I've seen it seriously suggested that cyclists should do the occasional deliberate wobble to put that element of doubt in the car drivers' minds.

[jeremyp]

This bloke's red light is clearly visible. He is, of course, wearing a hi-viz top, but the pint is his red light's visibility.
http://www.kansascyclist.com/news/wp-content/uploads/Night-Ride.jpg

This was taken just before the guy was mown down by the camera car that was way to close to him.

That's not realistic. Iy was a photograph taken on a well lit street with no other traffic about and the cyclist is literally only a few feet away. Cameras also are different from human eyes and a human might see something different.

There's no doubt that cyclists can be difficult to see even during the day time or at night with lights on. I wouldn't be making such things as high vis jackets compulsory because I think the barrier to cycling should be as low as possible, but I think they should be strongly encouraged.

[Roses]

I think ALL cyclists should have to take a compulsory test before being permitted out on the public highway.

[Nearly Sane]

I think ALL cyclists should have to take a compulsory test before being permitted out on the public highway.

Which will reduce the numbers cycling and increase car usage contributing to global warming.

[Roses]

Which will reduce the numbers cycling and increase car usage contributing to global warming.

It might make the roads safer on which to drive, some of the cyclist around here are IDIOTS, riding four abreast and jumping the lights!

[Nearly Sane]

It might make the roads safer on which to drive, some of the cyclist around here are IDIOTS, riding four abreast and jumping the lights!

There are rules  against that. But your solution will increase global warming.

[Steve H]

It might make the roads safer on which to drive, some of the cyclist around here are IDIOTS, riding four abreast and jumping the lights!

And how, pray, is a test going to reduce that?
The reason the drivers of motor vehicles have to pass a test and have a valid licence is that motor vehicles are large, hard, and fast, and can easily kill, maim or cripple. Bikes are light and slow, and much less lethal. They are also much simpler to operate. I'm not anti=test, but I am certainly anti-compulsory-test, and ditto with helmets.

[Outrider]

Come off it! They have to meet legal requirements, a red rear light will not be drowned out by white headlights, and if the road is that busy, there'll be so many headlights the cyclist will be lit up like Broadway.

The legal requirements, though, are feeble.  A minimum of four candela for a flashing light - most flashing bike lights are rated in lumens, and they're typically in the 25-30 range which is about half the requirement.  UK cycling recommends fitting two, but light doesn't necessarily work geometrically, so putting 2 25 lumen lights doesn't give you 50 lumens.

Steady lights have to comply with BS 6102/3, but the requirements of that are pretty feeble, too; coupled with that, most manufacturers of bike lights are producing units that are marked as compliant with BS 6102 - you can have as many lights as you'd like, but at least one of them has to conform, so it's on you as the rider to check, not on them to ensure that all their lights are compliant.

It's also worth noting that the lights are required to be fitted no more than 1500mm from the floor, so all those adults with lights only on their helmets are probably in breach of the requirements.

Also worth noting that bikes (between sunset and sunrise, at least) are required to have amber reflectors in the front and back of the pedals - most of the racing bikes I see out there have the cleated pedals which rarely include these.

O.