RLJ (Red Light Jumping). (The definitive bikeradar thread)

Whilst we're derailing the RLJ thread I'll add my anecdotes about passes from different nationalities.

London-Edinburgh-London in 2009 had lots of foreign riders. Many of the European riders came with support vehicles (family in estate cars or camper vans) and whilst most of the ride had designated routes for these support vehicles that kept them away from the ride route the Northern sections (especially Scotland) had little choice but to put them on the same roads as the riders.

My experience of vehicles overtaking (based on the country designation of the number plates) from good to bad was:-

• French - by far the best, as people have said patient and then a big wide overtake
  
• Spanish - mostly like the French
  
• German - good, but not as wide
  
• UK - a bit better than normal but still some close passes
  
• Italian - about what I'd expect from the UK
  
• ...
  
• ...and bottom by a very long way...
  
• ...
  
• Netherlands - almost every single pass was dangerously close
  
  

I guess with so much segregation the Dutch are simply not used to passing cyclists on the road and don't know how to do it reliably and safely. Segregation eh?