2008-07-14 - Rider Down/Fatality, Grays Inn Road

Did i blame the victim - no i exprssely said i wasn't blaming the victim

I don't usually go off on one but you really are a stupid cunt if you don't think that proper rider training would have a beneficial effect on the state of play . . . understanding the dynamics of other road users is one of the safest ways to advance your riding awareness. The simple fact is no matter how cycle aware other road users are, the majority of time a cyclist will not be visible to them due to blind spots and speed of movement (this is one of the first things you are taught when learning how to ride a motorbike) - do you not think that if more cyclists knew they were in a Lorry's blind spot then they wouldn't take the risk of riding there

And you are a pedantic fuckwit for saying pedestrians are also road users, no shit sherlock. And i think you'll find that horse riders undergo many hours of training including specific highway awareness sessions that teach you how other road users behave and how you should expect HGV's etc to use the road space available so that you can anticipate any dangers, i should know as i ride regularly.

I don't advocate forcing anyone to do anything, but cycling has for too long had a blame the others attitude to road safety, when perhaps the biggest advances could be made by some introspective thinking on the matter.

VV, advise you to show a lil' respect for your elders / betters. Bill is incredibly well respected here and on moving target, not only for his opinions but for his organisation and involvement in many positive activites that further the best interests of both professional and amauter cyclists on the roads of London.