Public Inquiry: Get Britain Cycling

The fuckers enforce the 20mph limit in Richmond Park though..

ACPO representative confirms that it's policy is to advise police forces NOT to enforce 20mph limits

According to Dorset police, drivers may well be sent on a speed awareness course even if they are driving at up to 42mph in a 30mph zone:

http://www.dorset.police.uk/default.aspx?page=602

Speed Limit.....Threshold for DAS
30....................36mph - 42mph
40....................47mph - 53mph
50....................58mph - 64mph
60....................69mph - 75mph
70....................80mph - 86mph

Source as above. If DSA is the min outcome of a speeding offence and they are quoting a range with a lower speed above the speed limit, are they confirming the long held assertion that you only get done for doing speed limit +10%+3mph?

here's a summery of the report (pdf) published today
http://www.bikehub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/GetBritainCycling16pSummery.pdf

Cool, should have it all sorted by the time I'm 78 then.

2050 ,.be.here before you know it.

As a cyclist you're 10 years younger than you are jmf

here's a summery of the report (pdf) published today
http://www.bikehub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/GetBritainCycling16pSummery.pdf

Summery is an insult to anyone who rides all year round. Fucking fair-weather cyclists.

baddum tish!

Bunch of lentil-bothering, cabbage-humping lefty cyclist ponces. Just get on with it and stop whining. We never 'ad no blue lane bullshit in the 90s!

Seriously though, too much "segregated cycle lanes" and not enough enforcing the law on dangerous drivers for my liking. Still ignoring the herd of elephants stomping over the coffee table and making their way towards the LCD widescreen

It's not just about enforcing the law on dangerous driving, the mindset of almost every motorist on the roads needs to be changed.

For example the 20 mph speed limits. There's no point introducing them without enforcement (which the met have said they're not interested in) because they're almost completely ignored, or just regarded as advisory. This is even to the extent that although it's possible to comfortably exceed them on a bike, you still get motorists driving up your arse or aggressively overtaking - with a bit of abuse thrown in for good measure - because you're somehow holding them up.

Correct.

And what's the point of having people driving like cunts at 20 mph?

It's twaddle. The speed limit thing is a massive red herring designed to placate people who don't actually understand what it's like to cycle on the road in the UK. If drivers didn't drive like cunts around cyclists then the speed limit would be self-enforcing.

I expect those poor riders killed by HGVs were crushed as the vehicle was being manoeuvred at less than 20mph, not slammed head on at 45.

Summary of the main points

1. Allocate more money per head spend on cycling reaching £20 per year
   
2. Ensure the spend by all agencies reflects the proportion of journeys by bike (So spending on provisions for cyclists:Drivers on london bridges would be something like 60% on cycle provision and 40% on car provision)
   
3. Many government departments need to spend money on cycling
   
4. Consider cyclists and walkers needs at the start of any housing or road development.
   
5. Ensure all designers and planners are trained to incorporate cycling in any project
   
   

to be continued...

skydancer with one of his heroes:

^The wonderful Liz Clarke Bikeright! Manchester

The cycling laws in Japan are incredibly lax - in fact, they're 99% of the time ignored by both cyclists and the police themselves.

However, there is one (debatably) good side to the overall road laws in Japan -
In an accident involving vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and any combination thereof, the guilt is immediately allocated to the larger object. So if a cyclist hits a pedestrian, the cyclist has the burden of proof to show they were not at fault. No proof means the cyclist is going to pay out big time. Likewise, a car hitting a cyclist is forced to show they were driving safely.

In and of itself, it's a horrible way to allocate blame. However, as most drivers know they're going to be financially fucked if they clip and down a cyclist, they generally (generally) give cyclists a wide berth. Taxi drivers are different as their companies have special insurance deals in place, but for the general road-using community it all works out pretty well.

I'm absolutely sure the system would fail back in Blighty, but the element of fear for drivers does work.

It's not just about enforcing the law on dangerous driving, the mindset of almost every motorist on the roads needs to be changed.

For example the 20 mph speed limits. There's no point introducing them without enforcement (which the met have said they're not interested in) because they're almost completely ignored, or just regarded as advisory. This is even to the extent that although it's possible to comfortably exceed them on a bike, you still get motorists driving up your arse or aggressively overtaking - with a bit of abuse thrown in for good measure - because you're somehow holding them up.

^ this

The cycling laws in Japan are incredibly lax - in fact, they're 99% of the time ignored by both cyclists and the police themselves.

However, there is one (debatably) good side to the overall road laws in Japan -
In an accident involving vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and any combination thereof, the guilt is immediately allocated to the larger object. So if a cyclist hits a pedestrian, the cyclist has the burden of proof to show they were not at fault. No proof means the cyclist is going to pay out big time. Likewise, a car hitting a cyclist is forced to show they were driving safely.

In and of itself, it's a horrible way to allocate blame. However, as most drivers know they're going to be financially fucked if they clip and down a cyclist, they generally (generally) give cyclists a wide berth. Taxi drivers are different as their companies have special insurance deals in place, but for the general road-using community it all works out pretty well.

I'm absolutely sure the system would fail back in Blighty, but the element of fear for drivers does work.
They have something like this in the rest of Europe, but as Blighty likes to think of itself as an island whilst toying with the we are/are not part of Europe dilemma, the do-gooders will fuck around all day sitting on the fence before they will ever get anything truly practical and efficient enforcing cyclists safety on our roads.

Hence I've given up riding my bike on British roads and since seeing this attack on a cyclist: http://road.cc/content/news/81677-no-charges-road-rage-van-driver-who-assaulted-cyclist-video-incident and the plod didn't prosecute when the evidence is stamped on their forehead, it gives me little hope of cycling in a safe environment.

I know others whom have also stopped riding as the law is a fucking ass in this triple dip recession country.

Sadly...

yeah the law is an ass,
but you still get fit for free, and now you can say you were doing it ages ago, hence why you enjoy health of someone 10 years younger.
as you were.

i thought we avoided a triple dip?

scottmac, for someone whose given up riding their bike, you spend an awful lot of time on a cycling forum telling people you've given up riding your bike.

what do you gain from this? what pleasure does it bring you? what are you trying to achieve?

are you here to let us all know we should give up riding our bikes as you have done?
or in the hope that being here you will help change your mind and return you to riding again?

I'm puzzled, and perplexed as you seem to bring nothing to the discussion apart from a relentless pessimism in the face of ongoing guarded optimism..

scottmac, for someone whose given up riding their bike, you spend an awful lot of time on a cycling forum telling people you've given up riding your bike.

what do you gain from this? what pleasure does it bring you? what are you trying to achieve?

are you here to let us all know we should give up riding our bikes as you have done?
or in the hope that being here you will help change your mind and return you to riding again?

I'm puzzled, and perplexed as you seem to bring nothing to the discussion apart from a relentless pessimism in the face of ongoing guarded optimism..

I'm a realist, not a pessimist.

I ride my bike on dirt tracks, due to being forced off the road.

"ongoing guarded optimism" will have us all on cycle tracks.

Am I not allowed to use the forum?

i thought we avoided a triple dip?

In Cameron's dreams...

yeah the law is an ass,
but you still get fit for free, and now you can say you were doing it ages ago, hence why you enjoy health of someone 10 years younger.
as you were.

You won't get "fit for free" when you're hit by two ton+ of vehicle.
As you were...

In Cameron's dreams...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/apr/25/uk-avoid-triple-dip-recession-gdp-growth

of course it could happen in the future, but I wouldn't like that to happen.