Pedestrian Run Down By Cyclist

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

Mik You haven't offended me at all, though thank you for offering an apology.

What frustrates me greatly, is peoples attitudes towards one another. It really doesn't need to be this hard. If there was courtesy shown to everyone on the road, by all users, it would all operate so smoothly.

Unfortunately, I can't resist biting on the bait of a thread like this, since it's an issue so close to home.

Yes, mutual respect is sorely lacking.
I ride cycles and I drive a car regularly so I am sympathetic to both causes.
However, there are some drivers/ riders that need a brain MRI to ascertain brain functionality.
If you've driven up or down Mt Dandenong tourist road in Melbourne's outer east lately you'll see all the wannabe Nibali's and Sagan's and lowndes's and Winterbottoms battling it out for road supremacy. Crazy $%&# with cyclists riding 2 abreast down narrow bendy twisty roads at over 60klmh with cars trying to overtake them on wrong side of road on blind bends.
Cyclists think they are entitled and drivers won't tolerate.
Lunacy......

[XR6TCraig]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Why does the cyclist feel compelled to enforce the road rules?
Perhaps the car driver made a mistake and didnt realise he had driven too far into the cycle area or didnt realise what its purpose was?

Yet is that deserving of getting abused on more than one occasion?

Why cant someone state their mind without being assaulted or run over?

Is stating that someone has put you in a potentially dangerous situation and that this displeased you, grounds for them grounding and pounding you?

If the car driver made a mistake, a simple sorry would have sufficed.

Instead they ignored/dissmissed the human being on the bike and sped off like an arrogant smart bum! Ever feel like you are being ignored and felt compelled to state your case again?

That's actually the crux of the issue.
People in vehicles don't think that the normal airs and graces in society apply once behind the wheel of a 2 tonne vehicle.
The aggressive behaviour that is typical of many motorists has led to some more vulnerable road users mimicking the aggressive behaviour simply to be seen and noticed out there on the road, rather than just be used for traction.
Why cant everyone just treat each other the way they would like to be treated if the boot were on the other foot instead of the widely seen " I own the road, stuff the rest of you" attitude that is so predominant on modern Aussie roads.

When did common courtesy become extinct on our roads?

[blueoval]

I normally stay out of threads like this but I feel the need to reiterate what I always say in threads like this again....

Please give me a rego plate to put on my bike. Happy to have it, only because I abide by the road rules and have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. But if this happens, please do not get in my face about hogging roads if there is no law to say I cannot do so, after all I will be paying my rego and ID for the privilege. /end sarcasm

I don't think people realize that if rego plates or rego identification were introduced to cyclists what kind of attitudes (aka road rage, deaths, injuries, social problems) would it THEN cause on our roads! If you think cyclists feel entitled now, just wait until the day rego identification gets introduced. Dobbing someone into the cops with video footage etc is already falling on deaf ears now! Identifying a cyclist with video with the intention to 'dob' them in etc etc, will just clog up an already congested system. If 'dobbing' a cyclist in with rego gives you some deep seated, sick satisfaction, I really feel sorry for you. But I will feel more sorry for the authorities who have to deal with some frivolous vendetta some car drivers have against cyclists.

[LoudPipes]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Just another cyclist bashing thread ....

Only if people make it so, the thread is not about who does or doesn’t break the law.

The issue at hand is when something does go wrong and injuries occur, who is responsible, what type of system if any should be put in place and how effective would it be in the real world?

With registered cars it’s a CTP issue, without rego it becomes a court matter between the victim and alleged perpetrator.

Usually if there is no rego there will also be nothing of value to recover, a no win situation for the victim.

Cyclists currently fall into the without rego category which means taking them to court may not have any benefit for the victim and with the rise in popularity of cycling putting more and more cyclists on the roads it’s only reasonable to say more and more victims of cycling accidents will eventuate.

A rego system is a tough one to both implement and police and there lays the puzzle, who’s smart enough to come up with a workable solution.

[hawke]

Originally Posted by trublu

No comfort to me if a cyclist runs into me & has no insurance for injuries I obtain from accident.

How many people go to court to get compensation & win but do not get it because of the mug won't pay for various reasons.

Don't forget that many cyclists have liability insurance through their Household Contents Insurance policy. Many of them just don't know it.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by sexyxe

I usually don't resort to personal attacks on the forums, but you are an idiot.

'Arrogance of your typical cyclist' and 'deliberately provokes motorists'. Your comments are so far from the truth it is mind boggling. I've had two family members hit by cars. The first put the member in hospital for months and months and was lucky to survive, let alone walk. Thanks to a car cutting through traffic and speeding.

Second was a car not bothering to abide by the road rules and slamming into a group of cyclists at a t intersection.

I may take your comments more personally than others as I both drive, ride and cycle on our roads and get to see and experience what it is like in all forms of the game.

Pull your head in.

/end rant

I really disagree with the way you have responded.

There is a big difference between saying "I strongly disagree with what you said" and "You are an idiot for saying it".

Play the ball, not the man.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

Why say all Cyslists should obey the road rules (rules is spelt with an S by the way)? You should be saying all Road Users should obey the road rules.

That includes Cyclists, drivers, motorbike riders et al.

Best to check your post for errors if you are using it to have a go at someone else's spelling.


On topic, one of our good friends was killed while riding, poor bugger. Some evening exercise cost him his life due to a young ******** driving well over the speed limit. So I have a much greater respect for all the cyclists out there than what I perhaps used to.
But geez, sometimes they still bother me with this attitude of "I have rights".... too often I wonder how they are not already dead. You may have right of way, you may be allowed to use that lane, but god at least give yourself a chance! You're on a bike for godsake, the car will always "win".
The people acknowledging that commmon courtesy would benefit us all on the roads are correct. Don't get so hung up on what the law says or what rights you think you have.

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Best to check your post for errors if you are using it to have a go at someone else's spelling.

haha, that's gold, well played sir

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Just another cyclist bashing thread ....

Just the idiot ones. If you do the right thing you have nothing to worry about.

I ride myself, keep off road as much as possible, but when riding on the road I have never abused anyone or been abused.

If you are a cyclist and are getting abused regularly, either you are unlucky and come across all the nutjob car drivers, or you are doing something wrong.


$67 fine for negligent riding is a joke. I know bikes are less likely to hurt others, but when you look at the cost of some motor vehicle fines, $67 is a joke.

The bike rider having a go at the Audi just was angry the car was breaking the law, If he really cared about safety he would be wearing a damn helmet at the very least.

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by ratter

In Victoria a cyclist can ride 3 abreast in some cases and be legal

its rare to pick on one of your posts Ratter, but.....

Cars can drive side by side legally at 50kph on a two lane 60kph road, but the vast majority don't because it is plain rude.

Cyclists could make an attempt to keep out of the way, but we keep hearing it trumpeted that they are allowed to ride x abreast. When you share a road, you can make an attempt to be polite. But I just plain will not drive on Beach Road anymore due to the arrogance that is more common than not shown -

swinging out into the second lane often when they come up on a parked car, without checking to see if a car is coming up in that lane (as far as I know you are meant to give way when changing lanes)

The Peloton crowding in front of you (after you have passed them) at the next lights even if it means they need to block the pedestrian crossing to do so.

And if the can be bothered with that, and there are no big bumps that might damage their 13 gram Swiss Italian racing rims that Jacques is jealous of, riding up onto the footpath at lights and back onto the road so they miss the red.

Anyway, I miss out on the scenic route myself and go the long way up Nepean Hwy to Port Melbourne for my latte on a Sunday morning instead as I can keep amongst my kind.

Funny though, I drive my Hotted up car but don't need to dress up like a racing driver to do it

A bit of jest here but still slightly serious

[ratter]

not saying it is the correct thing to do at all, but many people who like to comment about what goes on have no idea about the legal side of things which is why I posted that

[mik]

Originally Posted by blueoval

I normally stay out of threads like this but I feel the need to reiterate what I always say in threads like this again....

Please give me a rego plate to put on my bike. Happy to have it, only because I abide by the road rules and have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. But if this happens, please do not get in my face about hogging roads if there is no law to say I cannot do so, after all I will be paying my rego and ID for the privilege. /end sarcasm

I don't think people realize that if rego plates or rego identification were introduced to cyclists what kind of attitudes (aka road rage, deaths, injuries, social problems) would it THEN cause on our roads! If you think cyclists feel entitled now, just wait until the day rego identification gets introduced. Dobbing someone into the cops with video footage etc is already falling on deaf ears now! Identifying a cyclist with video with the intention to 'dob' them in etc etc, will just clog up an already congested system. If 'dobbing' a cyclist in with rego gives you some deep seated, sick satisfaction, I really feel sorry for you. But I will feel more sorry for the authorities who have to deal with some frivolous vendetta some car drivers have against cyclists.

i dont think it would be any different if bikers had plates Shav, except a few might think twice about going through red lights where there is a camera, and they may just have in the back of their mind i can be identified !!!, on the upside there might be a bit of medical coverage if pedestrian gets wopped,
as for the dobbing in a cyclist, i`ve never dobbed any one in, although over the years i have thought about doing it to other motorists, and with respect to the coppers, i think most people would not take the time out of their day to bother coppers who probably already have bigger fish to fry .

Of course if bike riders are fearful they would get nabbed for doing something wrong ........ maybe they have a guilty conscience.
Now wouldn't that be a pretty cool campaign, one where good mature riders with confidence in their bike riding skills and etiquette actually volunteered to have a number plate and set an example for younger riders .... i mean seriously.

[TheSneakiness]

Courtesy and responsibility.

Two things the majority of cyclists lack.

Courtesy to ride safely not endangering their lives as well as everyone elses.
Responsibility to take the blame when they are in the wrong.

I strongly believe registration does need to be introduced for cyclists. Drivers can be tracked down and identified for doing something wrong, why then should cyclists be allowed to get away with breaking road rules and causing injuries and get away with it scot free?

It would not be hard to introduce and implement, sure make the fee smaller for rego and CTP, hell throw in ambulance cover in those states that don't have it. Then I believe the motorists will simmer down about them being on the road and riders will then take more responsibility for their actions and their lives.

I recently came across a pack of 20+ riders in the left lane on Milton Road in Brisbane utilising the entire lane (there is no bike lane on Milton Road and those that know it know its a **** of a road at the best of times) and even though they were give room to ride by motorists I would guarantee there would be a handful of them who would spark up if a car even came within a metre of hitting them.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by mik

i dont think it would be any different if bikers had plates Shav, except a few might think twice about going through red lights where there is a camera, and they may just have in the back of their mind i can be identified !!!, on the upside there might be a bit of medical coverage if pedestrian gets wopped,
as for the dobbing in a cyclist, i`ve never dobbed any one in, although over the years i have thought about doing it to other motorists, and with respect to the coppers, i think most people would not take the time out of their day to bother coppers who probably already have bigger fish to fry .

Of course if bike riders are fearful they would get nabbed for doing something wrong ........ maybe they have a guilty conscience.
Now wouldn't that be a pretty cool campaign, one where good mature riders with confidence in their bike riding skills and etiquette actually volunteered to have a number plate and set an example for younger riders .... i mean seriously.

That's the difference though mik. If you are a law abiding rider, then you would be happy to don a number for identification, and if it forces cyclists to think twice about doing the wrong thing, I am all for rego. In my opinion, I think what annoys me the most is that the most vocal people on here are complaining about the small minority of cyclists doing the wrong thing, which in turn makes the majority look like law flouting free riders with zero regard for their own lives or others. THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

Often I see either the ignorant or stupid ride their bikes with zero etiquette, in the opposite direction on the road, use pedestrian signals as a right to cross a street (while not dismounted), ride without helmets, ride without lights at night and just being prime examples for rego advocates. If it helped getting tossers like that off the road, then I am all for rego. Im sick to death of being stereotyped with a minority group of jerk offs who choose to disobey the laws and copping the penalties for it. As far as I'm concerned, I prefer to obey the laws and to be an example when I ride. Nothing worse than adding more fuel to the fire right in front of drivers.

[tweeked]

People do things they don't normally do when they have anonymity. Just look at the way people often talk to each other on here.

Registration definitely will help with bike riders, but would be a pain to administer.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

You can choose to insure yourself against a whole bunch of things that may happen or you can hope that when something happens the other party is insured.

No different if you are in a car, on a horse, on a bike or in a car.

that's the answer, don't CTP the car but the actual licence.

so no mater if your in/on horse, car, bike or pushie,, you're covered.

[ratter]

I'm all for one ctp as I can only be in charge of one vehicle at a time, but at what point do you license a rider? What about those that will not get a licence, like some car drivers, some just refuse to do the right thing. But in all honesty, if bikes had rego plates, how many of you would ring up the cops and dob one in?

[burnz]

to ride on the road you must know the rule's of the road, so a test just like a car, truck, motor bike..

[ratter]

So little kids can not ride around quiet courts anymore?

[burnz]

I cant see little kids running red lights and cleaning up joe pedestrian at 60kph.

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by burnz

I cant see little kids running red lights and cleaning up joe pedestrian at 60kph.

That's why I am starting to like a one off charge for any bike over 15 inches (for example) Any bike over that size must have a tag

[joolz]

Originally Posted by ratter

so a 4 year old riding a bike in a court need to be rego'd

Will a 4 year old be doing 30-60km/h slicing between cars and trams and running red lights....

I say have all bikes for 16 and over registered. If not registered a fine will be imposed. Works well with fishing in a creek or not wearing a helmet...

[ratter]

So if a cyclist is not capable of doing 30 kmh they do not need to licenced? See it starts to get complicated, the frame size makes a little sense but is flawed as well, but a few seem to think its a speed related thing

[mr smith]

I'm all for bike regos. I have a company car and it'll be a laugh when ALL regos/insurances go through the roof. Just think how many TAC claims will be going in...

[flooded one]

age would be the best solution. anyone over 16 years would be required to pay rego for a push bike they own and wish to ride on the road. kids could still ride on footpaths and so could people with unrego bikes but there needs to be more speed limits on footpaths etc.

[aussiblue]

When I was a child in the 50's I had to pay my 10 shilling rego fee at the post office for my bike; it worked then why can't it work now?

Like these:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1444045...7602297417625/

[brismike]

Originally Posted by Lunch

If she was my daughter or wife or mother you could be damn well sure that she wouldnt be the only 1 with an extensive dental bill after that, I'd find him and kick his teeth down his throat

Nice one . . and you would find yourself charged with aggravated pre-meditated assault and would probably find yourself with a Jail Term.

Hope I never meet you in a road rage incident!

[2011G6E]

I fail to understand why cyclists...unique among every single other road going vehicle of any sort motorised or not...doesn't have to have any form of identification or especially even basic third party insurance to cover damage they do...


Oh, and as for the "liability" bit? Plenty of cyclist groups want automatic fault put on any car driver who hits a cyclist...it's up to you to prove he rode out in front of you. Nice.

[Ross 1]

Re the liability side, I live inner city Sydney, I have fitted a dash cam. Its amazing how the di%^h#$d cyclists attitude changes when you point out you are filming them. Also works for road rage drivers.

[LTDHO]

I used to love being a cyclist. Great way to get fresh air and keep fit.

Sadly the lycra wearing have made it no longer enjoyable for me.

There are rules specific to cyclists, I know for sure that none of them know these or care to know (I know the same could be said for motorists, but they are more governed).

Particularly rule 250 & 255