Safe Speed Forums

What annoys me more than anything is hypocrisy. Many motorists who complain about cyclist behaviour don't stop to think about their own actions. How many motorists obey speed limits? Every time I drive in a 30 limit, there are no cars in front of me, and there's a long queue behind me. Presumably all these motorists behind me think that the law doesn't apply to them. And as a result they put everyone in danger by trying to overtake in stupid places or by driving two feet behind me.

What makes it ok for motorists to choose which laws are optional, but so terribly bad when cyclists do the same? And the consequences of driving outside the law are undeniably more fatal than cycling outside the law - as the statistics show.

For the record, I'm a law abiding cyclist and a law abiding motorist, and I wish everyone else was too. It just drives me mad to see people slagging off other road users to hide their own lawbreaking attitudes.

That's exactly right, oldcodger. It's the same here in New England as well -- speed limits, stop signs, crosswalks, No Turn on Red, pedestrians, bike lanes -- they look at the signs and the only thing they think is, "Of course they don't mean ME!" Bastards.

A massive step forward for road safety would be the presumption in law that the motorist was at fault in any car-bike/pedestrian collision, with common-sense exceptions for drunk casualties.

It makes sense, think about it.

A car is capable of inflicting far more serious injuries than a bike ever can, and the policy at the moment means that dangerous, homicidally reckless drivers take absurd risks with other peoples' lives.

This presumption of guilt on the part of the motorist has resulted in much higher cycling rates on the continent, a far more civilised body of road users and no rise in premiums for most drivers.

Any move to address this issue in the UK would be howled down by the vocal motoring lobby- the same lobby who have prevented bull bars from being banned, forced the government to compromise after the fuel protests, and forced speed cameras to be painted yellow.

They're not good follow up comments now

Every time I drive in a 30 limit, there are no cars in front of me, and there's a long queue behind me. Presumably all these motorists behind me think that the law doesn't apply to them.

That's exactly right, oldcodger. It's the same here in New England as well -- "Of course they don't mean ME!" Bastards.

That's a matter of opinion. These two comments seem right to me, really.



which explains the off 'shock-horror' feeling some speeders get when they receive their tickets...