Are Cyclists to Blame For Bad Cycling Safety?

London is treacherous for cycling and Felix Magazine will be exploring the different points of view as to just who is to blame. Reckless drivers? Unwary pedestrians? Or gung-ho cyclists with little care for their own survival.

Cyclists and Traffic Lights

Red. Green. Two very different colours. Stop, go: two very different motions. The latter is likely to end badly for all road users when combined with the first colour. Oddly, there seems to be little understanding of this concept among the velocipede fraternity, even though they are given a little box before many junctions for  hovering quietly out of the way of motorists.

Some are clever enough to get off and become pedestrians to use the crossing, which is impatient but shrewd.

Left Turns

This really isn’t the cyclist’s fault. But if a lorry is turning left, that is not the moment to state your right of way. This is also a limitation of cycle lanes as they don’t cover a crossing, just as cyclists shouldn’t have to stop at every corner to look both ways.

 

 

Lights

Few cyclists in London seem to use lights. While Santander Cycles project a green bike onto the pavement in front of them, most personal bikes have nothing. London may be well lit but a driver’s glance in the mirror won’t detect a moving shadow. Even pedestrians need to be able to see you coming.

 

 

Bell-End

Persistently ringing your bell at pedestrians is rude and annoying. However, given they are likely wearing earphones an atomic bomb might not rouse their vacant minds. As annoying as it is for a cyclist, slowing down and trying to anticipate an inattentive pedestrian’s suicidal meanderings is safer than swerving into traffic.

 

Lycra doesn’t make you superman

You may be wearing more spandex than the full cast of Rocky Horror but your timewarp qualities are as limited as your skin is fragile. Your fancy road bike is still likely to be crushed by a lorry no matter how many NASA materials it contains.

 

 

 

Wear a Helmet

Kind of makes sense? Some say you are less likely to have an accident without a helmet because you will instinctively ride more carefully. But you don’t have to be doing anything stupid to have an accident and at the moment of impact an external shell makes a lot of sense. The Boris Bike scheme is particularly guilty of putting un-helmeted riders on the road, as tourists and others who leap on for a pedal are unlikely to be carrying their own helmets.

 

 

Don’t be a Dick

This is a rule for everyone on the road. Just as a lot of drivers and pedestrians are dicks to cyclists, many cyclists are dicks to other people. The result is aggression and frustration, which are exacerbated by the adrenalin generated by rushing around in your boil-in-the-bag MAMIL get-up. One misjudged moment could leave you with injuries that will last a lot longer than the fleeting satisfaction of showing someone that middle finger.

Headphones

Hearing is a vital sense. As every cyclist knows from having to dodge distracted pedestrians, earphones completely remove someone from their surroundings, especially if they’re also looking at their phone. The same is true of cyclists.

While rocking out to Pantera is sure to get you pumping and Radio 4 podcasts will make your exercise time educational, you won’t hear the noises that might save your life.

Just…   don’t cycle?

Obviously, this is not your preferred response. But is it worth it? London has one of the best public transport systems in the world (much as we all rubbish it). Do the exercise and economic benefits of cycling in the city really outweigh the potential costs? Some go for the pavement-friendly commuter scooter.

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