Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Gu...ail/story.html

Beth Jinks, personal injury solicitor for Rothera Dowson, on calls by crash
expert Dr Donal McNally for a 20mph speed limit in built up areas to protect
cyclists...
------------------------
I WAS not surprised to hear about the accident involving Dr Donal McNall,
who was left for dead after being hit by a car.

As a solicitor specialising in personal injury claims, I have acted on
behalf of seven cyclists who were injured as a result of the negligence of a
driver in the past two years.

From the perspective of a driver, I can see why people may oppose the idea
of 20mph limits. In some cases, 30mph often seems too slow and so reducing
the speed limit may not be the answer. It will also increase journey time
and slow traffic.

As a recreational cyclist myself, I believe that more measures should be put
in place to protect cyclists. The increasing number of accidents is
worrying, and drivers should check their blind spots, give cyclists enough
room and stop driving in cycle lanes.

After an accident, one of my clients felt too scared to cycle on the road
and so, as there was no cycle path, she cycled on the pavement - only to be
fined by a traffic warden!

However, cyclists themselves are not faultless either. Some don't help
themselves by failing to wear safety gear, use bicycle lights or stop at red
traffic lights. I was once almost knocked over at a pedestrian crossing,
when a cyclist chose to ignore the red light.

If a cyclist caused an accident or injured someone, the person affected
would not be able to claim back the cost of damage to their vehicle,
compensation or rehabilitation for any injury, as cyclists do not need to be
insured on the road.

I am in full support of any calls to increase the number of cycle lanes and
paths to reduce the number of incidents involving cyclists, but I do think
that the current 30mph limit in built-up areas is inappropriate.

The UK road safety adverts state that if a person is hit at 30mph, there is
an 80% chance they will live. If this speed limit is deemed appropriate in
relation to pedestrians, it is also appropriate for cyclists.

Giro d'Italia Stage 12: Lars Bak attacks from the break for biggestwin of career
 

QUOTE:
Lars Bak of Lotto-Belisol, who twice tried to attack for a solo win
when this year's Giro d'Italia began in his native Denmark, made it
third time lucky today in Sestri Levante this afternoon, attacking his
fellow members of a break away group some two kilometres from the
finish and staying clear by 11 seconds for the biggest win of his
career. FDJ's Sandy Casar was second, with Andrey Amador of Movistar
third. Casar, however, the best placed rider in the break, failed to
become the first Frenchman since Laurent Jalabert in 1999 to wear the
maglia rosa, missing out by 26 seconds as the group containing overall
leader Joaquin Rodriguez of Katusha crossed the line a little over
three and a half minutes behind the winner.

At 155km, today’s stage was a little over 100km shorter than
yesterday’s 258km run in a headwind to Montecatini in Tuscany, won by
Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela's Roberto Ferrari, but what it lacked in
distance it made up for with a tough profile that included four
categorised climbs.

The first of those, La Foce, was encountered around a third of the way
into the stage, after a run along the coast from Seravezza to La
Spezia, home town of Alessandro Petacchi, winner of 22 career Giro
stages but missing from this year’s race.

With a number of teams clearly under orders to try and get men off the
front of the peloton, the going was fast from the very start, with the
first half hour raced at 55 kilometres an hour.

A group of seven riders finally managed to get away shortly before
that first ascent of the afternoon, including breakaway specialist
Casar, winner of three Tour de France stages, who for most of the day
was virtual maglia rosa on the road as the lead stretched out to seven
minutes at one point.

Also in the group, besides Bak, Casar and Amador, were Ivan
Santaromita of BMC Racing, RadioShack-Nissan’s Jan Bakelants, Luca
Mazzanti of Farnese Vini and Omega Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Michal
Golas.

They were subsequently joined by two more riders, Jackson Rodriguez of
Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, and Vacansoleil-DCM's Martijn Keizer,
who for the third time this week managed to be the first rider across
the line at the afternoon's intermediate sprint.

Golas managed to get away from his fellow escapees on the day's
toughest and penultimate ascent, the Category 2 Valico La Mola,
crested some 33 kilometres from the finish. Coming towards the top of
the fourth and final climb, the Villa Tassani, however his eight
pursuers were eating into the advantage he had built, and he was
caught with a little under two kilometres still to go to the summit.

The Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider immediately paid for his earlier
efforts by being shot out of the back of the group as Casar and
Santaromita, the two men who could potentially end the day in the
maglia rosa with the peloton starting that last climb nearly five
minutes back down the road.

Casar led the escapees, by now strung out back down the climb, over
the summit with a technical descent of 11km potentially standing
between him and the maglia rosa, but with the group containing race
leader Joaquin Rodriguez of Katusha making up half a minute on the
escapees on the climb, it was touch and go whether he would arrive in
Sestri Levante with sufficient advantage to take the race lead.

Behind, Paolo Tiralongo of Astana attacked off the front of the main
group, swiftly followed by Lampre-ISD’s Damiano Cunego and the pair
swiftly established a clear gap over the riders behind them, but led
by Rabobank’s Tom Slagter as well as the Liquigas Conondale team
massed at the front of the group, the big names in the GC were soon
back alongside them.

The upping of the pace by the main group to bridge across to Tiralongo
and Cunego ate into some of Casar’s advantage, and he also lost more
seconds as the escapees started playing cat and mouse on the way into
Sestri Levante ahead of Bak’s decisive attack.

Tomorrow's Stage 13 from Savona to Cervere is likely to be the last
chance for the specialised sprinters in this year's race as the Giro
heads into the high mountains at the weekend.

http://road.cc/content/news/58516-gi...est-win-career

--
Simon Mason

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

On Thu, 17 May 2012 16:40:46 +0100, "Mr Benn" wrote:

snip


If a cyclist caused an accident or injured someone, the person affected
would not be able to claim back the cost of damage to their vehicle,
compensation or rehabilitation for any injury, as cyclists do not need to be
insured on the road.


Oh really?

I thought that the cyclists fridge freezer insurance covered them?

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

On Thu, 17 May 2012 16:40:46 +0100, "Mr Benn" wrote:

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Gu...ail/story.html

Beth Jinks, personal injury solicitor for Rothera Dowson, on calls by crash
expert Dr Donal McNally for a 20mph speed limit in built up areas to protect
cyclists...



I see that there is a comment made - I wonder if it is anyone we know:

by NumbNuts2012
Thursday, May 17 2012, 11:12PM

Did the personal injury lawyer really say that :

If a cyclist caused an accident or injured someone, the person affected would
not be able to claim back the cost of damage to their vehicle, compensation or
rehabilitation for any injury, as cyclists do not need to be insured on the
road.

Perhaps it is time to go back to law school.

I am however fed up of being nearly hit by cyclist on the footpath - it is
becoming an all to common occurrence.

Giro d'Italia Stage 12: Lars Bak attacks from the break forbiggest win of career
 

On May 17, 5:59*pm, Simon Mason wrote:


Tomorrow's Stage 13 from Savona to Cervere is likely to be the last
chance for the specialised sprinters in this year's race as the Giro
heads into the high mountains at the weekend.

http://road.cc/content/news/58516-gi...-lars-bak-atta...

It should be a good tussle in the mountains today - I must catch the
highlights when I get home again later on tonight again.
Something to look forward to.

--
Simon Mason

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

Judith wrote (amongst other ****e):
I am however fed up of being nearly hit by cyclist on the footpath - it is
becoming an all to common occurrence.

Exactly. We are all fed up because they keep missing you.

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

On May 17, 4:40*pm, "Mr Benn" wrote:
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Gu...-need-protecti...

Beth Jinks, personal injury solicitor for Rothera Dowson, on calls by crash
expert Dr Donal McNally for a 20mph speed limit in built up areas to protect
cyclists...
------------------------

------/stuff snipped/--------

If a cyclist caused an accident or injured someone, the person affected
would not be able to claim back the cost of damage to their vehicle,
compensation or rehabilitation for any injury, as cyclists do not need to be
insured on the road.

A professional legal adviser? She doesn't know how to write to
anyone other than an insurer?

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

Judith posted the following ****:

I am however fed up of being nearly hit by cyclist on the footpath - it is
becoming an all to common occurrence.

Riding on the pavement must be very dangerous. This common occurrence
has resulted in him not being hit.

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

On Fri, 18 May 2012 00:16:03 -0700 (PDT), Brake Pad
wrote:

Judith wrote (amongst other ****e):
I am however fed up of being nearly hit by cyclist on the footpath - it is
becoming an all to common occurrence.

Exactly. We are all fed up because they keep missing you.


Hello it's Nobhead Lewis:
--
Justin (Nobhead) Lewis has been caught using the following names:
FrontMech
Billsgate
Ricky Bikebloke
Sedentary IgnorantPopulist
J.M.Messie

Jacqueline Lewis-Wintjens
He has denied it. Nobhead Lewis is a liar.

Cyclists should do more to help themselves
 

On May 18, 11:34*am, Brake Pad wrote:
Judith posted the following ****:



I am however fed up of being nearly hit by cyclist on the footpath - it is
becoming an all to common occurrence.

Riding on the pavement must be very dangerous. This common occurrence
has resulted in him not being hit.

Yes something should be done about it. \judith should be made to wear
a licence plate so we can identify it and make better use of spiked-
for-ice tyres.