Cyclist education

"Bleve" == Bleve writes:

Bleve I'm not really sure that education actually makes that much
Bleve difference. Does sending a car driver off to do an advanced
Bleve driving course make them more or less of a dangerous idiot on
Bleve the roads, or more or less an arrogant hoon?

The point is that at least a car driver has the option of an advanced
driving course.

The perception is that cycling requires very little skill, after all
any child can ride a bike! While that is true, there's a huge
difference between riding a bike and riding safely.

There are cyclists out there who have been riding for years doing
dangerous things like riding in the gutter, weaving in and out of parked
cars, cycling in the door zone etc etc.

It wouldn't take much to fix the most common mistakes, an advertising
campaign telling cyclists to ride a metre out from the kerb, a doors
width from parked cars, maintain a steady line, be predictable etc etc.

You've got a double whammy right there; not only will cyclists be
educated, motorists will be too.
--
Cheers | ~~ __@
Euan | ~~ _-\,
Melbourne, Australia | ~ (*)/ (*)

Skills courses for cyclists do exist but on an ad hoc basis, there is a
good one in Tasmania run by CyclingSouth and others across the country.


It is hard getting bike riders to realise that the skill and
confidence will revolutionise their cycling ability.

The Bicycle Federation of Australia has a committee looking at a
Nationwide syllabus and assesment procedure much the same as exists in
the UK.

Meanwhile read and promote to all your cycling mates John Franklins
"Cyclecraft"

CC


--
cogcontrol

Euan wrote:
"Bleve" == Bleve writes:

Bleve I'm not really sure that education actually makes that much
Bleve difference. Does sending a car driver off to do an advanced
Bleve driving course make them more or less of a dangerous idiot on
Bleve the roads, or more or less an arrogant hoon?

The point is that at least a car driver has the option of an advanced
driving course.

So do riders, they have to look for them though (but, so do drivers!).
Have a look through any of the bicycling magazines, Kathy Watt's ads
are in there.

There's also bike-ed at schools, BV runs cycling courses ... etc

The perception is that cycling requires very little skill, after all
any child can ride a bike! While that is true, there's a huge
difference between riding a bike and riding safely.

We agree on this, certainly.

There are cyclists out there who have been riding for years doing
dangerous things like riding in the gutter, weaving in and out of parked
cars, cycling in the door zone etc etc.

Yep, and drivers who drive like idiots too. Lots of them. They've all
got licences (well, most anyway ...) and had to pass a test. The art
to passing tests is far seperated from the art of applying the things
tested for.

It wouldn't take much to fix the most common mistakes, an advertising
campaign telling cyclists to ride a metre out from the kerb, a doors
width from parked cars, maintain a steady line, be predictable etc etc.

The thing is, that it's not skills that are the problem, it's
attitudes. I think, anyway. The problem is the same with any
transport - you get people who want to travel safely, and they usually
do, then you get the dickheads who think they're better than everyone,
who drive/ride with scant regards to the road laws and safety
principles. These are the ones who are a problem, and short of some
form of legalised euthanasia, there's not much you can do about them.
The safest socially acceptable solution is to seperate them from their
weapon of choice, or if not possible, seperate them from more
vulnerable road users.
You'll find these people claiming over and over that the speed limit
isn't the problem it's bad drivers/cars/brakes, that speed cameras are
revinue raisers etc, they think they're above the rules designed to try
and keep everyone from harming eachother.


You've got a double whammy right there; not only will cyclists be
educated, motorists will be too.

If only it was so cheap and easy

Euan wrote:

"Bleve" == Bleve writes:

Bleve I'm not really sure that education actually makes that much
Bleve difference. Does sending a car driver off to do an advanced
Bleve driving course make them more or less of a dangerous idiot on
Bleve the roads, or more or less an arrogant hoon?

The point is that at least a car driver has the option of an advanced
driving course.

The perception is that cycling requires very little skill, after all
any child can ride a bike! While that is true, there's a huge
difference between riding a bike and riding safely.

There are cyclists out there who have been riding for years doing
dangerous things like riding in the gutter, weaving in and out of parked
cars, cycling in the door zone etc etc.

It wouldn't take much to fix the most common mistakes, an advertising
campaign telling cyclists to ride a metre out from the kerb, a doors
width from parked cars, maintain a steady line, be predictable etc etc.

You've got a double whammy right there; not only will cyclists be
educated, motorists will be too.

I think that one of the best tools for educating cyclists is good road
engineering. Well designed roads will do a lot to inform cyclists about
how to use them.

At present we have roads that provide no space for cyclists, unless they
are willing and confident enough to take a traffic lane. I can't see my
75 year old mother riding a tricycle out in the middle of a traffic lane
on Parramatta Road, but I'm sure she'd be confident to ride on a
segregated bikelane along the left.

Peter

--
Peter McCallum
Mackay Qld AUSTRALIA

Typical current Vic timeline...

3-6yr old gets first bike, learns to ride
6-11yr old rides around freely with friends, perhaps even to school,
etc
Child turns 12. By law child must now ride on road.
However child has no apparent need to learn relevant laws/road-rules
nor HOW to ride on road.
12-18yr olds invariably ride less due to this (in part)
Turns 18yr old. Gets licence whilst learning all the relevant road laws
and how to drive on them.

WHAT IF...

ALL kids at 10-11yrs HAD to go thru a compulsory bike-Ed programme at
school and get tested with riding on the road as a key component?

POSSIBLE RESULTs?
Healthier Kids
Less Peak Hour Traffic
More funds in families to buy Plasma TVs
Better cycling awareness avross our community
When these kids turn 18 and learn to become drivers they have now had a
possible 7 years' road education, be far safer drivers and be far more
cyclist aware.

not sure about the Plasma TV bit tho...


--
flyingdutch

Peter McCallum Wrote:

The perception is that cycling requires very little skill, after all
any child can ride a bike! While that is true, there's a huge
difference between riding a bike and riding safely.


Precisely. Also for anyone interested, take a look at:
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Practic...ng/VCIntro.htm
http://www.johnforester.com/

It's way overdue for cycling advocacy groups & government orgs to
seriously consider adult cycling competency. And I don't mean bicycle
reg*str*t*on either.


*ducks for cover back into the bunker until Friday afternoon*


--
cfsmtb

flyingdutch wrote:
Typical current Vic timeline...

3-6yr old gets first bike, learns to ride
6-11yr old rides around freely with friends, perhaps even to school,
etc
Child turns 12. By law child must now ride on road.
However child has no apparent need to learn relevant laws/road-rules
nor HOW to ride on road.
12-18yr olds invariably ride less due to this (in part)
Turns 18yr old. Gets licence whilst learning all the relevant road laws
and how to drive on them.

WHAT IF...

ALL kids at 10-11yrs HAD to go thru a compulsory bike-Ed programme at
school and get tested with riding on the road as a key component?

I did when I was a kid. NFI as to how old I was, but we got bussed off
to one of those mini road places and taught road rules etc .. and it
would have been primary school. I didn't get tested ... but did get
taught.

I ride past one of those traffic schools most days, on Whitehorse Rd,
it's always got kids being taught to ride and understand traffic.

cfsmtb Wrote:
Precisely. Also for anyone interested, take a look at:
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Practic...ng/VCIntro.htm
http://www.johnforester.com/

It's way overdue for cycling advocacy groups & government orgs to
seriously consider adult cycling competency. And I don't mean bicycle
reg*str*t*on either.


*ducks for cover back into the bunker until Friday afternoon*

so how would people feel about cyclist licencing?
I aint advocating it, nor rego, but at the mo what happens if someone
gets hit/hurt whatever and they invariably have no ID on them?


--
flyingdutch

Peter McCallum Wrote:

The perception is that cycling requires very little skill, after all
any child can ride a bike! While that is true, there's a huge
difference between riding a bike and riding safely.


no I didn't
--
Peter McCallum
Mackay Qld AUSTRALIA

cfsmtb wrote:
Precisely. Also for anyone interested, take a look at:
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Practic...ng/VCIntro.htm
http://www.johnforester.com/

It's way overdue for cycling advocacy groups & government orgs to
seriously consider adult cycling competency. And I don't mean bicycle
reg*str*t*on either.


*ducks for cover back into the bunker until Friday afternoon*

Forester has done as much for cycling as Donald Rumsfeld has done for
peace in Iraq.

[opens the valve in the oil pipeline right next to your bunker]

p
--
Peter McCallum
Mackay Qld AUSTRALIA