Would these five changes (in motoring/cycling culture) actually help cyclists?

Would these five changes actually help cyclists?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29894590

With the proviso that cyclists, if they are ever to be equal partners on the road, should immediately reject offers of "help" as if it is charity being distributed... The word wanted here is the verb "benefit".

This is a surprisingly balanced piece from that much-discredited organization, the BBC, which sold out their credibility when they subscribed uncritically to the unscientific religion of global warming. Perhaps there is a tad too much emphasis on what cyclists should do and not enough on what motorists should do (like honour the law, for a start!).

For me the key paragraph in the entire piece is
*****"If we really are serious about trying to make cycling part of our culture, either the cars have to be tamed, or the cyclists have to be segregated," Franklin says.*****

Cycling becomes safer in proportion to the number of cyclists, and for the number of cyclists to increase significantly, the car/driver culture has to be changed, as on the Continent it has been with varying degrees of success, high the closer one comes to the English Channel and the North Sea, declining to zero in Eastern Europe. I don't think bicycle apartheid is either desirable or practicable on the scale we would need to contemplate in order to make cycling a commonplace activity, as in The Netherlands.

Andre Jute
Who gave up the car altogether in 1992...

On 06/11/14 05:26, Andre Jute wrote:
Would these five changes actually help cyclists?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-29894590

With the proviso that cyclists, if they are ever to be equal partners on the road, should immediately reject offers of "help" as if it is charity being distributed... The word wanted here is the verb "benefit".

This is a surprisingly balanced piece from that much-discredited organization, the BBC, which sold out their credibility when they subscribed uncritically to the unscientific religion of global warming. Perhaps there is a tad too much emphasis on what cyclists should do and not enough on what motorists should do (like honour the law, for a start!).

For me the key paragraph in the entire piece is
*****"If we really are serious about trying to make cycling part of our culture, either the cars have to be tamed, or the cyclists have to be segregated," Franklin says.*****

Cycling becomes safer in proportion to the number of cyclists, and for the number of cyclists to increase significantly, the car/driver culture has to be changed, as on the Continent it has been with varying degrees of success, high the closer one comes to the English Channel and the North Sea, declining to zero in Eastern Europe. I don't think bicycle apartheid is either desirable or practicable on the scale we would need to contemplate in order to make cycling a commonplace activity, as in The Netherlands.

Andre Jute
Who gave up the car altogether in 1992...



"Some 44% of fatal cycling accidents are caused by drivers failing to
look properly, according to independent research firm the Transport
Research Laboratory.

So it would appear to make sense for cyclists to be as visible as
possible. Hordes of lycra-clad cyclists in high-vis colours indicate
that many agree."

I'm glad they are not making decisions that affect me.

--
JS

with James wrote:

*SKIP*
"Some 44% of fatal cycling accidents are caused by drivers failing to
look properly, according to independent research firm the Transport
Research Laboratory.

So it would appear to make sense for cyclists to be as visible as
possible. Hordes of lycra-clad cyclists in high-vis colours indicate
that many agree."

I'm glad they are not making decisions that affect me.

Their decisions don't matter:

To stand out, what matters most is the contrast with your background,
says Geffen. And since your background constantly changes, there's no
"best" colour to wear.

And that "police" thing too.

--
Torvalds' goal for Linux is very simple: World Domination
Stallman's goal for GNU is even simpler: Freedom

range bearing ready tube 4

The latter is an intentional imitation popular with cyclists and horse riders.

humor ? Area 51 ?

Per James:
So it would appear to make sense for cyclists to be as visible as
possible.

Both of my recent close calls happened when I was wearing dark green
cargo pants and some sort of drab/dark shirt.

In one, the driver was obviously high.

But in the other the guy chased me down afterwards to apologize
profusely: "Geeze!... I just didn't see you..." - and he was coming out
of a parking lot and I was in the street right in front of him.

Now I have a stack of identical bright red golf shirts and I try to
always be wearing one when I ride. People at the gym probably think
I'm half-senile - coming dressed in the same black shorts and red shirt
every day...
--
Pete Cresswell

RED IS INDICATIVE OF SENILITY

SUB COLOR GREEN ORANGE OR MAYBE ORANGE DAYGLO

GREEN IS POP WITH STREET WORKERS...AND EFFECTIVE.

CAMPMOR IS OUT OF STOCK BUT I HAVE YELLOW CAMPMORS FROM LESOTHO TURN WHITE AS SUNSETS OR GOES IN AND OUT WITH HEADLIGHT STREAMING BY

https://www.google.com/#tbm=shop&q=D...TON+T+SHIR TS

a strobe is best

On Thursday, November 6, 2014 12:11:28 PM UTC, wrote:
range bearing ready tube 4

The latter is an intentional imitation popular with cyclists and horse riders.

humor ? Area 51 ?

WTF? I sometimes wonder if even Daniels knows what it is he intends to say. Do you guys think he's a leftover Flower Child, permanently stoned on bad dope?

I give up.

Andre Jute.

On Thursday, November 6, 2014 10:33:15 AM UTC-5, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per James:
So it would appear to make sense for cyclists to be as visible as
possible.

Both of my recent close calls happened when I was wearing dark green
cargo pants and some sort of drab/dark shirt.

In one, the driver was obviously high.

But in the other the guy chased me down afterwards to apologize
profusely: "Geeze!... I just didn't see you..." - and he was coming out
of a parking lot and I was in the street right in front of him.

Now I have a stack of identical bright red golf shirts and I try to
always be wearing one when I ride. People at the gym probably think
I'm half-senile - coming dressed in the same black shorts and red shirt
every day...
--
Pete Cresswell

I have a slight preference for bright colors when doing utility riding, but
the preference really is slight. My wife once gave me a bright yellow
golf shirt for that specific reason, and if I'm riding to a shop that's
over 10 miles away, I'll often put it on. But honestly, I've never been
able to detect a difference in motorist behavior.

I think prominent lane position is much more effective than bright clothing.
But it certainly doesn't hurt to do both.

- Frank Krygowski

bright day glo colors are not natural colors off the landscape or generally not auto colors either and in that we may spec day glo's as colors MOVING in the landscape. But the strobe excels in movement, no ?

again, I was on the scene here with day glo from square one. We have a State and fed reged new street/highway system built to over accommodate growth.

I added a day glo orange circle abt 5" diameter to the front eflector mount.

word came thru that the circle increased visibility from .25 to5 miles thus increasing response time for old age nervous systems we have here

day glow green or chartreuse is now common during the last year or 2.

Jute assumes what from what ?

On Thu, 6 Nov 2014 11:19:48 -0800 (PST), Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On Thursday, November 6, 2014 10:33:15 AM UTC-5, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per James:
So it would appear to make sense for cyclists to be as visible as
possible.

Both of my recent close calls happened when I was wearing dark green
cargo pants and some sort of drab/dark shirt.

In one, the driver was obviously high.

But in the other the guy chased me down afterwards to apologize
profusely: "Geeze!... I just didn't see you..." - and he was coming out
of a parking lot and I was in the street right in front of him.

Now I have a stack of identical bright red golf shirts and I try to
always be wearing one when I ride. People at the gym probably think
I'm half-senile - coming dressed in the same black shorts and red shirt
every day...
--
Pete Cresswell

I have a slight preference for bright colors when doing utility riding, but
the preference really is slight. My wife once gave me a bright yellow
golf shirt for that specific reason, and if I'm riding to a shop that's
over 10 miles away, I'll often put it on. But honestly, I've never been
able to detect a difference in motorist behavior.

I think prominent lane position is much more effective than bright clothing.
But it certainly doesn't hurt to do both.

- Frank Krygowski

Lane position may, or may not, be important but my observations are
that a bright colored jersey does make one far more noticeable then
darker colors. Wearing black tights and a dark colored jersey is not
uncommon here and I've often noticed that someone with black tights
and a dark jersey is far less visible than a chap with bright colors.

--
Cheers,

John B.