I bought an e-scooter in June and it’s changed my whole perspective. I didn’t realize just how careless drivers are before nor the extent to which people simply don’t see us. Not to give drivers an out, but I don’t think people’s peripheral vision is developed well for anything that isn’t the size of a car.
My city has lots of protected bike lanes but one still has to be careful because someone rolling out of McDonald’s may be more focused on their burger or drink than you crossing the bike lane. It’s common for homeless people to be strolling into my lane, locked into their cell phone’s screen, and there are even people who’ve fallen asleep in the lane. I always stop to make sure they’re okay.
Also, last week, I had two separate incidents where I needed to use the main roads and people driving the other way, with me safely in my own lane mind you, decided to yell at me or honk incessantly, apparently angered that I was on the road at all. It was jarring and I wasn’t expecting it after using the main roads safely for two months. (My scooter goes 30mph, so speed-wise it’s not an impediment to cars.) I’ve always gotten in the lane I need to be in and stayed there, but I’m going to stay to the right from now on any time I have to use the main roads, even though I shouldn’t have to.
Essentially, yes, fuck cars. And people.
It shouldn’t be 100% on me or anyone else on two wheels to ensure safety, but at least here in the US the car culture is so pervasive that it is 100% on me to be aware and if someone hits me it’ll just be presumed to be my fault.
You shouldn’t ride in a bike lane on the left side of the road. You should only ever ride in a bike lane on the right side of the road. I know that people like to walk on the left for safety, but this isn’t that.
One of the best reasons is simply other cyclists who would be trying to use the lane correctly. There usually isn’t enough room to safely pass by eachother. So someone going the wrong way doesn’t work.
Z, you’re not understanding. I know how lanes and directions work.
I’m referring to when I don’t have a bike lane and have to use the main roads. I get in the lane I ultimately will need to turn from, which until last week felt like the safest idea, but not anymore.
Can’t exactly go 30 mph on sidewalks.
It’s generally safer to perform a hook turn when turning across traffic (turning left for you, since you’re in the U.S.). By doing so, you always stay in the outside lane. In Japan, all cyclists and scooters must perform hook turns by law. Is this not common in the US?
I don’t know about the US but in the UK a lot of road layouts actively prevent hook turns, so you either cycle in the outside lane or dismount and use the pedestrian crossings (if they exist).
I don’t mean to sound argumentative but I can’t imagine how the layout could prevent a hook turn. Are there physical barriers? I’m genuinely curious.
We also have the option to cross by walking across the crosswalks, but many have a space for bicycles, so it is ok to cycle across (but if on a scooter, you must walk it).
In addition, I forgot to mention that hook turns are only mandatory here for roads which are larger than one lane in each direction.
Yeah, small island that splits the lanes into left and right/straight on. Like this circled section, but mirrored because we drive on the left. I believe they’re intended to increase traffic throughput as many of the islands are also pedestrian crossings and the lights around the junction are staggered so there’s always at least 1 active lane and 1 active pedestrian crossing. I don’t think they’re quite continuous flow intersections, but very similar. We don’t have many traditional 4 way stops, they’re usually replaced with these things or roundabouts.
Ah I see. Yeah slip lanes for turning would stuff up a hook turn. Makes sense. Thanks for the clear explanation.
Yea, that’s not safe. It makes you much more vulnerable to getting into an accident with another user. People honking at you are probably trying to let you know being on the wrong side of the road is not safe.
Careless people making a right turn onto your road don’t think to check if there is wrong way traffic coming from the bike lane to their right. They mostly look left to see if traffic is coming from the left and then they pull out. Going 30mph against the flow of traffic is a recipe for disaster.
Never mind. Clearly you’re just not reading what I’m writing. Good day.
It’s not peripheral vision that’s the problem. Is that cars and trucks have become armored mini tanks as the size=safe race has escalated.
You can’t see shit out of most modern vehicles for the last 20 years. Add to that the 30% of the population that apparently can’t look away from their phones for more that 3 minutes and biking near traffic has become too risky for me most hours of the day.
Fair points all around.
My city has lots of protected bike lanes but one still has to be careful because someone rolling out of McDonald’s WILL be more focused on their burger or drink than you crossing the bike lane. Every single one, every single day. Even the ones you expect to know better, like ambulances. And my city allegedly has some of the best cycling infrastructure in the UK.
You see the fact that the cyclist had two lights confused the driver and the only logical choice was to run them over.
You can say “slaughter” but “murder” means something specific and this isn’t it.
Eh, I hear you, but here in FuckCars, the mens rea is driving two tons of lethal metal, mistakes are on you buddy.
Yeah, but you’re in one of the most hyperbolic communities on Lemmy, why are you expecting level-headedness? In here, every fender bender is a violent assault.
You’re saying this on a post about someone who literally died
It’s just “a fender bender” to only one of the parties. Beautiful display of the no fucks given attitude that’s all too common on the road.
I don’t see this as a failure of the driver or cyclist. It’s a failure of infrastructure and policy.
This is why separate bicycle infrastructure exists in civilized countries. It’s better and safer for both drivers and cyclists.
If you want to blame someone, blame government. They know this, they want to sell cars because that’s what they are paid to do.
You can absolutely blame the driver. I’m a cyclist but I drive too. I’ve never felt like infrastructure has put me in a position where I am forced to kill a a cyclist. There needs to me more strict testing for drivers and fewer people should be allowed to drive.
It sounds like the suspension of the prison term isn’t a special case, and he also can’t drive for 3 years. I don’t think this is especially favoritism for drivers over cyclists. Sounds like a normal accident with a reasonable sentence for that country for an accidental death
Wade was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to undertake 200 hours of unpaid community work.
Noting that the incident did not involve alcohol, drugs, phone use, or racing, judge Nadim explained that, following Wade’s early guilty plea, the appropriate prison term was 10 months. However, new sentencing guidelines meant that any jail time under 12 months would result in a suspended sentence, “unless there were exceptional circumstances”.
I would very much like to know what the sentencing guidelines are for negligent homicide in circumstances other than driving.
Speaking in court, judge Ahmed Nadim said Wade would have had eight or nine seconds to see Mr Nash
Other motorists using the road at the time told North Yorkshire Police that they had seen the cyclist, but Wade informed officers that he had “no idea how he hadn’t seen him”.
Noting that the incident did not involve alcohol, drugs, phone use, or racing
Mhhmm. No phone huh?
By definition murder needs to premediated. If it is not then it is manslaughter.
*premeditated, also there’s a whole world outside of the US, and US law is a really fucking bad baseline for good law regardless. Because the US is a backward shithole run by children.
What law do you specifically think is a bad baseline for good law?
Shut up nerd
I think that’s a US thing.
The UK requires intent to kill or greviously injure, which was also missing in this case.
