Getting knocked down

[gogo@]

What about runners? They sometimes do 20km/h or even 25?

How can you not have space when facing the traffic but not when going with it? Space on the side of the road is space does not matter if you are facing North or South

 

 

How often do you or most people here get above 25 km/h in traffic?

I don't know that it's worth debating the finer details of stupidity. But since I got into this, just think:

Space on the side of the road is not empty (!!!) and as was said above cyclists have ways of claiming/managing that space and using all senses (common included) to stay as safe as possible in it. Motorists have more time to react to you being in it too if you cycle with the traffic.

Does the average runner do 25km/hr??

If you run facing oncoming traffic and need to avoid a car, how easy is it to jump onto the pavement/ out the way... is it the same on a bike?

Do this experiment, if you're in an argumentative frame of mind: measure the distance it takes to take this kind of manouvre and compare to distance it takes a runner to do same. Factor in the bike's wheelbase in your comparison. And assume your bunny hops are top class and that there's no pedestrian on pavement (or other obstacle). Make your own deduction.

I don't know about others but I'm a bottom-feeder cyclist and regularly get above 25km/hr in traffic. My routes in and out of town clock close on 60 going downhill.

You want to agree with the OP? Go for it. As I said before, if this was such a good idea it would have been law already.

[Minion]

I do a lot of road riding and a fair amount of it in traffic. Just the way you interact with the traffic and the way our entire road system is set up would make it very difficult to ride on the wrong side of the road.

 

Say I want to turn left.

Riding on the left, I stick out my left hand to signal and then go round the corner.

Riding on the right, I'd need to find a gap in oncoming traffic to move over to the centre of the road. If one of those cars want to give me a gap so I can move over, he basically has to stop. It would be a very hairy affair trying to do this on a multi-lane road since you can't really do it one lane at a time. Once in the middle, I'd need to get across moving traffic coming from behind me. Few of those cars will be looking out for a vehicle trying to move from the right hand side of the road to the left. I would also need to be careful of cars turning right, since I'd be crossing their path. Finally, I need to look out for cars coming out of the road that I want to turn in to.

 

Say I want to turn right.

Riding on the left, I stick out my right hand to signal, check for traffic and start moving across the road. On a multi-lane road, I can do this one lane at a time - especially if the cars are slowing down for a traffic light. If a car wants to let me in, they can simply lift off the throttle for a bit to give me space or can change lanes around me. Once in the middle, I look for a gap in oncoming traffic and cross. Even better if there's a turning arrow. I don't need to worry about cars in the lane I'm leaving, and I don't need to worry about cars in the road I'm going into.

Riding on the right, I just turn right, but need to watch out for cars coming out of the road I'm going into since they're likely not going to be looking in my direction.

 

Riding around taxis also makes things difficult. If I'm 10m from a taxi and he suddenly decides to stop in the yellow line, at 36km/h I'll have 1s to react from the time he stops.

Coming from behind, I'd see his brake lights before that, giving me more time. If I suddenly having to swing into the lane next to me, the car 40m behind the taxi, at 72km/h has 2s to react to the taxi and 2s to react to me. If he does hit me, the impact will be equivalent to one at 36km/h - below the NCAP pedestrian safety test speed.

Coming from the front, I have 1s to react to the taxi. The car coming behind the taxi has only 0.667s to react to me. The impact will be equivalent to one at 108km/h - almost 3x the NCAP pedestrian safety test speed.

 

In the first scenario, you're less likely to be hit and more likely to survive if you are. In the second you're more likely to get hit and less likely to survive when you do.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Me? I would have taken his force number and a copy of the most recent RTA and laid a charge with the ICD.

 

I think he actually meant well, it was really busy and trucks were screaming up and down the road, maybe he just thought it was better or safer.

[Slowbee]

report on this thread noted

 

bit of an out of place topic. But ja.

[TNT1]

report on this thread noted

 

OMG. Was I reported again?

[Tiny K]

OMG. Was I reported again?

 

Again?! Have you been reported before? :lol: :lol:

 

I agree that the OP's idea will only work with runners - cyclist are too 'large' to simply 'move out of the way'.

 

Also, if you are wanting laws to be put in place, and existing laws to be more strictly enforced, you need to obey the rules of the road.....

[TNT1]

Again?! Have you been reported before?

 

I could write a book...

[gogo@]

report on this thread noted

 

bit of an out of place topic. But ja.

But if this is what people think (and do) why not have this discussion out in the open??

Or what? What was the thread reported for?

[Tiny K]

I could write a book...

 

I like books. They make great ornaments..... can't remember when last I read one though. Got given 'the long way down' two years back as a birthday present. It shifts between the study and my bedside kassie drawer..

[TNT1]

I like books. They make great ornaments..... can't remember when last I read one though. Got given 'the long way down' two years back as a birthday present. It shifts between the study and my bedside kassie drawer..

 

 

That's sad. I'm almost done with a Dean Koontz triple play. Three books for the price of one. Real good bog reads.

[Tiny K]

That's sad. I'm almost done with a Dean Koontz triple play. Three books for the price of one. Real good bog reads.

 

I don't read on the bog, I have epiphanies - and then call the wife to tell her about it. Much more efficient time management :lol:

[TNT1]

I don't read on the bog, I have epiphanies - and then call the wife to tell her about it. Much more efficient time management :lol:

Nah, I read, I try and alternate between mindless cr@p, and something worthwhile, like the karma sutra. For the epiphanies, I use the house's wireless to talk form my android to the wife's android...

[The Drongo]

I like books. They make great ornaments..... can't remember when last I read one though. Got given 'the long way down' two years back as a birthday present. It shifts between the study and my bedside kassie drawer..

 

 

That's sad. I'm almost done with a Dean Koontz triple play. Three books for the price of one. Real good bog reads.

 

 

For when Men were Men, an' didn't worry about the size of their ponies...

[TNT1]

 

For when Men were Men, an' didn't worry about the size of their ponies...

 

Nah, I studied JM Coetzee.. Everything else seems to pale in comparison.

[The Drongo]

Nah, I studied JM Coetzee.. Everything else seems to pale in comparison.

 

Uh, dude! Not even in the same genre. One was a Bosman with nuts, the other is a hermit who lives on nuts!

 

You still drinking through that straw?

[TNT1]

 

 

You still drinking through that straw?

 

Yip. Till saturday morning.

 

Although now it's not beer, it's Frankie's Cinnamon Cola and Brandy. So feel free to disregard any comment I make