Cyclists' Safety in the light of Burry and other's recent deaths - Merged Thread.

[(Deon)]

Accountability towards the person breaking the.....ag don't worry you don't get it.

 

Dude, I am not picking on your or anything but do I feel a certain responsibility towards riders so i try to make a point for the best, lawful solution. Why? Because when we get to speaking to other parties, we cannot be to blame for the same disregard for rules.. That becomes a stalemate and progress will be slow! I hope you understand.

 

Complete your sentence above and see what I am saying..

[fandacious]

kinda relevant here

 

the taxi turned left and collided with burry in the emergency lane. The only way this could have happened is if burry was on the wrong side of the road.

 

Or have I got my facts wrong?

 

please dont get me wrong - I'm immensely saddened by what happened. However people are baying for the taxi drivers blood, and if the above version is indeed what happened, then I would unfortunately have to say the taxi driver is not at fault...

 

 

After the jonkershoek memorial ride, 95% of cyclists didnt bother stopping @ the red robots. Seriously? I think we are our own worst enemy

Edited January 7, 2013 by fandacious

[gogo@]

To the OP, Molifi, I hope what most people are saying here has convinced you. It might seem like a good idea when you start out, especially if you come from a road running background but really, it's the scariest and most dangerous way to cycle if you face the on-coming traffic! It's not just that you're breaking a law, but that, if you try it enough, you'll see why it's law. By then most likely it will be too late for you.

Join a club or find a friend (with experience) to ride with or just stick to very quiet roads until you become more confident and used to it.

Just a few pointers that might help:

Don't cycle too close to the gutter, don't ride too far out in the road.

Keep your ears and eyes open, watch out for car doors cos people like to park off, lurking, waiting for you to come past and at that moment open the door in front of you (!) so keep about a metre away.

Watch what's going on in parked cars as you pass, you'll see if someone is about to get out or pull out into the road. Watching the driver's side front wheel to see if it turns also helps.

Don't focus on just the car next to you, be aware of the rest around you. You'll develop a good sense of what's going on behind you without looking just by the sound of tyres, gear changes, that kind of thing.

Don't rely on people indicating, and if you see a car swing a bit to the left, don't always expect it to go left. People often do that just before turning right for some bizarre reason.

Others can add if they want, these are a few of the things I can think of that I do straight off.

From some of the reactions here I'm sure guys who are cycling a about f are doing this just because they are scared. There's reason to be cautious, but not scared, UNLESS you are riding into the on-coming traffic.

[Da Vinci]

Off the topic, but have a look at this advert and think about (1) how few road deaths there are in Aussie and (2) how all road users in this country need to become more considerate of each other.

 

This is an eXtremely well made (Australian) commercial...

One of the most intense (gut-wrenching) I've seen.

Fact is, only the "tell it like it is" campaigns really ever impact.

Even then, people often think - and say; "It'll never happen to me..."

If THIS doesn't save lives, I'll be surprised - disappointed too of course.

(I'll leave it up to you to share, in turn)

Eish - not for sensitive viewers but wow that must hit home to a lot of ppl...

 

 

 

Take a look...

CLICK ON:

 

DUI

[Big H*]

 

 

Not to be picky here, but it's "an inability to spell" and "if it becomes too much"

 

So Legend you noticed

[TNT1]

After the jonkershoek memorial ride, 95% of cyclists didnt bother stopping @ the red robots. Seriously? I think we are our own worst enemy

 

Hahahaha!

[fandacious]

Hahahaha!

 

"**** cars - they dont respect us! **** the taxis! **** the driver who killed burry. Lets not stop at red robots or obey traffic rules"

 

then stop whining when you get taken out

[Guest Just plain Crazy]

ok, only read the first few pages as the same material seems to get rehashed over and over, but my 2c worth....The way I feel is that if I was on a bicycle or motorbike, whether I am in the right or not, I am the one that will end up worse off in the event of an accident, so I will be extra careful.

As a driver of a car, I have not had too many incidents with cyclists on the road, but have had many with motorbikes.. Then you have the "Think Bike" whiners. Poor us.. you horrid drivers, and then they (not all) do stupid things on the roads that end up getting them killed.

So, in agreement with a lot on this thread, no matter what our mode of Transport, when you have tar under your wheel, be defensive, be considerate and be alert. There are a lot of stupid people out there.

[Iwan Kemp]

We are allowed to ride in the lane! Nowhere does it state in the road regulations that we should ride in the emergency lane as this is against the law!

You are correct in saying we are allowed to ride in the lane. BUT if you can cycle in the yellow lane then why not? Your RIGHT to cycle in a lane will get you nowhere once a motorist has smacked into you from behind. That is the point. We have to learn that the fact we have RIGHT doesn't mean we should exercise it if could be detrimental to our safety.

 

We also have to understand how the brain works. 9 out of 10 times it won't recognize a cyclist because it's not processing your outlines or shape. It recognizes cars, bakkies and trucks almost exclusively. Not all motorists, but most. Ask any motorbiker what it's like to see how a motorist is looking straight at you, but then still cross the road at an intersection straight in front of you. Most of the time you can actually see they had no idea you where coming straight at them. The brain recognize a shape and process that as relevant info. The eye sends PLENTY of info through the whole time. It sends the full view through the brain process what it needs.

 

Yes, unless he is busy passing slower vehicles he is wrong. If there are 4 lanes and there are no other vehicles around, even if you are travelling at 120km/hr or above you should be in the left hand lane. if the vehicle in the left most lane is doing 80, the one in the next lane is at 90 then a vehicle going at 100 may pass the vehicle at 90 in the right hand lane, BUT ALL SHOULD MOVE LEFT AGAIN AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

 

The average South African thinks it's a "slow" "medium" and "fast" lane - utterly incorrect. Vehicles sitting at 100 in the middle lane when the left lane is clear are just as wrong as the vehicle sitting in the right hand lane "because I'm doing 120".

 

KEEP left. PASS right.

Absolutely correct.

[MintSauce]

kinda relevant here

 

the taxi turned left and collided with burry in the emergency lane. The only way this could have happened is if burry was on the wrong side of the road.

 

Or have I got my facts wrong?

 

 

From what I've heard, the taxi was turning right accross Burry's path

[Kranswurm]

From what I've heard, the taxi was turning right accross Burry's path

 

This is correct

The taxi was travelling towards him

Somewhere there is a pic of the road and junction

[Cheese]

kinda relevant here

 

the taxi turned left and collided with burry in the emergency lane. The only way this could have happened is if burry was on the wrong side of the road.

 

Or have I got my facts wrong?

 

please dont get me wrong - I'm immensely saddened by what happened. However people are baying for the taxi drivers blood, and if the above version is indeed what happened, then I would unfortunately have to say the taxi driver is not at fault...

 

 

After the jonkershoek memorial ride, 95% of cyclists didnt bother stopping @ the red robots. Seriously? I think we are our own worst enemy

. Two Things from report i read they were traveling North, both the taxi and Burry, the taxi turned left. Burry not on wrong side of road but on the left hand side next to the taxi.

 

When we did our ride Saturday morning I rode with a new group that trained before the Memorial in Bloem.

 

At one stage where there was no shoulder the guys were riding three abreast, we shouted from the back cars coming but this did not change the behaviour of the guys in front of us.

 

That is one of reasons that i mainly cycle on my own or small groups.

 

The riders in these big groups feel to confident on the raod and do not give was to cars.

[BigGuy]

Was travelling yesterday on the N4 highway from Pretoria to Witbank. I encountered 4 road cyclists at Donkerhoek at around 11h45, cycling in the direction of oncoming traffic. I could not make out any particular team kit but they did not look like novices. Immense stupidity.

[TNT1]

From what I've heard, the taxi was turning right accross Burry's path

This is correct

The taxi was travelling towards him

 

. Two Things from report i read they were traveling North, both the taxi and Burry, the taxi turned left.

 

 

 

I confuse...

Edited January 7, 2013 by TNT1

[Greg29]

Have to add....

This morning on my way to NF (by car), Andrew McClean and a bunch of Cycle Lab riders (red kits) were riding in a bunch on Cedar road just before the Sasol Garage. 3 riders next to each other at some point.

 

Guys, there is a yellow lane of some sort, single file please. Stick to it.

I expected more from organised rides and experienced riders.

 

Andrew, if you read this, and feel I'm being unfair, PM me, I'll happily provide my mobile nr so we can discuss.

 

Sadly I've seen the MTN groups riding 3-4 abreast more times than I care to remember.

[Wannabe]

. Two Things from report i read they were traveling North, both the taxi and Burry, the taxi turned left. Burry not on wrong side of road but on the left hand side next to the taxi.

 

When we did our ride Saturday morning I rode with a new group that trained before the Memorial in Bloem.

 

At one stage where there was no shoulder the guys were riding three abreast, we shouted from the back cars coming but this did not change the behaviour of the guys in front of us.

 

That is one of reasons that i mainly cycle on my own or small groups.

 

The riders in these big groups feel to confident on the raod and do not give was to cars.

 

Was in Bloem on Saturday, wanted to join you guys, but family had other plans already.