How to stop the Cycling Carnage on SA's roads?

[Bateleur1]

Or we can do as the PPA suggests and not go outside. Rob is going to love this one

 

 

If the PPA ran an anti rape campaign:

 

"Dear Rape victims, maybe you shouldn't wear skirts and walk around after dark"

 

That is what I have a huge issue with PPA.  So we as Hub jury should not say much about the next idiot cycling on the highway ... hey, it is a wide non twisty road with a fat yellow lane .... what could possibly go wrong.  Idiots.

[Patchelicious]

Holy cow!!

 

[Bateleur1]

Holy cow!!

 

     

[Slowbee]

trying to figure out the logic here.

 

the guy is cycling in the lane to avoid cars that turn left. no problem there. but he does not even bother to look over his shoulder to change lanes.

 

It would have been better to be in the left lane, stick out the right an arm out to say you are NOT turning left, but going straight, look over the right shoulder for cars turning left, that way you only have to worry about cars coming from one direction.

[Icycling]

As a cyclist when behind the wheel of my car - I try and lead by example. So if I am coming up to a cyclist I slow down and put my right indicator on - The car behind thus will not try and overtake, then I wait until can pass preferable in a separate lane (not just 1.5m) and indicate to come back in (not sure if this is a good idea as the cyclist may feel I am turn left - so try keep this to a short indication).

 

When coming up to a red traffic light / stop street and there are cyclist in front of me I don't just try and overtake them, I wait, after all I would be overtaking to stop anyway - why make the road more risky than needed.

 

What is amassing is that in the example above - I notice - at least the car behind me then also give more room than normal / show more tolerance. Same trick I use on the free ways - drive in left lane and over take in right - it's quite amassing to see how then cars behind also pull off to left after they have done there overtaking procedure.

 

Most people are just very lazy and cannot be bothered to follow the rules of the road but when the right example is set then they often try and and follow the example.

 

Bottom line is when we cyclist are in our motor cars we need to show how to treat cyclist to other road uses - unfortunately the lack of tolerance I have seen with motorist going to Tokai forest with bicycles on the roof or back of their cars - towards other cyclist (not passing at 1m etc) is unbelievable - so if cyclist in their motor cars are brushing past cyclist - what the general population going to do? Likewise when I use to go to road funride the amount of cyclist in their cars just driving in the far right lane also was unbelievable - always said if these cyclist cycle the way the drive - I am surprised that more of them have not been knocked over. 

[Gen]

trying to figure out the logic here.

 

the guy is cycling in the lane to avoid cars that turn left. no problem there. but he does not even bother to look over his shoulder to change lanes.

 

It would have been better to be in the left lane, stick out the right an arm out to say you are NOT turning left, but going straight, look over the right shoulder for cars turning left, that way you only have to worry about cars coming from one direction.

The issues is it happened at stage today, Tour of Good Hope ITT.

 

 

Organisers can't seem to keep riders safe during an event.

 

 

Road closures, marshals..seem to be MIA

[Slowbee]

The issues is it happened at stage today, Tour of Good Hope ITT.

 

 

Organisers can't seem to keep riders safe during an event.

 

 

Road closures, marshals..seem to be MIA

, ok, that is a different dynamic. Bad form on the organisers part - but as has been said on various other threads, when conditions are like this, you need to look after yourself.

[clivem]

Holy cow!!

 

https://twitter.com/rohanduplooy/status/83902597045990605

 Must have been very scary for the cyclist.  However can the blame be put squarely on the race organisors, as alluded to in some tweets?  

 

Considering the following, perhaps not:

 

1.  How could the lorry driver be expected to see the cyclist in front of a car riding on the right hand side of the road?  The follow car was blocking his vision.  This is probably acceptable in this race or possibly not if there isn't full road closure.  He could therefore never have anticipated the cyclist entering his lane from the right.

 

2.  The driver of the follow car's primary objective here should be looking out for any road hazards which could affect the safety of his rider.  This is because there are many accidents on SA roads, and that's just common sense.  It appears that the drive only saw the lorry when it was alongside his car, far too late (possibly due to what is said in 3 below).  The driver should have entered the left lane before/with the cyclist, and hopefully would have picked up the lorry's position and potential risk then.

 

3.  The driver of the follow car should not have been filming his rider while driving the vehicle, which appears to be what occurred here.  It seems that the driver therefore prejudices the rider's safety by rather filming his form, pedal stroke or whatever.  

 

The lorry driver seems to have reacted quickly by braking when he saw the cyclist suddenly appear in front of him and thereby avoid a collission.

[Bateleur1]

, ok, that is a different dynamic. Bad form on the organisers part - but as has been said on various other threads, when conditions are like this, you need to look after yourself.

 

You also got to keep in mind, we have European riders who participate.  Those oaks put alot of trust in motorists obeying the law, especially an organised event.  People here do not look over their shoulder again and again before changing lanes. They stick out their hand to signal and go.  Dangerous practise in SA though even in organised events.

[Gen]

Must have been very scary for the cyclist. However can the blame be put squarely on the race organisors, as alluded to in some tweets?

 

Considering the following, perhaps not:

 

1. How could the lorry driver be expected to see the cyclist in front of a car riding on the right hand side of the road? The follow car was blocking his vision. This is probably acceptable in this race or possibly not if there isn't full road closure. He could therefore never have anticipated the cyclist entering his lane from the right.

 

2. The driver of the follow car's primary objective here should be looking out for any road hazards which could affect the safety of his rider. This is because there are many accidents on SA roads, and that's just common sense. It appears that the drive only saw the lorry when it was alongside his car, far too late (possibly due to what is said in 3 below). The driver should have entered the left lane before/with the cyclist, and hopefully would have picked up the lorry's position and potential risk then.

 

3. The driver of the follow car should not have been filming his rider while driving the vehicle, which appears to be what occurred here. It seems that the driver therefore prejudices the rider's safety by rather filming his form, pedal stroke or whatever.

 

The lorry driver seems to have reacted quickly by braking when he saw the cyclist suddenly appear in front of him.

No vehicles besides team cars should be on the road while there is an event being held.. end van prent.

 

If you can't have complete road closures then make damn sure that there is no traffic moving in the same direction of the race and there are adequate marshals out there Redirecting traffic.. finished and klaar..

 

 

If you aren't up to spending the money to keep the riders safe..then don't have the event..

 

I am sorry.. but this isn't the local town Sunday afternoon TT.. this is supposed to be a professionally run event..

 

Replace the race name with something like the TDF and the rider with let's say Tony Martin, would anyone be making excuses for the event.. NO!

 

And that is my little outbursts for the day.

[love2fly]

No vehicles besides team cars should be on the road while there is an event being held.. end van prent.

 

If you can't have complete road closures then make damn sure that there is no traffic moving in the same direction of the race and there are adequate marshals out there Redirecting traffic.. finished and klaar..

Traffic travelling in opposite direction can give one the "screaming heebie-jeebies" too......

[clivem]

No vehicles besides team cars should be on the road while there is an event being held.. end van prent.

 

If you can't have complete road closures then make damn sure that there is no traffic moving in the same direction of the race and there are adequate marshals out there Redirecting traffic.. finished and klaar..

Nobody wants an accident to happen ever.  Again, this is SA and we enter the race voluntarily and in acceptance of the race rules and local conditions (i.e. road safety).  

 

See the Race Bible at page 6:

 

"Riders must be aware that these are open routes and be aware of all potential traffic hazards. On all the Stages the riders must be aware of all traffic and must OBEY ALL RULES of the road."

 

So yes have a go at the organisors but in fairness also consider what the follow car's driver stupidity almost caused.  

[Hairy]

Holy cow!!

 

please explain this to me

 

I assume this is on an open road?

 

If so, he should have been left to start with, or at least checked before changing lanes

 

Is he deaf .... a truck has never before managed to sneak up on me whilst cycling, or is this a new fangled electric truck with brush-less motor?

[Gen]

Nobody wants an accident to happen ever. Again, this is SA and we enter the race voluntarily and in acceptance of the race rules and local conditions (i.e. road safety).

 

See the Race Bible at page 6:

 

"Riders must be aware that these are open routes and be aware of all potential traffic hazards. On all the Stages the riders must be aware of all traffic and must OBEY ALL RULES of the road."

 

So yes have a go at the organisors but in fairness also consider what the follow car's driver stupidity almost caused.

We can just disagree on this.[emoji106]

 

With all the carnage on SA roads one would think organisers would know that no1 priority is rider safety... that race bible to me means if something is to happen...oh well tough luck and phew lucky it could've been worse if regarding incidents. No not in SA with the issues we have on our roads.

 

If that means pay more marshals and make damn sure there are no trucks or other vehicles on the road in the same direction as the race then so be it.

 

 

If you want the riders only to use the very far left of the road..then you know what.. pack those barriers and close off that side.. they even do that at WT events during ITTs.

 

 

And PS.. the truck driver did really well to avoid hitting the rider.

[Gen]

please explain this to me

 

I assume this is on an open road?

 

If so, he should have been left to start with, or at least checked before changing lanes

 

Is he deaf .... a truck has never before managed to sneak up on me whilst cycling, or is this a new fangled electric truck with brush-less motor?

During an event.

[Long Wheel Base]

This happened this morning during the TOGH ITT. He was meant to turn left and as you can see he had already started to slow down. He obviously did hear the truck because he swerved right to avoid being another casualty of reckless drivers. You can not put the blame on Rohan here. When you are doing an event like this, or any other big event for that matter, You don't expect to have to swerve for your life to avoid a vehicle. We have international riders doing this event, What will they think when this happens? P!$$ poor from the organisers. AND WHO HAPPENS TO ORGANISE THIS EVENT???? YIP MY FAVOURITE BUNCH OF PEOPLE.

Rant off.