Another day, another incident

[Li Mu Bai]

how much?

 

I think too a lot of our woes are caused by road design and planning that does not cater for anyone else that motorists. There are no cycling lanes, pavements are not safe for pedestrians as Taxi's use them as 'Bus lanes.' Same for 'beakdown lanes'.

It would be nice if our beloved govt stopped propping up SAA and paying its execs thier R20m bonuses, and used the money to make this a safer place to live in.

[idrive]

It's free, but get it yourself....

 

I think the problem lies with rider's attitudes. Obey rules of the road and why treat every ride as though it's a flat out race.

 

That said, Steve probably got better attention more promptly than he would've had it been a normal race.

[LEONIDAS]

 A PROTEST RIDE ORGANISED IN ALL MAJOR CITIES WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.LETS TOYI TOYI ON OUR BIKES.

[RickA]

Hi Guys

 

Sorry to hear about this. I hope Steve makes a full recovery. Luckily the support driver knew first aid.

 

Since Craig Haskins death in Cape Town last Tuesday - I have been taking very careful notice of drivers and cyclists while driving (so far my cycling is all offroad now). I noticed that despite the accidents and numerous warnings on the hub, in the newspapers etc many cyclists are still carrying on as if these incidents do not affect them or the rules do not apply to them.

 

Just this morning I have seen many cyclists ignoring the advice on these forums and elsewhere - not to mention PLAIN COMMON SENSE which seems to be seriously lacking in some of them.

 

A couple of Cyclelab training groups going over Ou Kaapse weg this morning - at least 4 or 5 guys riding two abreast - the 2nd cyclists outside the yellow line in front of traffic. (And no - this wasn't guys trying to overtake slower riders)

 

During the week I noticed how many drivers use the yellow line area as part of the road when going around some of the sharper corners on Ou Kaapse weg - if there is a cyclist moving slowly in the yellow line, just around the corner - there is almost no way the driver can avoid hitting them.

 

During this past week I have seen at least 20 - 30 cyclists riding on the side of the M3 and M5 freeways. I mentioned this to a police officer, a few days ago and he said that these guys were being very stupid !! First they are breaking the law (no cyling on a motorway/ freeway), second - if they happen to get hit by a car - the car driver will not be liable since they should not be on the freeway/motorway in the first place, third - if they happen to get hit they are much more likely to end up DEAD since the cars are travelling at much higher speed than on a normal suburban road. Fourth - their insurance / medical aid may legally decline to pay their expenses as a result of an accident since they were breaking the law / in the wrong at the time of the incident.

 

For an adult to do this is bad enough - when you take your teenage son / daughter along with you - as one of these cyclists did on Wed afternoon - you are really being a "insert the Afrikaans word for Box"!!

 

Cyclists who listen to IPods while they cycle along next to a major road in total oblivion to what's going on around them are also very foolish !!!! it's bad enough that you can't hear much around you with wind noise etc, to totally block out one of your senses with loud music when you should try to be acutely aware of what's going on around you is STUPID

 

Not to mention at least 4 or 5 cyclists riding without helmets - as

someone said on one of the forums last week - there is a name for them

"Organ Donors"

 

Rant mode off -

 

Stay safe out there - Happy cycling

RickA

 

 

[Windbreaker]

RickA, your comments generally make sense to me but I want to warn

against the perception that riding inside the yellow line is what we

must always do without considering any other factors.

 

For

example, coming down sections of Ou Kaapse weg is

dangerous (especially the steep side ) if you stay in the yellow lane simply because you don't have

the space that you need. The speed limit on the bottom hairpin bend is

70km anyway so we are not inconveniencing motorists by travelling at

65kmh outside of the yellow line in that instance.

 

Another one is the section of road between Ocean View & Sunvalley. The yellow line is reasonably wide but it corrugated & potholed & often strewn with debris. A youngster hit a piece of wreckage in the yellow lane last week and and almost lost control with potentially disasterous consequences. I don't ride in the yellow line on most of that section - it is the least safe of two options!

 

I also have noticed the increase in the number of

cyclists on the M3 between the start & the Tokai offramp and my

initial instinct was "what a stupid thing to do". But actually on a

freeway the vehicles very rarely drive in the yellow lane and the

shoulder on that section is very wide. Although it is illegal it is

probably much safer than cycling up Ou Kaapse inside the yellow line

for the same reason that you note. It is also probably much safer than the

main road at that time of the morning.

 

Craig Haskins and Chis

Atwood were both cycling on the inside of the yellow line as we are

expected to do but both have been tragically killed. And come to think

of it, all of the serious accidents that I am personally aware of involving motorists have

been no fault of the cyclist.

 

I might be mistaken but as far as

I understand we are actually falling foul the road act by cycling in the

yellow lane (even as cyclists) which points to the real problem - CYCLISTS

ARE NOT RECOGNISED AS LEGITIMATE ROAD USERS BY THE MAJORITY OF SOUTH

AFRICANS. (Not shouting - just for emphasis). At best we are considered

a nuisance, at worst we are a target for people like the f**ker who

took out Chris A.

 

If we are involved in an accident while in the yellow on a main road is our insurance at risk?

[slowpoke]

any news on Steve - how is he doing?