Time to send a strong message!

[Bullbar]

Cape Town and the sponsors of the Argus benefit hugely from the cycle tour. Every year the same carnage ensues on our roads! The same old excuses for why nothing is done! deputy mayour urges cyclists to stay off roads where the speed limit exceeds 60km/h! Yeah right!

 

MAYBE A BOYCOTT OF 35000 RIDERS WILL WAKE EVERYBODY UP!

 

I have seen many good suggestions all over the place for things that can be implemented to make it safer out on the roads! Have not seen any actions! All i've seen in the last 18 months are two dead cyclists in the pavement and a few more in the papers! Attended the funeral for the latest victim last week and it struck me how we as SA'cans can just accept the bad state of things and carry on! We need some decisive action!

 

Reduce speed limits (over weekends on busy training routes)

Increase penalities (for both motorists and cyclists breaking the law)

Make lights and reflective wear compulsory for cyclists

Visible policing - zero tolerance

Camera traps at strategic points

 

[Slave]

Bullbar.

 

I agree with a lot of what you say. However, for those I disagree with:

 

Speed checking a selected sopts only reduces motorist speed at selcted spots. People will only slow down for the camera and then speed up again. What benefis is that?

 

Visible policing, yeah, I agree, but that is also only so effective. Other motorists flash light s to warn of speed checking and everyone slows down until they pass the spot, then we know what happens next.

 

I ado agree with the zero tolerance attitude and it should be adopted by all metropoles.

 

Driver training and education though is the only effective long-term solution. Attitudes of both drivers and cyclists have to change. I believe that we as Saffies (South Africans) are far to aggressive and arrogant on the roads.

 

"nother thing, you think you can get 35000 cyclists to boycott the Argus. It would send a very clear message, but to whom?

So, TNT, when are we going to "stand up and be counted?"

[Captain Slow]

I have appealed to all the major races to help fund my Sign-Up initiative but have nort even received a 'sorry we are not interested reply' hence the fact I don't support any races.

 

I agree, it seems the only way to get these large races to help out is to boycott them. It will be a start!!

[Rawhide]

The fact that some Citys have not even responded to the Sign-up iniative is a disgrace, especially when they claim to care (However thier statements only seem to appear when a Cyclist / Runner / Pedistrian) is killed by a reckless driver).

Perhabs a starting point might be to make this fact know to the masses via the media

[DeltaOscar]

Bollards along the hard shoulder, with gaps at intervals for emergencies.

[Poison Ivy]

The attitude of all road users must change first and foremost.....!! Motorists are of the opinion that the road belong to them and them ONLY...and cyclists, especially this time of year, is merely a nuisance on the roads.

 

As drivers we never learnt the responsibility to SHARE the road and until such time....nothing will change.

[hot stuff]

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2470535,00.html

[pastapouch]

"Media Manager Kylie Hatton said the city council was looking into cycling as an important component of public transport. "

haven't we seen this one enough already???

[Rawhide]

"Media Manager Kylie Hatton said the city council was looking into cycling as an important component of public transport. "

haven't we seen this one enough already???

 

EXACTLY - And if I remember correctly Cape Town is one of the Citys that has not even bothered to respond to the Sigh-up initiative  !!!!!!! 

 

 

[AndreZA]

The attitude of all road users must change first and foremost.....!! Motorists are of the opinion that the road belong to them and them ONLY...and cyclists' date=' especially this time of year, is merely a nuisance on the roads.

 

As drivers we never learnt the responsibility to SHARE the road and until such time....nothing will change.

[/quote']

 

all the cyclists think they own it aswell and thus p'ing off the motorists.

 

 

[Slave]

Spot on PI.

 

It is after all, all about attitudes. Speeding has become a "socially acceptable crime"and I have often heard fellow workers, friends and others bragging about how fast they went the other day, night, whenevva.

 

The sooner this attitude changes, the safer the roads will become.

 

I tend to try and ride closer to the edge of the road, the higher the speedlimit. For example, Swartkoppies has a pretty wide emergency lane and the Speed limit (not well signposted) is 100 km /h. That makes the speed differential between me and the motorist about 70 kph's. A big diffs.

 

So I ride closer to the shoulder of the road as far away from the motorist lane as possible. This unfortunately only works where you have an emergency lane. On the Allewynspoort road, the speedlimit is also 100 and there is no shoulder. The risk on this road is therefore much higher. We are forced to be closer to high speed motor vehicles and many matoroist speed like mad on this road. Incidentally, never, ever seen a speed trap on this road.

 

Motorists speed because they know the chances of being cought are negligable, and even if they do, they just oay a couple of ZAR and they are on their way again, doing the same thing.

 

Captain, marvelous protest you have there. Nice and silent. You think your one entry is going to make a big difference? Maybe we need to have thousands more join you before you make your point. The race organisers feel less if one or two hundred have the same protest as you. Increase the numbers a hundred or thousand-fold and maybe you stand a chance.

 

I'm not saying you are wrong. I am merely questioning the effectiveness of your stance / protest.

[Shake & Move]

I agree there are so many things that can be done to secure the safety of cyclists on SA roads, but unfortunately our judicional system are to soft & slapgat to do anytning proper & harsh as it will be an infringement of the perpetraitors human & constitutional rights.

 

In Holland if a motorist knock down a cyclist, the driver is in deep trouble.

Apply similiar here.

 

I say be damned with these rights, if you kill somebody you have to pay the price and penalty. Have taught many a youngster on & about cycling and always told that safety and adheranec to traffic rules are not negotiable.

 

Things are so bad on the roads, I cycled 1 day to work and had 7 instances on road of almost being taken out. I will admit there are many cyclist that frustrate vehicle drivers to no end, but it doesn't make all cyclist baddies and vice versa.  Tolerance & cooperation is in order of the day. I will only ride on the road when I know there is full road closure and that is only at the Argus. 

[Captain Slow]

Spot on PI.

 

Captain' date=' marvelous protest you have there. Nice and silent. You think your one entry is going to make a big difference? Maybe we need to have thousands more join you before you make your point. The race organisers feel less if one or two hundred have the same protest as you. Increase the numbers a hundred or thousand-fold and maybe you stand a chance.

 

I'm not saying you are wrong. I am merely questioning the effectiveness of your stance / protest.

[/quote']

 

I have made a difference and will continue to do so!!

 

If you have noticed all the W309 signs on the Lido Loop and on both directions of Swatkoppies/Main Road, that is the work of Sign-Up and to date since the erection of these signs, only 1 fatality on this route which was a mere 'freak' acciodent in which a member of Lifestyle Performace lost his life.

 

But Yes, until we as cyclists and motorists (almost all cyclists are motorists) change our attitudes, this fight will be fruitless!!

[AndreZA]

I will admit there are many cyclist that frustrate vehicle drivers to no end' date=' but it doesn't make all cyclist baddies and vice versa.[/quote']

 

no it does not but by the time the idiot in his BMW gets to ride past me he is so p'd off because 20 other cyclist earlier was riding the full width of the road and now he is taking it out on me that dia absolutely nothing.

 

[droo]

Zero tolerance, visible policing, blah, blah, bullsh*t, blah. Our "friendly" metro police force are some of the worst, least law abiding and rudest drivers on our roads. Until their management (and their management's management, all the way up the pile) get their heads out of their collective poephol, the best we can do is AWARENESS (and maybe a rollbar suit).

 

 

 

As long as we have people like Rob-Bob-the-Nob McBride in charge of ANYTHING (yes, i know he's not in CT but he does make a shining example of the calibre of idiot entrusted with responsibility in these positions) we have no chance.

 

 

 

So be aware of stupid motorists, watch your back, and most importantly (coat in hand) PLAY BY THE RULES! We can't expect anyone to take our protests seriously if we're seen to be breaking laws and acting like nobs. (Yes I know it's only a select few that give us a bad name, same as the motorists, but it's easy to tar us all with the same brush.)

 

 

 

Be safe out there!

[Captain Slow]

oh, and by the way S2L, I know my single protest will not make a difference, but is is about the principle, of which we as SA don't know much about!! Captain Slow2009-02-16 03:57:47