Car, bike, foot: We must all be more tolerant
It saddens me to see the continuing antipathy, particularly expressed through the Mercury's letters page, between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. As someone who is at different times all of these, it seems a shame there cannot be better understanding and greater mutual respect.
All of us wish to reach our destination as quickly as reasonably possible, as well as safely.
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Maximising the use of the shared space to do this is not easy, but surely not as difficult as some make out. Consideration for others is at the heart of this.
Drivers' complaints about cyclists mainly relate to two aspects. The first is they tend to cause delays, as considerate drivers wait for a suitable place to pass rather than pushing through oncoming traffic and brushing the cyclist.
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Secondly, they are seen to flout some of the rules of the road. Red light jumping is a contentious issue, but in reality most cyclists do it only when it is safe or safer to do it than not. Lack of cycle lighting or adequate visibility is often voiced.
Pedestrians' complaints, of course, mainly centre on one aspect – cycling on pavements.
Over many years of cycle commuting, I have used designated pavements and cycleways, as well as the roads in my village and in the city.
Most arterial routes have "blue sign" shared space and this is very valuable. My experience is one feels a lot safer segregated from traffic on the fast-moving routes.
Once in town, the slower average speed is much more comfortable.
Of course, cyclists have particular responsibilities when they are on such designated routes and, sadly, this is frequently not observed, causing alarm and occasionally injury to pedestrians.
Perhaps it might be helped by a separate strip at the outer edge of the pavement for the use of cycles. Cycling on non-designated pavements is, of course, to be condemned.
Taking the cyclists' point of view, it is understandable they feel beleaguered, being on the receiving end from both drivers and pedestrians.
Their perceived misdemeanours are valid, with some reservations. Cyclists do have a responsibility to be more concerned about the safety and comfort of others.
However, they are a particularly vulnerable group, as borne out by the statistics.
In view of this, they would very much welcome greater consideration from drivers and, perhaps, some greater tolerance from pedestrians.
It would be to the benefit of all groups to be more aware and more accommodating.
Charles Kendall is a recently retired doctor with an interest in cycling issues.
9 Comments
by graydjames
Friday, March 01 2013, 8:07PM
“Any respect or credibility I might placed on this guy disappeared as soon as I read his comment that most cyclist's only jump red lights when it is safe, or safer than not, to do so.
This is surely an outrageous comment. I've sometimes sat in my car at a red light in a quiet area at dead of night without another car in sight. Would it be acceptable for me to ignore the red light, check nothing was coming, and jump it? Of course it wouldn't. Any suggestion that there is ever a time when it is acceptable to jump a red light, is plainly wrong. Why should cyclist's be different?”
by zygote3
Friday, March 01 2013, 4:10PM
“I think the key to tolerance is to recognise that just because some cyclists continually break the law and get away with it, it doesn't mean that all cyclists or even a majority of them do so. Likewise, drivers jumping red lights or speeding in built up areas, some do it all the time, most never do so deliberately. If you take the visible worst examples of any group of people, and seek to represent this as being typical of the majority of that group of people, then I think that leads to intolerance.
@reubedube - there is considerable overlap, I would have thought. :)”
by Eastonian
Friday, March 01 2013, 3:53PM
“Of course we can all be more tolerant but when folk continually break the law and get away with it it wears a bit thin.”
by aristoc
Friday, March 01 2013, 12:15PM
“I like the idea this "educated person" thinks it is ok to ignore red lights as a matter of judgement.So that is ok then.There is a book called Highway Code that he disagrees with then.
Cycle proficiency test useless and not relevent.No Cycles for New Walk?Ignore.”
by reubedube
Friday, March 01 2013, 11:51AM
“zygote: I'm wondering what the difference is between those "dozen individuals most of whom have obsessive and inflexible views", who "provide 95% of the contributions to letters pages of local papers", and those of us,including myself and yourself of course, who choose to express our views on such sites as 'thisisleicestershire.co.uk ?”
by bikerdan82
Friday, March 01 2013, 11:22AM
“Tollerance is the key here. Accept that every group inconveniences members of the alternative groups at times and just learn to generally chillax!!”
by zygote3
Friday, March 01 2013, 11:17AM
“"saddens me to see the continuing antipathy, particularly expressed through the Mercury's letters page"
I hope Charles Kendall realises that the letters pages of local papers anywhere get 95% of their contributions from a dozen individuals, most of whom have obsessive and inflexible views about just one or two subjects. So don't be too sad Charles, the majority of the population are pretty reasonable and understanding, whether they are cycling/driving/walking/not writing to their local paper because they have full and busy lives.”
by 4_Stroke
Friday, March 01 2013, 10:44AM
“quote...Red light jumping is a contentious issue, but in reality most cyclists do it only when it is safe or safer to do it than not.
When is it EVER safer to jump the red light.”
by oldjohn
Friday, March 01 2013, 9:57AM
“Someone here having a laugh or what?
A cycle lane on the edge of the pavement?What side do they go around a lamp post ?
Red light jumping is ok ?Get real.Lets do away with all traffic lights as they are not needed then.
Is there a word called pavement:a paved road or footpath,a side road for pedestrians.No mention of cyclists.
I take a guess that walking down a cycle lane pushing a pram is ok then for the cyclists.”