Time for cyclists to obey the law?
Congestion, soaring fuel prices and more designated lanes are some of the reasons given for a huge rise in cycling across UK towns and cities. But it has led to rising tension between drivers, pedestrians and those on two wheels.
Cyclist Jason Howard was fined £2,200 following the death of a pedestrian he had collided with in Buckingham. Seventeen-year-old Rhiannon Bennett hit her head on the pavement in April last year, and later died.
But as greater numbers of cyclists take to the roads, are they becoming more irresponsible? Hugh Bladen, from the Association of British Drivers, certainly thinks so.
“They are a rule unto themselves, to put it bluntly,” he said. “You can’t tar the whole lot with the same brush, but the number of people who cycle on the pavement, ride up one-way streets the wrong way or dodge red lights is quite extraordinary.”
Charlie Lloyd, from the London Cycling Campaign,
“It’s something you learn very quickly in London, that pedestrians have more rights than anyone else and you have to respect that.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7497432.stm
Yes maybe in London Mr Lloyd, but elsewhere there is nowhere safe for pedestrians to walk. Maybe we are expected to swing along the tree branches – but where there are no trees, what then?
Pavements (pave – to walk) are for WALKING, so cyclists should dismount and walk their bikes on pavements. Likewise they should walk across PEDestrian crossings just as us oldies did when we used our bikes and we NEVER rode on the pavement whatever the traffic conditions.
As far as I am aware the law exists to deal with this, BUT is not enforced. Why not?
NB: Comments advocating violence such as, “I advise people to petrol bomb … !” are pointless, so the rest of the post will not be published.
