I always understood that the zig-zag lines on pedestrian crossings meant no parking.

It's also worth remembering that '...motorists have at least been tested on their ability to operate a car or truck, are licensed and insured, and their vehicles are subject to regular checks...', is not true for a significant number of drivers.

Keef Sloan: Spot on!

Good article! Pretty much spot on and balanced! :D

Cyclists should not jump lights and should behave responsibly on the road like all other road users and those that don't do give cyclist a bad name. There are naturally some very bad car and lorry drivers who have very limited road sense, poor spatial awareness and will pull out on a cyclist at a junction, or cut them off when overtaking. We have all had it done to us. If you ride defensively and are ever watchfull and respectful of the rule of the road, you might just plant in some other road users mind, the importance of the very same observations for themselves. As a regular cyclist it is very easy to have a 'them and us' approach to other road users, and being reckless, be it jumping lights or whatever, only perpetuates such an outlook, which will not achieve anything.

I might add though, that if I was on a nasty stretch of road and there was a pavement alongside, I would take to the pavement, and would not think twice about it if I thought it was warranted. That does not mean that I would hurtle along it if there were pedestrians. I would proceed slowly, keep out of their way and stop when necessary.

Generally speaking, all hunab beings are selfish once they take charge of something with wheels.

The cyclist thinks he's in the right and that the queue of 10 drivers behind him will just have to wait whereas the driver thinks he's un the right because of paying 'road tax'.

I've been commuting to work the past few weeks about 10 miles each way on generally a 60mph road. What I find is the most dangerous for me in any given situation is people's impatience and NEED to get past me as quickly as they can. So they'll do it often without thinking.

As a driver myself the most annoying thing is when cyclists don't have enough lights on at night or when they do not know/bother using hand signals... But then again car drivers usually don't indicate.

Probably the most annoying and dangerous drivers are either people in big cars like Audis or something because they're self-important at the best of times and yobs in vans.

Interesting, intelligent and slightly unexpected comments from Davy Lewis given he edits a performance car magazine. 'Mutual respect' - surely that's the most important thing for all road users?

"They can usually be spotted coming from Wetherspoon on their way to Maccys via Cash Converters"

A true classic line in journalism there! How brilliant!

I also commute 6 miles each way a day, but instead of in the cities, its all on back roads. I tell you, its scary as hell sometimes. I think, as Vegeeta rightly points out, the most dangerous part is the drivers need to pass me as urgently as possible. Oncoming trafic, good to pass! Blind bend, good to pass! Blind dip, good to pass! Natural instinct from the driver if he/she finds an on-coming car/truck/van is to swerve towards the verge, in other words, swerve towards me.

I think many peoples perception of a bicycle is of course the leisure rider, we are talking riding at 5-10mph, so quick and easy to pass. Of course the reality is very different, there is a section of my commute where, for 2-2.5 miles I will be travelling around 25-28mph, and some hilly sections I could be knocking on the door of 40mph, not many motorists are used to seeing bikes go at that speed, but still pass as though we are the leisure riders.

Passing distance is also a worry for me, many times I have been passed by little more than 2-3 feet on country lanes, ones by a large Culina lorry which scared the crap out of me. they pull out as late as they can, pull in as fast as they can, and when they see me wave my hands about in anger they then hoot their horn as though i was at fault!

I drive too, it doesn't take much extra time to get anywhere if you have to wait 30 seconds to pass the blind bend and give the cyclist plenty of room, why cant that be told to all new drivers. I only took my driving test 4 and a half years ago, and unless a lot has changed, I was never taught much about cyclists, and i learnt in Cambridge, they were just a pain that had to be passed as soon as possible pretty much.

On the cyclist front, I like to ride two abreast on back roads, but if i hear a car, it doesnt take effort to drop into single file either, its all about respect for other road users no matter what the transport

Until cycle specific lanes are provided where road works are being carried out, I will always pass through red lights. If I wait for the green I find that in many cases the lights will have changed by the time I get through to the other side and the car drivers behind me become understandably frustrated. Abide by the rules but apply a little common sense also.

I find I have more scary moments on my road bike than when commuting on my slick tyred mountain bike.

The reason is cars pulling out of sidestreet which seem to think everyone rides at the speed of the usual track suit clad gentleman on his criminally rusty BMX or ladies bike plus bottle of cider under one arm. (is it just where I live or does anyone else keep seeing guys riding ladies bikes in the last couple of years?) Often I can see the driver look directly at me before they go but just don't realise how fast I am going.

Not a problem on the mtb with disc brakes, but on the weaker brakes and higher speed of my road bike I've a few near misses. The two serious accidents friedns of mine have been in in the last 10 years were both cars pulling out in front of them.

Second the line about young lads on mountain bikes without lights and helmet. Have they got a deathwish?

My commute is all urban roads and I find the drivers desperately overtaking to get ahead really dangerous. Some have passed so close It feels like I should have got a wing-mirror in the back on my head. Why they are so desperate to overtake I cannot comprehend as getting around Southampton on a bike is so much faster than any other way.

I second the comment on going down the offside as much as possible. With your lights on. In a flourescent top. Why? Because you only need to hit metal or tarmac at 20 once to realise how much it hurts (or worse).

"As for people over 50 wearing lycra..." I've only got nine years left...better get saving for bespoke tweed, wool and tedium, then...

As a professional heavy goods drivers, car driver, motorcyclist and cyclist, oh, and pedestrian, I always find this argument annoying.

It usually appears to be the lesser experienced, highly strung or plain dangerous drivers that take exception to the exploits of others, be it cyclist or any others segment of road users . Mebee these types should relax a little bit more and concentrate on what they are doing. We all know the type, they stay in the middle lane on a motorway, fail to use mirrors, indicators or any form of self discipline, with poor awareness either due to lack of ability or general observation and then go on to criticise others for their mistakes.

Stunting in public is a growing thing these days, loads more on the TV and magazines showing whats possible. Of course people are going to try and emulate what they see and I say good, get on and practice for all you're worth, its the only way to improve and push the boundaries but try and be a little sensible of the when and where thing, has anyone seen the problems coming from the drift trike craze ? . . . Self regulate before measures are taken.

So, jumping red lights. Its perfectly safe if done safely. If they're treated as give way lights then I don't see a problem. The problem is caused by the few cyclists with poor observation who may hit a pedestrian who also shows poor observation and its all reported by the short tempered (and jealous, if I can't they can't) "I told you so" driver.

What's this whole thing of "we should be riding on pavements" ? Surely its safer for pedestrians (also hated by the motorist) and the cyclists to ride on the road, but no, because they then get in the way of the time critical motorist who cant wait an extra second or two to pass safely. The"always late" motorist doesn't restrict his lack of patience to the humble pushbike but is also a danger to themselves and others when trying to pass an HGV who is "slowing their progress".

Oh yes, and the "you dont even pay road tax" question, true, no I don't, not on the push bike but I do pay it on my 2 cars and 2 motorcycles plus the lorry I drive is also taxed, so personally my contributions to the government coffers are WAY higher than average and thats before we get into the, how much damage to the road network does my pushbike do when I'm riding it while my taxed cars and motorcycles are at home in the garage.

As stated previously, some people loose their sense of reason when the take charge of a set of wheels, that is, four wheels and two ? ? ? . . .

So what's the answer ? It can only be training. What ever happened to the cycling proficiency test ?

Also, for car drivers I suggest a form of test to ensure all are capable, mentally, to be in charge of their vehicle before even going on to training. Once a license has been issued then further training and testing should then be done on a regular, biannual basis possibly, to make sure any driver is firstly still safe to control their charge and to improve their ability by correcting any problems or developing further skills.

None of this will ever happen for loads of reasons, all I can say is be doubly aware of what you're doing at all times and treat every one else as an idiot who's has the sole intention of trying to kill you and you wont go far wrong . . . .

Phew, rant over . . . .

In agreement the greatest danger is from those on inexpensive, undermaintained bicycles who travel counter traffic (or counter to bike-lane/cycle-track traffic, where such exist) or on sidewalks/footpaths; also same vehicle description, wearing dark clothes at night with no lights or reflectors. The major issues there are (1) not knowing (or ignoring) that cyclists must follow motor-vehicle laws and regulations, (2) this is the only transportation many of these people have to get to and from work -- and they may work two or three jobs just to make ends meet, (3) high-visibility clothes can be expensive and/or hard to find (if you don't live near a safety-supplies shop).

That said, I am over 50, ride a road bicycle, wear lycra for weather-appropriateness and safety, have a 100-lumen headlamp, and prefer high-visibility clothing where available. The headlamp is so that I can see where I'm going at night, on unlit streets; I'm thinking of getting a 200-lumen so my beam can be seen the legal minimum 50 feet at dawn and dusk, where daylight renders headlamps less visible to oncoming traffic. I figure that if I take pains to be as visible as possible -- even if comically so -- then if perchance I should become the victim of some motorist's lack of skill or patience, it will not be because he couldn't see me but rather, because he deliberately targeted me.

Buses and taxis are worst for me - occupational stress means they deliberately drive dangerously towards cyclists.

I cannot believe no one has let that comment about riding 2 abreast go. It's in the highway code that you can ride two abreast and it really annoys me when you hear car drivers moaning about it. Our group always singles out for cars to pass when it's narrow, but this takes time to do safely, something a lot of car drivers don't seem to have.

Road rage is the only form of social interaction many people partake in, without it nobody would speak and we'd eventually lose the capacity for verbalisation and gesticulation.

One day cyclists, pedestrians and drivers will all unite against inconsiderate jet pack users. But that will only last until teleportation causes all sorts of youtubable mishaps.

You should all realise.. we are ALL as good and as bad as each other.. the moron drivers that nearly kill cyclists will do the same to fellow motorist... just the same as the moron bike rider will do the same to his/her fellow cyclists.. If you are good rider, you'll be a good driver and vis versa.. The amount of times i've nearly been run off of my bikes by a car is almost the same as when i'm cut up by a chav or witness just as bad riding by another cyclist. And as for people moaning about bike lights we don't have huge head lights so we have to compensate with higher angle, so we are seen by people who are generally not looking but that's no excuse for having a hi-tech light shinning at the the motorists face... it's just as dangerous as when someone parks facing on to oncoming traffic and doesn't dip there headlights to side lights.. and talking about lights.. I've been moaned at by enough police when my light battery's starting to dim and i'm relying on my many refelctive strips and yet when a BMX or like bike cuts accross the road with no lights,reflectors and, most of the time no brakes! they say nothing, and it's just as annoying when i see it from inside my car.... and about signaling drivers all you have to do is look and flick a switch, you have to realise we can't always signal all the way up to a junction when our body weight is going through one hand on a the handlebars as you are braking and trying to turn safely.

think we are all as bad; and good, as each other.

I can't quite believe how many people copmmenting on this article advocate deliberately breaking the rules of the road...

It's not "common sense" or "okay" to jump a red light - its foolish, reckless, AND ITS AGAINST THE RUDDY LAW!!

The same goes for riding on the pavement, redballoon - the situation will never, ever warrant it BECAUSE ITS ILLEGAL!!!

Cyclists are maligned by both pedestrians and motorists for one simple reason - many have the slightly bizarre idea theat they can cherry-pick the bits of the Highway Code that support them, and ignore the inconvenient bits like obeying traffic signals. And until we can get rid of this idiotic, cycle-centric mentality, that's the way it'll stay.

NB: I cycle, I drive, I walk. I know its not most cyclists who behave like dickheads, just a (relatively) small minority. It just seems to be the most visible minority who break the largest proportion of the rules...

We each, driver, cyclist or pedestrian must take care on the roads. Cycling through a pedestrian light when there are no pedestrians nearby is definitely illegal but hardly dangerous. Cycling in a manner that causes traffic congestion behind you may be legal but it is neither safe nor courteous.

Cyclist do constitute a separate "type" of road user regardless of their legal standing. Faster than pedestrians and often more vulnerable, lighter, slower and less dangerous to others than cars they often need to bend the rules of the road to avoid accidents and can do so more safely than cars.

Cycle, walk and drive with courtesy, care and with safety in mind. Yes, you'll get pulled for doing 35 in a 30 area at night or get done for cycling past red lights when the only other person around is a bored police constable but you'll be safe.

It's not "by the book", it's not "your right to do it" but it is sensible.

@paulnettles - Yes, I am advocating deliberately breaking the rules of the road and any other rules where it is appropriate.

keef sloane should take a chill pill as well. Getting angry at cyclists running reds is just as pointless as getting angry at pedestrians j-walking. Motorists are in charge of heavy vehicles that can cause serios injury at very slow speeds, to often direct and indirect victims. I lived opposite a pedestrian crossing in a 30 area and often saw a vehicle knock the second or third of two or three stationary vehicles clean across the zebra crossing. Cyclists are in charge of a soft mushy mass (a body) on an often feather-weight bike, and just like pedestrians, are generally only a danger to themselves. There are dangerous cyclists out there, fortunately there are far, far fewer that dangerous drivers, but keef, i will say that the stick you and jammer are in has, nothing to do with jumping reds, and all to do with treating the commute like a race track... And driving on the right when you have a bike lane...Which indeed does danger at least other cyclists on the road (a car will be too bust avoiding the twit in the middle of the road to see the bike lane full of responsible riders. The amount of times i have had the cycle lane invaded due to some idiot trying to overtake the traffic on the right is all too many. Finally, as per flashing LEDs, I can honestly say, with a flash and flare front and back, cars pass a good distance wider and the amount of people pulling out in front of me has almost been reduced to none. I have to admit, the only time leds have ever annoyed me was because they took me surprise... Usually a sign of not paying enough attention: something you just cannot do while in charge of 2 tonnes of inflexible metal,

@purist - this is exactly the kind of attitude that is the problem.

I think you've got the right idea, we ALL need to use the roads with "courtesy, care and safety in mind".

The problem is, you're showing the greatest discourtesy of all to every single other person on the road by thinking that becasue you're on two wheels, you've got the right to do as you please.

Do you ever stop to think how it makes cyclists as a collective entity look to the bloke in the car behind you when you jump a red light? Like idiots, that's how. Like a group which is so unbelievably arrogant, they don't have to follow the law if they don't feel like it.

I doubt this will trouble you on your morning commute/next club run, as you seem to have a pretty fixed idea of what you can/can't/will/won't do on the road. But why not try - just for a moment - putting yourself in the shoes of the average motorist when you flout the law right in front of them? Should you do so, I'll wager it will become apparant how high-handed your attitude to the law is, and how ALL cyclists will suffer because of it.

cborrman writes: "Cyclists are in charge of a soft mushy mass (a body) on an often feather-weight bike, and just like pedestrians, are generally only a danger to themselves. "

Sorry, but cyclists riding the wrong way on a shoulder, bike lane, or cycle track -- especially after dark, with no lights or reflectors and dark clothing, are a danger to other riders as well as to themselves. They are hard to see, oblivious to everyone else, and often force the rest of us out into a traffic lane of cars moving twice as fast as we are without enough time and space to signal the cars that we need to move -- much less get their attention to allow us to move into the (often nonexistent) next traffic lane safely. They force attentive motorists to stop short or swerve to avoid, potentially causing motorist accidents as well. Sharing the same space with pedestrians as well (local areas are often without sidewalks or without pedestrian-usable sidewalks) only increases the danger.

Until road planning starts to properly incorporate the needs and safety of cyclists I'll continue to ride by the instincts that keep me safe without endangering others. That won't always comply with the highway code.

As for the sad old 'I pay road tax' argument, it's time there was a national education campaign to make people realise that vehicle excise duty has nothing to do with a motorists right to do anything. Everyone who lives in a house and pays council tax contributes a little bit towards roads, but none of the taxes collected come anywhere near to covering the cost of roads.

Actually, just looking at the headline again, the idea of a 'dangerous cyclist' is almost laughable compared to the carnage created by irresponsible vehicle drivers. Sure, some cyclists can be incredibly annoying but deaths caused by cyclists are rare.

Definitely agree with the comments on here that cyclists shouldn't be jumping red lights, riding over pedestrian crossings etc - all it does is fuel the fire of the anti-cycling lobby.

Do people not see that if we don't behave in a manner that gives them something to complain about, they have no valid complaints?

I ride to work 2-3 times a week, ride on the road to a couple of off road rides midweek and also use my bike around town in general - I ride defensively but always make the same risk/reward calculations as I do when racing in the Alps or anywhere else - "Is the 10 seconds this will gain me worth the risk?".

Any article that polarises opinion and alienates any side of an argument is inherantly unhelpful. Especially when it comes to something as dangerous as road use.

All sides of the road using spectrum need to be promoting understanding and tolerance.

It's not "them and us" whoever "them and us" actually are.

@paulnettles

Both in my car and on my bike I continously try to travel safely. The law is a tool I use to predict behaviour by others and to make myself predictable to others, to increase the safety of all. Following the law doesn't guarantee anything, since people (including drivers) break the law all the time. For instance, if a car is speeding toward me at a crossing, I won't cross even when I have right of way, until the car reduced speed sufficiently for me to feel safe. The driver may have the legal right to race right up to the crossing and brake hard at the last moment, but I won't take the risk and he is wrong doing so, regardless of what the law says.

On the other hand, some laws, like speed limits, are continously broken. In my experience, on highways and other roads seperated from slow traffic this isn't very dangerous. At times, I have even found it safer to go with the flow than to be an obstacle driving the speed limit. I don't feel bad about speeding when I consider it fairly safe, just like most motorists.

On weekends I sometimes go for a ride in a industrial area with very little traffic (except when the shifts end/start). If I approach a crossing with good visibility and no car in sight for hundreds of yards, I will cross while continously looking around for any new traffic to appear. There is really no risk at all. Of course, if there is other traffic, I will wait at the light. However, I can't see the point of waiting at the light for non-existing traffic to cross, while I can easily avoid even cars that come racing toward the crossing at twice the speed limit. I won't do the same in my car because visibility in the car is more limited and it's also harder to hear other traffic, so I'm far less confident at being 100% sure that there is no other traffic. The risk is larger than with a bike and the consequences of being wrong are also greater.

a grave problem for the cyclists today i think on my commute to work is no fault of the car driver. it is the design of the car it self they are so much wider than they were when most roads were built and the growing use of 4x4 and jeep which most of the driver dont reliase how wide there cars are when they trying to squeeze through and overtake when they shouldnt. the mordern day ford focus is the same width as a range rover from only 7-8 years ago so which leave little room for the bike rider

I'd like to comment on the point made by "the motorist" about lights. Apologies if somebody has already made this point.

Saying that cyclist lights can be distracting is a moot point. As a cyclist I want to ensure I am seen, and preferably from a decent distance away. If I had a pound for each time I had been temporarily blinded by motorists with 'uprated' lights, or lights left on full beam, when both driving and cycling, i'd be a rich man.

The whole article is applicable to any road user, the point being that the most important concern when using the road should be about respect and consideration of other road users.

To this end cyclist's should try not to aim front lights upwards, towards the drivers eye line, as this is not necessary to be seen.

Agree with Trigocs point about lights. Also with the incoming legislation stipulating required daytime running lights for new cars, visibility of our beloved bicycles will be getting even less, surely making lights on bikes even more of a safety requirement, so don't start telling people to remove them.

Cyclists running red lights really gets my goat, but in reality a percentage of people are arseholes, whether they ride a bike, or drive a car, so people just need to lighten up and get used to it, and learn to predict whatever the aresehole in front of them on the bike, or around them in the vehicle is about to do.

Just don't start me on white builders vans...

I read this article in MBUK and at the time thought it is a bit irresponsible of such a well thought of magazine to advocate what appeared to be 'reckless' riding.

Although the riders involved in the video were capable riders the same scene is played out hundreds of times a day all across the UK by the less competent.

When vehicles of differing speeds try to use the same space conflicts are inevitable, this includes bikes v walkers, skiers v boarders and car v bikes. We should all bear in mind that our commute, mtb ride or skiing holiday is not a battle for space.

Take it easy, relax and should a bit of respect for those around us. We'll all get on better then.