Some data to back up the daily experience

City am

Of all the hazards faced by people in the capital, the most common is stepping into busy roads – almost half of Londoners said they do this on a daily basis.

They do it all the time. I can usually anticipate when they are about to step out. So as well as keeping my eyes on the road, have to be looking at the pavement too. When there is no traffic they walk in the road and get angry when you try to ride past them.

Yep. Can well believe that. Used to commute from Hayes to Southall and it wasn’t too bad in the morning, but Southall high street in the evening was lethal for people just walking off the kerb.

yep I’ll second this, bloody dangerous, the worst bits is high streets, they are often on their phone or sending a text, think that they can cross, dont look but use a quick glance and their ears. The trick is to keep them in sight and shout ‘MOOOOVE MotherF… next time I might be a car and you’d be dead’… then speed off. job done. They wont change but you’ll feel better. haha. 😉

But surely if cyclists wore helmets and number plates, and paid road tax, then people would stop walking into the road in front of them?

You forgot the HI-VIZ………..

I wear hi-viz and a helmet (my choice, I choose to wear cycling kit on a 20 mile commute, it may as well be hi-viz and a helmet gives me somewhere to mount the helmet light), pay “road tax” (my wife and I have three cars between us) and I sometimes leave number plates on from sportives / races.

My question is, will this a) make me impervious to cars / bad driving or b) make very little difference?

Shout CAR!

my is very quiet, I’ve had more than one person step out in front of me. Look don’t listen

lies, damn lies and statistics.
pedestrizombies keep you sharp.
I’ve only ever knocked one over and that was semi-deliberate.

This drives me nuts commuting in London! Fenchurch Street at lunchtime is really bad for it, it’s also one of the reasons that I don’t use the segregated cycleways in Queen Victoria St (between Blackfriars and Mansion House) and on Southwark bridge. I think the problem will get worse when we get the segregated cycle super highways as peds will think it’s safe to step in them as they’re not going to get hit by a car.

Good use for Boris bikes, they must hurt when hit by one of those heavy things…

It’s a big risk agreed. IMO ,the biggest risk is me.
I was so close to being sucked under a late,left turning car tonight.
Whilst crossing the north circ. @ Finchley.
My fault ,I wasn’t really concentrating ,filtering in cycle lane up to lights.
The driver was not indicating ,next thing I knew he/she was turning .
I managed to skid cm”s from the rear wheels.parp.
I was surprised how easy it was.i believe it’s my fault because it was a dumbass stupid place t even consider filtering.
At a place I ride through very very often.
I had a little panic attack when I rode off …