[Closed] London riders-anyone used the Roadsafe website to report dangerous driving

No. I find that if there is dangerous driving around me I'm more concerned with looking after myself and using a video camera changed my behaviour too much - just like 95% of all commuting videos that are posted up.

aP: Just out of curiosity, what did you mean by "using a video camera changed my behaviour too much"?

aP, +1

Besides, if I were to report anything dangerous from my commutes so far this week, it would all be other cyclists. Sad.

maybe I should rephrase my original post When I said dangerous driving I meant specifically dangerous to me the incident I reported was a driver passing within a foot of me at 50mph.
Every training ride I go on I would say I experience between 5 and 10 near misses such as the example above.
I have been riding for more than 35 years and decided that enough is enough and although it is a bit time consuming I am recording all my rides and will be submitting revelant footage to the met police and make sure something is done about it, I will be calling them today to chase up the lack of response. If it is possible to find out offending drivers insurance companies then I will submit the videos to them as well
my parameters for considering it dangerous to me is if a 4 wheeled vehicle overtakes without giving at least 60cm space, additional factors include relative speed.
I am sure I am not alone in my experiences and if more of us provided evidence to our local police forces then british driving attitudes might start changing.

whilst some cyclists maybe be danger to themselves, they are hardly dangerous to any other road users.
can we stay on topic please dangerous driving not riding 😆

I thought everyone knew that filming your commute with a headcam whilst yelling out offending registration numbers, then posting it all on YouTube & starting forum threads linking to it, was the absolute guaranteed method for making all drivers in the world see the error of their ways and immediately go to the nearest Church and confess to a priest?

Because as we all know, motorists spend all their evenings watching YouTube films to help them learn from mistakes and become the ultimate cycle-friendly driver.

righty, they are a danger to other people. Such as mowing through a pedestrian crossing (Fakenger asshat last night) or forcing a truck to take unnecessary evasive action and very nearly hit another cyclist as a result (Altura Man, Cold du Blackfriars, Monday morning).

I count all those who use the roads as a responsible part of the equation. I'm not saying in any way that all cyclists, or all drivers for that matter, are saints or sinners, but just sadly saying it as I see it. I have recently seen more dangerous behaviour from cyclists than any other part of the road-using equation.

who said anything about youtube. I am talking about getting the police and possibly insurance companies to take action against drivers that drive dangerously around cyclists

And what exactly are you expecting the Met to do about these drivers who gave you less space than you'd have liked, but not actually hit you?

Dangerous riders are a menace to other riders, like cars. I had someone ride into the back of me at some lights the other day, could've toppled left into the left turn lane with fast moving traffic, so it's just as relevant!

They almost certainly won't do anything. Even when you actually get hit (but not injured) they seem reluctant to do anything.

Friend got knocked off by an uninsured, unlicensed, untaxed driver and they flagged up the plate on their system so maybe just check the numberplates?

CaptainFlashhear- I accept your point and anyone that uses the roads from pedestrian to artics has the ultimate resposibility regardless of who is right or wrong to avoid a collision.
whilst I don't commute currently, until recently I rode daily from enfield to peckham and back daily for 2 years and whilst idiot bike users are generally annoying, pedestrians and a fair percentage of vehicles pose a significant danger to cyclists especially if you are riding fast and assertive.Whilst you can't do much about peds I am sure word will get round that a bike hitting you at 20 plus mpoh hurts I must have hit in excess of 20 peds on that commute 😆 I didn't feel good about it but I am sure in future they will look where they are going.
We can however do something about car drivers though and the more of us who care to take action the better.

so it's alright to go round hitting pedestrians because you are cycling fast and assertively but cars driving fast and assertively too close to you are a problem. Weird.

Have I bitten?

We can however do something about car drivers though and the more of us who care to take action the better.

In some halcyon world maybe, but in reality, you can't. The police really will not care, legally they have done nothing wrong.

And what exactly are you expecting the Met to do about these drivers who gave you less space than you'd have liked, but not actually hit you?

I must have hit in excess of 20 peds on that commute I didn't feel good about it but I am sure in future they will look where they are going.

A little smily face for hitting in excess of 20 pedestrians? Nice touch. Makes it all better.

We can however do something about [s]car drivers[/s] asshats on bikes hitting pedestrians and then simply blaming them, not taking any responsibility on themselves, though and the more of us who care to take action the better.

Hope that helps put things in perspective.

Cyclists shouldn't be hitting pedestrians or motor vehicles, pedestrians shouldn't be getting in the way of motor vehicles, motor vehicles shouldn't be hitting pedestrians or cyclists. It takes everyone to make it work. You seem to just want to blame everyone but yourself.

I must have hit in excess of 20 peds on that commute I didn't feel good about it but I am sure in future they will look where they are going.

lol I am not trolling,

so it's alright to go round hitting pedestrians because you are cycling fast and assertively but cars driving fast and assertively too close to you are a problem. Weird.

In some halcyon world maybe, but in reality, you can't. The police really will not care, legally they have done nothing wrong.

i have cycled round that London for 5 years plus at said speeds and haven't hit anyone yet. Off to commute now. Now I have said that I've probably cursed myself.

I kind of get your OP, and the site would have come in useful on monday for the cretin bus driver who over took me and then squeezed me off the road to avoid a traffic island during the overtake. However, you have a kind of funny way of delivering your message.

I am not justifying hitting peds at all :roll:, all i was saying was the few times where it happened when they shot out in front of me and were too close for me to take to take evasive action.
[b]if you are are an experienced cyclist then you know that you will 99.9% of the time come off worse than the ped if you hit them[/b]

please start another thread if you want to discuss idiot bike users but this thread is about bad drivers and reporting them

Like you? Mowing down pedestrian, hilarious.

This thread is about your ideology where the police will drop everything to go and have words with a car driver who squeezed through a gap you deemed too small, but didn't actually do anything.

If it is possible to find out offending drivers insurance companies then I will submit the videos to them as well
my parameters for considering it dangerous to me is if a 4 wheeled vehicle overtakes without giving at least 60cm space, additional factors include relative speed.

The highway code recommends 6 foot. Let's be honest that's rarely feasible in cities. Unless they hit you, they're not really doing anything wrong. No insurance companies are gonna give a shit! Even the website where you report this stuff (for what purpose?) are not interested...

the few times where it happened when they shot out in front of me and were too close for me to take to take evasive action.

Over 20 is not a "few". It's too many.

Too close for you to take evasive action, or, just maybe, you were going too fast to take evasive action. I suspect the latter.

Twenty collisions sounds like your going too fast and not leaving enough space....you know how you feel about cars doing this to you?...those peds hold you in the same regard as you hold those cars....too fast..too close..

when i cycle is rushour traffic in central london I would have around 20 near misses with peds daily mainly on bishopsgate,so based on that 20 is a few. Most of my collisions were at slower speeds and would end up being a mild shoulder barge and noone was really hurt.
riding at 20 mph is not too fast hence why it is the speed limit around schools.
I Know as I was there that in each incident that I was riding appropriately in terms of road position and speed for the conditions and doind my best to avoid any colisions which is the obligation of all road users

Mrs W commutes through central London. She reports the same thing. Peds walking around with using their phone/head somewhere else and stepping out right in front of her. Every single day.

She's pretty quick but hasn't had any collisions (I've had a few near brushes). If you don't learn to predict these things in London and you want to ride fast you are going to get hurt.

I can see where the OP is coming from but am absolutely disheartened by the Met's attitude to road safety. I would like to see the met apply their resources where there is greatest danger to the public.

Mrs W. recently saw 20 bike cops set up a road trap for cyclists on a quiet central intersection. Seems like a lot of resource to what is probably a low probability of danger to the public.

Every day on my commute in North London (particularly at Finsbury Park Station) I see cars/trucks/buses blatantly going through red lights, often with in full site of Police vehicles. It's sad to see that the Police are so keen to book cyclists but have total disregard for motor vehicles blatantly breaking the law.

Double post

If you've hit 20 pedestrians you're a terrible cycle commuter, regardless of how lemming-like the peds are. 15 years of London commuting so far and no notches on my headtube yet.

Liklihood of hitting peds has got more to do with route choice IMO, especially in London.

I used to cycle past London Bridge station at rush hour and it was a freakin nightmare no matter what speed you ride and its so busy theres NEVER any space around you. I just went a different way.

when i cycle is rushour traffic in central london I would have around 20 near misses with peds daily mainly on bishopsgate,so based on that 20 is a few.

Then you're going too fast/not concentrating.

I ride through London in rush hour, whole length of CS7-Elephant & Castle-London Bridge-Bishopsgate, and whilst there are stupid pedestrians around I've never hit one and certainly don't have 20 near misses every journey!

riding at 20 mph is not too fast hence why it is the speed limit around schools.

And yet you hit pedestrians at that speed 😕

f you've hit 20 pedestrians you're a terrible cycle commuter, regardless of how lemming-like the peds are. 15 years of London commuting so far and no notches on my headtube yet.

I ride through London in rush hour, whole length of CS7-Elephant & Castle-London Bridge-Bishopsgate,

Tooley street is road to avoid near London Bridge, i assume you go straight over Borough high street?

Indeed I do, my point was more about the OP's numerous daily 'near misses' with peds on Bishopsgate, whilst protesting he's a safe cyclist. Doesn't really seem to be the case...

no notches on my headtube yet

🙂

Can we go back on topic

I don't avoid any route, I ride straight down the a10, I ride fast and safe and if the keyboard warriors bother to read rather than making assumtions based on limited information, noone has every been hurt, or recived even a scratch that was a result of my riding.
maybe they got a fright but thats all

I ride fast and safe

You have hit 20 people, and have an additional 20 near misses daily. You are not riding safely.

noone has every been hurt, or recived even a scratch that was a result of my riding

How do you know? Do you follow up in each instance? I'm sorry, but colliding with people at 20mph there will be injuries, they may not have broken bones, but to say no one's ever been hurt is daft.

I get overtaken by very few people in London, but still haven't hit any pedestrians. Anticipation, common sense and not being a **** all help.

maybe they got a fright but thats all

Oh, well that's OK then, isn't it?

FFS....

njee20 -Did i say i hit 20 people at 20mph anywhere in my post you muppet

🙄

Did i say i hit 20 people at 20mph anywhere in my post you muppet

Errr, yes:

Whilst you can't do much about peds I am sure word will get round that a bike hitting you at 20 plus mpoh hurts I must have hit in excess of 20 peds on that commute

if someone steps out from behind a bus less than one metre in front of you and you are travelling at 15-25 mph

The point is that you should assume someone will appear from around the bus and not put yourself in a position where you can't react when they do. Read the road, not rocket science. What if it's a car that's pulling out because the bus driver's indicated it's clear?

anbyway anyone interested in the incident that prompted my initial post
can see it [url= http://dl.dropbox.com/u/51134291/NVEExport.avi ]here[/url]

its quite big you will need a fast connection

1.9GB? You're having a laugh? Sod that. Have you made a 2 hour feature film of it?

f someone steps out from behind a bus less than one metre in front of you and you are travelling at 15-25 mph

You should be far enough out from the bus that you get a couple of seconds. If yo are 2 m out from the bus then you will get plenty of time to see that person and to shout, brake and take avoiding action.

I have commuted in cities including london for a long time and never hit a pedestrian. its about anticipation, reading the road and safe positioning

for the record I don't go out hunting peds I ride fast and safe and I know my standard is good as in 35 years of riding i have only had 3 accidents- all smidsys 2 cars and 1 ped, suns out now so off for the second ride of the day 😀

how about editing that vid and giving us a small clip to see.

for the record I don't go out hunting peds I ride fast and safe and I know my standard is good as in 35 years of riding i have only had 3 accidents- all smidsys 2 cars and 1 ped

So were you 'boasting' about the 20 pedestrians you've hit?

If you've submitted a 2GB video I'm hardly surprised you've not had loads of replies from Roadsafe!

I ride fast and safe

If you have hit over 20 pedestrians, this is a lie.

in 35 years of riding i have only had 3 accidents-

As above. Or don't you count "hitting peds" as an accident?

if we are both standing afterwards then its not exactly an accident worth noting is it

if he is still on his bike afterwards then its not exactly an incident worth noting is it (thought the car driver)

TJ the funny thing is the clip is about me nearly being hit by some twunt of a driver, nothing to do with peds, contrary to all the posts on here 🙄
just been speaking to the met and am about to downsize for you tube so they can see it

am i on pistonheads or stw 🙄

You run into pedestrians and dont seem to think it's your fault. you are part of the problem. Fix the stones and glass houses thing first, then come back and have another go at rousing a mob.

if we are both standing afterwards then its not exactly an accident worth noting is it

Ah.

So using that logic, it's not worth the MET paying any attention to your massive feature-length 3D HD movie because you were only [i]nearly[/i] hit, not [i]actually[/i] hit.

Or, to paraphrase, "not an accident worth noting" ...

the important point is i am looking where i am going am riding defesively and take evasive action wherever possible, but on the roads in question people dash out wildly because they aren't paying attention
and probably have the same sad british attitude towards towards cylists as the metal box dwellers 😉
I will say it again that the most important thing to me is to avoid a collision regardless of who is right or wrong.
About 3 people on this thread are qualified to comment as they ride the same roads as me and know how bad it is on the a10 throgh the city during peak hours.
stoner if you can't hold a decent pace and ride the a10 in rush hour don't comment 😀

So using that logic, it's not worth the MET paying any attention to your massive feature-length 3D HD movie because you were only nearly hit, not actually hit.

Or, to paraphrase, "not an accident worth noting" ..

I believe the interweb phrase that is most appropriate here is;

PWNED.

So using that logic, it's not worth the MET paying any attention to your massive feature-length 3D HD movie because you were only nearly hit, not actually hit.

Or, to paraphrase, "not an accident worth noting" ..

I believe the interweb phrase that is most appropriate here is;

PWNED.

So using that logic, it's not worth the MET paying any attention to your massive feature-length 3D HD movie because you were only nearly hit, not actually hit.

Or, to paraphrase, "not an accident worth noting" ..

I believe the interweb phrase that is most appropriate here is;

PWNED.

So much so that I seem to have posted it thrice. 😳

Zero credibility. If you're hitting pedestrians on a regular basis, you're just no good at cycling. Can't believe you're looking for sympathy over a near miss with a car after coming out with that statement.

Sorry I ride fast and assertively ( many would say aggressively) around town - I have done so in London, I do now in Edinburgh - a city full of spellbound tourists.

I can't remember ever hitting a pedestrian.

If you are 2 m from the kerb / parked car it will take 1 second + for the pedestrian to go from hidden to in your way - thats plenty of time to shout, take avoiding action, brake or whatever is appropriate.

You should be looking thru every parked car for hazard and van you cannot see thru you should take extra precaution.

I do agree with you that on there the general attitude is rather anti cyclist - but not on this one.

[s]see[/s] compound the error of their ways and immediately go to the nearest Church and confess to a priest?

so - are you going to post teh edited clip?

stoner if you can't hold a decent pace and ride the a10 in rush hour don't comment

If by "decent pace" you mean a pace at which you don't repeatedly hit pedestrians, I assure you that Stoner can do that.

If by "decent pace" you mean treating your commute like a race, I would imagine he could probably do that as well.

When TJ, Stoner and I all agree on something, you can be sure that it's the right opinion.

You clearly ride like an asshat if you have hit that many pedestrians. Even more so if you consider that hitting a pedestrian isn't an accident and might just have given them a fright. Even more that you think that is OK. It's not.

If you are 2 m from the kerb / parked car it will take 1 second + for the pedestrian to go from hidden to in your way - thats plenty of time to shout, take avoiding action, brake or whatever is appropriate.

+1

I've only ever hit one pedestrian. At the time I thought it was 100% their fault for stepping off the kerb in front of me. In hindsight I realized I was a bit too close to the kerb so I had no time to react. I also don't ride past Glasgow Central Station anymore.

the important point is i am looking where i am going am riding defesively and take evasive action wherever possible, but on the roads in question people dash out wildly because they aren't paying attention

No, the important point is that you are riding like an idiot, totally unable to read the roads and realise that it is extremely likely someone will "dash out wildly" and that it is up to you to avoid them.

When TJ, Stoner and I all agree on something, you can be sure that it's the right opinion.

+1, I 100% agree with TJ and that's rare 😉

As I am one of those who are 'qualified' to comment I will label you a moron. Perhaps we should ride together, I can show you how not to become a statistic.

How on earth you think colliding with someone isn't an accident, and yet expect a SWAT team to go after a driver who never even touched you I really don't know!

When TJ, Stoner and I all agree on something, you can be sure that it's the right opinion.

Tee hee

For the record I never agree with TJ but on this occasion he agrees with me.

Unsurprisingly the "cycling lawyer" has used roadsafe and looked into its effectiveness
[url= http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.com/2010/11/metropolitan-police-response-roadsafe.html ]Blog post here[/url]

C15 years of daily commuting in London,. 1 pedestrian hit. My fault - filtering through stationary traffic and couldn't see that the lights on a crossing had changed.

At the OPs accident rate I'd say either different riding style or different route.

what made my daily commute through London much safer?

a LOUD bell on my handlebars, because pedestrians use "noise" much more than many people realise, when making judgements about crossing roads and junctions

motor vehicles are always loud, you can hear the engine coming along, bicycles are near silent (unless using a Hope Pro II rear hub!)

something like a Pashley "Ding Dong" bell or rubber-ball horn style 'bell' loud enough to be heard above the background noise of traffic is ideal, the "Air Zound 2" (air compressed system) is also brilliant although may give pedestrian cardiac arrest at close quarters

found my loud bell very effective, constantly ringing it as I pass through stationary traffic and cross green-light junctions as there are always pedestrians too busy on a phone call, navigating using their GPS smart phone or updating Facebook to pay attention to "noise-less" traffic like bicycles

the collision that put me in hospital with a head injury (crushed my helmet) was a pedestrian in Surbiton, Surrey wearing headphone who stepped straight off the pavement without looking and I hit him square (I was going about 20mph), went over bars into road smashing glasses and helmet on road leaving me cut and concussed, he mumbled "sorry mate" and jogged on (very wobbly) leaving me in pool of blood on road

no bell would have helped as he had headphones on, and I would not have had time to react

If you were 2 m from the kerb you would have had over a second to react. More if your view of the pavement was unobstructed

I was in the middle of the road as the road had those crossing kerb edges with illuminated bollards (so probably 2 M from kerb)

pedestrian was jogging, so went straight into road without noticeable warning

believe me when I say the next 2 days were very unpleasant, as was the extended stay in A&E at the local hospital

A brush with a ped is hardly an accident is it lol
At last we are getting some input from cyclists who have hit peds, cyclists always come off far worse, thereforei have no sympathy for any that get hit by cyclists riding legally and within the speed limit.
The worse part is if you get taken out by a ped it is not classed as an rta, therefore very hard to pursue damages for your 5k bike and your
injuries
We all have to take responsibility for our actions, all of my incidents with peds were impossible to avoid which is why they happened. Noone got hurt the ped will take notice in future.
I will continue to ride as fast as possible within the speed limit with MY safety being my primary concern because that's how I have always ridden.

😉

OK, I give up. You are either a superb bit of trolling or a prize asshat. I can't be totally sure.

Could you confirm? Would be awfully helpful, thanks.

I commute and ride with Dulwich Paragon at weekends and am not holding out much hope of driver/cyclist behaviour changing or the law being enforced on anyone anytime soon...

Exhibit a) the number of cyclists piling along the towpath in Paddington without easing up or even covering their brakes when riding against the flow of the rush hour peds, just expecting people to get out of their way...
Exhibit b) cyclist going straight through a red light in Islington in front of two police cars who did nothing at all
Exhibit c) driver in an AA Instructor's car driving whilst using his mobile!
Exhibit d) the drivers who lean on their horns when they come up behind the club ride, expecting 20+ riders just to get out of their way... especially the horsebox who nearly took me out a couple of weeks ago, to express their frustration at having had to hold back for a few minutes down a narrow country lane...

.... and breathe... looks like a lovely weekend for riding 🙂

Hopefully the price of petrol going astronomical will force people to re-consider driving as the only option, experience other forms of transport and then finally get the idea the car is not king of the road...

Anyone else been to Amsterdam? I went a couple of weeks ago and was absolutely astounded as to the way bicycles rule the roost. In the main squares you have delivery vehicles, buses, trams, taxis, pedestrians, motorcycles, rickshaws and bicycles all sharing the same space. The difference? Everyone takes responsibility for their own actions and appear to respect each other's right to be there.

Depends on the projection LOL

I have only actually hit 3 peds in my life so this was an interesting experiment in "cyclists" reactions 😉
for anyone that wants to see the incident that got me so pi**ed off its [url=