Several near-misses with pavement cyclists in Wirral (From Wirral Globe)
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Several near-misses with pavement cyclists in Wirral
12:00pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in Letters
I TOTALLY agree with your “Bromborough Pedestrian” correspondent Globe Mailbox, October 3 - and I also live in Bromborough.
Earlier this year, my wife walked out of our drive and had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a cyclist travelling at speed along the pavement.
This followed an incident when I was hit by a cyclist in Bromborough village.
I was on the crowded pavement - and so was the cyclist! He even had the nerve to blame me for the collision suggesting that I should have moved out of his way.
I have also had several near misses when cyclists have overtaken me - at speed and on the pavement - and I wasn't aware they were approaching.
I sometimes feel at risk but if an elderly person or a child walked out of their property into the path of one of these individuals, there could be serious consequences. It seems that whenever I walk around here, I have to avoid cyclists on the pavement.
All of the incidents involved adults - not children.
For a time, I carried my camera with me and photographed some of the cyclists.
Others were travelling at such speed that I didn't have time to do so - and that's even more of a worry.
Another Bromborough Pedestrian by email.
Comments(20)
uncatom
says...
7:54am Wed 10 Oct 12
steady cyclist wrote:steady cyclist,
You should try being a cyclist we face similar trauma every time we ride legally on the road, with uninsured motorits, drunk drivers and some just with a poor attitude to other road users, and not forgetting the ones who dont hold a licence, and have never read the Highway code let alone getting a driving licence.
Also you may wish to check that the pavements in question are shared use footways, or just footways, if shared use ask those responsible for planing them what the idea was of integrating pedestrians and cyclists on the same stretch of footway., also ask for the risk assesment for the footway, as you may well have a claim against those who planned such facilities if you syufer injury.
Still trying to excuse cyclists bad behaviour by diverting criticism onto everybody else, it seems the pedestrian has to contend with all those you have previously mentioned and the cyclist on the pavements as well.
Dantealighieri
says...
2:10pm Wed 10 Oct 12
David
says...
5:00pm Wed 10 Oct 12
steady cyclist
says...
5:37pm Wed 10 Oct 12
How many pedestriansd have been hit by cyclist recently locally, abnd rquired life saving treatment in hospital.
Note any pattern in the above..
Dantealighieri
says...
7:34pm Wed 10 Oct 12
steady cyclist
says...
9:39pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Just pointing out more cyclists get injured by other road users, than cyclists injuring other highway users
uncatom
says...
8:59am Thu 11 Oct 12
There have been cases of pedestrians being killed and suffering injury by people cycling on the pavement, and the potential is there for it to happen again,so do we ignore it and wait for someone else to be killed or injured?the instances you quote are far outwieghed by the fatalities suffered by pedestrians in RTC instances, crossing roads etc, perhaps to reduce cyclist fatalities they should take a test to help ensure their own safety and to highlight their own responsibility on the highway.
Jack Boot
says...
5:30pm Thu 11 Oct 12
However, cyclists should always dismount when on the pavement but I can understand why they use the pavement, its because the roads around Bromborough are no place for cyclists, hesitant car drivers or pedestrians eating their Mcdonalds
Lovelo Bicycles
says...
1:41pm Sun 14 Oct 12
Very rarely this can end in injury to a pedestrian, occasionally it can be an annoyance to a pedestrian, and that is unfortunate but that is due to the fact that local authorities refuse to incorporate sensible segregated cycling facilities in their road designs. With a cycle network designed to high standards cyclists will naturally avoid conflict with pedestrians and cars, just as cars don't generally drive on the pavement and pedestrians don't generally walk in the road.
Look at it another way, if there was a road and a cycle path but no pavement, where would pedestrians choose to walk?
spamfiend
says...
8:02am Mon 15 Oct 12
He looked very smart in his bright yellow lycra cycling gear with a very tidy helmet on, but I guarantee you, he was dicing with death with his lack of road sense, and was completely oblivious to anyone else on the road and from reading a lot of posts on here regarding cyclists recently, if (or when he does) get hit by a car, if would have been the drivers fault and not the 'poor' cyclist!!
As I said before there are good cyclists out there, but in my experience of cyclists on the road every day, I haven't come across that many of them yet.
Hugo1008
says...
12:58pm Mon 15 Oct 12
However due to the oncomming heavyduty traffic I did not have the luxury of room to give a wide berth, but I did give the cylist enough room, only to be yelled at by the Lycra Clad Moron as I passed.
A few hundred meters further on I stopped at the traffic lights, and sure enough Lycra Clad Moron drew up and continued to give verbal abuse because according to him I drove too close to him.
I explained that under the circumstances I did give him suffient room, proved by the fact he was still on his machine, he did not like that and carried on in a foul mouthed tirade.
What is the mororist supposed to do behave in a civilised manner, or just run Lycra Clad Moron off the road or maybe risk a head to head with something traveling in the opposite direction.
One other important point the road in question does also have a narrow track off the road running through the grass road verge. Lycra Clad Moron did not want to know about that, silly chappie.
steady cyclist
says...
2:18pm Mon 15 Oct 12
Jack Boot
says...
5:32pm Mon 15 Oct 12
Hugo1008
says...
7:27pm Mon 15 Oct 12
The cyclist remained on his machine so I clearly gave him enough room, and the road in question is notorious for accidents, hence the off road cycle path provided.
Just how much room does a Lycra Clad Moron require, plus the fact that he reached the Traffic Lights in enough time to rant and rave shows that traffic including me was not traveling that fast.
Rememnber I too ride a bike on occasions, but I do so in a manner that takes all the circumstances into consideration.
Could it be that one or both of you recognise yourself as the Lycra Clad Moron. silly chappies.
steady cyclist
says...
7:42pm Mon 15 Oct 12
As the road is notorius for accidents surely you should be taking more care and adjust your driving accordingly,as he reached the traffic lights at the same time as yourself, then surely the traffic was either driving at a speed conducent with good practice in which case it would have been better to use a bike and reduce congestion and pollution.
I do hope you will bring the notorius road for accidents to the attention of both the police and the local council for speed calming to be introduced or other measures deemed suitable to make it safer.
You also still carried out a dangerous manovre and the cyclist told you off,,perhaps next time it will be a police officer, or the victims family.
Haddy Nuff
says...
12:40am Tue 16 Oct 12
rules say cyclists are not supposed to be on pavements... So even a novice should be on the road, amongst traffic.
Since I am primarily a driver, passed a few years ago, ditched my bike, I have seen a number of cyclists risking their lives through stupidity. Taking risks by not following the HC... And risking other road users lives too.
I understand why these cycle paths have been put in place... There does need to be some separation... Machine Vs contraption, no matter who riding/driving, is not a good mix.
Hugo1008
says...
9:47am Tue 16 Oct 12
At no point in this posting did I say the cylist and myself reached the traffic lights together.
I was waiting at the lights when he caught up and came alogside my car ranting at me through my passenger window, this clearly indicates that I had left enough room on my nearside for him to be there as was the case when I passed him at a slow speed as we were approaching traffic lights.
The road in question is quite clearly signposted as a dagerous accident black spot, the cycle path is quite visible, and it is a road that you seldom see pedestrians, so they were not cluttering up the pathway that you I suspect chose to ignore.
I would be interested in your warped imagination just what dangerous manovre you think was or had happened.
Perhaps you were making your way to the "Eurika Cafe", albeit following your collegues who I also passed at other places along the route, strange no body else saw any reason for a rant.
so "Lycra Clad Moron" do calm down and take your medication, it might clear your vision and your clearly befuddled thinking.
bickyboy
says...
5:27pm Tue 16 Oct 12
Like many people I've seen this problem from all angles, as a cyclist, a pedestrian and as a motorist. There is good and bad on all sides, and the important thing to remember is that if you obey the rules of the road then sensible, normal people who share that road with you will tend to appreciate it and react likewise. Idiots will always...well, be idiots, and calling people names on a wretched news forum is unlikely to change that.
Lovelo Bicycles
says...
6:36pm Tue 16 Oct 12
Hugo1008 wrote:If simply not hitting somebody is the standard to which you drive then frankly you ought not be on the road.
Steady Cyclist and Jack Boot you both have missed the obvious points.
The cyclist remained on his machine so I clearly gave him enough room, and the road in question is notorious for accidents, hence the off road cycle path provided.
Just how much room does a Lycra Clad Moron require, plus the fact that he reached the Traffic Lights in enough time to rant and rave shows that traffic including me was not traveling that fast.
Rememnber I too ride a bike on occasions, but I do so in a manner that takes all the circumstances into consideration.
Could it be that one or both of you recognise yourself as the Lycra Clad Moron. silly chappies.
You would be happy for other drivers to drive at your family, and provided they screech to a halt inches away from hitting them, no harm, no foul?
I suggest you view rule 163 of the Highway Code and the image contained therein, of how much room motorists should give cyclists.
steady cyclist says...
7:05pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Also you may wish to check that the pavements in question are shared use footways, or just footways, if shared use ask those responsible for planing them what the idea was of integrating pedestrians and cyclists on the same stretch of footway., also ask for the risk assesment for the footway, as you may well have a claim against those who planned such facilities if you syufer injury.