Death wish – HarBUG – Harwell Campus Bicycle Users Group

This topic has 12 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 11 years ago by admin.

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- October 25, 2013 at 8:51 am #1790
  
  alanmac
  Member
  
  Yesterday, a cyclist passed me on just next to Oxford Rail Station – flying through the red traffic light controlling the right turn which I was waiting to change, through the stop line and into the middle of the yellow box on the junction where they stopped. Totally invisible – one tiny flashing white light on a helmet, no lights or reflectors on the bike front or back. They were narrowally missed being hit by a double decker bus coming out of the station… and the bus driver was not to blame.
- October 25, 2013 at 10:04 am #1791
  
  Anonymous
  Inactive
  
  Are we creating a list of when we see anyone do something stupid/dangerous/illegal or just cyclists?
- October 25, 2013 at 10:14 am #1792
  
  Mike
  Member
  
  A fair enough point I guess though this is a cycling forum. Maybe there are no answers but having a good whinge is better then keeping it all in. People will ride without lights, drive cars with headlights out, speed, be selfish, people will just keep getting hurt and killed and bad stuff will happen anyway. So why bother?
  
  Then some people genuinely care about stuff in spite of the hopelessness and pointlessness of it all, sad though that may be 🙁 Time for another up of tea I guess as tea fixes everything.
- October 25, 2013 at 10:21 am #1793
  
  alanmac
  Member
  
  It is the 4th cyclist in two weeks that I have seen in 2 weeks that thinks that flashing lights somehow compensate for the fact that they are wearing dark clothing and cannot be seen by cyclists or motorists. Last week it was someone leaving the harwell campus cycling – shot straight out of curie avenue in front of my car, round a bus pulling in, and headed towards steventon in the dark – I could not see how they could see the road ahead to dodge any potholes in the road without high powered lights. They were also almost invisible with just one small red flashing light at the rear – no lights working up front.
  
  Perhaps these messages will remind fellow cyclists that the days are getting shorter and good quality lights are a must.
- October 25, 2013 at 10:23 am #1794
  
  Anonymous
  Inactive
  
  I think Matt’s point is that there wasn’t any question (never mind any answers) so what is the point of the posting, even if one agrees with the sentiments that drove alanmac to post it? The letting it all out would be better done to the police or the Oxfrod town council rather than a cycling forum. Tea sounds good though…. 🙂
- October 25, 2013 at 10:25 am #1795
  
  Anonymous
  Inactive
  
  Our eplies travelled together in the ether! I suspect the cyclists who don’t use lights don’t read the forum…. 🙂
- October 25, 2013 at 10:35 am #1796
  
  alanmac
  Member
  
  You might be right about this, but they probably use the same bike racks and look at the internal noticeboard, so hopefully might see a safety poster, if I had one to put up. Does anyone have an eye catching cycling safety poster I could put up?
  
  I think this is really the question I should have asked in my first post, but prehaps harbug could also gather some cycling tips on staying safe, light selection, high vi clothing etc… that could be put on noticeboards and help attract new members?
- October 25, 2013 at 10:43 am #1797
  
  Anonymous
  Inactive
  
  These are quite nice but, alas, being American , encourages cycling on the wrong side of the road 😉
  
  New Safety Posters Available — “Light Up the Night” & “Don’t Be Color Blind”
- October 25, 2013 at 12:55 pm #1799
  
  dimitris
  Member
  
  I think some reminder posters in routes frequent by cyclists would help. Which leads us to how to reach the parents of the young people cycling around without worrying too much.
- October 25, 2013 at 1:05 pm #1800
  
  Anonymous
  Inactive
  
  At the risk of sounding too Charles Bronson-like, that may be a different topic – Death Wish 2 ? (sorry)
- October 25, 2013 at 1:08 pm #1801
  
  alanmac
  Member
  
  Another question: Do the campus police have a cycling safety officer that I can email?
- October 26, 2013 at 12:23 pm #1803
  
  admin
  Member
  
  I don’t think we need to get health and safety or site security or the police involved with this. If we encourage others to enforce this we are opening the gates of compulsory helmet wearing and use of cycle lanes. Lights are a legal requirement but hi viz clothing is not. I think it is a case of raising awareness and the poster idea is a good one.
- October 26, 2013 at 12:23 pm #1804
  
  admin
  Member
  
  I don’t think we need to get health and safety or site security or the police involved with this. If we encourage others to enforce this we are opening the gates of compulsory helmet wearing and use of cycle lanes. Lights are a legal requirement but hi viz clothing is not. I think it is a case of raising awareness and the poster idea is a good one.
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