Dr Osborn wants drivers to take more care
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Cyclist's fury at poor driving
By Caroline CookNovember 16, 2011
A cyclist is warning drivers to take more care on the roads after he was knocked off his bike and had another near miss in the space of a week.
Dr Martin Osborn, from Finchampstead, is calling on motorists to take more care after saying he could have been seriously injured or even killed in the incidents.
The 53-year-old said: “I was knocked from my bike by a Peugeot car in Peach Street on Monday, November 7, at about 7pm.
“Despite the fact that I wore a high-visibility jacket and had two bright rear lights and two fluorescent green panniers, the driver cut in as he overtook me.
“I shouted out a warning and knocked on the roof of the car, but the driver continued to cut in and struck the bike, causing me to fall to the pavement.”
Dr Osborn, who works for a chemical research company in Jealott’s Hill, Bracknell, said the car driver did not stop and he caught up with him near Shute End where he parked his bike in front of the car and asked the driver to exchange details.
The driver refused to wind down his window so Dr Osborn went to Wokingham police station to report the incident.
He was also later treated for a twisted ankle which was caused when he was forced to pull his feet from toe clips to prevent himself from falling head-first on to the pavement.
The cyclists had another near miss just two days later involving a car which pulled out of Tangley Drive on to Luckley Road at around 6.30pm on Wednesday, November 9.
He said: “The explanation given by the driver was ‘I only saw you at the last moment because all my windows were steamed up, all right?’ Well the answer is that is not all right.
“The irony was I took that route because of what happened on Monday and then that happened.”
Dr Osborn said he has been cycling all his life and has been cycling around the Wokingham area for 26 years, travelling to and from work on his bike every day.
He also said the area is not very cyclist-friendly compared to other towns like Cambridge which has designated cycle routes.
He said: “I went on holiday to Cambridge where a lot of people cycle and the cars there are brilliant. There is a real difference there.
“I have been knocked off where I lived in Bristol when I was young. It only takes one or two and it creates problem for a lot of people.”
Motorists are urged to watch for cyclists when turning left or opening car doors and to give at least half a car’s width of space when passing a cyclist.
The Government also issues advice for cyclists to wear fluorescent clothing and a helmet and advises them to fit bikes with lights and reflectors provided they do not dazzle other road users.
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22/11/2011 at 15:48 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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http://www.carbuzz.co.uk/blog/Road-Tax-Doesnt-Exist
You too mate!
21/11/2011 at 20:30 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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21/11/2011 at 16:03 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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I would happily come back with a smart alec reply-unfortunately I haven't the faintest idea what you were talking about in your last post....
21/11/2011 at 08:26 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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Road Tax Prices 2011 - Budget 2011 Car Tax Updatewww.roadtaxprices.co.uk/Cached - Similar You +1'd this publicly. Undo Road tax prices, car tax prices 2011. . From gov site . no mention of excise duty matey , but you will come back with another smart reply ha ha ha , .Stay safe matey .
19/11/2011 at 19:11 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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19/11/2011 at 08:07 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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18/11/2011 at 19:48 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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"and when they do come a cropper its ALWAYS the car driver who is wrong."
Not always, but usually.
In accidents where a cyclist is killed or seriously injured in an collision with a motor vehicle, it is statistically far more likely that it is driver of the motor vehicle who is found to be at fault, or have committed an offence.
I know anecdote does not equal evidence, but I have had two serious bike accidents involving collision with cars-in both cases the drivers were successfully prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. 'SMIDSY' as we cyclists call it-"Sorry, Mate I Didn't See You.."
17/11/2011 at 20:21 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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You don't pay road tax, either. It was abolished in 1937. What you pay is vehicle excise duty, which is for the privilege of driving a car on the road. Vehicles which don't pollute, like electric cars and er, bicycles, are exempt. And I think you'll find the majority of cyclists are car owners as well, so not only are they paying the tax, they are also thoughtfully not clogging up the road with their car on that day and giving you more space. So ungrateful. Agree about cyclists who jump red lights though. Drives me crazy.
17/11/2011 at 18:11 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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16/11/2011 at 20:03 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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16/11/2011 at 16:52 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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16/11/2011 at 16:36 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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A few bad cyclists doesn't make every one a bad cyclist.
Life is a risk we all take every day. Cyclists have no car shell to protect them and chose to go on the road (often avoiding cycle lanes) so they must accept that they willingly accept a greater risk than most from bad drivers.
This doesn't mean that we shouldn't seek to educate bad drivers and bad cyclists! but sometimes you have to acknowledge reality
16/11/2011 at 12:54 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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My parter rides a motorbike and has also had several near misses where drivers of cars have pulled out without looking or changed lanes without checking. Drivers need to pay more attention.
16/11/2011 at 12:35 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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I have to agree with Ivor. If you are travelling between Wokingham and Lower Earley then the cycle path along Lower Earley Way can be a real pain. Unless you make a big detour then there are no drop kerbs to help you off or on to the cycle path (e.g. travelling from Wokingham) unless you get off your bike and lift it on to the path. As for the cycle path along Reading Road/Wokingham Road it's not even worth the paint/signs used to mark it.
As someone who cycles and drives, I agree that the standard of some drivers appears to be getting worse. I normally have at least 1 near miss a week where a driver decides that they should have right of way because they are bigger even if the highway code/law disagrees with them. This has got so bad that I now have a small video camera on the bike and report the worst offenders to the police. It's amazing how good a video you can get from a £15 camera. :-)
Just for the record - I always stop at red lights, have fully working lights and don't ride on the pavement. Cyclists who don't should be fined, same as drivers who also commit all these offences on a regular basis. Plus if you cycle in the dark with no lights and no hi-viz clothing then they deserve the consequences based on Darwin's law. You can get a hi-viz jacket for under £10 so there is no excuse.
16/11/2011 at 12:10 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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