I understand there is a new campaign locally based on the imaginatively named Operation Close Pass. This seems to consist of the police giving warnings to drivers if they pass a cyclist within five feet.
www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/watch-terrifying-footage-cars-passing-12114509
Irrespective of the merits or values of the campaign, I wondered if one of these type of things:
www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-laser-level-n69dp
attached to the bike and projecting a red line five feet out to the right would do anything to help?
Obviously I mean a custom made bit of kit, not a lash up with a three quid thing from Maplin, but conceptually - if you saw a cyclist and a red line to the right of him, might it nudge you into thinking that was his "safe zone"?
It could of course actually be an infilled flashing orange box or whatever as the electronics allowed.
Half baked or, don't tell me, it already exists...
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Cyclists should only ride on cycle paths. It is always going to cause problem if cyclists and motorists share same section of the road. It is fundamentally wrong to use same road for motor vehicles and bicycles.
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Oh, that's pretty funky - very similar but front projecting. Maybe I should email Blaze.
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It just encourages cyclists to get alongside left turning vehicles, how about projecting a red death zone alongside lorries, vans and buses.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 3 Nov 16 at 10:01
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>> It just encourages cyclists to get alongside left turning vehicles, how about projecting a red
>> death zone alongside lorries, vans and buses.
>>
Maybe a big red cross? On a junction near us bikes try and squeeze past on the left in gaps, whilst traffic is waiting to turn left, that aren't really there. There's been a few bumps and tumbles. I find it best to avoid it happening to me to stop tight against the kerb, that way no one is likely to try something that's not really there to try.
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>> >> It just encourages cyclists to get alongside left turning vehicles, how about projecting a
>> red
>> >> death zone alongside lorries, vans and buses.
>> >>
>>
>> Maybe a big red cross?
On second thoughts cyclists ignore the turn indicators so nothing short of a laser that melted their tyres or maybe their bikes would stop their suicidal road use. Of course indicators only inform of intentions, they do not give right of movement.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 3 Nov 16 at 11:18
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>>Cyclists should only ride on cycle paths.
Where's the space for these cycle paths going to magically appear from? Should the roads have their width reduced, or footpaths, either way it's going to upset other users?
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How about an audible proximity alert? - similar to this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=khLRjyJ_Ymo
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My car has proximity sensors front and rear, and a lane departure warning system. Fortunately they have an off switch. The collision warning system sometimes triggers when passing parked cars, the autonomous braking has never activated. I put them all in the pain in the *** category and do nothing eyes and a brain have not achieved for many years.
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Where's the space for these cycle paths going to magically appear from? Should the roads have their width reduced, or footpaths, either way it's going to upset other users?
Round my way, few cycle paths are fit for the purpose. Full of detritus so the p=c+*re fairy will visit and quite a few have a tilted access, so are dangerous on a upright three wheeler.
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Well, just for giggles I did in fact mail Blaze (thank you Mapmaker) with the so called "idea" this morning, and just had a very positive response, saying they really liked it and are "passing to their developers to talk about".
There's a thing. I'm sure nothing will come of it but anyway.
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I would suggest that this will only work at night, and in my experience as a cyclist, I reckon I get given more space at night and in dark, than I do during the day.
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>> Cyclists should only ride on cycle paths. It is always going to cause problem if
>> cyclists and motorists share same section of the road. It is fundamentally wrong to use
>> same road for motor vehicles and bicycles.
>>
Yes, that's right Movilogo. And tractors and combine harvesters should only be allowed in fields. And horses should only be allowed on bridle paths - after all, tarmac roads must wear down their hooves. And articulated lorises should be banned from town centres and small roads. And pedestrians must only walk on footpaths. And as for milk floats!?! Don't get me started!
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>> Cyclists should only ride on cycle paths. It is always going to cause problem if
>> cyclists and motorists share same section of the road. It is fundamentally wrong to use
>> same road for motor vehicles and bicycles.
>>
>>
>>
Have you seen the quality of some cycle paths! It's often safer to cycle in road!
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There is another space issue with these proposals. Highway standards seem to be 3.65m or thereabouts lane width. Most cars (let alone trucks and busses) are about 1.8m wide. That leaves about 1.85m for the gutter, the bike, the 5 feet passing distance and a safe distance to the centre of the road to avoid hitting vehicles in the other carriageway. That lot just doesn't fit into one lane.
It follows that the only answers to meet the 5 feet is to pass by crossing into the oncoming lane, or not passing at all. Vehicle traffic would grind to a halt in busy cities where opportunities to cross to the opposing lane are few and far between. It would also make cycling pretty miserable if you had a perpetual queue of frustrated traffic behind you. Mutual resentment would get even worse.
Logically this proposal would also mean that cyclists could not themselves filter in slow traffic into a gap that gave them less than five feet space - plus space for the bike and gutter. Bike traffic too would grind to a halt in cities.
Self driving cars could not proceed where space didn't allow the gap. Also how would they be programmed to react to a filtering cyclist within the 5 Feet? Stop presumably?
It might be quicker to walk. Unless of course the bikes have taken illegally to the pavements to avoid the road mayhem. Do they have to give pedestrians the same 5 feet? Ah, that would be interesting.
Obviously it's essential to give each other enough space but an arbitrary X feet is unworkable and uneccessary in crowded spaces. As an occasional cyclist it's not passing distance as such that scares me but the combination of distance and speed. Being passed by 2 or 3 feet in slow city traffic is fine. Being passed by a vehicle going at 60mph, with even a larger gap, can be scary.
Until our infrastructure can give the ideal space what is needed is mutual thought and consideration.
Like that'll happen.
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Mad cycle safety idea - movilogo
