Stiffer penalties

[wiltshire builders]

Last sunday riding into bath at a respectable 20-25 mph i had a BMW X5 pull out of a side street and right into my path. Luckily i was able to swerve into the empty bus lane. When i beeped the cheeky cow driving had the audacity to berate me. I am 100% sure she saw me as she was staring straight at me. What do we have to do to convince these people that if they hit us they will kill us? I'm already riding a bright green bike, headlight on and white helmet so it would appear her getting home 30secs quicker is more important than my life. There are rarely "accidents" on the road. Someone is always doing something deliberately wrong to gain some kind of advantage and they need to be held to account. This isn't an anti car thing either as i spend far more time on 4 wheels than i do on 2 but in the last 2 weeks i've already heard of 3 crashes that were caused by not being responsible. If someone doesn't see me fine. That is careless. If someone doesn't look or thinks f@ck it i'm going anyway then they need to have their license taken away.

[finbar]

What you do is stop and give the BMW wanker a talking to! That way they learn that they will be held accountable. If they don't agree break a mirror off....simples!!! [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

They don't use the fecking things anyway!

[ro]

Please don't take Finbar's joke seriously. Maybe someone really did that to them previously and that's why they've now got it in for all bikers.

Take their registration number and report them for dangerous driving - better still if you've got video so there's hard evidence; that's one of the reasons I always have my camera running. They'll probably only get a letter asking them to confirm who was driving the vehicle - the police aren't going to take it further without injury or witnesses - but that's enough to make them realise there are consequences to be faced and it'll stay on their record and be taken in to account if they have any incident in future. Also, a letter after the event might have a more sobering effect than a heated confrontation at the scene - and won't put you in further danger.

[finbar]

So let me get this right a driver attempts to use a car as an offensive weapon...and you get someone to write them a letter?...Ro you are so sweet sometimes! ;D GROUP HUG!!!

[ro]

If they attempted it once, they might attempt it again and be successful the second time. Your first priority should be your safety - seeking confrontation is not the way to go.

[ro]

...and the letter will be telling them that they are facing 2 years imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a minimum obligatory driving ban of 1 year - if you have the evidence to make a dangerous driving charge stick, that's a much better result than getting done yourself for malicious damage.

[Scotty]

...or assault... >

[Mark_Able]

Genuinely, you will get drivers that appear to be looking at you, but still pull out. Their brains are conditioned into looking for cars, buses, trucks, etc. They are not looking for us, and as a consequence, pull out, even though they seem to be looking at us (they're looking through us). If you've got any doubt, sound your horn loud and long BEFORE they pull out. That way they can't claim they didn't hear you either (unless they are mutton). :

[bobf279]

I have had to use my horn a lot more this year for some reason. My bike just seems to be invisible, its not as if it isn't big and bright enough!

That said I thought bikes could use the bus lanes in and around Bath, maybe the car driver was expecting you to be in the bus lane.

[Roxy]

I have to say I had a case of bike rage after some idiot in a car nearly bombed my dad off his bike in front of me...I think I left the young driver under no illusion that he was in the wrong when I pulled up along side him and ranted at him through his open window at the lights! >

I do think that some drivers see us and take note (great) others simply don't see us for whatever reason (not so great) and the worse offenders see us and just think 'its only a bike' and don't give a damn.(they need shooting) >