Island Echo always welcome letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
Letter to the editor – 16th June 2022
“I’d like to share my experiences as a motorist and a cyclist on our great isle.
“I have been driving all over the UK for over 32 years, an Island resident for 17 years, and my wife and I have been cyclists (mostly off-road) for over 3 years.
Article continues below this advertisement “Firstly, having spoken to numerous friends and work colleagues, everyone I speak with agrees that anti-social driving has unfortunately increased over the last few years. Not sure why this anti-social behaviour is increasing on our roads.
“Secondly, my wife and I commute to work over 20 miles a day, fortunately mostly off-road, but even on the couple of miles we have to do on the roads, we unfortunately regularly experience potential life-threatening incidents due to motorists’ total disregard for the law, Highway Code, and general common sense! At times, it’s clear that some motorists see cyclists as actual targets! Unbelievable!
“We love cycling to work, and I also love driving. We are thankful not to have to share most of our commute with the drivers who see cyclists as a target.
“I am not a cyclist that thinks I have the right of way on every occasion… but as a qualified driver and a cyclist, I do know and abide by the Highway Code.
“Given the very sad loss of life of cyclists on Island roads, please motorists, calm down and think, are the seconds ‘saved’ on your journey on this relatively small isle, worth risking killing a cyclist, the life long impact of all their families, and potential imprisonment?”
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G Mostyn
Hi,
Totally agree with your comments.
However I see a rise in selfish cyclists especially strung out groups
impossible to pass, pair of cyclists going up Knighton chute caused a tail back of half a mile, took me from brow of hill down pass right hand to garlic farm, didn’t get pass until pass that old caravan by bluebell woods.
And only because the lead girl pulled into lay-by, Should turn all the old railway line routes into designated cycling tracks.
Perhaps safety between cyclists and drivers would improve if cyclists safely pulled off the road for a couple of minutes to allow long build up queues behind them to disperse.
Cyclists know the problem they are causing by not pulling over to allow a queue of traffic to pass. There is no law that says they have to and they revel in it.
Poor driving skills are a threat to everyone. As someone who has cycled on the island for over 35 years ive seen many an accident caused by lack of observation and general poor car control. As a driver ive followed many a car driver who seem unaware of the size of their car. Undue hesitation or smashing people’s mirrors off. Fortunately as a cyclist ive only come across a few truly unbalanced individuals who shouldn’t have a licence. My advice to fellow cyclists is don’t rise to it. You will only wind them up more and ultimately your the vulnerable one. Oh and if your going to ride a bike be confident. Nervous riders always come a cropper.
Yeah, and I’ve come across loads of unbalanced cyclists that shouldn’t have bikes……
All the more reason to give them plenty of room then. That and a huge fine if you don’t under the new highway code rules.
More than a huge fine if you kill a cyclists and are found blameworthy. There is an extremely good chance you will find yourself a guest of Her Majesty for a few years.
And once again the “I say it, so it’s true” brigade start to pop up. Having driven all over the country and the Island (like most drivers I suspect) for over 50 years I have seen a few cases of dangerous driving, never seen an accident (or had one) and never even nudged a cyclist and yet you have seen ‘MANY’ accidents, followed drivers who smash off wing mirrors and don’t know how to drive and who shouldn’t have a license? From my observations a HUGE amount of drivers give you room, wait patiently and don’t have an issue with you. There are very bad cyclists and drivers. Always have been!
Poor driving skills? At least we pass a test to use the roads! Perhaps it’s time cyclists have to pass a test have a licence tax and some type of mot before using the road!
Otherwise stick to cycle tracks
You may use Roads, with courtesy. But many cyclists ignore highway code and ignore Cycle tracks. Large groups of visiting cyclist’s deliberately cause obstruction. No doubt with Tour of Britain coming here, we’ll be flooded with Lycra road blocks.
While cyclists have never been obligated to use cycle lanes, the updated Highway Code simplifies the language around the use of bike lanes.
[…] clarifies that “cyclists may exercise their judgement and are not obliged to use them”.
Cyclists like to quote the new Highway Code but seem to conveniently forget that it also says ‘Cyclists should be aware of people driving behind them and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping)’
But, have you EVER seen a cyclist or group of cyclists pull over to let motorists pass them? I certainly haven’t.
If ALL road users, and that includes cyclists, showed a bit more respect and tolerance for each other it would be a lot safer for everyone.
EVER is a bit of a hyperbole.
Happy for you to show me how you yield to cars on a bike, and other who upvoted this. Maybe UK requires more yielding than Netherlands and my bike culture is just not as good as yours.
For example, every time I’m coming from Waitrose in East Cowes via Old Road I’d safely yield near a camping site for example – but then there’s a narrow stretch of road with no pavement and often cars are parked there – this is not a safe space to yield and I never do it there. So it depends ♂️
If “everybody” showed a bit more respect and tolerance for each other the WORLD would be a lot safer (and nicer) for everyone!!
Shows selfish attitude of cyclists. Who choose to cause obstruction.
The cycle tracks are not proper cycle lanes as you see in other parts of the country. They are mostly the old railway lines and are shared with walkers, dogs and horses. Some areas are not suitable for road bikes. It is such a shame that opportunities are not being taken to add proper cycle lanes when new roads are built, eg when Asda went up, there was plenty of room for a cycleway
I am not a motorist, but what I saw in Ventnor just last week was sickening. A group of 10 to 12 lycra clad “louts”, riding the wrong way in the High street, yelling at people to get out of the way and even having a go at a car driving the correct way. I’m afraid people like that tar every cyclist with the same brush. Yes there are idiot drivers, but I’m afraid groups of cyclists are a bane on the road, often not caring where they are going, and if a pedestrian steps out to cross the road, by god watch out for the abuse that poor person will get, so stop treating a normal road as a cycle race track.
I think that is the best comment you’ve said for a long time Sir
Are you going to regurgitate that same tale every time there is an article about cyclists? This is the third time now that I know of.
Maybe you don’t remember the other times?
If it gets the point across, yes I will repeat myself. There are many other times I have seen “gangs” of these lycra louts shouting at people and even trying to kick peoples dogs out of the way. So absolutely I will carry on.
For me there is either good driving or poor driving. The near misses I have either cycling or driving are the same things – people who pull out of junctions when they shouldn’t, people who do not give way at roundabouts when they should, and people who don’t indicate.
Until people are penalised for poor driving/riding (including cars, bicycles, motorbikes, scooters whatever) it’s only going to get worse, sadly.
It is not anti-social driving you are experiencing, its frustration when you are stuck in traffic because cyclists will not pull over to allow traffic to flow when it builds up behind them. It’s called give and take, you also need to be respectful of motorist on the roads.
Yes perhaps cyclists should pay to use the roads as we motorists do?
Cycling does not allow not giving way to the right on roundabouts or stopping at red lights!
Bikes should be off the road until they pay road tax!
“Road tax doesn’t exist, so nobody pays it. Roads are actually maintained through local and general taxation. So, cyclists paying these taxes are paying towards roads.
‘Road tax’, as many still mistakenly refer to it, was abolished in 1937 and replaced with Vehicle Excise Duty Tax (VED). But this ‘car tax’, as it’s also known, doesn’t go directly back into the roads. It goes into the general Treasury fund.” taken from https://discerningcyclist.com/do-cyclists-pay-road-tax/
Car Tax is the tax applied to the purchase of a new car, in addition to VAT. VED is colloquially known as road tax and cyclists should pay a contribution and have insurance and carry a number plate
So if I buy a second-hand tax-free electric car I don’t pay road tax but can still drive like an idiot? Excellent!
Exactly I pay for a car, tax mot insurance. So I fancy riding a motorbike instead. Why should I pay anything cyclists don’t?
Just buy a zero-emission car and you too can pay £0 on VED.
I could contribute £100/yr for my 15kg bike for all the wear and tear of the road it does. This would be of course £13,300/yr for a 2000kg car then.
I think cyclists do themselves no favours by riding 2 or sometimes 3 abreast, not pulling over to let faster moving traffic past (as the highway code says slow moving traffic should) and riding on the road, ignoring perfectly good cycle lanes (eg Fairlee rd). Not all of them are inconsiderate or discourteous of course, but it is always the few that tar the rest with the same brush.
Fairlee Road cycle Lane is shared with pedestrians, dogs etc. It is not smooth track and therefore not not suitable for road bikes. We need to spend some money on widening roads to include proper cycle lanes. These would be far more useful than the wide pavements on both sides of the road that are barely used.
I use the Fairlee Road cycle lane myself. It is no less smooth than the road and many cycle tracks are shared with pedestrians. There’s nothing wrong with it.
What you really mean is that the cycle lane is not billiard table smooth enough for you to use it as a race track, and you don’t want to have to slow down for pedestrians or dog walkers. You would rather be pig ignorant and hold up the traffic flow and then wonder why drivers show you no respect.
Exactly the roads crap for those who pay to use it, want a smooth cycle lane? Chip in with a cycle tax otherwise don’t whinge. Lycra clad tax dodging whingers are getting up my nose!
Cars and cyclists have always shared the roads. I used to cycle before passing my test on the mainland many years ago and didn’t have any safety concerns then.
Now, the roads are so dangerous for cyclists, especially over here. The standard of driving on this island is extremely poor by some motorists. We all know speeding is a very big problem, but in general, standards are poor and anyone who rides a bike are risking getting involved in an accident
Classic “not my fault” response. If you know it is dangerous out there take extra precautions.. Would you go rock climbing without ropes or sailing without a life jacket, oh I forgot, it’s not my the boat turned over.
All cyclists should be banned from all roads.
Agree. Therefore we need bike roads everywhere. But so far we don’t even have pavements for pedestrians everywhere – so for now we have to share, until proper infrastructure is built.
I too cycle to work daily but not had any aggressive motorists behind me. But i do get alot pull out on my from junction’s. I had one driver wanting to park on the opposite side of the road on Friday so he just crossed over missing me by know more the 6 inch and laugh ed at me.
£20 spent on a cheap little dash cam camera fitted to my cycle in full view has dramatically reduced the amount of close overtaking by cars in a hurry. I point to it if they get to close and I hope it causes a few skid marks, not the type left on the road though. Why they think that saving a few seconds to get past me will get them to their destination sooner when there is a Nissan Micra around the next bend, I’ve even been Micra’d on a bicycle.
I’m assuming that the consideration you crave when on the roads, you also give to pedestrians on cycle tracks, which used to be called footpaths.
Not all car drivers and not all cyclists are at fault, but there are those on both sides that don’t show the expected courtesy to other road users. The number of accidents of any kind is directly proportional to the number of vehicles, of any type, so unless the numbers go down, it’ll keep happening. Education and more robust policing of the roads would help.
And cyclists, please use a bell or warning device when approaching pedestrians from behind, it does help.
Out for a nice, relaxing walk yesterday when 3 cyclists tore towards us three abreast and shouted to us that “it is a road”.
We were quite aware of that and also that the road had no pavement, there were parked cars on the side of the cyclists and we were walking towards the traffic and were in single file. This was the same trio who rode the wrong way up the High Street in Yarmouth.
It is very rare a pedestrian receives any courtesy from a cyclist…..
cyclists should be made to take a test, before being anyware near a road .
They also need to wear, a helmet and protective clothing not this stupid fashion wear.
Next they need to pay road tax and have insurance.
On fairlee road on our way to Newport, we had a cyclist weaving all over the place.
Cuting in and out of the cars in the traffic jam, as he came mast our car he or she hit the wing mirror with said bike, pushing forward my wife called out of her window for him to stop and got the middle finger.
the glass had cracked , Harwards Garage charged us £185.85 , foir a replacement mirror.
The cyclist continued weaving on his way.
This is awful. Would you like to hear my anecdotal story I apply to every situation? I got bitten by a mosquito while standing on one leg. Since then I advise EVERYONE to avoid standing on one leg because it’s clear that mosquitos prefer people standing on one leg. Cream for my bite cost £3 from Boots.
Why Netherlands where even kids cycle to school and grandpas to grocery stories doesn’t mandate helmets or protective clothing and yet they have less road injuries and fatalities then Australia that does demand helmets?
(Hint; all research shows infrastructure is the issue.)
If that’s the case, may I suggest a lot of cyclists learn and obey the new highway code, too many ride erratically, hold up traffic and the other day in Newport I saw a cyclist go through a red light near macdonalds and nearly got hit by a bus. Who’s at fault the cyclist. I’m not against them but they must follow the rules like the rest of us
“Follow the rules like the rest of us”?
Like obeying speed limits?
Or not parking on the pavement? (yes, I know parking on a pavement is not an offence per-se, but unless pavement parkers levitate their cars to where they park them, they will have driven them there which is an offence).
Or driving the right way around a mini roundabout. The law states you must drive around the spot on a mini roundabout unless your vehicle is physically incapable of doing so (e.g an HGV), but few obey this one.
Unfortunately the law is now in favour of the cyclist, as non paying road users they now think they own the right to hog the roads. They are very quick to use their GoPro cameras to report a motorist who can obviously be traced owing to registration numbers. However when a motorist uses their dash cam to report cyclists the police will do nothing as the cyclist is untraceable owing to no registration.
You know most adult cyclists are also drivers, right?
And you understand they are paying road tax on their car even while they are parked on their drives while they are cycling, right?
We pay road tax to use a motor vehicle on the roads, variable tax for different vehicles depending on emissions.
Agree, it really is time now for cyclists to have some sort of identifying tag on their bike. Legally a cyclist is liable for prosecution for illegal actions on the road and they can be fined just the same as motorists. But, of course the lycras hide in the knowledge that they can’t be identified.
If they could many would face bankruptcy in the course of a week as amounts range from a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £50 for minor offences, such as failing to stop at a red light, up to a maximum of £2,500 for Dangerous Cycling.
I totally agree. I had a cyclist once point out that there’s a lot more motorised vehicles using the road that there are cyclists, and that motorised vehicles are a lot heavier than cyclists. He then tried to suggest motorised vehicle cause more wear and damage to the roads! And that if a motorised vehicle hits something it will cause significant damage due to the weight carried and speeds it can reach!
Oh, how I laughed. What a silly cyclist.
Everyone knows there are more cycles on the road than motorised vehicles, and that a cyclist pollutes 280x more than a car due to all that heavy breathing.
I also agree with your sensible statements but on Saturday mid-morning three cyclists travelled from Tescos in Ryde towards Brading. Thoughout the journey down Beaper Shute they continuously swapped position to ride 2 abreast in the 50mph zone, preventing safe overtaking by the steadily increasing traffic behind them. At the Carpenter’s Road lights after a quick glance left they rode straight through the red light. Such road users are a real issue for everyone.
Cyclists are road parasites, living by others expense. I have a 50cc noped, it can do 25mph. To use it I have to have been tested, the bike has to be MOT’d, taxed, plated, and insured. A modern E-bike can do twice my speed, can weigh just as much, requires none of the above, may travel in bike lanes and cycle routs, which I cannot. On their 17th birthday cyclist should be required to pass a test and their road bikes treated exactly the same a motorcycle, but above all cyclist should be traceable by a licence plate
E-bikes are restricted. The motor cuts out at 15.5 mph. If you see one going faster then either the rider is pedalling at that speed or they are going down a very steep hill; in other words just like any other bike. and the same for you moped. No such thing as road tax, VED is paid on the exhaust pollution you produce.
Absolute garbage.
A legal e-bike is restricted to 15 mph / 250w. Any more and they must be registered as a motor vehicle.
Frankly, mopeds are a bigger pain than cyclists. Pretty easy to nip past a cyclist doing 15 to 20 mph. A lot harder to get past moped doing 25 to 30.
Just hope those Citroen Amis don’t become too popular. Basically a 4 wheel moped limited to 28 mph.
For a holiday island there sure is a lot of rage. For a society full of pensioners there sure is a lot of rush.
I totally don’t get this whole “cyclist vs driver vs pedestrian” thing. It’s all commuters with different mode of transport at a given time.
I don’t want “drivers” to imagine all people on cycles as “Lycra lads” and transpose that anger onto me – I don’t even know what Lycra exactly is! I cycle in my tie often!
I just want to go about on my “Dutch grandpa” bike, buying my milk at Waitrose without having to deal with aggression.
get used to it – most motorists hate cyclists as they are simply in the way, slow down the flow of traffic and think that they own the road.
As both a cyclist and a driver my sympathies for cyclists on the road waned considerably a couple of years ago when, after all the cars had pulled over, I witnessed a lycra clad cyclist approaching Arreton refusing to pull over to allow a blue light ambulance to pass.
Avid cyclists will claim that there ‘is always one’ that gives them a bad name but it’s never just one, there’s always another and another and yet another!
If cyclists, quite rightly, want the protections of the law and Highway Code then they must be equally subjected to them, no more police tolerance of serious transgressions, ignoring red lights, one way streets etc.
In Netherlands there’s actually a discussion about one way streets, that is that bikes should always be allowed to go both ways because… well… they are not cars. This way you reduce their route therefore encouraging more people to cycle = less cars stuff in traffic = more happy drivers*
*way happier than UK ones according to satisfaction polls. Can’t argue with data 🙂
Today had a woman turn into the road I was cycling down. She had parked cars on her side. Did not wait for me. Drove at me. Forced me to the curb. As she pass shouted that I had to move to let her though.
I am sure people have experienced the reverse too. All a consequence of the reduction of the roads unit on the island. Bad drivers begin to believe they are good drivers as they are never pulled over and spoken too.
Reading some of the comments here, her point of view seems to be popular.
Good. One down lots more to go. I hate cyclists
Chip on your shoulder lol. Clearly you have social issues, may you get them resolved.
Nope just think all cyclists are pathetic and have no care whatsoever for the environment. How can they when they have hundreds of cars all in second gear polluting the atmosphere whilst you fail to realise what your doing and then have the right to arrive at a traffic light dismount your cycle cross the path whilst we are on red and a carry on all cyclist are filth
Military road on Sunday, I’m approaching a cyclist. Soon as he hears me he moves over CLOSER to the middle of the road. I’m on a motorcycle, he clearly knows what he’s doing. I guess he wanted a close pass, so his wish was granted.
I’m an ex hgv driver with over 30 yrs experience drivers trucks, motorcycles, cars & cycles. I’ve noticed in the last few years there seems to be a massive increase in selfish antisocial driving on our roads here on the island, I use to enjoy being out on the roads but now I only drive if I absolutely have to, I hardly use my motorcycle anymore for the fear of being knocked of it.
Cyclists are taking the urine causing miles of traffic jams. complete Richard heads.. out of breath struggling at 4mph uphill with a 50 mph speed limit on the road.
I Ride a motorcycle it is very frustrating, must be worse for Car Owners