Please discuss… nicely.
[video=vimeo;4140910]http://vimeo.com/4140910[/video]
And if it turns into a flame war or another endless helmet-esque debate then i’m locking the thread.
I’m just curious as to whether there are practical flaws in the idea.
Arrargggghhh!! But they don’t pay rego and now they want to ride through stop signs??? Get them off the road!!!
I like the idea, I just can’t see past the anger it will cause drivers if we were allowed to do this.
Seems perfectly reasonable.
Of course, the Duncan Idaho rolling stop is another option, whereby you come to a stop, dismount, then slaughter 19 Sardaukar.
I like it, its a great idea. I’ve also got a car and motorbike license and it doesn’t offend me holding both those licenses. Common sense really.
The proposal has merit, given that we have the capacity for much more visibility compared to someone driving a car. However I cannot ever see something similar being proposed here
I think it’s a good idea. I also think being able to turn left on a red is a good idea too. However, most Australians are shit drivers and a lot of cyclists are just as bad. These things only work if people are responsible, so I don’t see it happening, and the anti cycling lobby would kick up a stink over it as well.
Driving home from Docklands at 10pm last night, I was really surprised at how many cyclists had no lights at all… it was well over 50%.
I’d argue that red lights -> stop signs, stop signs -> give way, and give way -> give way. The efficiency argument is good, but I’d also argue that bicycle riders have far more visibility and thus can make better decisions about when to stop and go. Lights and signs make the road safer for cars, not bikes.
Doesn’t this only work if all roads at an intersection are visible from a great distance? I’m sure it works well on the plains of country Idaho but nowhere else.
Also, in Canberra we have these magic things called “roundabouts”. They’re pretty cool and you don’t need to stop if you’ve right of way.
We have them in Melbourne too, but our drivers seem to think that ‘right of way’ doesn’t apply to cyclists !
I navigate one roundabout on my way to work every day. I’d say on 3 mornings out of 5 some douche bag pulls out in front of me. Thinking of making some video of it and starting a website called www.ataroundaboutgivewaytotrafficontherightyoufuckingmotherfucker.com
i imagine most people do this anyway, many car drivers do it as well for that matter, not coming to a complete stop at stop signs.
They were comparing Boise Idaho to Portland Oregon. So the video didn’t really apply to the ‘open plains’.
No state in Australia has a “give way to the right in a roundabout” law. This idea is a common misconception.
Indeed, but the “give way to traffic already on roundabout…to avoid a collision” law amounts to the same thing. ie, if a vehicle is on the roundabout and coming at you (from the right) don’t pull in front of it cos you’ll get hit. if it’s to your left, feel free to pull out cos it’ll have to come all the way around to hit you, at which point you’re on the roundabout and they have to give way to avoid a collision.
It’s easy just to saw give way to the right: while not semantically correct, in essence it’s pretty right.
I’m pretty sure we all do this anyway, due partly to huge ceebs stopping totally NOBR AKES. It would be nice if it was strictly speaking legal though.
I intially thought I was going to have look something up on Urban Dictionary…
Anyway, i like the idea. It will never happen because WE DON’T PAY FOR THE ROADS (that was sar-chasm).
As for roundabouts, I reckon I have maybe 10 on my ride to work. I get pulled out on at least three of them a day by people (well Mum’s in 4WD’s / SUV’s) who don’t look to the right (well they do, and they’ll stop for cars, but us cyclists have gotta stop for them right, I mean that’s what we have brakes for…!). It’s funny that it’s not a law, but common sense to give way to the right. I might buy a shitty car, and just try and plow through the next BMW / Audi / Lexus SUV that doesn’t give way to the right at a roundabout. Also, while I’m on that, do you think a lot of drivers have trouble judging the speed we’re going?
I have the same gig riding to work.
I reckon its due substantially to drivers not being able to judge speed we are going. Until i started riding, I think I struggled with judging cyclists speed when I was driving.
Yep… I used to commute home via a hill where cars would sit at the bottom waiting to turn right, across your path, and you could see them doing the ‘will I wait or will I go thing’, and then they’d pull out across your path and turn right anyway. You’d then have to jam the brakes on to avoid broadsiding them… it’s a fucking circus!
haha, that’s what i was thinking.
yeah, this idea is a good one and some people may do this already.
sadly, this being australia, and australia being the land of half-wit car worship, anything that could be perceived as benefitting a cyclist over a motor vehicle will be shot down rapidly and vigorously.