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We can debate the use of ‘road’ and ‘lane’ until the cows come home, but the below video – flagged in the comments section of yesterday’s live blog by road.cc reader IanMSpencer – neatly illustrates why, despite the views of armchair experts on Twitter (and even some police officers), it’s often best to avoid the left-hand side of the lane as a cyclist… especially when the road in question is lined with parked cars:
This is why cyclists ride IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. This happens so often here where drivers just don’t look before they pull out.#cycling in #Sheffield pic.twitter.com/GEOGg8u2I4
— CyclingInASkirt (@CyclingInASkirt) November 25, 2022
Inevitably, CyclingInASkirt’s post was almost immediately derailed by Twitter users leaping to the defence of the motorist – and, unsurprisingly, completely missing the point about anticipating hazards by riding in the middle of the lane that the cyclist, you know, was obviously making (or maybe it was just obvious to people who have actually ridden bikes on the road?):
Save your excessive use of punctuation.
That’s precisely the point. This is why those of us riding bikes do so in this position. Get it yet?
— CyclingInASkirt (@CyclingInASkirt) November 26, 2022
Precisely. Which is why cyclists ride in this position. Which was the point.
— CyclingInASkirt (@CyclingInASkirt) November 26, 2022
The point is to show why cyclists sometimes ride towards the middle. Not that this driver did anything wrong, although they could have perhaps parked the other way round.
— The4Goals (@The4Goals) November 26, 2022
If they had parked in the right side of the road they would have been able to see in their wing mirror.
— Lars Fischer (@lpfischer) November 25, 2022
One Twitter user, missing the mark as spectacularly as Cristiano Ronaldo failing to connect with an incoming cross (and with the same misplaced confidence), also wrote: “Car is well lit. Sees cyclist and stops. She still whines about it. These people are radicalised anti-car extremists.”
> Monday moaning: Why don’t cyclists stick to the left of the lane?
Another particularly savvy motorist – as part of some desperate attempt to excuse a stranger’s driving as ideal – even tweeted that it is the cyclist’s “responsibility to anticipate hazards”:
Nah it’s really difficult to see oncoming traffic from that parked position when parked. You have to pull out to get good view. Your responsibility to anticipate hazards.
— Jack Mason 💙 (@LegendMase) November 25, 2022
Which is what CyclingInASkirt was doing of course (I’m getting dizzy)…
It was great road positioning but it appears you are wasting your breath on those who have not ridden a bike since their school days ?
— Darren S (@Badger8882) November 26, 2022
While road.cc reader Ian and a few others astutely pointed out that, maybe, just maybe, drivers should try to avoid creating hazards – while also adhering to the Highway Code:
The driver has a responsibility not to create a hazard. For example, parking against the flow of traffic is poor driving and inevitably leads to a problem when exiting a space. HWC 239:
“do not park facing against the traffic flow”Whose problem is it now?
— Ian Spencer (@IanMSpencer) November 27, 2022
Maybe read the Highway Code pic.twitter.com/n6vW5j90kB
— Cyclegranny 🚴♀️ (@anneramsey740) November 26, 2022
Ian added that it was interesting “that a commenter could think that it is reasonable for drivers to drive hazardously, and a that cyclist is responsible for dealing with it.”
Same time tomorrow, folks?
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