Shit, I once had someone tell me with a straight face that it’s not a trucker’s fault if they run over cyclists when turning around corners. Not because of dead angles but because they can’t be expected to check their mirror every time they make a turn; they’re too busy fiddling with their GPS and getting the freight papers sorted.
While making turns. Apparently they’re too busy to do that when the vehicle’s stopped or at the very least while they’re driving straight and thus they should be exempt from having to obey traffic rules.
When cars were new, Wisconsin law required a flagman to walk ahead of the vehicle as it traveled, to warn other people and ensure that the way was clear. I’d love to see that return, in analogous locations. That is, a passenger has to get out and walk the car through.
I wouldn’t expect drivers to follow that law, because you can barely count on them to follow any traffic laws, but still.
If a vehicle goes over 25 kph in Germany it’s a moped. You need a drivers license, insurance and registration. So, many imported E-bikes legally require moped rules, but all too few follow it.
But mopeds are limited to 45 km/h, so everything beyond counts as a regular motorcycle. Every once in a while the police stops people driving e-bikes with deactivated limiter that are able to go 70 or even 90 km/h.
Misinformation conflating illegal unlicensed e-motocycles is a huge problem that is resulting in legal e-bikes getting unfairly blamed and sometimes even confiscated and destroyed. This community will not contribute to it.
You can either accept that, have a conversation about how the specific jurisdiction you’re talking about is behind the curve on regulation so that we can productively discuss ways to help fix the problem in that jurisdiction (because that’s a different problem than other places have with existing rules not getting enforced correctly), or leave. In no scenario will you be allowed to use this community to spread FUD and lies.
There are higher level county/perish/state/territory/national laws that apply, there was never a need to wait for every little town to pass their own boutique laws.
I don’t doubt you’ve seen those things, but you seem to be implying a) it’s not just a small minority and b) when bikes do those things, they’re just as dangerous as any bad driver. Neither of which are true.
@Ariselas And they NEVER yield right-of-way to those who have it. Unless they have the right-of-way, then they’ll stop the flow of traffic to force it on somebody else as a (very dangerous) “courtesy”, and get angry when vulnerable road users don’t take it. They just don’t understand right-of-way at all.
You mean the ones that drive so close to you on the highway, that there wouldn’t be enough space to put a smart car between you were you parallel parked?
I always try to be responsible and cautious when riding a bike. The thing is, often the road layout is so hostile to cyclists, there is just no way to follow the rules and be safe. Having said that, of course traffic rules should also be enforced on cyclists and some people are just irredeemable idiots. But the main problems are bad cycling infrastructure and inconsiderate or distracted drivers. I’d rather have the irredeemable idiots ride a bike than drive a three ton truck.
Biking on sidewalks is perfectly legal where I’m at, the only exception I can think of is when the sidewalk abuts a building, and usually where that occurs I’m mostly comfortable with on road biking
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Around here bike people:
Die because of distracted drivers.
Die because Trucks can’t bother to properly check all their mirrors.
Die because drivers speeding.
I think bikes would be way better if you wouldn’t risk getting killed by drivers any time you do it.
Shit, I once had someone tell me with a straight face that it’s not a trucker’s fault if they run over cyclists when turning around corners. Not because of dead angles but because they can’t be expected to check their mirror every time they make a turn; they’re too busy fiddling with their GPS and getting the freight papers sorted.
While making turns. Apparently they’re too busy to do that when the vehicle’s stopped or at the very least while they’re driving straight and thus they should be exempt from having to obey traffic rules.
When cars were new, Wisconsin law required a flagman to walk ahead of the vehicle as it traveled, to warn other people and ensure that the way was clear. I’d love to see that return, in analogous locations. That is, a passenger has to get out and walk the car through.
I wouldn’t expect drivers to follow that law, because you can barely count on them to follow any traffic laws, but still.
As opposed to drivers, who never do any of those things, I’m sure.
Also
What
It may be on streets where speed is limited to either “walking pace” or ten-ish mph (20 km/h) or the bikers simply have strong legs.
It’s pretty easy to break 30km/h speed limits when you are trained and on a bike that’s made to go fast.
E-bikes
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Vehicles that can go 60 MPH are motorcycles, not e-bikes. If you repeat that false claim it will be considered misinformation and removed.
If a vehicle goes over 25 kph in Germany it’s a moped. You need a drivers license, insurance and registration. So, many imported E-bikes legally require moped rules, but all too few follow it.
But mopeds are limited to 45 km/h, so everything beyond counts as a regular motorcycle. Every once in a while the police stops people driving e-bikes with deactivated limiter that are able to go 70 or even 90 km/h.
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If you wanted me to believe you based on your local laws, you should’ve cited them (or at least told us the jurisdiction you’re talking about).
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Misinformation conflating illegal unlicensed e-motocycles is a huge problem that is resulting in legal e-bikes getting unfairly blamed and sometimes even confiscated and destroyed. This community will not contribute to it.
You can either accept that, have a conversation about how the specific jurisdiction you’re talking about is behind the curve on regulation so that we can productively discuss ways to help fix the problem in that jurisdiction (because that’s a different problem than other places have with existing rules not getting enforced correctly), or leave. In no scenario will you be allowed to use this community to spread FUD and lies.
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A lot of laws have been passed to limit bike speeds at this point, what are you talking about?
Ebikes aren’t a new technology anymore.
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There are higher level county/perish/state/territory/national laws that apply, there was never a need to wait for every little town to pass their own boutique laws.
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I don’t doubt you’ve seen those things, but you seem to be implying a) it’s not just a small minority and b) when bikes do those things, they’re just as dangerous as any bad driver. Neither of which are true.
And in Alberta, car people:
Drive the wrong way into incoming traffic in the middle of the road.
Ignore all stoplights.
Ignore traffic lights.
Go over the speed limit.
Drive on the sidewalk.
@Ariselas And they NEVER yield right-of-way to those who have it. Unless they have the right-of-way, then they’ll stop the flow of traffic to force it on somebody else as a (very dangerous) “courtesy”, and get angry when vulnerable road users don’t take it. They just don’t understand right-of-way at all.
Don’t even get me started on truck people!
You mean the ones that drive so close to you on the highway, that there wouldn’t be enough space to put a smart car between you were you parallel parked?
I see you have also been on QE2!
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I always try to be responsible and cautious when riding a bike. The thing is, often the road layout is so hostile to cyclists, there is just no way to follow the rules and be safe. Having said that, of course traffic rules should also be enforced on cyclists and some people are just irredeemable idiots. But the main problems are bad cycling infrastructure and inconsiderate or distracted drivers. I’d rather have the irredeemable idiots ride a bike than drive a three ton truck.
You also described many Tesla drivers in my city.
Those are just the cyclists you notice
There are plenty of places where you’re allowed to bike on the sidewalks especially because biking on highways is illegal in the states
Biking on sidewalks is perfectly legal where I’m at, the only exception I can think of is when the sidewalk abuts a building, and usually where that occurs I’m mostly comfortable with on road biking
My dad would tell me tales of bikers held to the laws of the road, and even issued tickets, in the olden times…