I nearly got wiped out last night, driving home along the national speed limit road that leads to Dredge Towers. There I was, minding my own business when an oncoming car suddenly swerved into my path then cut back onto his own side of the road.
We were both making decent progress before this episode, but neither of us was breaking the limit – or at least I wasn’t, anyway. What had thrown a spanner in the works was a cyclist who’d decided to reduce his carbon footprint by not using any lights. There he was, pedalling along an unlit road at night, wearing dark clothing and doing his best to blend into the scenery with a chameleon-like ability. He’d done a good job too, emerging only at the very last moment.
There was no collision, and the only damage was to my laundry bill – but things could have been so different. The cyclist could easily have been struck – or me. Some would say that as the cyclist is the most vulnerable of the road users in this scenario, it was the other driver’s fault. I’d argue that all road users have a duty to use the roads responsibly. What say you?
I’ve long thought that cyclists should require insurance to use the public highways. Perhaps they should also pass a proficiency test to gain a cycling licence.
Gerry Pollard | 11 Mar 07 - 20:20