BEING a motorcyclist and car driver, I felt I must put pen to paper regarding cyclist and cycle laws.
I use the roads a lot for long and short distances and many times fear for cyclists not using the cycle lanes provided.
Government spends billions of pounds providing them; most cyclists ignore them.
They prefer to ride two; three and many times four abreast.
Myself and other motorists wave them over, but they just seem to ignore you or make rude gestures.
I have contacted the police a few times. They just said it’s a regular occurrence and the cycling clubs do it in a dart shape formation often down a 60 mph service road.
A couple of years back, myself and a driver in front in our car followed eight or nine cyclists down a service road, they road the centre lane on the dividing line in this dart formation — unfortunately a young lad coming the opposite way, he took out the lot of them.
I was the one walking round the broken bodies, arms legs broke.
I actually thought two were dead.
The broken bikes lay down the central road line, ambulance and air ambulance eventually came it seemed forever.
There were only two witnesses — myself and another elderly chap.
We walked around the broken bodies the car was in the field, and the driver seemed okay, but shocked.
Luckily, no one was killed.
Eventually I finished up in court standing up for the poor motorist, but unfortunately there were too many cyclists waiting to challenge the motorist who I thought was innocent.
I believe it is still going on, but they would not let me challenge them in court and said it would be too intimidating for me.
I wanted so much to tell the story how it was, but had to bite my tongue.
Where did the other people come from? I don’t know as there was just two witnesses.
So I ask why can’t government make it law to have cyclists ride in single file, you never see motor bikers riding side-by-side or cars, only on motorways.
It could only be for their own safety — I know, I was there.
It was horrific and making them ride in single file could only enhance their lives and make it safer for other passing vehicles.
Bill Collison
Bolton Road
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