A note to the Road Safety Authority and anyone else using our roads
This is an open letter to the Road Safety Authority and all concerned people:
Coming home through Clonakilty Friday evening, I was stunned how many cars had no lights on in the middle of town at almost 5pm! It's dusk. Using lights helps people to see. Last week I was driving past C.U.H., when I realised that there was a cyclist in the cycle lane - no problem there - but nothing reflective on him or his bike. At 6am, there aren't too many cars out and about, but there are plenty of van & lorry drivers. If someone doesn't make an effort to ensure that he/she can be seen, then no driver should be liable for hitting the vehicle - bike, motorbike or car. That's harsh, but I'm tired of being scared out of my wits as I avoid people who aren't lit up.
We now have theory tests and driving tests for everything, so a motorcyclist does tests for riding a motorbike safely; a car driver has to do the same to be able to drive a car; if one wants to hitch a trailer to the car, that's another set of theory and driving tests; and so on up to the big lorries. However may I throw in a spanner into this wonderfully neat set of money-making 'education safety' exercises. A car driver or motorcyclist doesn't have to know what it's like to drive a van or lorry so never understand that these vehicles are big, take more work to negotiate particularly in tight corners, narrow streets etc., have blind spots and it's important to know where they are. I can only assume that our legislators have never had occasion to drive a van or lorry either!
Finally I'm in awe of the places where drivers with arctic trucks have to negotiate to load or unload in very busy places. The sheer lack of understanding of the size and room needed to easily manoeuvre leaves me speechless. I wish someone would tell me it's all in hand and learner drivers will have the opportunity even in a simulator to drive a bigger vehicle than they're own - free of charge. That's another important point. People will not do this if it means forking out yet more money. We're already screwed every which way as road users.
Apologies for the being longwinded of this, but I am really concerned.
Until next time
Avril
Coming home through Clonakilty Friday evening, I was stunned how many cars had no lights on in the middle of town at almost 5pm! It's dusk. Using lights helps people to see. Last week I was driving past C.U.H., when I realised that there was a cyclist in the cycle lane - no problem there - but nothing reflective on him or his bike. At 6am, there aren't too many cars out and about, but there are plenty of van & lorry drivers. If someone doesn't make an effort to ensure that he/she can be seen, then no driver should be liable for hitting the vehicle - bike, motorbike or car. That's harsh, but I'm tired of being scared out of my wits as I avoid people who aren't lit up.
We now have theory tests and driving tests for everything, so a motorcyclist does tests for riding a motorbike safely; a car driver has to do the same to be able to drive a car; if one wants to hitch a trailer to the car, that's another set of theory and driving tests; and so on up to the big lorries. However may I throw in a spanner into this wonderfully neat set of money-making 'education safety' exercises. A car driver or motorcyclist doesn't have to know what it's like to drive a van or lorry so never understand that these vehicles are big, take more work to negotiate particularly in tight corners, narrow streets etc., have blind spots and it's important to know where they are. I can only assume that our legislators have never had occasion to drive a van or lorry either!
Finally I'm in awe of the places where drivers with arctic trucks have to negotiate to load or unload in very busy places. The sheer lack of understanding of the size and room needed to easily manoeuvre leaves me speechless. I wish someone would tell me it's all in hand and learner drivers will have the opportunity even in a simulator to drive a bigger vehicle than they're own - free of charge. That's another important point. People will not do this if it means forking out yet more money. We're already screwed every which way as road users.
Apologies for the being longwinded of this, but I am really concerned.
Until next time
Avril
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