I've been cycling to work and back for just over 2 years. It's a relatively short trip (10 minutes) but I've seen so much idiotic driving. In those 2 years I've had:
- Drivers ignore "priority to oncoming traffic" numerous times because they seem to think and oncoming cyclist doesn't count and will pull out right into my path
- Attempting to overtake me when I'm going around a parked vehicle, as if somehow their desire to overtake takes priority over my need to get around a static obstruction in the road.
- Mounting the pavement to get around those priority single lane island buildouts rather than waiting for me to get through (she had been waiting a grand total of 3 seconds tops)
- Pulling out in front of me on a roundabout almost causing a collision
- Overtaking me on my right when I was turning right in a dedicated right turn lane and there was an empty straight ahead lane to my left. Almost caused a crash
- Overtaking on blind bends
- Overtaking me when I was just over 2m from the car in front in traffic moving at walking pace and then swerving into that gap, clipping the front of my bike
- Braking checking me
- Intentionally blinding me with main beam
- Numerous overtakes into the path of oncoming traffic
- Overtaking me then slamming on the brakes as I was approaching a roundabout so looking at oncoming traffic not traffic behind me.
- Generic honking and yelling abuse.
I cycle with full lights, high vis helmet, jacket, cover over my rucksack and I have never had any vehicle stuck behind me for more than a few seconds as I pull over if that happens yet many times I think I shouldn't bother. I've ever cycled defensively, eg putting my bike in the centre of the lane when approaching blind bends and a single lane approach to a roundabout to try to dissuade people from doing stupid ****, it doesn't work, they still put my life in danger for the sake of a few seconds. Many drivers have serious issues and the second you are on 2 wheels and peddling, your life becomes cheap. We have a serious cultural attitude problem in this country in which many drivers are not only apathetic to a cyclists safety but actively desire to see us harmed.
As someone who has also driven, I can understand the frustration being sat behind a cyclist but it does not merit treating all cyclists the same and taking actions that, if they go slightly wrong, could result in serious injury or death for very little gain. I've even been knocked off my bike by an HGV that overtook me on a blind bend (right after I had pulled over to let traffic through) and almost hit an oncoming coach. He decided to swerve and the trailer hit me instead. Fortunately I didn't go under the rear wheels but it was close. Our government instead focuses on extra punishments for cyclists who cycle like dickheads rather than clamping down on people using their vehicles as weapons. Cyclists can be idiots but I can't think of any that actually try to use their bike as a weapon for obvious reasons. The same cannot be said for motorists. It genuinely got bad enough I was going to get a camera. The fact I moved to an area which is beyond cycling commute is the only reason I didn't.
