@ H@rry: I think Utrecht had quite a bit less snow than Groningen, and you didn't think to use a car (not that that is a serious option).
Anyway: what I notice in the video is how many cyclists ride with no or hardly any lights. This evening I noticed the same. On a stretch of cycle path without any lampposts (and no adjacent road), there were quite a few cyclists without any discernible light. The only way I noticed them was through reflective material.
Now I don't ask that everyone starts using an B+M Ixon IQ as I do, but a visible light would be really nice, as opposed to these invisible lights.
@Maarten About the lights. It really was almost light when I was filming and this is where a lot of cyclists start their ride (Central Station) so you see a lot of people just beginning their journey who didn't turn on their lights anymore. The cyclists arriving from elsewhere started when it was darker so they still have them on.
I think there a more cyclists than ever who ride with perfect lights. Very different from say 15-20 years ago when I sometimes felt I was the 'only one' with lights.
All the campaigning had some result in my opinion.
@Maarten: the general idea seems to be that as long as other people have their lights on they will see the ones without. Stupid. I made the same comment on Amsterdamize once and got the reply that the non-lit riders were all adults so "who am I to wag a finger at them?". Until it's too late, of course.
H@rry: Walking's not so bad. I actually drove as a result, which is nearly unheard of.
Krazmo: You should see it in summer !
Others: Yes, it is silly that people ride with no lights, and I have to say that I find that it's a bigger problem here than it was in the UK.
In fact, lights are merely a secondary safety device. Keeping cyclists away from the source of danger (motor vehicles) is a much more powerful way of keeping cyclists safe.
That is why Dutch cyclists get away with so much, yet are still much safer here than those in the UK.
7 comments:
Well, the snow made me walk instead of cycle ;-)
@ H@rry: I think Utrecht had quite a bit less snow than Groningen, and you didn't think to use a car (not that that is a serious option).
Anyway: what I notice in the video is how many cyclists ride with no or hardly any lights. This evening I noticed the same. On a stretch of cycle path without any lampposts (and no adjacent road), there were quite a few cyclists without any discernible light. The only way I noticed them was through reflective material.
Now I don't ask that everyone starts using an B+M Ixon IQ as I do, but a visible light would be really nice, as opposed to these invisible lights.
Wow.
I've never seen so many cyclists together outside of a race. It's mesmerizing.
@Maarten About the lights. It really was almost light when I was filming and this is where a lot of cyclists start their ride (Central Station) so you see a lot of people just beginning their journey who didn't turn on their lights anymore. The cyclists arriving from elsewhere started when it was darker so they still have them on.
I think there a more cyclists than ever who ride with perfect lights. Very different from say 15-20 years ago when I sometimes felt I was the 'only one' with lights.
All the campaigning had some result in my opinion.
@Maarten: the general idea seems to be that as long as other people have their lights on they will see the ones without. Stupid. I made the same comment on Amsterdamize once and got the reply that the non-lit riders were all adults so "who am I to wag a finger at them?". Until it's too late, of course.
H@rry: Walking's not so bad. I actually drove as a result, which is nearly unheard of.
Krazmo: You should see it in summer !
Others: Yes, it is silly that people ride with no lights, and I have to say that I find that it's a bigger problem here than it was in the UK.
In fact, lights are merely a secondary safety device. Keeping cyclists away from the source of danger (motor vehicles) is a much more powerful way of keeping cyclists safe.
That is why Dutch cyclists get away with so much, yet are still much safer here than those in the UK.
@Maarten: the car is no option at all for me, since I do not own one.
(I do share a small camper, but it was not parked at my place)
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