Cyclists riding on footpaths - have you nearly hit one?

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#638850 11-Jun-2012 12:34

When I was young, I was riding to school on the road and was taken out by a car backing out of a driveway. The person driving wanted me to pay for the damage to their car. Needless to say this didn't happen, in fact I had to pay to get my bike fixed (I believe it was about $78).

The most interesting part was that by riding on the road, there was a large risk that I would fall off into the path of the traffic on the road like what happened to the woman in Auckland last year who swerved to miss the opening car door. I guess this is why parents like their kids on the footpath.

Since that experience I have always been cautious about cyclists, and have given them a wide berth, I hope they appreciate the space as much as I am happy to give it to them.

Jon

surfisup1000

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#638857 11-Jun-2012 12:41

BraaiGuy:
Well said...

Parents in this country seem to believe they not responsible for the safe upbringing of their children.

If a child has no road sence, and is riding around on the footpath and is hit by a car because he/her was not looking where he was going. 99% responsibility lies with the parent.

Absolutely disagree.

You want to wrap children in cotton balls and avoid all risks.

Thank goodness not everyone has this attitude. Who knows, maybe Edmund Hillary would have flagged climbing Mt Everest as too risky. Shall we ban school rugby too? After all, it is irresponsible to put a child into a situation where they may sustain injuries.

The parents responsibility is primarily to teach the child bike safety.

A child has a right to ride on the footpath, and this is the safest place. Personally, I've been hit more times on the road by cars running through give-way signs than on a footpath.

If a car comes roaring out of a driveway and hits a child on a bike it is certainly not the parents responsibility . It is primarily the motorist since they have broken the law.

stevenz

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#638860 11-Jun-2012 12:49

The hutt road here has half of the width of the 4-5m wide path "reserved" for cyclists, whilst walking along the path, even if on the "pedestrian" side of it, they seem to enjoy zipping past you as fast, and as closely as possible, about 6-inches between me and them, about 3 feet between them and the wall. Hardly encourages me to be considerate of them.

And what's with the epilepsy-inducing retina-burning lights they're using at both ends of their bikes these days?

@KnightNZ

Klipspringer

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#638865 11-Jun-2012 12:51

surfisup1000:
BraaiGuy:
Well said...

Parents in this country seem to believe they not responsible for the safe upbringing of their children.

If a child has no road sence, and is riding around on the footpath and is hit by a car because he/her was not looking where he was going. 99% responsibility lies with the parent.

Absolutely disagree.

You want to wrap children in cotton balls and avoid all risks.

Thank goodness not everyone has this attitude. Who knows, maybe Edmund Hillary would have flagged climbing Mt Everest as too risky. Shall we ban school rugby too? After all, it is irresponsible to put a child into a situation where they may sustain injuries.

The parents responsibility is primarily to teach the child bike safety.

A child has a right to ride on the footpath, and this is the safest place. Personally, I've been hit more times on the road by cars running through give-way signs than on a footpath.

If a car comes roaring out of a driveway and hits a child on a bike it is certainly not the parents responsibility . It is primarily the motorist since they have broken the law.

My comment was around the previous comment where Surfsup said ...

surfisup1000:
Kids don't listen. They play up. They will race ahead. Walking speed is too slow for a bike.

Being supervised really does not help much.

Nothing about putting the kids into cotton balls. Its about making sure that your kids know and understand the risks before venturing out into danger. Riding on the sidewalks is dangerous.

When I am out walking, and my girls are cycling down the footpath. When I tell them to stop. They stop. They don’t play up and race ahead like surfisup suggests is the norm.

The same can be said about many things. If your kids don’t listen to you, and show you respect, you have given up on being a good parent. And the children probably rule the roost at home too. So typical with so many kiwi kids today.

keewee01

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#638877 11-Jun-2012 12:57

surfisup1000:
BraaiGuy:
Well said...

Parents in this country seem to believe they not responsible for the safe upbringing of their children.

If a child has no road sence, and is riding around on the footpath and is hit by a car because he/her was not looking where he was going. 99% responsibility lies with the parent.

Absolutely disagree.

You want to wrap children in cotton balls and avoid all risks.

Thank goodness not everyone has this attitude. Who knows, maybe Edmund Hillary would have flagged climbing Mt Everest as too risky. Shall we ban school rugby too? After all, it is irresponsible to put a child into a situation where they may sustain injuries.

The parents responsibility is primarily to teach the child bike safety.

A child has a right to ride on the footpath, and this is the safest place. Personally, I've been hit more times on the road by cars running through give-way signs than on a footpath.

If a car comes roaring out of a driveway and hits a child on a bike it is certainly not the parents responsibility . It is primarily the motorist since they have broken the law.

Actually I would say the opposite - that BraaiGuy is taking the line of welcome to the real world, if you can't hack it get off the roads! About being educated to the facts and dangers, not wrapped up in cotton wool.

Bike Safety is only a small part of what the child needs to be taught - more importantly is to be aware of their surrounds!

Most children that bike would graduate beyond a 355mm wheel size at an early age - not too long after they start school.

At my son's school children are not allowed (not recommended?) to bike to school until they are 10.

keewee01

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#638881 11-Jun-2012 13:02

BraaiGuy:
surfisup1000:
BraaiGuy:
Well said...

Parents in this country seem to believe they not responsible for the safe upbringing of their children.

If a child has no road sence, and is riding around on the footpath and is hit by a car because he/her was not looking where he was going. 99% responsibility lies with the parent.

Absolutely disagree.

You want to wrap children in cotton balls and avoid all risks.

Thank goodness not everyone has this attitude. Who knows, maybe Edmund Hillary would have flagged climbing Mt Everest as too risky. Shall we ban school rugby too? After all, it is irresponsible to put a child into a situation where they may sustain injuries.

The parents responsibility is primarily to teach the child bike safety.

A child has a right to ride on the footpath, and this is the safest place. Personally, I've been hit more times on the road by cars running through give-way signs than on a footpath.

If a car comes roaring out of a driveway and hits a child on a bike it is certainly not the parents responsibility . It is primarily the motorist since they have broken the law.

My comment was around the previous comment where Surfsup said ...

surfisup1000:
Kids don't listen. They play up. They will race ahead. Walking speed is too slow for a bike.

Being supervised really does not help much.

Nothing about putting the kids into cotton balls. Its about making sure that your kids know and understand the risks before venturing out into danger. Riding on the sidewalks is dangerous.

When I am out walking, and my girls are cycling down the footpath. When I tell them to stop. They stop. They don’t play up and race ahead like surfisup suggests is the norm.

The same can be said about many things. If your kids don’t listen to you, and show you respect, you have given up on being a good parent. And the children probably rule the roost at home too. So typical with so many kiwi kids today.

Well said and so true. A lot of parents do not act as good parents - they treat their 4 year old as a equal and deprive them of lifes education.

Back before that law change if our son took off and wasn't listening to us he would get an immediately smack on the back of the hand so that he knew he had done wrong and needed to stop, listen and modify his behavior.

surfisup1000

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#638882 11-Jun-2012 13:02

keewee01:

Actually I would say the opposite - that BraaiGuy is taking the line of welcome to the real world, if you can't hack it get off the roads! About being educated to the facts and dangers, not wrapped up in cotton wool.

Bike Safety is only a small part of what the child needs to be taught - more importantly is to be aware of their surrounds!

Most children that bike would graduate beyond a 355mm wheel size at an early age - not too long after they start school.

At my son's school children are not allowed (not recommended?) to bike to school until they are 10.

Bike safety includes being aware of the surroundings, and listening, looking, thinking ahead of the dangers can occur. And, knowing about the dangers that can occur.

My eldest has been through the schools bike safety program, in addition to our constant badgering.

But, I still maintain that children sometimes do not listen. They get excited, sometimes forget and are more easily distracted.

I'm sure children from earlier generations had the same traits. Show me a child who never misbehaved. I never said anything about being out of control though.

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Klipspringer

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#638886 11-Jun-2012 13:07

keewee01:

Actually I would say the opposite - that BraaiGuy is taking the line of welcome to the real world, if you can't hack it get off the roads! About being educated to the facts and dangers, not wrapped up in cotton wool.

Bike Safety is only a small part of what the child needs to be taught - more importantly is to be aware of their surrounds!

Most children that bike would graduate beyond a 355mm wheel size at an early age - not too long after they start school.

At my son's school children are not allowed (not recommended?) to bike to school until they are 10.

No different to giving your 4year old a surfboard, dropping him off down at the beach..

good luck mate ... mind the swell today..

keewee01

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#638888 11-Jun-2012 13:09

surfisup1000:
keewee01:

Actually I would say the opposite - that BraaiGuy is taking the line of welcome to the real world, if you can't hack it get off the roads! About being educated to the facts and dangers, not wrapped up in cotton wool.

Bike Safety is only a small part of what the child needs to be taught - more importantly is to be aware of their surrounds!

Most children that bike would graduate beyond a 355mm wheel size at an early age - not too long after they start school.

At my son's school children are not allowed (not recommended?) to bike to school until they are 10.

Bike safety includes being aware of the surroundings, and listening, looking, thinking ahead of the dangers can occur. And, knowing about the dangers that can occur.

My eldest has been through the schools bike safety program, in addition to our constant badgering.

But, I still maintain that children sometimes do not listen. They get excited, sometimes forget and are more easily distracted.

I'm sure children from earlier generations had the same traits. Show me a child who never misbehaved. I never said anything about being out of control though.

Oh, I totally agree! And that is why parenting never ends and parents need to be ever vigilant.

Part of the problem as time marches on is that younger generations seem to have less and less concept of responsibly and that things could actually be their fault when they happen, or that they could be hurt by something. The "We are Supermen" generation.

Governments (past and present) have a lot to answer for in this regard.

Klipspringer

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#638890 11-Jun-2012 13:11

surfisup1000:
keewee01:

Actually I would say the opposite - that BraaiGuy is taking the line of welcome to the real world, if you can't hack it get off the roads! About being educated to the facts and dangers, not wrapped up in cotton wool.

Bike Safety is only a small part of what the child needs to be taught - more importantly is to be aware of their surrounds!

Most children that bike would graduate beyond a 355mm wheel size at an early age - not too long after they start school.

At my son's school children are not allowed (not recommended?) to bike to school until they are 10.

Bike safety includes being aware of the surroundings, and listening, looking, thinking ahead of the dangers can occur. And, knowing about the dangers that can occur.

My eldest has been through the schools bike safety program, in addition to our constant badgering.

But, I still maintain that children sometimes do not listen. They get excited, sometimes forget and are more easily distracted.

I'm sure children from earlier generations had the same traits. Show me a child who never misbehaved. I never said anything about being out of control though.

You said Being supervised really does not help much.

Which to me means that you may as well not be there because they are not listening to you.

keewee01

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#638891 11-Jun-2012 13:11

BraaiGuy:
keewee01:

Actually I would say the opposite - that BraaiGuy is taking the line of welcome to the real world, if you can't hack it get off the roads! About being educated to the facts and dangers, not wrapped up in cotton wool.

Bike Safety is only a small part of what the child needs to be taught - more importantly is to be aware of their surrounds!

Most children that bike would graduate beyond a 355mm wheel size at an early age - not too long after they start school.

At my son's school children are not allowed (not recommended?) to bike to school until they are 10.

No different to giving your 4year old a surfboard, dropping him off down at the beach..

good luck mate ... mind the swell today..

LMAO... I'm picturing a 4 year old trying to drag a full size surfboard down the beach...

jonb

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#638896 11-Jun-2012 13:16

jonherries: When I was young, I was riding to school on the road and was taken out by a car backing out of a driveway. The person driving wanted me to pay for the damage to their car. Needless to say this didn't happen, in fact I had to pay to get my bike fixed (I believe it was about $78).

The most interesting part was that by riding on the road, there was a large risk that I would fall off into the path of the traffic on the road like what happened to the woman in Auckland last year who swerved to miss the opening car door. I guess this is why parents like their kids on the footpath.

Since that experience I have always been cautious about cyclists, and have given them a wide berth, I hope they appreciate the space as much as I am happy to give it to them.

Jon

One thing I've noticed in NZ compared to the UK is definite increase of drivers here reversing out of driveways into main roads. Everyday you see people reversing out of a driveway, and then across two lanes of traffic, before stopping and driving away. I put it down to the general shoddy standard of driving (I would say general shoddy standard of driving in NZ, but I've only really driven around Auckland so can't comment for the rest of the country). I can't remember ever seeing someone do that manoeuvre into a busy road in the UK. Reversing out of your driveway without bothering to check for people on the footpath is just another symptom, in my opinion.

boys

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#638898 11-Jun-2012 13:17

Riding on Footpaths
No, you can't. Unless you're a postie, or delivering leaflets, or where a shared path is designated - some footpaths are dual-use, and will (or should) have a cycle symbol on a pole or on the ground. There are increasing numbers of these around the country. They are not always well sign-posted, so it pays to check with the local council, cycling advocacy group (go to www.can.org.nz for a list of these) or cycle club for a guide as to where they are.

MikeSkyrme

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#638900 11-Jun-2012 13:19

Cyclists..., no.

However, we have fairly good footpaths outside our place, which attract the daredevil skateboard brigade. The only saving grace is the noise they make is enough to warn you that something is coming.

Oh, and don't even start me on the clowns who ride those tiny little motor bikes at high speed down the footpaths...

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

trig42

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#638909 11-Jun-2012 13:25

Mobility scooters can move pretty fast, and they are silent too. They can be a hazard on a footpath, to everyone (much like a cyclist can be).

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