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Dangerous cyclists facing clampdown

7:00pm Thursday 23rd October 2008

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LAW-breaking cyclists face being fined if they continue to pedal on pavements, ignore road signs or cycle at night without lights.

That’s the warning from police and safer neighbourhood teams in Winton and Moordown who have joined forces to clamp down on dangerous cycling.

The move follows complaints from local residents who say that cyclists who continue to flout the law are their biggest community concern.

During a cycle safety project, which got under way this week, police officers and community support officers will be positioned at various checkpoints to stop anyone found breaking the law.

Officers will use the first fortnight of the cycle safety project, which will run until November 18, as a warning exercise.

Cyclists will be advised of the consequences of their actions and told of the offences and penalties involved.

The second fortnight will be focused on enforcement. Offending cyclists will be issued with fixed penalty notices and face having to pay fines.

Those found cycling at night without lights will be given two weeks to attend their local police station and prove they have purchased suitable lights.

Statistics show that between August 2003 and July 2008 there were 584 accidents involving cyclists in Bournemouth; 74 were serious and four were fatal.

PC Stuart Witt, from the Winton safer neighbourhood team, said: “We are keen to prevent accidents happening in this area by ensuring that cyclists are properly informed about speed and safety and equipped with high-visibility clothing and lights.”

The project is part of an on-going scheme to tackle dangerous cycling. If successful it will continue until residents feel the issue has been resolved.

  • Westbourne and West Cliff safer neighbourhood team has been cracking down on cyclists who do not use lights after dark for the past two years.
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Your Say YourThisisdorset

pete woodley, bournemouth says...
7:13pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Best bit of news for ages,surely welcomed by a lot of residents and shoppers in those areas

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Chriswood, Westbourne says...
7:46pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Branksome Wood Road at 7pm this evening. Three cyclists wearing dark clothing and no lights. They must be mad!

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Geoff-Kinson, Bournemouth says...
8:14pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Brilliant news and long overdue !

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B.Fair, Bournemouth says...
8:34pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Crack down on the cars on the pavements first. The hysteria that is voiced at public meeting against cyclists is ridiculous. I have never heard anyone say they were struck by a cyclist - only ever that they were NEARLY struck. At the same time children and adults on bicycles on the road are killed month after month. Reduce the speed limit on all our urban roads that are single carriageway to 20mph as in other countries. THEN ask the adults to ride on the roads. It will still be wrong to ask children under 12 to ride on the road.
Change the laws. Train children to ride safely and with consideration on the pavements. They might then grow up to be safer and more considerate motorists. Now they are just unfit back seat drivers in their parents' cars.

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arcgritt, Bournemouth says...
8:42pm Thu 23 Oct 08

How about cracking down on motorists:

1. MOTORISTS who cut corners and drive directly into the path of a cyclist who is making a right turn.

2. MOTORISTS who overtake cyclists and then turn left in front of the cyclist forcing cyclist to slam on brakes and possibly lose control.

3. MOTORISTS who overestimate their vehicle's acceleration and pull out of a junction directly into the path of a cyclist.

4. MOTORISTS who overtake cyclists who are signalling right and in the process of moving across the road.

5. MOTORISTS who only spend a split second (or don't even bother at all) checking if a cyclist is coming.


I encounter 1, 2, 3 and 4 on a regular basis (every 10 minutes or so). I ride with lights on during the day and this still happens. A friend of mine has been hospitalized twice; once by a hit and run transit van (3), and once by someone too tired to drive (5). Two other friends of mine have each been hit by careless drivers (2).

How about the police spending some time going after the real KILLERS! When was the last time you heard of someone getting seriously injured by a cyclist?

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Mango, Poole says...
8:48pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Its definately wrong to expect children to ride on the roads and I agree that they must learn to respect pedestrians. I was recently in Poole town centre and a beat bobby had stopped a cyclist for riding through a pedestrianised area when 'low and behold' another one sped past him. There is just no real way of stopping people doing this without any means of identification. The vast majority of cyclists are safe and respectful of others but its just the odd few making it dangerous for all. No-one should have to dodge cyclists while on foot but also, as has already been said, often people driving dont respect them either!

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cooperman, bournemouth says...
9:45pm Thu 23 Oct 08

this is a pointless exercise ,cyclists will conitue to do what they have always done ,no lights on dark roads in dark clothing ,its a recipe for these people to continue dying and foreign students are worst of all ,especially as most of them are also coping with riding on the other side of the road to what they are used to,we have often seen the results of this.also ..cyclists on mobile phones ???????????

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B.Fair, Bournemouth says...
10:19pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Yes it is unwise to ride at night and indeed to walk at night in dark clothing without lights or reflectors. But only because drivers are driving too fast to see what is there and to slow down or stop within the distance that they can see clearly.

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CTW, Bournemouth says...
11:09pm Thu 23 Oct 08

It is all well and good blaming the motorist as stated above, but it is only a few in my sightings on the road of motorists who hinder cyclists. However, there are many cyclists who flout the cycling laws. No lights, No reflective jackets, saw one the other day with out a saddle (no comments please). Cyclists on mobile phones, cyclists with MP3 players plugged in their ears. The majority of cyclists I encounter in the mornings and evenings have no regard for themselves or other road users. Cyclists should be under the same rulings as other road users. Perhaps even a road test, and bikes insured so as they have the right equipment attached to the bike.

If Councils such as Swindon stopped using static cameras, perhaps the money saved could be used to lay cycle lanes along main thorough fares.

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Lord Spring, says...
11:35pm Thu 23 Oct 08

Dont make me laugh another, five minute wonder.

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casualtyofchocolate, Bournemouth says...
8:07am Fri 24 Oct 08

Whilst I recognise that this is a welcome initiative in Winton etc., it will only become fully effective if it is done throughout the borough, and as mentioned before is unlikely to work as it is so difficult to enforce. However, every little helps and maybe, just maybe it will make some of the cyclists think before they endanger the rest of us.
I'm all for cycling - it's great exercise and very pc at the moment, but we should still, even as cyclists, be adhering to the highway code.

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sollie, says...
8:25am Fri 24 Oct 08

Rather than knock cyclists the police should be encouraging them. Give us cycle friendly cycle routes - that will cut down accidents. Before you criticise the cyclists take a trip yourself on a bike in Bournemouth but check your life assurance first.

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2Much...again!, Ringwood says...
8:56am Fri 24 Oct 08

With regard to the "dangerous" cyclists..if they are riding on the pavements with no regard then do something..however judging by most of these comments, it's the danger to themselves that people are talking about e.g. no lights etc. If that's the case then there's no "danger" to anyone but themselves. If they choose not to have lights..then so be it!

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grumps999, Kinson says...
9:17am Fri 24 Oct 08

What we need are proper cyle lanes as in holland, i agree though lights and refelective clothing should be used.

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amused, poole says...
10:31am Fri 24 Oct 08

I read all the above comments with interest I am sure there are good cyclist as well as good drivers. I come across the cyclist more as I walk everywhere, and whilst I agree that young children are safer on the pavements unfortunately they do not care about others. As for the comment "I have only seen nearly struck by a cyclist" may I remind the person that a young child was struck on the prom this year and I believe a person was killed in another part of the country. After recently visiting London and France where the traffic is so much busier than here, especially Paris, and where hundreds of people use bikes I never once saw a cyclist on a pavement.

I will have to repeat myself once again and say I do not have a problem with bikes on pavements but I do object to having to move out of THEIR way or I would be knocked down. I witnessed a man on a bike at the traffic lights in Hamworthy by Ladbrokes, the lights were all red so the crossing was in operation and he just carried on across the red light. Also agree about cars parking on pavements it is a nightmare when trying to negotiate with a pushchair , seems to me people don't give a **** about others.

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rach74, poole says...
12:31pm Fri 24 Oct 08

what about when cyclists think that taffic lights are for cars only, i see everyday on hebert avenue on the crossings that as soon as the person has reached the other side that this gives them the right to go even when the lights are still red. they also do this at lights when they want to turn left, they just go on red lights, if a car driver did this they get fined, why do cyclists think they can do this

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CTW, Bournemouth says...
12:59pm Fri 24 Oct 08

This is why there must be some sort of test for cyclists. Someone mentioned France. With the exception of Paris, traffic is not so heavy as in the UK, yet cyclists have to wear reflective jackets, have lights, and abide by the traffic code. I have seen cyclists being pulled up by the Police in France.

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Laurie Marsh, brisbane says...
1:03pm Fri 24 Oct 08

There are two sorts of people in this world, cyclists and everyone else!
Kipling said it best, East is East and West is West!
Are we still allowed to quote him?

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GAHmusic, Bournemouth says...
1:34pm Fri 24 Oct 08

With reference to the recent tragic case of the cyclist killed by a woman texting for some unknown reason I could not fathom absolutely no blame was laid at the dead cyclists feet for running a red light. Cyclist must be mad as they always do come off worst in an acident. As a motorcyclist I was always taught self preservation, never take right of way for granted, always ride alert and ready. But then I was taught because it was compulsory so maybe cyclist should be too. The other issue is we have so many cyclist from abroad who are used to safer roads with fewer cars.

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Zzzz, Poole says...
3:40pm Fri 24 Oct 08

Don't cycle on the pavement… for your own sake! Accident statistics show that it's actually far safer to cycle on the road than on the pavement. The main reason is that when you come to side roads and driveways while riding on the pavement, motorists aren't expecting you at all - particularly if cycling against the flow of traffic for that side of the road.

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kate4, Bournemouth says...
3:41pm Fri 24 Oct 08

European cars do not have to have an MOT or tax disc for 2 years. So why tax/test a cyclist?
Cars and lorries speed and go far too near to cyclists all the time. Wake up Bournemouth and get cycle lanes put in everywhere for sole use by cyclists - cars park in cycle lanes all the time.
Bournemouth should be encouraging all cyclists, not only those who work for the council and NHS workers(who get special rates for bikes to be bought). If everyone cycled then the obesity 'epidemic' would be smaller.
Come on Bournemouth - wake up - you can't cycle anywhere seemingly - outcry at the beaches, outcry for all cyclists - YES, all responsible cyclists should have proper gear and lights etc and all responsible cyclists do - however the pavements are safest -and isn't it a waste of police time issuing fines when our town has a huge drug and alcohol dependency problem, gun crime, burglaries, violence and abuse etc etc - and yet now the police need to be out there fining cyclists - PLEASE - get a grip all you whingers and get in the real world and realise that it is your rates that pay for the police to stand on pavements to fine and warn cyclists when they won't turn up to your home if it has been violated, nor when you have been hit by a drunkard and pushed in front of a lorry 3 years ago - I'm still waiting for the police to come and interview me.

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djd, bournemouth says...
4:23pm Fri 24 Oct 08

You're more likely to be run over by a dangerous cyclist than be shot by an armed robber- that's what people care about.

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The Seasider, Poole says...
6:44pm Fri 24 Oct 08

How about cracking down on cyclists speeding along the Bournemouth-Poole beach front promenade. There are plenty of signs saying 10 mph, and many stick to it- but others think its their personal race track- the longest strech of car free concrete about. Ive seen cyclists speeding along and hit children who run out from beach huts or off of the beach. Surely, if it cant be policed effectively, then put speed humps every few hundred metres to stop them cyclists from building up the speed. Its safer for everyone... and Im a cyclist who loves cycling along the front early or late, out of the busy times. Unfortunately the speeding morons are giving everybody a bad name.

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Tango Charlie, Bournemouth says...
11:54pm Fri 24 Oct 08

Having run over a cyclist I can say it is a terrible experience. It leave you emotionally drained.

I was lucky. It happened on the continent where there is no (highway) code of conduct for road users, but a stringent rule of law to follow.
The cyclist broke the law and it was deemed not to be my fault.
He survived, and had to pay me damages for the car and shock.

Although it was not my fault I still feel the shame and will always think “what would have happened if…..”

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amused, poole says...
5:57am Sat 25 Oct 08

CTW wrote:
This is why there must be some sort of test for cyclists. Someone mentioned France. With the exception of Paris, traffic is not so heavy as in the UK, yet cyclists have to wear reflective jackets, have lights, and abide by the traffic code. I have seen cyclists being pulled up by the Police in France.
Good point CTW test would be a good idea, unfortunately it would be hard to make people take them and enforce , I really do not know the answer to this problem and as pointed out in other comments it is also dangerous to the cyclist and many accidents involve bike or motor bikes where the people on bikes cut in the traffic and in the case of cyclist on the pavement and sometimes the car driver is unable to see them.

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frarog, Bournemouth says...
12:46pm Thu 30 Oct 08

casualtyofchocolate wrote:
Whilst I recognise that this is a welcome initiative in Winton etc., it will only become fully effective if it is done throughout the borough, and as mentioned before is unlikely to work as it is so difficult to enforce. However, every little helps and maybe, just maybe it will make some of the cyclists think before they endanger the rest of us. I'm all for cycling - it's great exercise and very pc at the moment, but we should still, even as cyclists, be adhering to the highway code.
Agreed. Where the High St in Christchurch meets Barrack Road should be monitored too. I often see Lycra-clad idiots on bikes coming out of the high street doing at least 35-40mph and then causing problems for drivers already on the roundabout who wish to turn into the road down past Twynam school.

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