<< 'nose to tail' accidents are the fault of the following vehicle not driving to the conditions, NOT the fault of a courteous driver… >>

Abolutely right Salty.

Drivers who tailgate (and who follow too closely if not full-on tailgating) are a real hazard for cyclists…. because their vision out to the left side of the road is seriously restricted.

Sitting back a bit and upholding the recommended two-second gap between yourself and the vehicle in front, is of considerable importance to cyclists.

A two second gap is about six car lengths at 60kmh, eight at 80, ten at 100, in good conditions and more at night or in the rain.

Death caused by a vehicle cleaning up a cyclist from behind would presumably account for a large of portion of overall cyclist fatalities. So if all drivers did this, I would think that the number cyclist deaths would be considerably reduced.

I absolutely hate tailgaters. They immediately demonstrate very poor driving skills and a complete lack of regard for safety margins and risk factors. And yet tailgating is not something that the police bother with…. except perhaps on the very rare occasion.

<< The 'give-way to the right' rule was abandoned long ago… >>

Non no, not at all. It is still a fundamental rule.

<< …bikes would be safer if fitted with a red flag >>

Yes, up to a point. But we really do need to be very mindful of the false-sense-of-security factor that having a red flag, or a bright shirt or bright lights or flashing lights at night or reflectors on your bike and shirt, etc can create.

Even with all of that stuff, a cyclist is still not going to be seen by an idiot driver who is tailgating a truck and travelling too close to the edge of the road at the same time.

Good posts Salty. Interesting that that Nhoj character also likes your posts. So maybe he could now conduct himself in a similar manner? Hmmm... fat chance!

It is my understanding that courtiousy is not law and unless it is a merge lane, the car entering traffic has to wait for a gap.

Now of cause there is nothing wrong with courtiousy, but not at the expense of peak hour following traffic.

As for right of way, where I work, Miles QLD, the law of give way to your right still applies on some intersections and locals usually take it, albeit in 50 zones.

As for roundabouts, they should either be preceeded with a shikaine type entry, or the law changed as many speed up to get there first. And the entry speed should be changed to 30 for the last 100 m.

Couldn't think of a better location for a speed camera.

Good idea rehctub – to lower the entry speed to 30kmh at the entry to all roundabouts, or perhaps 40.

We’ve got the most absurd setup with all the big roundabouts on the Cook Highway on the north side of Cairns. They’ve got 60kmh zones on the approach, down from 80 or 100 on the open stretches in between them. But NO ONE lowers their speed to anywhere near 60 by time they enter these zones. And 60 is patently too fast to enter the roundabouts! The 60 signs suggest very strongly that 60 is the right speed to enter the roundabouts. There used to be big 'slow to 40' signs, but there were all taken down!!

It is a completely stupid setup!

And of course it never gets policed!

This strip is very popular with cyclists, which have to negotiate these big double-lane roundabouts. They are extremely difficult and hazardous for cyclists when turning right, if not just at any time.

They are damn difficult for drivers at the best of times. Cyclists complicate it to a whole new level.

They most definitely need a 40kmh speed limit for traffic entering the roundabouts.

<< Couldn't think of a better location for a speed camera. >>

Yes indeed.

Suse, oh Suuuuse…. You out there?

You wrote:

<< …thanks for toning it down for a decent discussion on this issue. >>

Then as soon as we managed to get some decency into the discussion, you’re OFF!

Why? There is plenty to be discussed here!

How about a bit of considered response to my posts of 29 and 30 April?

And for goodness sake; if you want a decent discussion, you need to completely disassociate yourself with that Nhoj delinquent… and to not lower yourself to anywhere near that sort of puerile and directly and deliberately offensive and strongly OLO law-breaking type of carry-on.

Oh come on rehctub & Luddy, roundabouts are about the only place left for a driver to have any fun.

They have taken every corner out of the roads around here. Every time they do a bit of road work, they straighten another corner or two. The only place left to get the tail out, & burn a bit of rubber is on roundabouts. They have even conned most people into driving these soulless front drive horrible hatches, which can't even spin their rear wheels.

What sort of con trick is that. People talk about political conspiracies, but they have nothing on the front drive car conspiracy that's taken one of the last legal pleasures out of life.

I am only half joking too. They built a pretty little traffic calmer in our country road. In a place where everyone owns horses, a small horse truck, or a vehicle towing a horse float can't get round it, & every kid for miles around have a challenge to get through it at 80Kn/H in a 60 zone. Failure means excommunication from the backwards baseball cap fraternity.

Now some idiot is designing artificial high mounds into roundabouts. They actually think that people will slow if they don't have clear vision.

The latest one near Jimboomba will be deadly to cyclists, if they ever get that far out of the city on the stupid things, & the lack of visibility makes it a more attractive to the hoons.

A friend who lives near it reckons the tyre screeching & thumps in the night are quite annoying, but the cops are making too much money catching people doing 83 as they slow into the 80 zone, to be bothered with policing it.

PS. I still reckon we should get $10 off our licence fee for every cyclical we eliminate from the road.

The other bizarr thinking with round a bouts is once the roundabout is built, they go and put up some monument, or plants that obstruct your view, all in the name of beautification. Then, rather than run water to these plants, they bring some water truck in to block off one lane come watering time. Often during peak hour of cause.Just plain dumb!