As much as I hate roundabouts…. well, the large ones at least... I would rather have them than traffic lights.

But traffic lights are definitely much better for cyclists’ safety and for cyclist / driver relations… even if some cyclists do bore through red lights!

I was listening to a discussion on cyclist safety on ABC radio far north today. The big roundabouts around Cairns are an absolute hazard for cyclists, and a real worry for drivers who want to make sure that they never hit a cyclist.

This fact was acknowledged, and cyclists were advised to not turn right at roundabouts, but to instead go up the road until they can do a U-turn or turn left and then do a U-turn, so that they can then turn left at the roundabout or go straight through…. or avoid the roundabouts altogether.

The point was also very clearly made that the majority of cyclist deaths are caused by being hit from behind, by drivers who just don’t see them.

The new mandatory 1 and 1.5 metres gaps will do NOTHING to address this issue. But addressing tailgating and following too closely would definitely go some way towards it.

I noted today while driving on the Bruce Hwy, that even in a normal line of traffic, while maintaining a reasonable gap between yourself and the vehicle in front, your vision off to the side of the road where cyclists ride is very limited.

THIS is the major issue that needs addressing.

The Newman government has so far completely missed the mark with improvements to cyclist safety.

Ludwig wrote, "while maintaining a reasonable gap between yourself and the vehicle in front, your vision off to the side of the road where cyclists ride is very limited".

You just put your foot in your mouth with that one Ludwig. If you're driving so close to the driver in front that you can't see what's on the left of that vehicle, then you are driving WAY, WAY too close.

Ludwig, for your own safety, and for the safety of others, STOP TAILGATING like that. This is a "basic" mistake that many impatient city drivers develop. They just don't comprehend how close they "really" drive to the vehicle in front.

Ludwig, leave a good distance between you and the vehicle in front. Enough distance that enables you to STOP without hitting the vehicle in front, NO MATTER WHAT happens to that vehicle in front. If you are not driving like that, then you are a danger on the road.

You must sit on your brains, if you have any Nhoj. Do you ever read any of the posts or just mouth off.

If you read, & comprehended of course you would know that Lundy's main hobby horse is tailgating. He continually posts, as he did here, that he wants to see it strongly policed. He is the last person in Oz who would be following too close to the car in front.

Please make sure you understand the posts of others, before posting rubbish like your last effort

So Nhoj, could it be that you actually don’t drive? It seems that way. You just seem to have no idea!

<< If you're driving so close to the driver in front that you can't see what's on the left of that vehicle, then you are driving WAY, WAY too close. >>

Um… WRONG, oh bodgy one!

If you maintain a respectable distance between yourself and the vehicle in front, your vision along the side of the road where cyclists ride is quite impaired. And as for having a truck or bus in front of you…

If you do actually drive then bear this in mind the next time you get out there behind the wheel of your car…. and you will come to realise just how wrong you are!

As Hazza says, I find tailgating to be a major hassle. I hate it with a passion, both when I get subjected to it and when I see it happening around me. And I’ve been saying so on OLO for a long time.

If you are genuine in your advice about tailgating, then you should be totally onside with me. And yet you choose to alienate me completely!

The same goes for my concerns about the negative aspects of the new ‘safety gap’ laws for drivers in regard to cyclists in Queensland. If you have a genuine philosophy of upholding good road safety, then you really should be strongly in agreement with me on this thread.

Ahh, but why uphold boring old agreement when you can find something to express strong disagreement and absolute vitriol over, eh?

That’s very dodgy, Nhojjie. In fact, it is really quite psychotic!

Poor Ludwig and Hasbeen just can't read.

So I'll repeat -- not having *PLENTY* of room between you and the vehicle in front "is a basic mistake that many impatient city drivers develop. They just don't comprehend how close they "really" drive to the vehicle in front". What don't you guys comprehend about that? Poor English tuition at school? Yep, I blame your teachers.

Ludwig "thinks" he's leaving enough room from the car in front. However, from his description of his own driving in the 3rd last paragraph of his first post on page 14, it's BLATANTLY OBVIOUS he's driving WAY too close to the car in front. If he's so close that he can't see what's at the side of the car in front, then he's WAY TOO CLOSE.

This thread shows that Ludwig's a road whinger. I've found that often road whingers themselves do what they whinge about. For example, many drivers who whinge about others drivers being too close behind them, *THEMSELVES* often drive too close to vehicles in front of them. Maybe it's a subconscious "revenge" thing.

The fact is that if you can't clearly see what's to the left of the car in front of you, then YOU ARE DRIVING TOO CLOSE. You need to get out of this bad driving habit Ludwig, as it's dangerous driving and you could easily kill or injure someone.

I bet people just hate having Ludwig in their car -- he'd likely be a terrible backseat driver always whinging and complaining I bet. There's only one thing worse than the Taliban -- obsessive road whingers.

Thankfully the "powers that be" in NSW have decided that the new Qld laws re clearance for cyclists will not be introduced in NSW.