hammyuk - Member
...The issue is the number of riders who quite often get bunched up and are then passing each other, causing havoc.
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It's got nothing to do with how near anyone is when overtaking - having to slam brakes on because of the above is dangerous for everyone. A tractor gets passed as it takes the entire lane...
Cyclists are road users. They are entitled to pass each other. A following car driver has the responsibility to be travelling at a safe speed, which could be defined as one where you do not have to slam your brakes on suddenly. That's a sign of bad driving.
And yes, drivers should treat cyclists like tractors and not try to occupy the same lane. The consequences of a collision with a tractor are minor for the tractor and dire for the car driver, but it's the other way round when it's a bicycle. It behoves car drivers to drive safely both for themselves and for the safety of others. It is not an accident if you hit a cyclist from behind unless you are blind.
The sooner we get a presumption of liability in these cases, the sooner we'll see car drivers improve.