Curious behaviour

I am becoming increasingly convinced that for a lot of people when they get behind the wheel of a car and they switch on the engine, they are also switching off their brain.

Yesterday I went for another bike ride, another forray around my 50-mile circuit, and I saw a very interesting example of the way in which the minds of many motorists work. It didn't annoy me, I merely found it illustrative and amusing.

About half way around my circuit I was riding my bike down a hill toward a village, at a speed between 35/40mph. The road was quite narrow, and to be honest I don't think I would have been taking it any faster if I'd been in a car.

As I entered the village I applied my brakes to slow down to 30mph. This was for the sake of sanity rather than the law; the speed limit signs I passed don't apply to bicycles. Several seconds after passing the signs I was aware of a vehicle behind me, and given my speed I was quite surprised when a silver 4x4 roared past me, probably doing at least 40mph. I was even more surprised when, imediately having passed me, the driver tucked back in to the left and applied his brakes sharply to also drop to 30mph. I nearly had to brake myself to avoid running into the back of him!

I see this behaviour is indicative of the kind of uncritical thinking that is typical of many motorists. I have been a driver myself for many years and I am convinced that had I instead been in a car travelling at exactly the same speed this motorist would not have behaved in the same way.

Put a cyclist in front of many motorist and it becomes imperative for them to overtake, to get past. Indeed this can be so single minded in nature that other factors such as the actual speed of the bicycle, or an upcoming red light, or stationary traffic ahead are often completely ignored.

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned as a cyclist is to get into the mentality that when I am riding a bicycle on the road I am driving a vehicle, and to behave as such.

Unfortunately not everybody who uses the roads sees it that way.