Skip to main content

Riding into danger?

A number of cyclists racing in Europe had a rather surprising entrant in their midst recently. As the riders pedalled hard along one stretch of road, they were temporarily joined by an army tank driving alongside at the same speed. The cyclists turned a corner and the tank meanwhile carried straight on. No doubt the cyclists were pleased to see the back of the large, heavily armed and armoured metal beast as it disappeared into a forest in a cloud of dust. Meanwhile in the UK city of Norwich, the Tour of Br
March 23, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A number of cyclists racing in Europe had a rather surprising entrant in their midst recently. As the riders pedalled hard along one stretch of road, they were temporarily joined by an army tank driving alongside at the same speed. The cyclists turned a corner and the tank meanwhile carried straight on. No doubt the cyclists were pleased to see the back of the large, heavily armed and armoured metal beast as it disappeared into a forest in a cloud of dust. Meanwhile in the UK city of Norwich, the Tour of Britain cycle race temporarily descended into something of a farce. A number of the support cars following the riders turned the wrong way. This came shortly after an incident in which a famous cyclist crashed into a parked car, although he luckily avoided serious injury. And in Canada an entire peloton of racing cyclists took a wrong turn. This resulted in all of the racers having to complete a u-turn and head back the way they had just come.

Related Content

  • Waiting on a train?
    February 27, 2012
    An elderly British driver was charged with dangerous driving by police after he mistakenly drove his car onto the platform of a railway station. The man explained that he must have taken a wrong turn. Witnesses pointed out that he drove his car 200m up a footpath that was clearly marked. The man then drove his car almost the full length of the platform and at times was close to the edge and in danger of falling onto the busy commuter line leading to London. Waiting rail passengers had to scramble out of the
  • Drink driving a concern in Britain
    August 10, 2018
    The problem of drink driving is seeing an unwelcome upsurge on Britain’s road network. The latest official data reveals that casualties from drink driving are now on the increase. According to Department for Transport data, there were 9,040 people killed or seriously injured (KSI) as a result of drink driving on the British road network in 2016. Complete figures for 2017 have yet to be compiled but the trend appears to have continued. The KSI figures for 2016 represent a 7% increase over those for 2015 and
  • Measures needed to increase awareness of cyclists
    May 4, 2012
    The latest official data shows a continuing improvement in road safety statistics in both France and the UK. However the data also reveals worrying trends in accidents concerning vulnerable road users. Department for Transport figures for 2010 have revealed a 17% drop in road fatalities to 1,850. But 111 pedal cyclists died in 2010, compared with 104 in 2009, with cyclist fatalities in capital London of particular concern. The DfT believes that the severe winter weather, lower traffic in general due to th
  • European Transport Safety Commission makes call for traffic safety boost
    July 10, 2015
    In 2013, 7,600 people died in road traffic while cycling or walking in European Union (EU) countries – the equivalent of a commercial airliner full of passengers being lost every week Because of this risk of death, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) wants vehicle manufacturers and local authorities to pay special attention to improving safety for cyclists, walkers and pedestrians. In a new report, the ETSC said the numbers being killed are falling more slowly than those for vehicle occupants. Over