Lord Sugar says 99 per cent of cycling 'accidents' in London could be avoided with more ‘situational awareness’ from cyclists

I think Alan Sugar has probably forgotten what he said 10 months or so ago now...

He's a twat

Oh shut the fuck up.

It seems 99% of the cyclists on this forum are to say the least self righteous and never do anything wrong whatsoever.   Forget all about percentages and think about  the point Alan Sugar was making  about being flattened  by a HG vehicle . Accept that he has perception and can see when something  adverse is going to happen.  Yeh Yeh I can hear you say he has an eye on how to make money and of course by doing that he must have a great deal of perception. Not everyone has the attribute of perception but having 'it' can keep you safe as proven by cycling being a ton up kid on a motorbike and driving  by Milan towing and getting back unscathed.

Some of the ignorant cyclists on this forum should take a serious look at a fact that those of us who go unscathed through our motoring life would never never never go inside a HG which is at traffic lights because to do that is not just stupid it may mean a death sentence. So next time you fancy your chance doing what not to do think about it.

I've seen him riding abroad. He doesn't have a Rolls behind him - just reds with his son in law. But it's very different to riding into London. 

There is some truth to what he says but as very experienced cyclists get killed too - the 99% figure is cleArly rubbish. 

And driving into into any major city should be inconvenient. That's why they lol have public transport systems or you know - maybe cycle in ?

No, 'situational awareness' is to create more revenue for his son's roadside ads !

Simon Sugar ‏@simonsugar
Great to be involved in the U.K.'s largest national rollout of roadside #digitalsignage

https://twitter.com/simonsugar/status/672085484458401792

Not distracting at all !

"with the sea of brake lights, flashing lights and movement it would be difficult for a driver to pick out anything"

One more for appreciating the wisdom of cycling as though people are trying to kill you but agree he is a bit of a knob in thinking that almost all cycle accidents are down to inadequate situational awareness - there are some real tools driving on the roads and you can't spot them all. Would also add that I see a lot of really poor cycling on my daily cycles in London so we are not all the super people we would like to think we are , wow even I have made the odd mistake or two 

"Lord Sugar says 99 per cent of cycling 'accidents' in London could be avoided with more ‘situational awareness’ from cyclists"

Of course he is wrong, and the data shows clearly that motorists are responsible for the vast majority of collisions with cyclists.   100% of cycling "accidents" could be avoided if people just stopped riding bikes, but that is hardly helpful.

Since the vast majority of collisions with cyclists are caused by drivers, perhaps he ought to be making sure that the drivers take more care, rather than the victims, cyclists?

He seems to think that treating the symptoms is better than treating the cause, and I don't care how much money he's made, that isn't right.

Lord Sugar, please stop blaming the victims and get the cause of the problem to acknowledge their responsibility, drivers.

Firstly, I thought Amstrad made most of its money these days via property speculation?  You don't have to be a genius to do that, just have capital to start with in a market with ever-rising land prices.  Sure, he had/has a talent for arbitrage and made a lot of money out of it, but that has bugger-all to do with transport policy expertise.

Secondly, he clearly is a cyclist, as is everyone who rides a bike, at least while they are riding the bike.  That's what a cyclist is.

Thridly the crucial point is simply that "  99 per cent of the accidents that occurred would have been avoided" via "situational awareness" is just something he made up, there's absolutely no evidence to support it and quite a bit to contradict it.

Fourthly we need more people cycling and fewer in cars because there isn't enough space on London roads for all these cars,  and London's air quality is as crap as the Amstrad emailler.  Most people don't want to cycle if it means dying if you have a momentary lapse of 'situational awareness'.

This doesn't get old ...

Alan Sugar....You're fired. 

(Can't believe I'm the first person on this thread to say that!)

Some odd views coming out here. The idea that the majority of bike riders in London have dubious skills is laughable. There are a small minority of reckless/inadequately skilled cyclists in London which is backed up by accident statistics (and 18 years of daily use of the roads in London is my anecdotal evidence). The argument that "they've got it coming to them" is straight out of the bigoted cabbie's mouth and i'd expect better from a man like Sugar. There is far more reckless behaviour from vehicle drivers, particularly mobile phone use which is becoming endemic. Sugar 's wealth has got sweet fa to do with the fact that statistically (given his background) his views have bugger all grounding in reality but ragging on a vulnerable minority with no basis in fact is just plain bigotry.

Everything  Mr. Sugar says is quite right. It's how motorcyclists are taught road safety, assume every vehicle has not seen you. Consider what they could do to harm you, and defend your own space. In heavy traffic you have to rely on others not killing you but at the same time do all that you can do to put yourself in as safe a position as possible. That is really what he is saying, nothing more or less. If you as a free individual choose not to cycle defensively then that is your choice.

It's amazing the rise of the socialist troll. If someone earns more than you, or doesn't agree with your view point you denigrate them with tired old tropes ('blah, blah - victim blaming, rich tosser, blah, blah, blah').

I think his view point is a little extreme as the 99% is just nonsense. I ride the roads every day  though and the quality of riding is terrible. They reflect the wider population, but there are too many people with no observational skills, oblivious to what is happening around them and/or are disrespectful to all other road users around them.

I for one would welcome more education on the roads, road craft and curtesy. It'll make the roads a better place to be, and might just save some lives.

Lord barbarus says 99% of irritation could be avoided if Alan Sugar remained quiet about stuff he doesn't get.

Very disappointed in AMS's comments. What he should have said if vehicle drivers had more situational awareness there'd be less cyclists hit, maimed and killed. It feels like he's blaming the vulnerable road user for their own deaths, accidents and injuries.

The highway code demands that the duty of care to vulnerable road users is higher from vehicle drivers to cyclists than cyclists to vehicle drivers. The reason is obvious.

You know cyclists ride a 12kg bike, have nylon, cotton, cloth armor and a 200 grams compressed Styrofoam helmet. Motorists by comparison are cocooned in sheet metal and solid plastic, surrounded by air bags and all manner of safety measures.

And AMS thinks cyclists should have situational awareness? Bullshit.

If motorists were not complacent, selfish, and in a rush to get where they are going and had that awareness that AMS speaks of then most of the accidents he speaks of would not have happened. For all this crap that comes from his mouth I hope he's knocked off his bike real soon. Not injured mind, wouldn't wish that for any cyclist. Then he might realise that sometimes you are just they victim of an arse behind a several tons of metal and there's nothing you can do.

My life is made more worthwhile by reading those here who correctly call out Lord Sugar for his arrogant victim-blaming drivel.

You are right.

Now, here's a suggestion: remember Bjarne Riis being called "Mr 60%" cos of his illegally elevated haematocrit? Let's call Lord Sugar "Lord 99%" because of his ridiculous assertion that cyclists could be expected to have stopped 99% of the crashes they are involved in...

I just wish you would all stop being horrible to my daddy.  He is a very nice daddy and buys me loads of nice things and when I see him over the Christmas hols in Tobago ( it might be Necker again, I forget) I will tell him you have been really nasty and are probably just jealous.  I expect he will  come round your house and take back his Amstrad, then you will be sorry.

I agree in that I view every other road user as an unpredicatable idiot who can do anything without warning but I argue his daft figure of 99%.  The number of accidents involving dangerous driving, texting, alcohol, drugs is on the rise and you can be the most aware person on the roads, but its not going to help.  

I can't judge London that well as a cyclist, him complaining about delays because of roadworks for a cyclingpath is one for the general voters. He should just go commuting by bike to see what it's like. Cycling in rush hour is much different from cycling in the country side, and much of france doesn't have cyclepath's, he should know that.

As to what he says about that accident can be avoided: yes, in holland cycling accidents are rising because of mobile phone usage (young urban commuters) and electical bikeusage (elderly who can't hanle the speed)

It's always good to be able to think ahead as a cyclist, when your in traffic keep  your head at it, but the same accounts for car drivers also, and car drivers need to think of cyclist as an equal part of traffic, one that is volnurable at that too. It's too damned shortsighted to put everything with the cyclist: there are plenty dangers you can't see: opening doors, car drivers not indicating changes of direction etc.

Part of the thing might be that a great part of london has highway's up until the centre of town, blending with the centre, a car driver should have the feeling of entering a whole other domain when going into town, one where traffic is divers and vulnurable and slower.

To make london more liveable  there should be a big penalty for driving cars into town too, those contributing to our enviroment should get more right of way: commuting cyclist are our enviroment hero's. dedicated super cycling hihway's should in the long run make everyone happy.

I think Boris shouls retaliate first and slap some sense into Sugar.

Can’t believe the amount of unnecessary bile being spouted here.  Cyclists need to get over the notion that its them against the world - they are just one type of road user.  Like him or loathe him, Lord Sugar has a point – you need to look out for yourself and assume that others on the road won’t do that for you.  As a car driver AND avid cyclist, I try to be courteous and careful when doing either, but it never ceases to amaze me how stupidly a lot of cyclists choose to ride – weaving, jumping lights, not looking, dark gear, crap/no lights, no helmet, magically assuming all drivers have 360 vision!  Of course, there are lots of ignorant drivers too, but everyone has a responsibility and you just have to watch your own back.

He may be a nob but he is right. Not that that is the only problem, some drivers are nobs too. As too are some of the hatred spewers in this forum ...

Well,  he is the UK's answer to Donald Trump after all...