The matter in summary NAF claims that the level of conflict between cyclists and motorists is increasing, but researcher Torkel Bjørnskau and MDG politician Eivind Trædal disagree with this. Bjørnskau believes that the level of conflict already increased over ten years ago, after cycling as exercise became popular. Bjørnskau encourages better communication and awareness of the presence of others in traffic to prevent conflicts. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. A few weeks ago, we could read that a cyclist was attacked by a motorist. At the same time, NAF claims that the level of conflict between cyclists and motorists is increasing. They don’t have figures that there are more incidents, but they are in traffic a lot and see a harsher tone both there and in online discussion forums, says adviser at NAF, Jan Harry Svendsen. He believes that the greatest occurrence of conflicts is in cities, where there is high traffic density. But what causes it to be so amperage? Torkel Bjørnskau has written a doctorate in this field, and works at the Institute of Transport Economics. He does not agree that the level of conflict has escalated recently, because he believes the increase already happened over ten years ago. Torkel Bjørnskau works in behavior and transport, and has written a doctorate in the field. Photo: Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / news – We had a world cycling champion, Thor Hushovd, in 2010. And after that, training cycling and cycling as exercise became very popular. – And suddenly there were lots of training cyclists on the roads, and they often cycled two abreast and often also where there was a footpath and cycle path next to it. And people get very annoyed by that, says the researcher. The researcher believes it was clear that the level of conflict was very high during this period. – So therefore I believe that the level of conflict was probably higher then, than it is now. You can do this to avoid conflicts in traffic👇 Look around you, pay attention to who is around you and communicate what you are going to do. These are general tips. Here you will get even more specific tips: When you are a motorist Use signs! Indicator lights give a good indication of whether you are going right, left, entering or exiting a roundabout, also if you stop along the road for a moment. It does little good to get upset at other road users and shout in the car. They don’t hear you anyway – unfortunately. Do you have to drive rough or drive 10 km/h below the limit? Drive according to the speed limits – and the conditions – and this will go well. If there is no rush hour, you strictly do not need to push yourself out into the road. When exiting a junction with two lanes, lean as far towards your direction as possible, so that the cars going the other way can pass. Are you short on time? Hurry up slowly. When you are a soft road user Communicate – Look out for and consider other motorists before crossing the road. Use reflectors so you don’t surprise motorists in the dark. It’s safer for you too. Give signs with your arms or legs when cycling on the road. People want to get where they are going at their own pace, no matter what, says Bjørnskau. – And then we want to avoid all possible obstacles that prevent us from realizing the speed we want then. Not just irritation MDG politician and cyclist, Eivind Trædal, also disagrees that conflicts between cyclists and motorists are a growing problem. – My experience is that the conflicts between motorists and cyclists have been dampened quite a bit in recent years, and because we have had better arrangements and no longer arguing over the same space. MDG politician and cyclist Eivind Trædal disagrees that conflicts between cyclists and motorists are a growing problem. Photo: Oslo municipality/Sturlason Are you usually a motorist who annoys you with cyclists, or vice versa? Perhaps you would like to try the tip from Trædal 👇 – One thing we can do is to change the modes of transport a bit, then we might gain a little more understanding of each other in the traffic picture. What annoys you in traffic? People who don’t follow the traffic rules😠 Cyclists and mopeds who drive too slowly🙄 I’m a calm driver, and rarely get annoyed😇 Show result Trædal gets support from commentator in Aftenposten, Therese Sollien, for the proposal to change the means of transport you use. She says that as a motorist she has experienced a lot of irritation and fear behind the wheel. – It becomes a dangerous situation when pedestrians waltz into the roadway without giving a signal. Everything becomes easier if not only motorists are expected to pay attention, but that everyone pays a little more attention to each other. Commentator in Aftenposten, Therese Sollien, has herself experienced irritation and fear behind the wheel in encounters with cyclists. Photo: Aftenposten Use signs! And since NAF believes there is increased conflict between motorists and cyclists on the roads, they want to separate them from each other. – It’s probably a good idea. You then avoid these cyclists obstructing motorists, and then you avoid much of that conflict, says traffic researcher Bjørnskau. But he believes there is a failure in communication between motorists and cyclists on the road. Not sure how to use turn signals at a roundabout? Photo: Statens vegvesen You must blink in good time before turning or changing lanes at a roundabout. If you are going out of the first exit, blink to the right well in advance of entering the roundabout. Keep your turn signal on until you have driven out. If you are going to take exit number two or later Start flashing to the right when you are at the level of the last exit before exiting. If you are going to exit to the left You can help other road users by flashing your lights to the left before entering the roundabout. Start flashing to the right when you are level with the last exit before exiting. Source: Norwegian Public Roads Administration – We humans are very social, so we have lots of signals that we send out to each other in public all the time. If you are walking in the corridor at work and there is someone in front of you who is walking a little slowly, you can clear your throat a little, or cough, and that person will hear it and then you will be allowed to pass. How good are you at using your turn signals?🚨 I’m a star specimen when it comes to turn signals I forget sometimes🙈 Turn signals? Phew, people have to pay attention to me Show result Bjørnskau points out that talking to the car or the cyclist in front rarely gives any response, which in turn can lead to even more irritation. – So this communication works extremely poorly in a car, which is why there is so much irritation. – It will be like a pressure cooker inside the cars? – Yes, and we don’t understand it ourselves. There is poor communication, says Bjørnskau and continues: Use signs, communicate and be aware of the presence of others in traffic. That is Bjørnskau’s summary of how to prevent conflicts in traffic. Hear the case in Ukeslutt here: Published 12.12.2024, at 05.35
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Researcher disagrees – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
