Bikes on roads with Cars at 70MPH should be banned

M

MoggasDog

Well-known member
The Gazette is full of another story where some poor lad on his bike dies after being hit by a car on the A689.
As is usually the case, this lad hadn't done a single thing wrong - helmet, hi viz clothing, using the road correctly, flashing lights - but that will not be any consolation to his family and friends.

This time it was caused by two idiots who will go to jail but I don't think people on bikes doing 20MPH should be on roads with car flying around at 70MPH. Seeing bicycles on 70MPH dual-carriageways makes me wince.
Drivers are increasingly distracted and there doesn't seem to be much happening to outlaw that.

It could have been an honest accident in other cases but when cars at 70MPH hit humans then people die. There really isn't much of a chance, is there?
Why allow them to be there?
I would be in favour of reducing dual carriageways to have segregated bicycle lanes.
 
I think it comes down to individual choice. I wouldn't go anywhere near a road bike as I'm certain I would end up under a HGV on my first trip out but if I ever did I certainly would be avoiding 70 mph roads.

There used to be a guy cycling up the Parkway each morning during rush hour and it filled me with dread for him as I fully expected to see him wiped out one day. I always wondered why he didn't take one of the other roads (ie through Hemlington or Acklam) that run parallel to the Parkway.

Having said that some of the back roads are like rat runs and mini race tracks for some drivers. It comes down to car drivers being aware of who is out there and riders knowing that there are idiots on the road every time they go out.
 
I think a lot of people who use bikes for transport, myself included, avoid doing so because of the number of idiots on the road. The government needs to get the infrastructure right for more people to use bikes and also drivers need to be more patient with other road users.

I had a guy cut the corner on our estate and then glared at me for being there. If I had been on a bike I wouldn't have stood a chance.

When we go to France I go all over on my bike and don't have any trouble with cars and also the bike lanes keep you away from busy roads. We have a lot to learn in this country.
 
Norman_Conquest said:
I think a lot of people who use bikes for transport, myself included, avoid doing so because of the number of idiots on the road. The government needs to get the infrastructure right for more people to use bikes and also drivers need to be more patient with other road users.

I had a guy cut the corner on our estate and then glared at me for being there. If I had been on a bike I wouldn't have stood a chance.

When we go to France I go all over on my bike and don't have any trouble with cars and also the bike lanes keep you away from busy roads. We have a lot to learn in this country.
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Had a similar Road to Damascus (well, Rotterdam) moment cycling on holiday in the Netherlands. Just gobsmacked by how good it is for cyclists there and no sense that it had been achieved at the expense of cars. Helps that over there a far higher proportion of drivers are also cyclist, like.
 
They need to cut the speed limit on A roads.
People treat them as motorways because they have the same limit but they aren't designed to the same standards and can have vulnerable road users on them, people crossing, vehicles turning across.
 
Chutney said:
Yes, but only when decent cycling infrastructure can be put in place, otherwise this is just victim blaming, no different to telling women they should stay home at night if they don't want to get assaulted.
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This: I often post ant I bike sentiments based entirely on the behaviour I observe of cyclists in the capital. Thus one I can't agree with though. Why not reducer the speed on roads where cyclists can travel to 60 or 50 in the higher risk areas?
 
They used to have cycle races on the A168/A19 near Thirsk and it always made me feel uneasy. It's not just cars, there are HGVs going along these roads at a good pelt and they can't manoeuvre as quickly as cars. It's dangerous for the cyclists and for the other road users. As people said above, we need to have better infrastructure in place like they do in Europe. I worked in Groningen for a bit and the difference was like night and day.
 
SmallTown said:
This: I often post ant I bike sentiments based entirely on the behaviour I observe of cyclists in the capital. Thus one I can't agree with though. Why not reducer the speed on roads where cyclists can travel to 60 or 50 in the higher risk areas?
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Would cyclists behave in that way if there had their own dedicated roads and not just a white line to protect them?

I find that attitude selfish and you can't tar every cyclist due to the behaviour of the minority, It is like saying all drivers are crap due to my experience of being cut up by car drivers in the capital. Surely it is better for everyone if the government(s) and local authorities spent wisely and put the correct infrastructure in place.
 
For their own safety bikes shouldnt be on a road like that, so dangerous for a car having to slow down to get past on a road with those speeds too. Personally I wouldnt take a bike on any road because of the actions of some car drivers though, hope the two that caused this go to prison for a long time
 
Why would any cyclist ride on the road when a cycle path is available?

pig headiness? Whether you have the right or not is no comfort to the kids and widows left behind.

When I rode a motorcycle, having right of way meant nothing, when it was you flying through the air upside down or laid in A+E in traction and on a drip.
 
Air Resistance said:
Separate issue but Pretty poor really that housing developers, etc… make a small fortune from every development but so many are lacking in proper cycling provision.

The whole cycling infrastructure needs addressing top down or it will continue to be piecemeal and some cases dangerous
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It should be stated in the planning permission that they have to build cycle lanes leading to and from developments and not just on them.
 
Billy69_uk said:
Why would any cyclist ride on the road when a cycle path is available?

pig headiness? Whether you have the right or not is no comfort to the kids and widows left behind.

When I rode a motorcycle, having right of way meant nothing, when it was you flying through the air upside down or laid in A+E in traction and on a drip.
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That road doesnt have a cycle route. Most cycle routes are build in the wrong areas, not properly maintained and full of people/dog walkers. Usually just as unsafe as using the roads
 
I have ridden on the A19 a few times. It is SCARY but in all fairness most drivers pull into the outside lane giving you loads of room so in that respect it's probably safer.

Why have I ridden on the A19 you may ask? It's because when riding from Northallerton to Osmotherley via Thimbleby you have to cross the A19. I've also ridden about a mile of it to Thirsk when I got lost, thankfully it was quiet.

I try to avoid the A19 if cycling.

Country roads are worse - drivers go too quickly when they can't see around corners. My mate got splatted by one such driver last year, it was pretty scary.
 
But
MoggasDog said:
The Gazette is full of another story where some poor lad on his bike dies after being hit by a car on the A689.
As is usually the case, this lad hadn't done a single thing wrong - helmet, hi viz clothing, using the road correctly, flashing lights - but that will not be any consolation to his family and friends.

This time it was caused by two idiots who will go to jail but I don't think people on bikes doing 20MPH should be on roads with car flying around at 70MPH. Seeing bicycles on 70MPH dual-carriageways makes me wince.
Drivers are increasingly distracted and there doesn't seem to be much happening to outlaw that.

It could have been an honest accident in other cases but when cars at 70MPH hit humans then people die. There really isn't much of a chance, is there?
Why allow them to be there?
I would be in favour of reducing dual carriageways to have segregated bicycle lanes.
Click to expand...

But they're OK on roads where people are allowed to drive 60mph (so in reality they'll drive up to about 80mph) ??

Or can we ban cars from roads where the limit is 20mph - would that be OK ?
 
Billy69_uk said:
Why would any cyclist ride on the road when a cycle path is available?

pig headiness? Whether you have the right or not is no comfort to the kids and widows left behind.
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Because very often cycle paths are poorly maintained, used for car parking / dog walking / glass smashing etc and just not fit for purpose.

Here's a few., but there's loads of examples of why they're often a token gesture for councils:-

www.welovecycling.com

Ridiculous Bicycle Lanes: 2019 Edition

In cities that suffer traffic congestion, roads are often in need of better planning. But let’s face it, even the worst city planners don’t tend to paint
www.welovecycling.com www.welovecycling.com
 
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It's quite simple, in the UK our cycling infrastructure is built to tick a box, not be innovative like the Dutch.

I asked why a cycle lane wasn't being built from A689/A19 roundabout alongside the A19 to Norton, joining the path to Portrack roundabout. The answer was because it would cost more. Now think a few years ahead, there is a plan to build a cycle path alongside the A689 from Hartlepool to Sedgefield, that could link up with a route alongside the A19!
 
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