# HGV close pass on "cycle paint" murder strip - A38 Almondsbury, Bristol



## Arjimlad (13 Mar 2019)

This pass has received a lot of attention on Twitter today & yesterday. (https://twitter.com/JimsWheels)

Tarmac have yet to come back to me with their thoughts. I am hoping it will finally get the council off their backsides to sort out the dangerous "cycle lane" which is adjacent to pinch points and narrowing dual carriageway lanes on this 40mph road. I have been asking them to make changes here since July 2017.


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## ianrauk (13 Mar 2019)

There's no way I would use that crappy lane. I would take the whole lane through there to stop any overtakes.


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## User6179 (13 Mar 2019)

It might not actually be a Tarmac lorry, I know a guy who owns 4 or 5 tippers and a few have Tarmac on them because he does a lot of work for them but he owns them.


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## Markymark (13 Mar 2019)

Yep. Terrible driving but hold primary to avoid it happening again.


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## Milkfloat (13 Mar 2019)

ianrauk said:


> There's no way I would use that crappy lane. I would take the whole lane through there to stop any overtakes.




This in spades, if the council do anything they will just end the cycle lane before the junction and then restart again after.


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## mjr (13 Mar 2019)

ianrauk said:


> There's no way I would use that crappy lane. I would take the whole lane through there to stop any overtakes.


That's great advice (and I agree - the lane is advisory and it sounds like it has been reported to the highways department for being dangerously bad advice) but the driver still shouldn't close pass. Report it.


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## Arjimlad (13 Mar 2019)

Eddy said:


> It might not actually be a Tarmac lorry, I know a guy who owns 4 or 5 tippers and a few have Tarmac on them because he does a lot of work for them but he owns them.



Yup - this is owned by a third party haulage company but Tarmac appear to be on to it because it's got their name on.

I have ridden up here 794 times (thanks Strava!) and cannot recall any HGV driver failing to wait for the road to widen out ahead before passing me. Only takes one, though !


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## Arjimlad (13 Mar 2019)

mjr said:


> That's great advice (and I agree - the lane is advisory and it sounds like it has been reported to the highways department for being dangerously bad advice) but the driver still shouldn't close pass. Report it.



Police say NFA because we both stayed in our lanes !


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## KneesUp (13 Mar 2019)

Arjimlad said:


> Police say NFA because we both stayed in our lanes !


That implies that if you hadn't stayed in the 'lane' they might have. Against whom, though, and why?

Against the driver because you wouldn't have had enough room? That can't be right, because you didn't have enough room in the video, and they aren't taking action against the driver, so that must mean they might have taken action against you, but the lane is advisory, so that can't be right either. Did you ask what relevance the fact that you were both in the lane was? Especially in light of the Highway Code saying that cyclists should be given as much room when being overtaken as a car.


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## MontyVeda (13 Mar 2019)

ianrauk said:


> There's no way I would use that crappy lane. I would take the whole lane through there to stop any overtakes.


This ^

..but I'd probably opt for that pavement.


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## mjr (13 Mar 2019)

Arjimlad said:


> Police say NFA because we both stayed in our lanes !


Then Police have NFC. Time to complain... and I know it's not strictly their job, but I'd also complain to the commissioner about that NFA, preferably in public on social media while cc'ing various local news.


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## raleighnut (13 Mar 2019)

You'd think they'd widen the road a couple of feet, plenty of room to do so.


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## mjr (13 Mar 2019)

raleighnut said:


> You'd think they'd widen the road a couple of feet, plenty of room to do so.


Ah, but this - is - Sparta... sorry, CUBA (Councils that Used to Be Avon), where almost all infrastructure is too much trouble for cycling unless it's dangerous in some way, comes with copious grant funding, or preferably both


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## raleighnut (13 Mar 2019)

mjr said:


> Ah, but this - is - Sparta... sorry, CUBA (Councils that Used to Be Avon), where almost all infrastructure is too much trouble for cycling unless it's dangerous in some way, comes with copious grant funding, or preferably both


If only there was someone they could apply to for a grant in order to improve the cycling provision, they've only got to shift the path and the cyclelane a couple of feet ffs.


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## raleighnut (13 Mar 2019)

mjr said:


> Ah, but this - is - Sparta... sorry, CUBA (Councils that Used to Be Avon), where almost all infrastructure is too much trouble for cycling unless it's dangerous in some way, comes with copious grant funding, or preferably both


BTW as it is a 'A' road it's not the Councils responsibility but 'Highways Britain' or whatever they call themselves nowadays.


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## mjr (13 Mar 2019)

raleighnut said:


> BTW as it is a 'A' road it's not the Councils responsibility but 'Highways Britain' or whatever they call themselves nowadays.


Most A roads are council responsibility. It's only the ones you see on https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/roads-managed-by-highways-england (what used to be called trunk roads) which are still Highways England, alongside motorways.

As I understand it, in theory they should be using the same Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, although it's a bit weaker for smaller roads, but in practice, there's no money to bring them up to current standard in a consistent way.


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## Arjimlad (13 Mar 2019)

raleighnut said:


> If only there was someone they could apply to for a grant in order to improve the cycling provision, they've only got to shift the path and the cyclelane a couple of feet ffs.



Like the Metro Mayor/WECA perhaps ? Ho ho !


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## DCLane (13 Mar 2019)

I had similar on my morning commute - skimmed on the RHS by a tipper wagon. No camera though.


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## lazybloke (13 Mar 2019)

Take the lane- good advice. I wouldn't think twice on a short section like that. Be clear with signals.

But.. longer sections are a problem. I always fear having an impatient Joe XR3i driving an inch off my back wheel, revving the nuts off his 1.2 fiesta, horn blaring, swearing out of the window and then wheel spinning past at the first opportunity. Call me delicate, but some drivers scare the sh** out of me 

My evening commute is nearly 30% longer than it needs to be, purely to avoid some nasty roads.

Pavement looks good.


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## Bazzer (13 Mar 2019)

That looked unpleasant. The police's response is disappointing to say the least. I don't see what the lane markings have to do with it. A close pass is a close pass.
You could raise it with the police commissioner, but personal experience tells me all you will get is platitudes.


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## richardfm (13 Mar 2019)

lazybloke said:


> Take the lane- good advice. I wouldn't think twice on a short section like that. Be clear with signals.
> 
> But.. longer sections are a problem. I always fear having an impatient Joe *XR3i* driving an inch off my back wheel, revving the nuts off his 1.2 *fiesta*, horn blaring, swearing out of the window and then wheel spinning past at the first opportunity. Call me delicate, but some drivers scare the sh** out of me
> 
> ...


Being a pedant, I have to point out that if it is an XR3i then it is an Escort, not a Fiesta, that would be an XR2i


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## mjr (14 Mar 2019)

Bazzer said:


> You could raise it with the police commissioner, but personal experience tells me all you will get is platitudes.


Probably, but you have to play the lottery to stand a chance of winning - and surely sooner or later the message will sink in once enough of us have told them?


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## lazybloke (14 Mar 2019)

richardfm said:


> Being a pedant, I have to point out that if it is an XR3i then it is an Escort, not a Fiesta, that would be an XR2i


He had to downgrade. Insurance was too steep.


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## Arjimlad (15 Mar 2019)

Update -

the Police will send a warning/advisory letter to the registered keeper of the HGV after all,
Tarmac have apologised for the driver not waiting to pass me safely on the wider bit of road just ahead of here, and
the Council say that they will bring forward/prioritise plans to delete the cycle paint, widen the nearside lane, paint a 275cm-diametre bike symbol on the lane and generally improve the area.

Although that's what the Council said in Jan 2018, I am hoping for a bit more urgency/prioritising of this now as a result of all the kerfuffle !


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## Arjimlad (20 Mar 2019)

Not a bad Bristol Post writeup !

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/near-miss-truck-sparked-change-2664913


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## Milkfloat (20 Mar 2019)

Arjimlad said:


> Not a bad Bristol Post writeup !
> 
> https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/near-miss-truck-sparked-change-2664913



A shame about the typical fark'tard comments though.

"Good point. Death is the only sensible punishment for people who aren't required to pay tax on their chosen mode of transport."


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## Arjimlad (20 Mar 2019)

Milkfloat said:


> A shame about the typical fark'tard comments though.
> 
> "Good point. Death is the only sensible punishment for people who aren't required to pay tax on their chosen mode of transport."



Stupidity will out & it gives an occupation to the cranially challenged.

At least (one hopes) they are not out driving around whilst they're frothing away at their keyboards !


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## Arjimlad (20 Mar 2019)

Good old @captain nemo1701 going in to bat with the swivel-eyed loons. That Bradley Wiggins seems to have changed his tune since leaving professional cycling !


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## captain nemo1701 (20 Mar 2019)

Arjimlad said:


> Good old @captain nemo1701 going in to bat with the swivel-eyed loons. That Bradley Wiggins seems to have changed his tune since leaving professional cycling !


It passes the time....


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## captain nemo1701 (21 Mar 2019)

I do like to clash with that pillock who signs itself BradleyWiggins. Ok, it's a troll, but thinks its somehow amusing to name itself after a famous cyclist. Gotta defend those sideburns.


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## Bazzer (21 Mar 2019)

I'm glad it seems to be getting some wider publicity. Hopefully that will give the council an incentive to do something.


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