Judge wants us banned from dual carriageways!

[400bhp]

Try riding on something like the A556 between Knutsford and the M56 roundabout.

Clubs used to use that stretch of the road when I first started cycling 20 odd years ago. I made the mistake of going on there about 18 months ago. Never ever again.

The judge has a point and like Middleagecyclist "if" a cycle lane can be introduced alongside then why not

 

[middleagecyclist]

Try riding on something like the A556 between Knutsford and the M56 roundabout.

I did. That's where my video incident was. Didn't know the road well and was using the cycle path until it fizzled out. Thought "I've only got a mile or so to go till my turn off. I'll use this nice wide shoulder". I did...until it ran out. I could have shoot a brick.

 

[400bhp]

I did. That's where my video incident was. Didn't know the road well and was using the cycle path until it fizzled out. Thought "I've only got a mile or so to go till my turn off. I'll use this nice wide shoulder". I did...until it ran out. I could have s*** a brick.

Funny isn't it - I remember a chap on here who posted a vid of that road, maybe a year ago, one of the closest hgv passes i've ever seen. He'd not realised what a nasty road that is.

I was probably doing 30ish heading from Knutsford towards the M56 roundabout too. I still shudder about that experience.

 

[sabian92]

He has a point that it is a dangerous road (as well as a lot of other dual carriageways) but he's looking at it that WE are the problem when we have the right to be here.

He ignored the fact people drive like morons and speed. If they had well maintained hard shoulders then there wouldn't be a problem, but most don't.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yeh - I wouldn't do that section of the A556 either, but the otherside of the M6 and its OK again, and by the time you get to Northwich, it's a breeze compared to the back roads that I have to do.

I used to think the same (bad) things about the A3 south of Guildford (no way in **** in Guildford), but after 12 months cycling and in some countries having no option but to cycle down a motorway to leave the country legally, I now look at that section of the A3 and think - well actually what is the problem with that section - OK not rush hour, but any other time and it too would be fine.

Guess your views change with experieince.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

I see cyclists using the A9 (Perth to Inverness section) all too often. The road goes from dual to single carriageway and back many times. It is known as "the killer" and for good reason.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A9_road_(Scotland).

If this road is considered dangerous to ALL road users then who in their right mind would knowingly cycle it??

Point being is there is a national cycle route as a valid alternative. It basically runs parallel. It's obviously not as quick but IMO it's a delay i am more then happy to accept if it involves getting to keep my life and limbs.

As for the "law", it is perfectly legal to cycle on black ice but i would hope my common sense would outweigh my legal right to do so.

 

[Norm]

1. Studded tyres for black ice.
2. Significant awareness for riding a dual cabbageway.
3. Judges for upholding the law, not imposing their blinkered view on others.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

1. Studded tyres for black ice.
2. Significant awareness for riding a dual cabbageway.
3. Judges for upholding the law, not imposing their blinkered view on others.

All the awareness in the world is not going to make riding on the A9 a safe journey. Can a cyclist honestly say he or she trusts every motorist and road user out there? I for one do not and for that reason i use the cycle route (N77).
There is no room at the side of the road and HGV's etc have a decision to make. Do they slow down to potentially 10-20mph or do a risky overtake?
Judging by the amount of deaths on this road i am going to go ahead and put my life in my own hands and not some lorry driver or motorist who may or may not be competent behind the wheel.
With this road and many like it, riding along it is a choice and one i would not take lightly.

I agree the law should not be changed. I also believe that cyclists should use their common sense in choosing their routes and not follow the letter of the law. Not all dual carriageways are dangerous but not all are safe either.

 

[Sara_H]

I'd have preferred a suggestion that cars are banned on dual carriageways - that would bring the fatality rate on such roads to 0, for sure.

 

[mcshroom]

When we did LonJOG in June we started off up the A9 out of Perth by mistake, and were very happy to get off of it, though the Worst bit was probably getting to the Bridge in Inverness with a on/off sliproad coming from your left and traffic swapping lanes all around you.

OTOH two club riders in our group from Nottinghamshire somewhere rode the A9 from Perth to Newtonmore and thought it was fine, and even I on a tourer abandoned the joke that is the Dromochter Pass cycle path and finished the climb on the A9 DC.

I don't think people are arguing you should be cycling down the A1 at rush hour, but that you should be able to have the choice whether you do or not, instead of being banned because car drivers are too poor to use the roads safely.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I rode the A27 and A35 in both directions today (to Bournemouth and back), including stretches of dual carriageway. Nothing too scary, IMHO. If I had felt in danger/intimidated by traffic levels and speed, I'd have got off sharpish.

I seem to recall both of us holding a decent assertive secondary even on the dual carriageway of death

Hugging the white line on the left just invites drivers to pass you without changing their trajectory, i.e. moving over to the right, one iota in my opinion.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I see cyclists using the A9 (Perth to Inverness section) all too often. The road goes from dual to single carriageway and back many times. It is known as "the killer" and for good reason.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A9_road_(Scotland).

If this road is considered dangerous to ALL road users then who in their right mind would knowingly cycle it??

Point being is there is a national cycle route as a valid alternative. It basically runs parallel. It's obviously not as quick but IMO it's a delay i am more then happy to accept if it involves getting to keep my life and limbs.

As for the "law", it is perfectly legal to cycle on black ice but i would hope my common sense would outweigh my legal right to do so.

but the logic of that is that all roads are dangerous. even the national cycle network contains an element of danger and risk, I carried a huge bruise on my shoulder for weeks after hitting the upright on one of the combined cattle grid bridge things besides the A9.

Anyway cycling is a very safe activity, especially compared to things not considered risky like taking a shower, trimming a hedge, painting a ceiling etc., etc..

Finally, so far as I know the A9 itself has never killed anyone, but the behaviour, poor skills and crappy judgement of the drivers on it has.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

[quote="Finally, so far as I know the A9 itself has never killed anyone, but the behaviour, poor skills and crappy judgement of the drivers on it has.[/quote]

Yeh i agree it is the behaviour, skills and judgement. Though the road itself is not of a good design hence the plans to change it to full dual carriage way sometime soon-ish.

 

[Recycle]

Any road system should be exactly that - a system. If a motorist for example plans to drive from A to B he (I'll use single gender for the sake of simplicity) he would expect to do so all the way without having to carry his car over or under obstacles, get out and push his vehicle, or detour via China. If the roads are so disjointed that he can't reach his destination then the system fails. Why should cyclists expect different?

I don't like cycling on dual carriage ways, but have used them to avoid unacceptably long detours.

I'm immensely grateful for His Honour Judge Simon Tonking's concern for our safety, and I assume that in his infinite compassion he will be arranging a helicopter service to ferry cyclists over the stretches where there is no alternative to the dual carriage way.

 

[Minotier]

The same Judge Simon Tonking!

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3372221.ece