Riskier routes

girv73

prj45 wrote:

Quite how a helmet's going to help if you're rear ended by a car at 45 mph is another question.

Happened to my mate! Maybe not 45mph, but he went backwards & head first through the windscreen, destroying his helmet in the process. I know I'd rather hit the windscreen with the helmet first.

girv73

To the OP, I have a choice of mixing it with the traffic on A-roads (not dual carriageways) or taking a nice coastal Sustrans cycle path for most of the distance. Which I take depends on mood, phase of the moon etc. but traffic doesn't really enter into the decision, other than it can be a bit annoying getting stuck behind stinky buses on the roads.

On these single lane A-roads I'm fine, but when it comes to busy junctions or multi-lane carriageways I do get a bit nervous. Not enough to stop me taking them if I need to, but I'd probably look for a quieter route.

There's something to be said for being able to cruise along a fast A-road uninterrupted by pesky junctions and so on too though.

Jeremy Parker

thelawnet wrote:

prj45 wrote:

thelawnet wrote:

Anyway I guess a helmet is a statement to others that you're concerned about safety, even if in reality it makes you less safe.

The "Boston Drivers' Handbook", a humorous (I hope) guide to newcomers to Boston on how to drive as badly as the natives, used to put that in rather a different way.

In essence they said that "making a statement to others that you are concerned about safety" is equivalent to showing that you are a scaredy cat, and therefore easy for motorists to bully.

Actually, the last edition that I saw had toned it down rather. Perhaps they had received complaints

Jeremy Parker

rhann

Mithras wrote:

I tend to fel safer on my A road commute than I do on my rural raod one. There is no difference in distance between the routes. The A road, despite being buisier and with roundabouts feels less risky. Espeacially at night. I regularly ride back after midnight. So I think if I do get hit by some errant motorisit, fox, badger or deer I am more likely to be found and get medical attention on the A15 than the b road out in the villages!

I feel country Lanes are safer at night, as you can see lights coming towards you whereas during the day you do not have this luxury and could come round a bend and have a tractor in front of you. Many major A roads have a cycle lane on the hard shoulder, A3, A23, A2. and in many places the road is 3 lanes, and so might as well be a motorway. In fact why not put cycle lanes on the Motorways, they're no more dangerous then the major A roads, with cycle lanes on.

roger_merriman

rhann wrote:

Mithras wrote:

I tend to fel safer on my A road commute than I do on my rural raod one. There is no difference in distance between the routes. The A road, despite being buisier and with roundabouts feels less risky. Espeacially at night. I regularly ride back after midnight. So I think if I do get hit by some errant motorisit, fox, badger or deer I am more likely to be found and get medical attention on the A15 than the b road out in the villages!

I feel country Lanes are safer at night, as you can see lights coming towards you whereas during the day you do not have this luxury and could come round a bend and have a tractor in front of you. Many major A roads have a cycle lane on the hard shoulder, A3, A23, A2. and in many places the road is 3 lanes, and so might as well be a motorway. In fact why not put cycle lanes on the Motorways, they're no more dangerous then the major A roads, with cycle lanes on.

yup lanes normally can be driven a little faster at night as a moving car can be seen further away, or rather one with lights on any way.

intrestestly being driven in the lanes by someone not used to them you often find they drive too evenly ie too fast in some places and could go faster in others and often don't in danger of clipping mirrors at narrow points.