dpb

My 12 mile cycling route has been re surfaced, which is great it was full potholes from heavy use ( trucks coming off ferry here ). But now it's got cateyes at the side road every 20 yards which didn't before- what is the obligation /necessity for this??!

Means have choose inside or outside or risk being tipped into path 40 tonne artic , driven by Johnny foreigner

( actually nearly always better than white can man)

BMWhere?

I would generally say adding cats-eyes at the side of the road is a very good idea. If you've ever driven in a country such as Germany that doesn't use cats-eyes, when its dark and wet, the roads are extremely scary with the lack of visibility, particularly when you've got oncoming traffic. Driving back in the UK in the same conditions and the road lights up like a Christmas tree, its really fantastic!

The fact that they have failed to consider the impact on cyclists and their safety is sadly pretty typical for the UK! On one side they try to encourage people to cycle more, but when it comes to building roads, they're not singing the same song. Cycle lanes are usually non-existent or at best inadequate.


Perhaps you should write a letter to the local council and get as many fellow cyclists and non-cyclists alike to do the same and complain about the lack of for-thought for cyclists.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I agree with the above.
Cycling is supposed to be encouraged in the UK, but councils pay lip service in the most part, and can never find money for larger projects.


Contrast this with the area of Belgium round the port of Zeebrugge and the town of Bruges.
They know there's going to be wall to wall hgv's, so they have constructed PROPER cycle tracks, even including huge bridges over the main road.


Probably done with EU money, while we dishonestly called ours "Mrs Thatcher's Rebate" and spent it on Tory vanity projects in London and the SE.

BMWhere?

Holland and Belgium are really the example of what can and should be done to encourage and support cycling in a safe way. Germany also does a very good job on the whole, especially compared to the UK, but still miles behind Holland and Belgium!

I read an interesting article recently (on paper rather than internet, so no link), that talked about the safety aspect of bicycle helmets vs better cycling lanes and infrastructure. Countries that introduce mandatory helmet regulations generally see a drop in the number of cyclists, an increase in the number of accidents per cyclist (the "I'm safe because I've got a helmet on" effect) and only a very small decrease in serious injuries per cyclist. Yet in Holland, where the use of cycling helmets is very low and not mandatory, but great investments have been made in cycle-ways has seen large increases in the number of cyclists and equally large decrease in the number of accidents per cyclist and with it the number of serious injuries.


One of the big problems in the UK, is that cycle lanes are only really considered in the center of large towns and cities and no thought is given for linking suburbs to the town and cities. If they were serious about getting people out on their bikes and improving safety for cyclists, then they need to start looking at what the Dutch are doing and implementing it in the UK - but as ever, there will be no money for things like that!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I cycled to work and back some years ago, when finances dictated one car.


I hated getting to work wet through, and finally gave it up when I came off on a patch of repaired asphalt with no grip, (the council accepted responsibility, and paid me compensation and for the repair of my bike), followed by being almost under the wheels of a lorry who didn't see me, and then got out of his cab and threatened me when I shouted at him in utter fear.


I went from cyclist to bus wnaker...LOL