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‘Cycling safety is paramount’ (From York Press)
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‘Cycling safety is paramount’
10:07am Wednesday 9th December 2009 in Letters By Reader's letter
RAWCLIFFE Lane and Eastholme Drive are supposed to be on “recommended safe cycling routes” according to my cycle map of York published by City of York Council.
The fatal accident there on Saturday is by far not the first such incident between a cyclist (lulled into a false sense of security by such recommendation?) and a car (many of whose drivers use the route as a rat-run, as do drivers of HGV lorries on this stretch of road.
What is needed is:
a) A 20mph speed limit along all such recommended roads
b) Cycle-friendly chicanes to enforce same (where are the police traffic division when we need them?)
c) Bus gates (properly transponder activated – not just the proximity sensor as at Stonebow) to prevent all through traffic except properly authorised users) unilateral parking.
Like traffic lights and roundabouts these measures are not to improve traffic flow. They are to improve safety.
If drivers will not voluntarily slow down they must be made so to do. Or must we wait for further fatalities?
Steve Oxbrow, Lindley Road, York.
Comments(9)
sheddie
says...
12:20pm Wed 9 Dec 09
Instead of implicitly blaming the victim for his own death, Watts could instead have commented that 'one of the lessons' might be to remind motorists to always take care and pay attention for more vulnerable road users, because their vehicles can be deadly, as in this tragic case.
chappers
says...
12:21pm Wed 9 Dec 09
Uncle Phil
says...
12:46pm Wed 9 Dec 09
Mr Watts, how would wearing a helmet have prevented this accident? What makes you think this poor cyclist was not cycling defensively?
What about the lessons for drivers? Don't they rate a mention? - that you could easily kill someone with your car?
If you were selectively quoted or misquoted, the Press should be ashamed if its appalling biased reporting of this event. If you weren't, you should be ashamed of your ill-considered comments.
pedalling paul
says...
2:09pm Wed 9 Dec 09
downfader
says...
5:51pm Wed 9 Dec 09
.
I know of two cyclists that lost their lives down here in the south whilst wearing helmets.The cars were doing no more than 30mph. Helmet manufacturers also will NEVER garantee the helmet for any kind of collision with a motorvehicle or over 12mph (for those that don't know - google "cycle helmet snell test"
.
Many cyclists have also died nationally despite wearing a helmet from body injuries to their torso. Complications such as internal bleeding, peritinitus and so on can occur.
.
This sad story simply highlights the need for all to take care at junctions (mini-roundabouts still count as a junction and should be treated just like any other roundabout) and to give cyclists space. High viz clothing and helmets dont even come into it when you consider many EU countries dont use them and have much, much lower stats involving collisions.
.
Its a cultural thing.
ak7274
says...
9:07am Thu 10 Dec 09
George Appleby
says...
10:28am Thu 10 Dec 09
There are bottle necks at each end, out to Clifton and onto Clifton Moor, and when they get through these too many motorists try to make up the lost time by speeding.
To make matters even worse, there are a further 200 houses and more places of work replacing the old hangers at the Clifton Moor end. These people will have to get into and out to where they need to be.
I don't know how this can be made to work safely or how people will be able to restrain their need to travel faster. I wish I did.
Stevie D
says...
12:56pm Thu 10 Dec 09
What makes you think this poor cyclist was not cycling defensively?
Most cyclists don't ride defensively, and don't adopt the right road position. Most cyclists ride far too close to the kerb, which encourages drivers to overtake too close, and when there isn't enough room - it also makes them less visible to drivers waiting at side roads on the left where there is a restricted view.
Cyclists are advised to ride 2 to 3 feet from the kerb - and where the road is narrow and there isn't space for a car to overtake, or where they need to make themselves more visible to traffic waiting on the left, to move to the middle of the lane.
Unfortunately, too many cyclists think that riding along in the gutter is safer, but in doing so they are putting themselves in much greater danger.
paula41 says...
12:04pm Wed 9 Dec 09
er,uncle and grandad.(should Joe Watt have quoted this?? )
Yours sincerely
Alan Duffill