A30 - Do NOT use it!
- Thread starter Brains
- Start date
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sorry , but you're point is totally incorrect.. bad road design kills people...
wether its turns which are modelled on 'what worked good for trains' being applied to roads or hidden junctions or too narrow or bad surfaces or hidden drops or cambers, bad roads kill people...
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Why am I willing to ride on the A11 at 7:00am but not 7:00pm? Because the quality of driving on the A11 at 5:00am is MUCH higher even though the actual traffic volume is about the same.
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
None of those kill people in them selves. They can be contributory but it requires inappropriate driving to start with.
Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
I used to say theres no such thing as a dangerous road only dangerous drivers.
A friend who did a full carreer in the fire service disagrees with me. He said that on some roads the same accident just keeps repeating itself in the same place until the road design is changed.
In a perfect world we would all be constantly concentrating 100% on driving.We would all never drive when tired etc etc.
Some of my worst driving occurs driving back from cycling events after a long day.
A friend who did a full carreer in the fire service disagrees with me. He said that on some roads the same accident just keeps repeating itself in the same place until the road design is changed.
In a perfect world we would all be constantly concentrating 100% on driving.We would all never drive when tired etc etc.
Some of my worst driving occurs driving back from cycling events after a long day.
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Banjo
Fuelled with Jelly Babies
- Location
- South Wales
You cant design roads to cope with idiots on 2 or 4 wheels racing at way over the speed limit but there are also accident blackspots where that doesnt apply.
My friend accurately predicted a new stretch of bypass near here would be a blackspot and now after several redesign of junctions etc the death toll seems to be falling thankfully.
Im not an expert but while I firmly believe that driver error is the major cause of road accidents ,it has to be accepted that road design also contributes to the problem.
PS I cycled up and down the Cat and Fiddle while visiting that neck of the woods. Thought it was a bit of a pussy cat to be honest
My friend accurately predicted a new stretch of bypass near here would be a blackspot and now after several redesign of junctions etc the death toll seems to be falling thankfully.
Im not an expert but while I firmly believe that driver error is the major cause of road accidents ,it has to be accepted that road design also contributes to the problem.
PS I cycled up and down the Cat and Fiddle while visiting that neck of the woods. Thought it was a bit of a pussy cat to be honest
That is trying to use road design and other measures to stop deliberate fast, dangerous and illegal riding and driving. All you proved is what we know already - it doesn't work very well.
That is quite different to road design that can effect mistakes made by drivers and others who are not trying to get a thrill from dangerous behaviour.
An extreme example is the 20mph London study is strong evidence that creating a lower speed environment with passive restraint has a substantial impact on KSI particularly for the most vulnerable (kids and us!). It works not because it slows the bad guys but it also slows the good guys. Reduces collisions and also their impact irrespective of whether the child, cyclist or motorist made the original mistake.
Do read the report. It wasn't the posted limit that slowed the drivers - it WAS the road design.
Tut, tut you know smoking can kill.
Away with this silly bickering. Will I be seeing any response to the issues of substance? That includes:
* Denying the evidence of dangerous roads
* Claiming I want to ban cyclists from roads
* Denying most of London 20mph zone reduction from 27 to 17 mph was probably due to road design
After all the subject of these threads makes it deadly serious yet I feel I'm trying to nail jelly or am I misunderstanding your position?
I don't have to , I'd like you to show there's no evidence that a road has never killed anyone.. which you cannot..
the cat and fiddle is interesting though, because of course motorcyclists ride that road KNOWING it's dangerous, BECAUSE of the danger.. of course they COULD reduce the limit to 30 and stick camera's everywhere.. they could widen it, they COULD do a lot of stuff to reduce the chance of death.. most of which would be too costly.
but it's the road which causes the problem, remove the road, no problem.
I can't believe the reaction which the origional post has recieved. Its just a peice of (good) advice. I live just a few miles from the section of A30 in question (near Truro), and having done numerous cycle tours across the UK and Europe I would advise NOT to use this section of road. There are plenty of alternative roads in the area - they just require a little planning and possibly an extra day on your tour.
Yes, you SHOULD be able to ride on any section of road you like, in complete safety, but the situation is what it is - the A30 is very busy, often narrow and has people driving at motorway speeds: Not suitable surroundings for most cyclists. Thats simply the advice.
As someone else said, the stakes are much higher. You get hit on a lane at 30mph, you may be OK. you get hit on the A30 by something moving at 70mph, you've had it.
Yes, you SHOULD be able to ride on any section of road you like, in complete safety, but the situation is what it is - the A30 is very busy, often narrow and has people driving at motorway speeds: Not suitable surroundings for most cyclists. Thats simply the advice.
As someone else said, the stakes are much higher. You get hit on a lane at 30mph, you may be OK. you get hit on the A30 by something moving at 70mph, you've had it.
I and nine others did the A30 from Lands End to just outside Exeter on a LEJoG and it was brilliant. We had fog for the first thirty miles, which was doubly brilliant, because Cornwall isn't much to look at. We were off it by 2pm (and in Bristol that night). I'd never, ever consider any alternative.
Well fair enough - both opinions are out there, so people can make their own mind up.
If nothing else, I find riding on such roads to be a joyless activity, with the traffic roaring past and rarely passing through any towns or villages, although I can of course see the benefits time-wise as its clearly the most direct route. Personally I'd rather add an extra day to my tour and enjoy the Cornish stretch a little more, without the fear of being hit by a truck at 70mph. Why rush it quite so much...
If nothing else, I find riding on such roads to be a joyless activity, with the traffic roaring past and rarely passing through any towns or villages, although I can of course see the benefits time-wise as its clearly the most direct route. Personally I'd rather add an extra day to my tour and enjoy the Cornish stretch a little more, without the fear of being hit by a truck at 70mph. Why rush it quite so much...
e-rider
crappy member
- Location
- South West
The A30 is a dangerous road as are all duals. The speed of the vehicles means that if you are hit you will almost certainly be dead every time.
Also people tend to daydream a bit more on such featureless roads, esp truck drivers. The slip roads are also a nightmare.
When I planned my LEJOG I had no idea how bad the A30 was. I certainly wouldn't ever plan to ride on it again even if it did mean adding 1/2 day to the trip
Also people tend to daydream a bit more on such featureless roads, esp truck drivers. The slip roads are also a nightmare.
When I planned my LEJOG I had no idea how bad the A30 was. I certainly wouldn't ever plan to ride on it again even if it did mean adding 1/2 day to the trip
amaferanga
Veteran
- Location
- Bolton
I got to Cheddar on day 1 of my LEJOG without anything particularly hilly and without using the A30. So unless you're trying to break some record there's no need to use that road. Not using the A30 didn't add many miles to my route anyway. And FWIW I did use some A-roads (a lot of A6 and A9 in particular), but an hour's research on the internet made it pretty clear the A30 would be unpleasant and that there were really pleasant alternatives.
I'd not cycle on the M1 (even if it was legal) so I wouldn't cycle on the A30(M).
I'd not cycle on the M1 (even if it was legal) so I wouldn't cycle on the A30(M).
