Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
There is a roundabout at each end of the dual carriageway. The B road links the same two roundabouts but takes about half a mile longer to get there.
Coroner: Lorry driver "would not have expected" to encounter cyclist he killed
- Thread starter andyfraser
- Start date
-
- Tags
- cyclist
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glenn forger
Guest
Adds half a mile to what? What's the destination?
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
Is this really so unclear? If you drive or cycle from roundabout A to roundabout B on the DC you will cover 3.1 miles. If to drive/cycle from roundabout A to roundabout B on the B road you will cover 3.6 miles.
I'm about to drive along this famous dual carriageway now and will be unable to make any further clarifications for about 2 hours.
glenn forger
Guest
Whether or not half a mile is a reasonable extension to a journey depends on the length of the journey. You have no idea what this is, but you blame a dead man for using that road. How come? You have no idea why he was using that route.
jefmcg
Guru
OK, I'm confused now, too. He would leave the DC at one roundabout, then rejoin it at the next? How is this a solution? He'd still be on the DC where drivers are allowed to hit cyclists.
glenn forger
Guest
Do you really think this is the place for sarcasm? You think it unreasonable for the cyclist to take a half mile detour. If you don't know what his journey was I don't see how you can make that judgement on behalf of the dead man. It's as daft as the copper pretending he knew what the driver was thinking. Nobody's attacking you personally, take a look around the forum, we can disagree without being sarcastic.
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
Back earlier than expected. I am sorry, no sarcasm was intended.
No, I am not blaming the dead man for using a road he was legally entitled to use. I would, however, argue that any cyclist using that particular 3.1 mile section of road is being extremely unwise, and it would be better if the possibility didn't exist. It is one of the most cyclist-hostile roads imaginable.
To clarify further, the said road links a roundabout on the edge of Gloucester to another on the edge of Cheltenham. It runs dead straight for 3.1 miles with a motorway junction in the middle. There is no other access of any sort. If it were to be airbrushed it from existence, cyclists would not feel inconvenienced because they would use the B road, which really doesn't feel like a detour.
Multiple roads extend from each end into Cheltenham and Gloucester, and these are of completely different character.
No, I am not blaming the dead man for using a road he was legally entitled to use. I would, however, argue that any cyclist using that particular 3.1 mile section of road is being extremely unwise, and it would be better if the possibility didn't exist. It is one of the most cyclist-hostile roads imaginable.
To clarify further, the said road links a roundabout on the edge of Gloucester to another on the edge of Cheltenham. It runs dead straight for 3.1 miles with a motorway junction in the middle. There is no other access of any sort. If it were to be airbrushed it from existence, cyclists would not feel inconvenienced because they would use the B road, which really doesn't feel like a detour.
Multiple roads extend from each end into Cheltenham and Gloucester, and these are of completely different character.
oldstrath
Über Member
- Location
- Strathspey
That may all be true, and I surely wouldn't want to ride this rosd. But none of it alters the fact that the lorry driver either failed to see something that was there, or chose to ignore what he saw. In neither case can he be considered remotely fit to drive anything more powerful than a pedal car, and it's appalling that the neither the police nor the coroner recognised this.
Origamist
Legendary Member
If a HGV driver does not look where he is going, the class of road is immaterial, be it a DC or B road.
Many people think it's v dangerous to cycle on NSL rural roads, or in the centre of London, mixing it with large quantities of construction traffic etc.
Aravis
Putrid Donut
- Location
- Gloucester
Nowhere have I questioned this, nor have I made any comment on the appropriateness of the coroner' verdict.
jefmcg
Guru
This thread is about the coroner's verdict. It's fair to assume that's what you are talking about.
Origamist
Legendary Member
Except that you were keen to agree with someone that was justifying the coroner's verdict. I think we can draw a reasonable conclusion from that, particularly as you also found no space to comment on the driving that killed the cyclist, only his choice of route.
jefmcg
Guru
You know, there are some roads I avoid, of course. My feeling is "if I am maimed/dead who cares if I was I had the right to be there". It never occurred to me that a coroner might decide that I did not have the right to be there, even though I was within the law.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
[QUOTE 4017120, member: 9609"]repugnancy aside, some roads are just too busy, too fast and too lawless to take a bicycle onto. It is not a case of agreeing with the situation, more a case of understanding it.[/QUOTE]
The right to cycle is important, but I'm not prepared to stake my life to support it.
No cycling on motorways appears to be widely accepted.
A lot of dual carriageways are so close to motorways as to make little practical difference.
The right to cycle is important, but I'm not prepared to stake my life to support it.
No cycling on motorways appears to be widely accepted.
A lot of dual carriageways are so close to motorways as to make little practical difference.
