Could have done with a helmet cam yesterday :-(

[Wankelschrauben]

I got muched up a kerb by a failed amber gambler, bronzey coloured, red light jumping 4*4

This occured on the Loose Road in Maidstone travelling south towards the Wheatsheaf junction.

I was infront, I began to slow for the red light, this mongtard didn't, and from the engine tone was actually flooring it. He hit me with his wing mirror which sent me up onto the pavement.

The back pack took the impact but it was still enough to knock the wind out of me, he didn't hang around either, litterally didn't give a **** that he'd hit someone.

The lady in the MX5 in the next lane had stopped for the lights, she was infront of both of us at the and had stopped so I don't think I had slowed prematurely.

 

[BSRU]

Depending on how stubborn/bloody minded you are, it may be worth reporting, in effect it's a hit and run.
If you've got witness's or cctv covering that area, it will help support you view of the event.
A description of the car and hopefully a registration number will help track down the individual.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Amen to that.

Depending on how stubborn/bloody minded you are, it may be worth reporting, in effect it's a hit and run.
If you've got witness's or cctv covering that area, it will help support you view of the event.
A description of the car and hopefully a registration number will help track down the individual.

 

[SportMonkey]

Google Streetview is your friend, remember some of these cameras have quite large angles of vision.

Also, do it within 7 days, it's about the standard amount of time to keep footage.

 

[Wankelschrauben]

What is street view?

I encountered another problem at traffic lights today, they took ages to change, obviously hadn't recognised me as waiting traffic and I watched countless cycles of traffic pass. I hopped off the bike and walked across, I got a load of abuse for doing so, the positioned myself in the lane on the road and had the car behind blaring his horn at me all the way along the road.

I have phoned Kent Highways and complained in general about the sheer volume of traffic light junctions that don't recognise cyclists, a complete lack of any form of cycle facilities and a complete lack of cycle awareness for cyclists and motorists alike.

Frankly, for a town that likes to promote itself as an upcoming wannabe city, the transport system really and the general public in relation to the transport system really is pre-historic.

 

[SportMonkey]

What is street view?

I encountered another problem at traffic lights today, they took ages to change, obviously hadn't recognised me as waiting traffic and I watched countless cycles of traffic pass. I hopped off the bike and walked across, I got a load of abuse for doing so, the positioned myself in the lane on the road and had the car behind blaring his horn at me all the way along the road.

I have phoned Kent Highways and complained in general about the sheer volume of traffic light junctions that don't recognise cyclists, a complete lack of any form of cycle facilities and a complete lack of cycle awareness for cyclists and motorists alike.

Frankly, for a town that likes to promote itself as an upcoming wannabe city, the transport system really and the general public in relation to the transport system really is pre-historic.

StreetView is the camera pictures taken of roads, you can inspect all the buildings near where the incident happened for CCTV systems without having to lift a cheek.

 

[BSRU]

Google street view, if you find the location on Google maps, keep zooming in closer and closer, eventually it switches to 360 degree street view, which shows all the photo's taken by Google's camera cars.

 

[FreewheelingUK]

I have phoned Kent Highways and complained in general about the sheer volume of traffic light junctions that don't recognise cyclists, a complete lack of any form of cycle facilities and a complete lack of cycle awareness for cyclists and motorists alike.

It's not just cyclists. I was stuck with a bunch of cars on Cranbourne Avenue today waiting for them to change. One car jumped the lights in the end, and I got off and walked down the pavement to use the pedestrian crossing across Sutton Road. I've got helmet cam footage if you want to show it to Kent Highways in case they don't believe you.

I've also got a spare cam if you want to buy it?

 

[FreewheelingUK]

This occured on the Loose Road in Maidstone travelling south towards the Wheatsheaf junction.

I think that section is dangerous since they put all the traffic 'calming' measures in. What with the central islands and the pretend cycle lane, it encourages drivers to try and squeeze through dangerously

You might want to consider taking Pheasants Lane instead. Cyclists can get through, but there's bollards stopping cars making a short cut, so it's nice and quiet. That brings you out on Boughton Lane. From there unless you're wanting to go down Cripple Street, you can miss out the traffic lights completely by going down Paynes Lane. It's slightly further, but skipping the traffic lights often makes it quicker.

 

[Wankelschrauben]

Hi, I turn right at the lights and go down cripple street, this in itself is a dangerous task since those troublesome lights have been put in, I simply can not get into the right hand lane, I am forced into that rubbish cycle lane and prevented from merging with traffic so instead have to stop at the lights and either cross as a pedestrian or position the bike in the lane once traffic has stopped, both of these have caused arguments with drivers and pedestrians in both cases. A similar occurance occurs on the Wheatsheaf junction, the cycle lane is replaced by the gutter and according to the plod, that is where I should be riding to allow faster traffic to pass safely in their lanes, i.e without having to move over at all, hence why I got the battering I moaned about above.

The council agreed with the problems for the most part and told me of their future plans to remove the traffic lights in the town centre and re-pave the entire area in red brick, sounds like they are doing a similar project to what they did in Ashford.

The guy said the most of the traffic lights in Maidstone are so old now that they are causing problems in planning, reliability, power useage and priority, however no one complains about them so nothing is ever done.



They're going to adjust the traffic lights at Cranbourne avenue and the South Park - Mote Park junction turn right only lane.

The traffic light junction at the bottom of the high street is supposed to be busses only and no other traffic, (bicycle, police and taxi's ect.), I mentioned the cyle lane sign that is plastered all over it but he claimed that it was not supposed to be there. However as the signage is there they will adjust that one too.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Cripple Street? What on earth's the story behind that name?

 

[FreewheelingUK]

Cripple Street? What on earth's the story behind that name?

I expect it's something boring, maybe it was named after a John Cripple?

It is aptly named though. A lot of pedestrians are hit near that junction. I've only ever witnessed three pedestrians/cyclists getting hit by motorised vehicles in my life and all three incidents were within 100 metres of that junction. I think the most recent death was this one...

http://www.kenttoday...rticle_id=33314

They put in traffic calming measures about 10-15 years ago. This consists of:

A narrow (~bike width) cycle lane on each side to make the road appear narrower to motorised traffic.
Traffic islands to prevent overtaking.

It seems to keep traffic to 30mph which I guess helps pedestrians cross easier (there's shops on both sides) but it's a bugger to cycle along. You have to be doing nearly 30mph to prevent close overtakes. It's doable northbound (downhill) but southbound it's just too dangerous for my liking, I take an alternative route.

They've recently, within the last year or so put a pelican crossing in so people can get from one set of shops to the other without chancing the traffic. Maybe they'll now get rid of the bad cycle lanes and the traffic islands, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[FreewheelingUK]

Hi, I turn right at the lights and go down cripple street, this in itself is a dangerous task since those troublesome lights have been put in, I simply can not get into the right hand lane, I am forced into that rubbish cycle lane and prevented from merging with traffic

I definitely recommend the Pheasant's Lane route, its quieter and you don't have to jostle with other traffic. By chance today, I was coming out of Cranbourne Avenue just in front of another cyclist who was destined for Cripple Street. I took the Pheasants Lane route and they took the Loose Road route. I made it to the Cripple Street crossroads at the same time as them. There's not much in it time wise, maybe my route is ever so slightly longer, but it's much more pleasant and safer.

 

[Wankelschrauben]

The Swan Pub and Wheatsheaf Pub junctions are seriously dangerous, I had my one and only car "accident" coming out of Cranbourne avenue where I was travelling across the junction in a que of moving traffic and got hit side on.

The car lifted and totalled one of the lamp post's. Although I had cars infront and behind the police disputed whether I had jumped a red light as the camera's couldn't clearly see if I had or hadn't on the footage.

I was clearly the guilty party in all this, being just 17/18 at the time.

It was discovered that the other driver, had taken his former work partner's "sleeper van" out for a quick spin upon a business deal gone sour. This thing was simply a bit quick at pulling away so the accident was "laughed off" as a one of a kind, unlikely to occur ever again event. Hahaha, oh the joy of that two years worth of hellacious legal battle concluding in such a manner.

I ended having to pay out for the tossing lamp-post as well as paying higher rate insurance prices whilst the case was in dispute.



There was a real nasty accident on Mayday this year at the swan pub crossing recently involving some motorbikes and some cars apparently the crossings were green for each individual!!!! There were a load of ambulances on scene.

In all, the traffic junctions this particular area are beyond a joke ridiculous due to poor road design and even worse light sequencing.

You mention a spare cam for sale, do you have the details?

 

[BentMikey]

You can get a decent keyfob camera for like a tenner on ebay. Research up 808 video camera and see. The #11 808 is full 720p and not bad at the price.