Greater Manchester Region - Most Dangerous in UK For Cyclists

[Littgull]

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/new...-most-dangerous-region-in-the-uk-for-cyclists

I am not at all surprised at this, living as I do in Littleborough which is on the outer semi rural fringe of Greater Manchester. I was fortunate to be able to retire from work a few years early in March 2017. We decided to not replace our car in January 2017 after it was 'written off' by an incompetent motorist whilst parked outside our house. Since then, we travel everywhere either by bike, train or walk. This has proven to be an overall good decision and largely enjoyable. But only because we can ride our bikes outside of busy commute times and have the available free time to plan and do rides via quieter routes and towpaths.

Prior to this, I commuted to work for 10 years to Bury and back by bike - a round trip of 22 miles. There was no viable alternative to riding on very busy congested roads for most of that commute and it was often like a 'survival test'. There were far too many dangerous 'close passes' by motorists, next to no police enforcement, huge volumes of dangerous unrepaired potholes (due to severe ongoing austerity cuts!) etc. A situation that has not improved one iota! Nearby West Yorkshire is little better! In the last 12 months I have been knocked off my bike twice by inattentive taxi drivers (fortunately, at very low speed).

As a start to improve things, an ongoing 'zero tolerance' campaign by the Police against close passes such as the initiative in the West Midlands might help.

 

[Globalti]

Dream on. There are now so few Police on duty that they can only rely on ANPR to give them sure hits when stopping cars, which they then tweet about to create an impression of a high success rate.

Compulsory extra driving tests for taxi drivers including an eye test would be a good start.

 

[classic33]

Dream on. There are now so few Police on duty that they can only rely on ANPR to give them sure hits when stopping cars, which they then tweet about to create an impression of a high success rate.

Compulsory extra driving tests for taxi drivers including an eye test would be a good start.

Getting rid of the hardship plea a better one.

 

[fossyant]

Given the number of times Ive been knocked off in Manchester, I corroborate.

 

[Drago]

An ongoing zero tolerance policy, eh? I think that's a cracking idea. Should keep the remaining 4 GMP officers busy.

 

[ColinJ]

Nearby West Yorkshire is little better! In the last 12 months I have been knocked off my bike twice by inattentive taxi drivers (fortunately, at very low speed).

I was 50 cms away from joining you in January!

 

[Littgull]

Dream on. There are now so few Police on duty that they can only rely on ANPR to give them sure hits when stopping cars, which they then tweet about to create an impression of a high success rate.

Compulsory extra driving tests for taxi drivers including an eye test would be a good start.

ANPR?
Good point about the eye tests.
Yes the Police are seriously under resourced but they don't do themselves any favours in respect of reassuring cyclists that they take their safety seriously. I routinely see police vehicles waiting in the 'cycle refuge box' at traffic lights and also in adjacent lanes and ignoring other motorists who have occupied the box.

 

[Drago]

If coppers dealt with every traffic offence of non compliance they saw they wouldnt get more than a mile from the nick during an 8 hour tour. I know, I've tried it, and barely got out of sight of the building. Now, that's not an excuse for not doing it, but that is nevertheless the reality. It shouldn't be like that, but without a well staffed and dedicated roads policing team it's not going to happen.

My county has only three - yes, 3, count 'em - dedicated traffic sworn police officers, and because resources are so tight forces have clubbed together to share such personnel those three could be busy in Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, or Nottinghamshire, leaving my own county with zero roads policing cover. Things have go so bad that our force last year decided they would start sending response officers to deal with motorway incidents. Fortunately, the response officers refused, citing lack of training and suitable vehicles and equipment as making the task unduly dangerous, and therefore not a lawful order.

Having said that, they still found two officers to go and kneel in a mosque and get photographed for the papers during Ramadan....

It's a 2 fold problem - plummeting budgets in real terms for almost a decade, and senior management who never learned to police properly before they got themselves promoted. I thank God daily I'm retired from it.

 

[ColinJ]

ANPR?

ANPR!

 

[classic33]

Headcams can work,

We just need to get rid of the "hardship"plea that allowed him to keep his licence.

 

[mjr]

Headcams can work,
View attachment 415869

We just need to get rid of the "hardship"plea that allowed him to keep his licence.

Or simply exclude from the definition of "hardship" a professional driver losing a job that they've just proven themselves dangerously incompetent at.

 

[fossyant]

Stockport has about 4 traffic officers and its a huge area to cover. I was quite shocked when an officer told me.

Its no surprise they cant keep up with the work.

 

[Globalti]

The entire Ribble valley area has only about a dozen Police officers on duty at any time and half of those on reporting for work get allotted to permanent duties like guarding prisoners in hospital.