Not another one, RIP

[HLaB]

Not another one, RIP; its a horrible road but I cant believe the police attitude:

THE CYCLIST who died in hospital yesterday following an accident on the East Fife regional road had been warned by the police to stay off the dual carriageway

The last time I looked at the start of this road there's warning drivers of the possible presence of cyclists, although I didn't actually think people cycled it Its a dual carriageway built to motorway standard and people use it as such.

 

[wafflycat]

The attitude of the police is appalling

 

[downfader]

Hmm depends on the situation the police found themselves dealing with... but is this the only artery the fella could have flowed down? I have often said that we are becoming islands with cars being the only boat to sail, provisions should be made for pedestrians and cyclists or they sometimes lead to situations like this.

I myself wont cycle on certain roads and avoid dual carriageways like the plague. My brother cycles down one everyday, while it is a 30 limit there people still treat it like a 70 if they can get away with it. There have been several deaths there in recent years, the most recent this summer when two motorcyclists collided, one ended up in someones front wall.

Legally the police have no right to tell anyone not to cycle (unless its a motorway or pathway), perhaps they advised instead and the fella in question ranted and raved? We'll never know. I know of no roads locally that are closed off to cyclists in this way.

 

[HLaB]

Hmm depends on the situation the police found themselves dealing with... but is this the only artery the fella could have flowed down? I have often said that we are becoming islands with cars being the only boat to sail, provisions should be made for pedestrians and cyclists or they sometimes lead to situations like this.

I myself wont cycle on certain roads and avoid dual carriageways like the plague. My brother cycles down one everyday, while it is a 30 limit there people still treat it like a 70 if they can get away with it. There have been several deaths there in recent years, the most recent this summer when two motorcyclists collided, one ended up in someones front wall.

Legally the police have no right to tell anyone not to cycle (unless its a motorway or pathway), perhaps they advised instead and the fella in question ranted and raved? We'll never know. I know of no roads locally that are closed off to cyclists in this way.

Its the A92, if he was to have taken significant detours and faced significant hills perhaps he could have advoided it but it too late saying that now.
On a few roads here there are byelaws banning bikes, for instance on the A90 or A720 Edinburgh bypass. However unless there has been a change in recent times, the road is marked with a warning triangle as to the possible presence of cyclist but I've not been there in a while.

 

[downfader]

From that map it looks like what I fear - a road that is the ONLY way to a particular destination.

Shame he died though, I agree.

 

[Keith Oates]

We don't know the full details but the report seems to suggest the cyclist should not have been on the road, that doesn't seem right somehow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ComedyPilot]

The attitude of the police is appalling

Hmmmm. The police see someone doing something they deem risky/dangerous and advise them accordingly. This person then gets killed doing the exact thing the police told them not to do.....and the 'attitude of the police is appalling'

Pray tell what would you have done differently as a police officer when faced with the same circumstances?

R.I.P. to the cyclist and condolences to his family.

It's very cunning the way the authorities make us into 'little island' communities, only joined by arteries navigable by motor vehicle, then ramp up the tax on the fuel to run said vehicles?

 

[gavintc]

Hmmmm. .

It's very cunning the way the authorities make us into 'little island' communities, only joined by arteries navigable by motor vehicle, then ramp up the tax on the fuel to run said vehicles?

I think that is stretching the truth somewhat.

 

[ComedyPilot]

I think that is stretching the truth somewhat.

Very 1984, I know, but it is heading in that direction. I didn't specify whether the 'islands' were physically or psychologically seperated.

Just listen to what people say when you tell them you cycle to work (as I do). You'll more often than not hear people say, "you don't ride all that way, it's cold/wet/dark/dangerous, you could get knocked off and killed"

Now where have they formed that opinion? How many people are killed and seriously injured in vehicles EVERY year, but they STILL drive? (well, not the dead ones)

I find it strange that someone will lecture me on road safety for cyclists, then happily jump in their metal coffin and drive on our 'DANGEROUS' roads?

Sorry for the hijack.

 

[wafflycat]

Hmmmm. The police see someone doing something they deem risky/dangerous and advise them accordingly. This person then gets killed doing the exact thing the police told them not to do.....and the 'attitude of the police is appalling'

Pray tell what would you have done differently as a police officer when faced with the same circumstances?

R.I.P. to the cyclist and condolences to his family.

It's very cunning the way the authorities make us into 'little island' communities, only joined by arteries navigable by motor vehicle, then ramp up the tax on the fuel to run said vehicles?

Having cycled on a dual carriageway, and knowing of many others who do, and also the accident stats for time trialling, dual carriageways are actually remarkably safe to cycle on. Indeed, in time trialling, again and again, the incidents of serious 'accidents' to cyclists is much higher on single carriageway roads - on a dual there's a whole other lane drivers can use to overtake safely, whereas on a single carriageway road there isn't.. The main area of higher danger on a dual carriageway road is a slip road, where traffic joining & leaving don't 'see' the cyclist or under/overestimate the speed of the cyclist.

Why I don't like the polioce attitude is that it's effectively blaming the victim - whether or not that's how they intend it, that's what they are doing. And that's unacceptable.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Pray tell what would you have done differently as a police officer when faced with the same circumstances?

???

 

[ComedyPilot]

Not another one, RIP; its a horrible road but I cant believe the police attitude

The attitude of the police is appalling

Having read the article, I can find NO sign of police attitude?

Let me re-read it.....

 

[ComedyPilot]

THE CYCLIST who died in hospital yesterday following an accident on the East Fife regional road had been warned by the police to stay off the dual carriageway.
Alan Finlayson, who lived in Dunfermline, was heading along the busy road during rush hour on Wednesday evening when he was involved in a collision with a van.
The accident, which involved a blue Ford Transit, happened at about 5pm near the slip road to Cowdenbeath and left the 40-year-old with severe injuries.
The inside lane of the dual carriageway and the slip road were closed off for several hours while the police investigated it.
Mr Finlayson was taken by ambulance to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline.
He died in the early hours of yesterday morning.
It is believed Mr Finlayson was on his way home after visiting family or friends in Kirkcaldy when the accident happened.
It was a route he often took, according to his friend and neighbour, William Strathearn.
Speaking from the block of flats in Inchcolm Road where Mr Finlayson lived in a flat owned by Fife Council, Mr Strathearn told The Courier he couldn’t believe what had happened.
He said Mr Finlayson had just moved into the flat above him a couple of months ago, but settled into the block quickly.
“He was a very good friend,” Mr Strathearn added.
“He used to cycle through to Kirkcaldy to visit his father. I’ve seen him cycling home about 11.30 at night.”
He added that Mr Finlayson knew he shouldn’t have been on the dual carriageway, but decided to take the risk anyway.
“He had been stopped by the police a good couple of times and told he shouldn’t be on the road.”
Mr Finlayson had received criminal injuries compensation after he was the victim of a savage beating some years ago.
The incident left him with a metal plate in his head and his attacker facing a six-year jail term.
Fife Police confirmed yesterday that Mr Finlayson had passed away at the Queen Margaret.
Officers from the force’s road traffic policing department are still investigating the accident and have appealed again for witnesses.

From what I can gather there, the police have said nothing which would indicate attitude, but the (f***ing) press have cleverly worded it to read like that, when in fact it is 3rd party hearsay from the neighbour which, due to the cyclist's death, cannot be corroborated.

 

[domd1979]

To be fair to the rozzers (and its rare that I am), the article mostly quotes the cyclist's neighbour about what the police had previously said - in fact there's hardly anything quoted of the police, and what there is just says they're investigating. Its the paper and not the police that have put the emphasis on the previous "warnings".

So few cyclists use inter-urban dual carriageways that it might be difficult to say whether the accident stats are conclusive on their safety record.

Having cycled on a dual carriageway, and knowing of many others who do, and also the accident stats for time trialling, dual carriageways are actually remarkably safe to cycle on. Indeed, in time trialling, again and again, the incidents of serious 'accidents' to cyclists is much higher on single carriageway roads - on a dual there's a whole other lane drivers can use to overtake safely, whereas on a single carriageway road there isn't.. The main area of higher danger on a dual carriageway road is a slip road, where traffic joining & leaving don't 'see' the cyclist or under/overestimate the speed of the cyclist.

Why I don't like the polioce attitude is that it's effectively blaming the victim - whether or not that's how they intend it, that's what they are doing. And that's unacceptable.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Not another one, RIP; its a horrible road but I cant believe the police attitude:



The last time I looked at the start of this road there's warning drivers of the possible presence of cyclists, although I didn't actually think people cycled it Its a dual carriageway built to motorway standard and people use it as such.

can`t comment on the Police view but I thought that road would of been banned for bikes, I think thats had a lot of fatalities compared to the dual road from bridge to barnton. To think I used to cycle that . I can see why it was used as the long way is certainly a long way from Cowden to Kirkcaldy if not going he dual carraigeway. Seems to be an awful lot more bad news coming out this last few weeks