Riding on fast dual carriageways.

[vickster]

Roads are not dangerous.

They could clearly be safer

Statistics on reported road casualties in Great Britain for the year ending June 2018 shows, there were:

• 1,770 reported road deaths.
• 26,610 people killed or seriously injured.
• 165,100 casualties of all severities, a decrease of 6%

 

[mjr]

How does a road die? Too many potholes?

Shame they harm so may people as they die, though.

 

[slowmotion]

Roads are not dangerous.

What constitutes dangerous is very much a matter of personal perception, not an absolute. I know I wouldn't feel in the least bit comfortable riding west from Exeter down the A30 towards Cornwall. It's a two lane motorway in all but name, and it's stuffed with big, expensive cars burning down to start a holiday at 80-90 mph. The drivers are tired at the end of long journeys and the kids in the back are whining. I don't want to be four feet away on my bike when they rocket past.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Roads are not dangerous.

But the people who use them can make them dangerous places to be.

 

[DRM]

What constitutes dangerous is very much a matter of personal perception, not an absolute. I know I wouldn't feel in the least bit comfortable riding west from Exeter down the A30 towards Cornwall. It's a two lane motorway in all but name, and it's stuffed with big, expensive cars burning down to start a holiday at 80-90 mph. The drivers are tired at the end of long journeys and the kids in the back are whining. I don't want to be four feet away on my bike when they rocket past.

Which is exactly what the A1 is, indeed the majority of it is the A1(M), you've no idea if the driver next to you has travelled from Scotland on next to no sleep with a car full of whining arguing kids, roads may not be dangerous, but some battles aren't worth fighting, legal or not.

 

[HLaB]

I have raced on those roads many times.

You've got more guts than me.
Some tremendous times come from the Long Bennington to Newark section it must be CTT ok for them then but during the week/peak

 

[Kempstonian]

Most of the courses I rode on in the dim distant past involved an A road at some point. I looked out some start sheets today and the A roads I raced on were: A1, A4, A6, A13, A41, A45, A405, A414, A604 and the A1090. I felt safe doing so. It was much, much safer in those days because the traffic was lighter and the cars didn't go as fast (also starting early on a Sunday morning helped, as most folks were still in bed!).

Also, by and large, drivers were considerate and left plenty of room when overtaking you. I almost fell off on a roundabout once and the car behind me was considerate enough not to run me over... lol Of course, if we were out on a club run on a minor road we would reciprocate by dropping into single file to make it easier for them too. There was at least a bit of respect from all parties back then.

Times have changed considerably now in all areas of life. Not for the better.

 

[screenman]

But the people who use them can make them dangerous places to be.

That is my point.

 

[mjr]

Of course, if we were out on a club run on a minor road we would reciprocate by dropping into single file to make it easier for them too.

It's not easier to overtake a group that's now twice as long as it needs to be, but that's an argument that's been had on this site often before.

 

[DaveReading]

Which A5?

Why, is there more than one ?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Is it true that if you fold the A4 in half you get the A5?

 

[Lee_M]

Which is exactly what the A1 is, indeed the majority of it is the A1(M), you've no idea if the driver next to you has travelled from Scotland on next to no sleep with a car full of whining arguing kids, roads may not be dangerous, but some battles aren't worth fighting, legal or not.

That's the problem around adwick, it's just after the A1M finishes if you're travelling north.

I wouldn't do it, but drivers should know the law and drive appropriately. Then again Thanos wasn't necessarily wrong either

 

[bladderhead]

I used to commute on the A12 in NE London. I used to leave work at 9pm. When I ride at night, the headlights of cars are so bright. I would like riding at night, if is was not for having blinding lights in my eyes all the time. On the A12 my eyes were shielded from the oncoming traffic by the central reservation. Years ago I had a job in the evenings in London and used to ride home at night. I do not remember being blinded by headlights back then. Are modern headlights brighter than they used to be? Is it because I ride a recumbent these days, so my head is in a different position?

When I was riding to work on the A12 it was in the early afternoon. The road was so empty at that time of day I used to ride in the right-hand lane.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Years ago I had a job in the evenings in London and used to ride home at night. I do not remember being blinded by headlights back then. Are modern headlights brighter than they used to be?

Yes. Modern HID lamps are up to 40% brighter than the old Halogen numbers.

 

[Kempstonian]

It's not easier to overtake a group that's now twice as long as it needs to be, but that's an argument that's been had on this site often before.

I'm talking about mostly on the narrower country roads. Not too much traffic on those roads, so they could easily pass if nothing was coming the other way. If we had stayed in pairs they would have no option other than to sit behind us until the road widened a bit. Car drivers often acknowledged us for making room for them to get by.