Drivers not seeing cyclist a test!

[nicholab]

Last night I did a test I stood in a slip road off the a456 with my bike lights on! I noticed very few drivers slowed down. The reason I tried this is I have ridden this slip road before and drivers have not seen me. I think I need to get a camera.

[tmcd35]

As a cyclist and a driver a few questions do immediately come to mind - and the answers may be more beneficial than buying a camera.

 

The first is, how reflective is your reflective clothing? I saw a Panorama documentary not too long ago and it scared me to see how non-reflective some these supposedly reflective gear actually is. As a driver I've had a few near misses with cyclist I haven't seen, thinking they were dressed in black and finding they were wearing what they thought was hi-viz!

 

The second would be to ask about your bike lights. Just how bright are they? I think you need a good five or six bright LED's to be visable. It should be a steady, not blinking, light. And remember all a driver can see is a red dot ahead. You can't judge either speed or distance from it. I'd say proper hi-viz is more important than decent bike lights and much much easier for drivers to spot.

 

Finally I'd ask about the road. Is it a suitable place for a cyclist to be at all? Slip road suggests joining or leaving a dual carriageway - not a place for a cyclist. Especially joining, the last thing a driver wants is to slow down here. The purpose of the slip road is to increase speed to join the main traffic flow, I'd be aiming to hit at least 60mph by the end of the slip (depending on road conditions). Are their any minor roads running parallel that you can use instead? Even if it adds 15-20min to your journey time it'd be safer.

[CAM]

I'm not sure your test works. If I saw you standing by a sliproad I wouldn't slow down, I'd just go round you whilst speeding up to join the carriageway and wondering why some nutter is standing around on a dangerous road!

[SteveBentley]

This. The end of the slip road is effectively a give way line. The onus is on you to wait for a safe gap to merge into rather than for traffic that is established on the road you are joining to get out of your way.

 

I know a motorway isn't quite the same, but the principle is - see Rule 259 of the Highway Code

 

Motorways (253-273) : Directgov - Travel and transport

 

259

 

Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left (a slip road) or from an adjoining motorway. You should

 

give priority to traffic already on the motorway

check the traffic on the motorway and match your speed to fit safely into the traffic flow in the left-hand lane

[Jamman960]

What's a camera going to achieve?

 

I don't generally slow down for cyclists if I can overtake without having to, its really down to cyclists to make themselves seen - no driver is going to run them over on purpose.

[nicholab]

It was an exit slip on to a round about. The light is quite bright. How do I disappear in a puff of smoke and not use the slip road? In the day light I have been indicating to turn right and drives actions have suggested they will run me over on purpose!!!

 

N.B I do drive as well.

Edited August 8, 2012 by nicholab

[Flakes]

im really confused you've come off dual carriageway and onto the roundabout? you should not be on the dual carriageway anyway. i also would be speeding up to "match the speed" of the traffic on the dual carriageway.

[tmcd35]

To be fair - on an exit slip approaching a roundabout the driver *should* be slowing, but still the last place I'd expect to see a cyclist - and one of the last places I'd want to be as a cyclist. Not knowing the road or area it's hard to give advice, but the best two rules for night cycling are - make sure you have good hi-viz, and use roads fewer cars would.

[pcstru]

you should not be on the dual carriageway anyway.

 

Says who?

[Flakes]

on all dual carraigeways cyclists are not allowed the ones where they are allowed have a path with bike lane allong side the only reference i can find to cyclists and dual carriageways is relevant to crossing them only.

 

Rules for cyclists (59-82) : Directgov - Travel and transport

 

Road junctions

 

75

Dual carriageways. Remember that traffic on most dual carriageways moves quickly. When crossing wait for a safe gap and cross each carriageway in turn. Take extra care when crossing slip roads.

 

to my knowledge there should be no pedestrians or cyclists on a dual carriageway or motorway unless there is a crossing(there are a few crossings around here)

[pcstru]

to my knowledge there should be no pedestrians or cyclists on a dual carriageway or motorway unless there is a crossing(there are a few crossings around here)

 

Your knowledge is wrong. Cycles are perfectly legal on dual carriageways.

[localzuk]

Your knowledge is wrong. Cycles are perfectly legal on dual carriageways.

 

It is only illegal on 'M' classified dual carriageways. Normal dual carriageways it is legal.

 

Whether you'd want to ride on one, that's a different question entirely.

[tmcd35]

Your knowledge is wrong. Cycles are perfectly legal on dual carriageways.

 

You are quiet correct (it's motorways we are band from). However - legal and safe are two different things. Generally speaking it is not safe for a cyclist on a dual carriageway. I have nearly killed someone on a moped doing 30mph when I've been coming at him at 60mph (I saw him in time, but him being there at that speed gave me a scare). He was allowed to be there and was traveling faster than most cyclists would.

 

I have the choice of a single carriageway A-road at about 10miles to work, or 15miles through country back lanes - I cycle the back lanes on purpose to avoid lorries and cars constantly screaming past me at high speeds.

[Flakes]

im not finding anything concrete here, but an interesting discussion here:

 

Illegal to ride a bike on a dual carriageway | urban75 forums

 

Riding from Chepstow to Cardiff last night at about 7.30pm on the A48 I was stopped by a police car – flashing blue lights and all.

 

The two officers got out of the car and told me it was illegal to ride a bike on the dual carriageway. Eh? Since when has that been illegal I asked. It's always been illegal where the speed limit is 70mph they said.

 

there's a few places where there are signs stating that it is a definite no-no

 

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=55.900437,-3.091793&spn=0,359.889965&t=h&z=13&layer=c&cbll=55.900449,-3.091515&panoid=YeeSAoT0h1cbyk0ZSC2afQ&cbp=12,82.14,,0,6.76

 

but like i say there doesn't appear to be anything saying either way.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Flakes

[localzuk]

im not finding anything concrete here, but an interesting discussion here:

 

Illegal to ride a bike on a dual carriageway | urban75 forums

 

Yeah, police officers are particularly useless when it comes to specifics of the law. I wouldn't take their word for it at all.

 

The law is pretty clear about it though, its legal unless its an M class dual carriageway or has a specific 'No cycling' sign.

[mac_shinobi]

In the left pane from this website : Dual Carriageway

 

[h=3]Dual carriageways and cyclists[/h] It is not illegal for a cyclist to ride on a dual carriageway unless stated otherwise by signs. It is however extremely dangerous and not advised.

 

 

[CAM]

I'm probably out of the cycling loop by now (mine is broken for years) but when I did cycling proficiency back in the 90s, the instructor recommended not to turn right at roundabouts but dismount and cross each junction on foot as it's just too risky. Roads are significantly more dangerous today!

[tech_guy]

I stood by the side of the road in fishnets and suspenders the other day as a test and ALL the drivers noticed me....!

[tmcd35]

I'm probably out of the cycling loop by now (mine is broken for years) but when I did cycling proficiency back in the 90s, the instructor recommended not to turn right at roundabouts but dismount and cross each junction on foot as it's just too risky. Roads are significantly more dangerous today!

 

As always this one depends on the prevailing road conditions. I've turned right on many a roundabout without incident. The key is holding your lane position, which is quiet a difficult thing for most cyclists to do. If you can do it confidently then you should be able to around a roundabout without any danger. That said, some roundabouts are so busy with such a high volume of traffic that it probably isn't worth the fight to get round.