Jesus wept. Sometimes those taken from us in RTAs are worthy
Discussion
The A40 between the Master Brewer and Polish war memorial has a very extensive cycle lane (on one side only). Between the memorial and Northolt there again is a lane but on the opposite side.
His death is obviously tragic. However I will say as someone who knows the area, I would never cycle on the road part of the A40 at that point.
His death is obviously tragic. However I will say as someone who knows the area, I would never cycle on the road part of the A40 at that point.
hora said:
Tragic waste of life.
The court will probably find the driver guilty.
But this reminds us of two concerns.
Cycling is dangerous on the road particularly so.
And there are two tragedies here.
The primary tragedy is the cyclist without question.
However the fact that the driver was not arrested until a month later presumably because the Police were uncertain as to culpability, there must be a second tragedy in the Drivers case.
He is alive and uninjured which must be taken into account.
But he was insured and licensed and clearly made a desperately unfortunate mistake, which had deadly consequences.
His life is also never going to be the same. He will have years to regret this mistake
Wisdom of Soloman job really. I have no suggestion to make.
As cars get ever fatter, longer, wider cars and stuffed with ever more air bags, drivers are increasingly less likely to suffer the failings of their lack of attention. Its the pedestians, cyclists and bikers that tend to come off worse.
Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
The school run brigadein their ever more massive 4x4 certainly behave like they are invunerable and in some ways - they are right....
Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
The school run brigadein their ever more massive 4x4 certainly behave like they are invunerable and in some ways - they are right....
Edited by balls-out on Tuesday 21st February 12:35
balls-out said:
As cars get ever fatter, longer, wider cars and stuffed with ever more air bags, drivers are ever less likely to suffer the failings of their lack of attention. Its the pedestians, cyclists and bikers that tend to come off worse.
Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
I understand your frustration.Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
However if you consider the number of car journeys each day in relation to the number of accidents, in a road system still largely based on historic routes for man and horses, and in a very crowded country, the actual number is remarkably small.
Tragic, yes. Avoidable possibly.
But any transport system which allows the flexibility and volume of journeys that the car gives us must have safety issues.
If someone suggested allowing two car to pass regularly on the roads at 60mph each, closing speed 120mph, whilst pedestrians are allowed, indeed encouraged, to cross that road, and cyclists ride on the same road in both directions, at about at 15mph, you would seek to get them examined for lunacy.
Any mass transport systems will produce accidents.
I actually believe the wonder is there are not more.
Down to most drivers being reasonably careful. Can we expect more?
Steffan said:
I understand your frustration.
However if you consider the number of car journeys each day in relation to the number of accidents, in a road system still largely based on historic routes for man and horses, and in a very crowded country, the actual number is remarkably small.
Tragic, yes. Avoidable possibly.
But any transport system which allows the flexibility and volume of journeys that the car gives us must have safety issues.
If someone suggested allowing two car to pass regularly on the roads at 60mph each, closing speed 120mph, whilst pedestrians are allowed, indeed encouraged, to cross that road, and cyclists ride on the same road in both directions, at about at 15mph, you would seek to get them examined for lunacy.
Any mass transport systems will produce accidents.
I actually believe the wonder is there are not more.
Down to most drivers being reasonably careful. Can we expect more?
You speak wisey and I don't disagree.However if you consider the number of car journeys each day in relation to the number of accidents, in a road system still largely based on historic routes for man and horses, and in a very crowded country, the actual number is remarkably small.
Tragic, yes. Avoidable possibly.
But any transport system which allows the flexibility and volume of journeys that the car gives us must have safety issues.
If someone suggested allowing two car to pass regularly on the roads at 60mph each, closing speed 120mph, whilst pedestrians are allowed, indeed encouraged, to cross that road, and cyclists ride on the same road in both directions, at about at 15mph, you would seek to get them examined for lunacy.
Any mass transport systems will produce accidents.
I actually believe the wonder is there are not more.
Down to most drivers being reasonably careful. Can we expect more?
However each is a personal tragedy and we should still strive to reduce their number.
balls-out said:
As cars get ever fatter, longer, wider cars and stuffed with ever more air bags, drivers are increasingly less likely to suffer the failings of their lack of attention. Its the pedestians, cyclists and bikers that tend to come off worse.
Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
The school run brigadein their ever more massive 4x4 certainly behave like they are invunerable and in some ways - they are right....
So what we should do is make everyone drive old, 'dangerous' cars that will almost certainly kill the driver, perhaps even encourage more people to ride motorbikes and bicycles then everything will be OK. Like in India.Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
The school run brigadein their ever more massive 4x4 certainly behave like they are invunerable and in some ways - they are right....
Edited by balls-out on Tuesday 21st February 12:35
EDLT said:
balls-out said:
As cars get ever fatter, longer, wider cars and stuffed with ever more air bags, drivers are increasingly less likely to suffer the failings of their lack of attention. Its the pedestians, cyclists and bikers that tend to come off worse.
Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
The school run brigadein their ever more massive 4x4 certainly behave like they are invunerable and in some ways - they are right....
So what we should do is make everyone drive old, 'dangerous' cars that will almost certainly kill the driver, perhaps even encourage more people to ride motorbikes and bicycles then everything will be OK. Like in India.Why does road safety seem to pay so little attention to driver standards.
The school run brigadein their ever more massive 4x4 certainly behave like they are invunerable and in some ways - they are right....
Edited by balls-out on Tuesday 21st February 12:35
Yup, let ban seatbelt and airbags, add a upturned knife the centre of the steering wheel. Survival of the fittest I say.
This is a sad story and he sounds like a decent OC to have had. I know a mate that's based at Northolt as well. I'm sure that the base would have been rocked by this happening as everyone knows the Station Commander.
I can't help thinking that it could have happened to any one of us. Everyone has been out driving and the sun been low. Yes OK there could have been things the driver could have done but you just try to manage the situation using the sunvisor generally don't you?
Hugely unfortunate with terrible consequences but without being there it just sounds like a desperately unfortunate accident.
I can't help thinking that it could have happened to any one of us. Everyone has been out driving and the sun been low. Yes OK there could have been things the driver could have done but you just try to manage the situation using the sunvisor generally don't you?
Hugely unfortunate with terrible consequences but without being there it just sounds like a desperately unfortunate accident.
thinfourth2 said:
If he wasn't in the RAF this would be a very different thread
Maybe. Certainly proves that two wheels doesn't mean you're automatically what a lot of PH would probably term a yoghurt-weaving eco warrior.I can't say I'd be brave enough to cycle along a road like that either, but I think the fact it was a cyclist was almost irrelevant. You should basically be able to stop in the distance you can see, whether the object in your blind spot is a broken down car, a person or a shed load from a passing lorry.
Chris71 said:
Maybe. Certainly proves that two wheels doesn't mean you're automatically what a lot of PH would probably term a yoghurt-weaving eco warrior.
I can't say I'd be brave enough to cycle along a road like that either, but I think the fact it was a cyclist was almost irrelevant. You should basically be able to stop in the distance you can see, whether the object in your blind spot is a broken down car, a person or a shed load from a passing lorry.
Quite.I can't say I'd be brave enough to cycle along a road like that either, but I think the fact it was a cyclist was almost irrelevant. You should basically be able to stop in the distance you can see, whether the object in your blind spot is a broken down car, a person or a shed load from a passing lorry.
LeoSayer said:
This reminds me of the bonfire night crash on the M5, in that drivers were faced with sudden and unexpected loss of forward vision.
What should you do in such circumstances? Slam on the brakes?
Stop as quickly as you can safely do so. There are no easy fixes in such situations.What should you do in such circumstances? Slam on the brakes?
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