Safe Speed Forums

CW reports on a tragedy which occurred on a club outing by Birkenhead Northend Club One rider was killed and two others received non-lifer threatening injuries when a Clio - driven by a 25 year old collided with them. It is believed that a low winter sun caused the incident.

If you cannot see ahead.. STOP and that goes for cyclists as well. Pull in.. give eyes chance to recover.. find sun-glasses - preferaby "reactolight" type .. pull over and and just rest the eyes and let them acclimatise to survival situation. Avoid looking into this low sun as it wil damage your eyesight ... and cyclists should listen and look for traffic , whilst the driver should treat this kind of visibiilty as he would a pea-soup of a fog .. and drive at a speed dictated by the weather condition

The deceased (a typical Scouser and part owner of a bike shop hit the windscreen and shattered it before hitting the tarmac. The young driver was arersted on suspicion of dangerous driving but released on bail.

Other motorists stopped and desperately tried to save the cyclist before the ambulance arrived. The cyclist died the next day despite their endeavoours

Birkenhead North End CC are petioning for a cycling lane



Yet another cyclist claims the sun was not that low.. the road was dry.. little traffic.. and that the road is well used by cyclists as the main route from the Wirral into North Wales.

CW reminds us that Birkenhead NorthEnd CC is one of our finest. Founded in 1901.. and has 2004 Olympic SIlvr medallist Steve Cummings as a famous "son" and Commonwealth Bronze medallist Rachel Heal as a "daughter"

This accident occurred last Sunday morning at 9.10 am. Cheshire police would appreciate any witness out there to contact them on 01244 613 168.

To our lurks who get very upset about these stories .. I remind that the Magan Carta does say



which means that we have to allow a fair trial in order for justice to take its true course.

It may be that this sun was lethally blinding to this driver. A cyclist may have had a different filed of vision as we do tend to be a "bit head down" in these outings. Why the police will want a number of drivers to tell them how they found that sun and how far a problem or not it was to them

It will certainly help Mel Vasey's family, friends and riding companions to come to terms with his very tragic death to know that true justice is served and if a decent cyling path in his memory is built .. then a lasting tribute to a man eqauted with the best of Liverpool Scouse wit.

My deepest condolences to the bereaved and a kind thought to the driver who is most probably going through his own hell.

I base this on what I have seen .. the sheer horror.. the trauma.. the denial.. the disbelief that they caused or catalysed such a horrific incident.

Justice should seek its cause.. but it should not dehumanise the convicted person. Society can revile the the truly horrific .. but not at the expense of justice.

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

My obvious concern with stopping in such a circumstance is that someone who doesn’t will shunt you (of course it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t slow up a little – watch the rear mirror if you do in case the following vehicle doesn’t).

I’ve often wondered what is the best action to take with blinding low sun. I’m open to advice here.
Is it good advice to turn on the rear fog lamp to aid others to know of your presence?


A cyclist may not feel the need to pull in as hazards will ‘come out of nowhere’ a lot slower for them, hence giving them much more time to react.

Apart from black ice.. I do think the most horendous weather condition to deal with is "low sun"

Sun glasses do not help.. and the only thing you can do - realistically - is slow to a crawl and focus as best you can. Guy behind you should be facing the same blindness here .. and should also be slowing to crawl accordingly.

Mel Vasey was not the first to die as a result of low sun. I truly fear he will not be the last ...and my sincerest condolences go to his family and friends. However, I do know the turmoil which will be going through that driver based on experience.. and we should not therefore be condemning his character either.

As a fellow cyclist ... I feel a real pain for his loss. As driver .. and someone whose career has investigated incidents and referred the cases to the CPS .. I do also know that the normal person who causes or catalyses an incident really suffers and his or her own self punishment can be more severe than that any court imposes.

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Baseball cap. I always keep one handy near the driving position. You need one with a flat peak rather than the curved peaks that seem common these days.

By adjusting the angle of your head in pitch and roll you can hide the sun behind the peak.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Bravo!

The caps really can be a godsend on occasion. Low sun - I'd say by far the most uncomfortable and lethal situation in winter. - balck ice apart..

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

There's an article relating to this in today's Independent:

Death of experienced cyclist in crash leads to call for safer roads

Sorry to appear cynical, but it sounds like an appeal for more of the same old failed policies.

"Enforce speed limits more strictly" - is that possible without resort to torture?

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

This was indeed a terrible accident, particularly as the road is stated as a dual carriageway, so plenty of room for any motorist to overtake in all normal circumstances.

I believe the road is the A540, which going south-east is dual from Windle Hill to Capenhurst when the traffic-light controlled junction with the A550 returns the road to single carriageway to Chester, and I have driven along it plenty of times. There is no denying the fact that traffic speeds are fairly high at all times, but I believe there is a limit of less than the 70 mph norm over some of it. As far as my memory takes me, there is a pedestrian path on one or both sides for some way, and I think there is room for a cycletrack. Trouble is the cyclists won't use them if my experience is anything to go by.

Again, I must say that this is a real tragedy. Low sun has also caused accidents on the railway as well, causing drivers to miss signals, particularly around the Paddington area on the GW main line.

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Good manners maketh a good motorist

Trouble is on most roads there is nowhere you can just stop. The ones with anything like a decent verge are all clearways so you can't legally stop on the verge. In residential areas there may be places, but with DPE they are getting fewer and fewer.

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Andrew.

Perhaps. But I think we can still pull over or drive extremely slowly under this circumstance.

However, for anyone in the Liverpool/Wirral area.. I gather Mel Vasey's club is planning a ride in Mel's memory and to raise funds for his widow, 21 year old son and teenage daughter.

A date is yet to be arranged and I guess the Birkenhead North End CC will supply details as and when.


A shocking business,. As a cyclist and driver.. I do know how painful and blinding this low winter sun can be. I can only re-iterate - if you cannot see or cannot even gauge the distance ahead in which you can see to be clear .. either pull in to re-focus eyes or proceed very, very slowly. This kind of sun is worse than fog or a blizzard as it really hurts the eyes

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

What happened to cars with a blue tint on the top of the windscreen?




Clearly not written by a cyclist.


Sounds costly



An extra danger.


Same here for most drivers.

Mad Doc's sisters asked the same thing ojn the basis that one just replaced a 10 year old car with its successor/

(A 10 year old vehicle in that family is not a "tired" car by the way. I am amazed at that family's overall repair bills. They never ever have hefty repair bills (apart from Wildy 's non fault incident in the car park)


But Mad Doc and his own siblings - like the Swiss "riff raff" generally have even wear on all tyres with the fronts wearing and being replaced with the old rears and the new tyres replacing these rears.

I have to say that the low repair bills indicate skilled and careful motorists. I will admit that despite Mad Doc posting he feels he's on a "test" as I do tend to lazily remark as if "unable to switch off from my job" about the odd thing which we would not allow our "cream of the crop on on police test" - but does not detract from inherent expertise in the case of the driver not expected to respond to whatever situation

But back to your point.. I gather Mad Doc's sister based in Bolton wondered about this .. as she kept her old car as a "runabout" for her 18 year old son and tells us she "rather misses the blue tint on the new version of her car.




Journalists are not the best drivers or cyclists .. especillay Grauniad ones :wonk:




Darlington was given a grant to be a "beacon town promoting cycling."

I think they have invested wisely. You would be relieved and amazed at what they are doing and still planning. .. and non of it compromises or undermines other road users either



Not for the Dutch .. but I grant we have a different standard and experience in our lifestyles



If something is on the roundabout .. and from your right .. you stop

If something to your right looks like it will be compromising your right ot proceed before you can engage gear and set off .. etc.. then you give way. It does not matter whether this traffic has feet, hooves, tw wheels (howverer powered) or what... you really should

It's all about C O A S T

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

250 cyclists crowded into the chapel to pay their respects to Mel Vasey

Contrary to all earlier press reports .. the cycling group did not number 24 persons. The Birkenhead club splits its riders into gruops of just 10 riders. 24 had decided to meet up in the cafe that cold and sunny January day.

The road has a 60- mph limit. The club is petitioning for a cycle lane on the A540 to prevent a re-occurrence of any such tragedy

Birkenhead NECC affiliated itself to Roadpeace some time ago. Perhaps more attention to specific needs and COAST for all instead of wallowing in "perceived wrongs" may prove more specific in terms of actual achievement

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Thanks to 'In Gear' for an update on this tragedy.

The problem with the proposed cycle lane is if it is just a painted line on the inside lane, then the same accident could happen again, (driver blinded by very low sun), and if it is to be a separate cycle track, then nobody will use it. I have never seen any cyclist using the cycle tracks on the few pre-war dual carriageways that exist in the UK as they were built, and virtually nobody using the cycle path around our new signalled (Death By Traffic Lights), roundabout at Crewe Green.

Just think about it. Before the War, and with road traffic less than 1/10th of today's, the Highways authorities of the day were laying in separate cycling facilities on the new trunk roads designed for high speed motor traffic.

So what happened after the War? Well, my father, who was a VERY VERY keen cyclist, (as I was too), told me that the Ministry of Transport, when preparing construction standards for new roads asked the Cyclist Touring Association if they wanted cycle lanes on the proposed new trunk roads of the 50s, just like the previously built ones, and they said NO, because they thought they would then be barred from the road if it had a a cycle lane, so the new standard for dual carriageways dropped the compulsory installation of the cycle lane.

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Good manners maketh a good motorist