Safe Speed Forums

Positioning

The real cause of many accidents…

Road positioning for all is about increasing your margin of safety top actual and potential danger. As discussed in other threads here – we should position for the best overall view of the road ahead and for a cyclist this can also mean moving to a more central position at a pinch point to prevent a dangerous overtake or a squeeze off the road. However, this does not mean swerving into traffic. I would say about 20% of incidents involving cyclists in this patch are caused by this action – why I am raising it for discussion.


However – sharing the roads is not about impeding other traffic – but I would like drivers to be aware that if the cyclist appears to be more central – then this is a signal for them to look ahead to note the approaching chicane or the line of parked cars. Similarly, I would like cyclists to be aware that the long vehicle in the right hand lane turning left is there for a reason. We had one cyclist last year who did not seem to be aware of this and will never recover from his injuries since he lost a leg in the incident.

More accidents involving cyclists occur because the driver cannot see or cannot anticipate the cyclists’ actions than occur because the driver failed to see them.

Now I know our cycling pals will not be overly amused over this and over the road … “oooh – they’re off on one again!”

But sadly – a statement of fact and based on a long career of clearing remains, investigating causes and please be aware that contrary to current recruitment tests as published in the press – some of us have degrees in Maths and Physics and we usually end up in Traffic investigating accident causation!

_________________
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.

So having looked at the topic initially - let's hear from the "board"



For our average drivers – maximum surveillance covers the immediate lane and traffic conditions and the cyclist has to be aware of this zone. And most of us position our cars centrally in the marked lanes.

But let's see how much folks know and discuss how all this affects road safety for all. All of this relates to road positioning and a cyclists's road position impacts on another road user just as that adopted by a driver.

[list]


1. What do you understand by standard riding positions? Primary Riding Positions and Secondary riding positions?

2. Why would I suggest that some busy roads might require the secondary position to be maintained for longer periods?

3. Why would I suggest the primary position on narrow and windy roads? Especially tight left hand bends?

4. Why would I suggest the secondary position for a right hand curve?

However, I would remind cyclists that consideration means assisting an overtake and perhaps a move to single file or slight adjust to road positioning can help prevent a dangerous overtake which places all in danger.

5. What do I mean by Forward Clearance? And how does these affect blind spots for you as cyclist and a lorry driver or car driver? Which would be the best riding position to adopt if you find yourself behind a large lorry?


Please try and think COAST in your answrs!

_________________
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 are a series of special issues here - well worthy of discussion.

Let's consider the case where there's a cyclist on a fairly blind bend. (It's a left hand bend for the cyclist.) We're oncoming and it's a right hand bend for us. The road is single carriageway and is wide enough for oncoming vehicles to pass safely. (i.e. it is single carriageway not single track. But it ISN'T wide enough to allow two motor vehicles and a cyclist three abreast.

As we approach our right hand bend we see the cyclist on the bend. It may not be obvious, but this is an extreme danger signal and usually calls for a very substantial reduction in speed. The reason is that the cyclist has effectively changed the road from single carriageway to single track. It's no longer wide enough to deal with an oncoming vehicle.

Far too many drivers see the cyclist as 'something to pass' and will do so even on a bend. There's a very real risk that we'll encounter an oncoming vehicle on our side of the road. The usual safe speed rule is insufficient protection in such cases. We need to quickly adapt to conservative 'single track' speed setting.

The single track speed setting rule requires that we can stop comfortably in HALF the distance we can see to be clear. This is required to allow for the matching braking distance of oncoming vehicles.

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

In consideration of IG's first question.

I would think that a Primary Riding Position is toward the centre of the lane, taking up a position that one might when driving a vehicle and is appropriate;

When there is no other traffic moving in the same direction at the time, to increase visibility to any potential oncoming turning traffic and cross-traffic to prevent unsafe turns across the cyclist's path, and also to increase conspicuity for traffic approaching from the rear,

When travelling at the same speed of traffic moving in the same direction,

When the lane is too narrow for a bicycle and for a vehicle to pass safely side by side within the lane,

When overtaking or passing a stationary vehicle or cyclist,

When approaching a junction on the left in order to increase visibility and predictability and prevent motorists intending to emerge from the left making unsafe turns across the cyclist's path,

or whenever the cyclist feels it increases his safety.

A Secondary Riding Position being toward the left of the lane, allowing faster traffic to pass safely on the cyclist's offside.

Correct. I gave some time for replies.




The primary position is about ensuring visbility. If turning - you have to ensure the other road user knows your intention and the reason why we advocated a cental position at a road junction iso to roevent a collision of conflict. No way is it about compromising traffic flow. A cyclsit has to "widen or extend" his/her presence and changint to a more cnetral road position at a pinch pooint or junction is perfect sense. Moreover - they are to the right of pothole/grid in secondary position for a reason - and most of us can overtake with ful COAST safety if we are aware of their needs.

A Paul rightly says - there are a lot of safety issues for all to be aware of - but lie the HGV signalling left whilst in a RH lane - thjere is a real logic behind the bheaviour and I would stress we must all be aware and recognise that soem road users have a very cvalid and logical reason for their PLANNING and as road users we should also PLAN and address our SPACE and TIME to assist their right to use our roads/.

_________________
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.