Will these roundabouts catch on?

New roundabout intended to reduce cycling casualties.

 

I know it's a Daily Mail article, so will have been written by a child, but the principle is interesting and so are the comments too.

Not sure I'd have faith in pulling out in front of the traffic at the new junction points, looks like it'll make accidents even more likely, including cars running into ones giving way to cyclists. It would need a serious step change in driver attitude toward cyclists.

I'm of the same opinion, having seen it on TV together with a near collision of bike and car. It's confusing to car drivers who already have lots to concentrate on negotiating roundabouts anyway, especially if multi-lane ones, and I can see collisions due to misreading of circumstances. Longer vehicles when exiting the roundabout and stopping for cyclists will also block the roundabout flow, seizing up the system.

 

Well intentioned but far from wholly successful and potentially dangerous. It might only work if universally adopted across the country so well understood, but there are numerous roundabouts where there isn't the space to implement it so that's impossible.

 

Cyclist priority is best implemented at crossroads, not roundabouts.

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The problem is trying to fit them into an existing roundabout where space is already tight, they 'might' work if they were incorporated into a new road network where there was more room.

two artics on that roundabout and no one would see a cyclist or people crossing.

if that's a mini roundabout, what are then big ones like

These roundabouts have worked successfully for many years abroad. It's a shame people are so negative about attempts to make cycling safer. While not perfect, I'd rather use the new design than what we have at the moment.

These roundabouts have worked successfully for many years abroad. It's a shame people are so negative about attempts to make cycling safer. While not perfect, I'd rather use the new design than what we have at the moment.

 

It sort of makes me wonder whether all these drivers with full licences would suddenly become a death machine if they took their cars to Holland. Maybe they would.

 

I think a large part of it is about driver re education. If drivers were educated to be more aware of cyclists maybe there would not be such a need to design such schemes.

In Telford, they're making it safer by taking out the roundabouts and replacing them with those big city-style junctions with traffic lights. The safety comes from everybody being stopped most of the time. The cyclists have to take their chances with the pedestrians, zig-zagging a slalom course through the barriers that stop you from going straight across. You have to take your turn to wait for the green light that lets you across. If you want to go straight across the junction, you sometimes have to cross three out of the four roads because there's no pathway/cycle-path on one corner. I find it easier and safer to jump off the cycle-path and take my chances with the cars and trucks.

 

These new style junctions cause massive tailbacks, whereas before, the traffic always used to flow nicely round the roundabouts.

 

I can't understand the logic behind these junctions, but it must be similar to the logic that says that the DHSS will no longer give housing benefit direct to the landlords. Instead, they'll only give it to the tenants, who obviously don't work, and are often drug addicts. They say that they're doing it too teach the tenants to be more financially responsible.

It is obvious to me that it is in the governments interest to create more traffic chaos. This increases the fuel used and therefore more money for the exchequer and a better reason to introduce a congestion charge in other city's.

 

At one time, traffic accidents were quickly cleared to get traffic moving again. These days they will close the road for a day or more to cause congestion. Am I being paranoid or what?

New roundabout intended to reduce cycling casualties.

 

I know it's a Daily Mail article, so will have been written by a child, but the principle is interesting and so are the comments too.

 

This is the next Kudos bike fest.

Interestingly the Dutch admit that the design of those roundabouts are actually more dangerous for cyclists than normal roundabouts.

 

However, they are perservering with them as their aim is to create a targeted and cultural shift in the way drivers behave on the roads - which seems to be working for them.

 

It's not the design of the roundabout that makes it safer in Holland, rather the way drivers behave on them.

Wont be a problem in UK for much longer any way, as more and more roundabouts end up with traffic light all the way around due to fact the average driver does not seem to understand what one is

Wont be a problem in UK for much longer any way, as more and more roundabouts end up with traffic light all the way around due to fact the average driver does not seem to understand what one is

 

That's very true. It seems that any stretch of road or junction which requires the driver to apply common sense and to make a decision based on the prevailing traffic conditions is swamped with traffic lights, taking away any necessity to think or to make a judgement. Very often, these lights are phased such that they only allow the few cars, "trapped" between two sets of red lights to proceed. They are a pitiful monument to the standard of driving on the roads today.

"Of the 122 deaths last year, 106 took place due to a collision with a car.

 

In 61 of the fatal incidents a car was involved."

 

 

How did 45 cyclists die in a collision with a car when no car was involved:confused:

Notice the triangular white give way lines in the picture?

These are used in Holland and Belgium instead of the single large white triangle and dotted lines that we are used to.

I have used these type of roundabouts and they work well, although it is disconcerting when you have precedence over a huge lorry which is approaching the roundabout that you are on and you intend to cut across his path. Nevertheless, in Belgium, they do give way to you. Of course, out there, the likelihood is that they are cyclists themselves.

"Of the 122 deaths last year, 106 took place due to a collision with a car.

 

In 61 of the fatal incidents a car was involved."

 

 

How did 45 cyclists die in a collision with a car when no car was involved:confused:

 

I'm betting the mistake is in the first line, where "car" should have read "vehicle". We know that trucks are a major cause, so after deducting trucks, buses etc, the remainder would have been cars.

I think many cyclists would also play their part in making these roundabouts confusing and dangerous.

 

I was turning right on a roundabout last week that had a painted cycle lane around the gutter... I chose the safer option and used the roundabout normally.

I was turning right on a roundabout last week that had a painted cycle lane around the gutter... I chose the safer option and used the roundabout normally.

 

I agree - I get in the right hand lane and hug the roundabout if I'm turning right whatever the cycling arrangement is. Cars get very wary of cyclists on roundabouts themselves - unfortunately the same cannot be said for when you're approaching them and trying to cross the lanes of traffic.

 

I am constantly cut up with my right arm outstreched as car after car refuses to let me pull out and drivers actually speed up as they see me about to cross over, before coming to a standstill as I cycle past them to the front of the line. When they are doing 50-60mph approaching a 4-lane junction off an urban dual carriageway it can still be pretty terrifying, even though I've done it countless times now. The alternative is often to have to press buttons and cross 2 sets of pelican crossings - which for me often means dismounting a loaded bike, pressing it, wheeling bike back to reposition it, remounting and clipping back in. Twice on a right turn .. because I can't hit the pelican crossing buttons without getting off my bike. I'll take my chances on the road.

 

But I'm open-minded about new arrangements. Driver training seems to be the key - but that's not going to happen. Once people have their licences they click off till they have them taken away and have to sit a re-test (which is in a minority of cases).

 

 

How did 45 cyclists die in a collision with a car when no car was involved:confused:

 

Some of them may well have hit potholes and gone flying. Some are over a foot deep round my parts now, and in some spots there's about 15cm between clusters of them you can just about steer a bike wheel. Others may have flown off their skinny-tyred bikes skidding on wet leaves or black ice at speed.. couldn't believe how many road bikes I saw with slicks out in the freezing temperatures earlier this year.

Some of them may well have hit potholes and gone flying. Some are over a foot deep round my parts now, and in some spots there's about 15cm between clusters of them you can just about steer a bike wheel.

 

yep defiantely a problem

 

Anger after death crash cyclist was 'killed by pothole' | Mail Online

 

Cyclist died after crashing into pothole on Birmingham road, inquest told - Birmingham Mail

 

which considering this

 

Cyclist killed after hiting a pothole - Birmingham Cyclist

yep defiantely a problem

 

Anger after death crash cyclist was 'killed by pothole' | Mail Online

 

Cyclist died after crashing into pothole on Birmingham road, inquest told - Birmingham Mail

 

which considering this

 

Cyclist killed after hiting a pothole - Birmingham Cyclist

 

2 different ways of dealing with them

FixMyStreet

 

or make a feature of them

http://api.ning.com/files/Iht4Psekqy2rTkNQ0xTfjo9x28cnOMyfLwqM6eNQmIIbKM2k*nXP9v5LD3vepDfx-FlBtZ1b4sHmeteQ34h-XBnVk-kHEfdU/pothole.jpg