oops (new Dutch style roundabout)

[asr...@yahoo.co.uk]

An attempt to replicate the Dutch style roundabouts that propritise cyclists has had an unfortunate start:

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/britains-first-dutch-style-roundabout-182625386.html

"Cambridgeshire county council said the old roundabout, near the city's Addenbrooke's Hospital, “was perceived by many people to be dangerous to cycle around”.

However, the new roundabout was forced to close on Monday evening after a driver crashed into a Belisha beacon and drove off."

This comment is ridiculous:

"There are fears around whether motorists will realise, in sufficient time, that cyclists have a right of way as it is so unique in Britain."

Going by the photo, there are clearly visible give way signs on the road where the cycle track crosses. If you are driving and see give way lines on the road, you stop and give way, don't you? It is irrelevant what you are giving way too, the road markings say give way, so you stop and look. It is looking for excuses for crapness - again.

[Nick Maclaren]

In article <fcf464f0-40c9-41ae...@googlegroups.com>,

I see ONE such sign, though possibly, they have painted more since.
It's a damn-fool way of giving directions, anyway, because it is
extremely hard to see such things in time in heavy traffic - as for
the Newmarket Road bus signs. In that picture, consider a driver
unfamiliar with the roundabout approaching from the top right.
Having looked, first, for pedestrians in both directions, he then
needs to look, second, for cyclists, and then, third, for cars from
two directions 120 degrees apart. So he pulls onto the roundabout,
intending to turn left, and has to drop his eyes IMMEDIATELY, or
he will miss the sign.

I don't believe that having to give way on a roundabout IS unique
in Britain, but (if my memory serves) the other examples I have come
across were equally deceptive and ignored by drivers.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

[Kim Wall]

On 11/08/2020 13:17, asr...@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> This comment is ridiculous:
>
> "There are fears around whether motorists will realise, in sufficient
> time, that cyclists have a right of way as it is so unique in
> Britain."
>
> Going by the photo, there are clearly visible give way signs on the
> road where the cycle track crosses. If you are driving and see give
> way lines on the road, you stop and give way, don't you? It is
> irrelevant what you are giving way too, the road markings say give
> way, so you stop and look. It is looking for excuses for crapness -
> again.

Birmingham's new segregated cycleways have priority at side-roads.
Drivers failing to give way to traffic on the cycleway is a problem.
One junction was upgraded from 'give way' to 'stop' in an attempt to
mitigate the problem (it's a left turn only for traffic exiting the side
road, so drivers were failing to check for cycle traffic approaching
from their left).

When I cycle on them (which I do, because the cycleways are of
sufficient quality that a even a confident vehicular cyclist will use
them - it's a high-quality surface with fewer potholes than the main
carriageway and travel times are more consistent than mixing with
traffic) I treat the junctions where I have priority with "Brit who's
just got off the ferry" scepticism - I've become quite practised at
preparing to stop while looking like I'm not going to.

In my experience, incidents have greatly reduced over the months since
the new cycleways opened. Most drivers have got the hang of it, and you
hardly ever see them making illegal left turns at the junction where
that movement was blocked off as part of the works any more.

But there are a core few who think that the priority rules don't apply
to them, just like you get at any other road junction.


Kim.
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