Cycling UK Forum

Would like to register the recent two deaths of cyclists in Newmarket. We need to be just as concerned with these as with the deaths of cyclists in London.

Resources must be spent in reducing these events in the provinces just as much as they would be in London.

Cyclists need a 'passing LAW' to help improve safety

atlas_shrugged wrote:Resources must be spent in reducing these events in the provinces just as much as they would be in London.

Two cycling deaths in an area with a population of only 20,000 seems rather worse than London. Hopefully both London and Newmarket's figures are statistical blips.

Although some of the money comes from central government, much of the money and the decision making is under the control of the local authority. Here in London, all of our mayors have spent on cycling infrastructure - though not always wisely. What happens in Newmarket?

I'd be wary of drawing too many conclusions from a low number of incidents however ......

There were two cyclists killed within a few hundred yards on the same stretch of road last year in Sept and December.

A statistical anomaly? On the other hand it was a stretch I went to some lengths to avoid when my commute was out that way. A fast 4 lane dual carriageway with high traffic flows, sweeping bends which restrict distant views ahead but not speed. One was hit by an HGV. The other by a car entering a slip road.

http://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasg ... d-11844931

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/3 ... ror-crash/

Roughly the risk level can be calculated and cyclists can sense the risk level for most road types. CROW have standards where they advise when to provide separate paths. It is possible to make improvements, however there are significant problems in doing so.

Given the substantially-higher-than-elsewhere chance of meeting a loose horse charging through Newmarket, you'd have thought the traffic there would be more circumspect than elsewhere if anything. But my observations don't suggest they are.