howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#2
If one takes the possible difference in the volume of traffic on the various roads I would guess that the Alkham Valley is the most dangerous of the lot maybe followed by Folkestone Road, both surely carry less traffic than the A roads.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
#3
probably shepherdswell being one of the most dangerous
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#4
Is it the roads that are dangerous or the people who drive on them ?
Roger
Guest 744- Registered: 20 Mar 2012
- Posts: 412
#5
I was about to post the same comments Roger. When I lived in Shepherdswell and used the A2 daily I lost count of the number of cars and lorries which drove through red lights.
Guest 1109- Registered: 10 Nov 2013
- Posts: 7
#6
I use the Shepherdswell traffic lights nearly every day and they are 'jumped' routinely. There was a serious accident there a year or so ago when a lorry jumped the lights and I only missed having one myself because, being acutely aware of the problem, I always look before crossing or entering the main carriageways, even when the lights are green.
The impatient drivers behind me always get exasperated by this but it has probably saved my life.
In fact impatience and a lack of consideration for other road users is at the root of many accidents or near misses.
I know that my preferred form of transport is generally held to be the devil's own (ie a motorbike), but I was knocked off twice last year whilst stationary at a road junction. On both occasions the drivers were males in their early twenties.
There is simply no resource for law enforcement and in the absence of consequences to their actions, bad drivers can only get worse. Tailgating, mobile phone use, etc are rife. Another modern trend is poor vehicle maintenance. I have lost count of the number of cars with one head, tail or brake light extinguished. What must the rest of these vehicles be like if the drivers don't care that they can't see properly at night?
End of rant!
ZZR1100
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#7
Fair rant though Jeremy.
There was a bit on the TV this morning about 5 cyclists who have been killed on London's roads. This is quite shocking, but if they ride their bikes anything like many do in Dover, it's not that surprising.
Roger
Guest 1109- Registered: 10 Nov 2013
- Posts: 7
#8
I used to cycle to work from Shepherdswell every day, doing thousands of miles every year for many years and long before it was fashionable so to do. To those who believe that the A2 is dangerous I would say that this is not necessarily the case. I used this road for 5 years as part of the journey. Motorists tend to give cyclists plenty of room if there is sufficient space and if they can see them.
This is not the case on roads in the town or on country roads where space is restricted and most drivers will do everything they can to get past even if that means forcing a cyclist off the road. Cyclists are not blameless. They do not help themselves or their position by riding selfishly side by side. What's wrong with a good old fashioned chain gang where the cyclist's enemy, wind resistance, is shared between several riders.
I hasten to add that I always ride on my own. Light jumping and cycling through pedestrian precincts are additional problems that I see frequently.
Rats when thrown together in a confined space will attack each other, and so it is with road users. Traffic islands and useless cycle paths do not help, they merely reduce the space available. We have to admit that this is a small overpopulated country and there simply is not enough space for dedicated sensible cycle paths. Remove the carriageway clutter to free up more space, get everyone wearing high visibility clothing and use flashing LED lights front and rear. These attract the attention of even the most dozy driver. People become less aggressive when their progress is unimpeded and they have the space to get around obstacles/slow traffic. On Folkestone road in Dover where a number of central refuges were installed I suddenly found myself being forced into the kerb on a regular basis. I even saw people overtaking on the wrong side of the island in their desperation to race to the next traffic jam.
We tend to overlook the even greater hazard presented to and by pedestrians. If I leave work and use the useless cycle path (which I don't) I have a pavement right next to me. Pedestrians routinely use the cycle path as a pavement or step off the pavement into the path of the cyclist who has no time to brake and no space to swerve out of the way. Cycle paths should never be located next to pavements and certainly not without some sort of barrier between the two.
A criticism often thrown at the hapless cyclist is that he or she pays no road tax. Well as a keen cyclist I can say that I have more than one vehicle and for which I pay a very great deal of road tax and this is probably the case for many other cyclists so beware of generalisations.
ZZR1100
Guest 717- Registered: 16 Jun 2011
- Posts: 468
#9
I love when drivers tell me to pay road tax and move over. I soon reduce them to the small minded people they are by informing them what road tax is actually paid for (most ppl don't know) and I ask them to check their Highway Code as to how much distance cyclists are allowed to be from the pavement. I have a car but also like to bike. For some of the people who think they own the road...it would not hurt if they did a bit of exercise as well. As for the A2 I'm afraid I disagree. I ended up on there when I got lost once and was horrified at how close the lorries got.
Keeps politics to myself
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#10
Years ago I run along that rd backwards from Canterbury to Dover to rise money for the boxing club,so I know what you mean.