Crash barriers.

[Samray]

Heard an IM bod on the radio today talking much sense on the subject of bikers and injury/fatality stats amongst other things.
His attitude to lane separators was refreshing but this was the only link I could find. link
He also mentioned that they had already been adapted in France.

It does seem fairly high on their agenda atm. http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/speechessta ... eeches/iam

[Kwackerz]

They talk sense yet also talk bollocks at the same time. Seen this about moving over?

http://www.iam.org.uk/pressroom/driving ... bikers.htm

If stuck in dense traffic, keep checking mirrors for bikes. Bikers should also use their headlights to make them easier to be seen. If a biker is trying to ‘filter’ - make their way through the traffic by riding slowly between stationary vehicles, or riding on the white line in the middle of the road – car drivers should make a point of creating space for them if they can do so safely. By pulling over slightly, after checking in rear-view mirrors to make sure the path is clear, drivers can make the difference between letting a biker past or adding to the congestion.

Move over for Bikers? Do we really want that? All the above is open to poor interpretation.. dense traffic.. no mention of the speed.

Couple of examples:

1. Biker following, Car driver moves over too much (yet thought it was slightly) and kicks up gravel, shite, dust... which doesnt help anyone (had that a few times)
2. Biker following, Car driver moves over as he sees the biker. As he's sat behind a removal van, doesnt see the cyclist the truck is overtaking and slams into them but he checked his rear view mirror as he was asked....

I'd personally rather they acknowledge your presence but dont move over (apart from in traffic jams)

[paddyz1]

I say thanks when they move over, but in reality they dont need to because there is enough space anyway.

[Samray]

It's better than those that move the other way to block you.

[Gio]

Over the klast year I've noticed that drivers seem to be more clued up to motorcyclists and cyclists, I'd like them to just keep the way they're going and they'll wind up as polite as french drivers.

[Firestarter]

Couple of examples:

1. Biker following, Car driver moves over too much (yet thought it was slightly) and kicks up gravel, shite, dust... which doesnt help anyone (had that a few times)
2. Biker following, Car driver moves over as he sees the biker. As he's sat behind a removal van, doesnt see the cyclist the truck is overtaking and slams into them but he checked his rear view mirror as he was asked....

3. Biker following on motorway, car driver to right does as asked and moves over - straight into the path of the biker, as thought this was the safest way, with the bike "overtaking" on the right

[lazarus]

Whenever people write about crash barriers they almost always do so under the misapprehension that the barriers are there to save the vehicle that hits them. They arent. The median barriers were designed and tested to achieve two purposes - firstly to prevent a cross over accident, and secondly to deflect the vehicle hitting the barrier back into the road its come from preferably under control. They used to be tested on cars only (the SD1 Rover was the standard car) and were not checked for effectiveness against trucks let alone a small minority vehicle like a bike.

TCB (incorrectly called Armco) isnt truck proof and the z section uprights risk horrible injury to a biker that hits them. Wire rope barrier is effective against trucks and so saves lives compared with TCB. I've been out of the industry too long to know what accident result for bikes against wire rope have been but my guess is not much different - still fatal. A similar wire rope design (not the same one) was banned in a number of countries after cars went through them and decapitated the drivers, but as far as I know this hasnt happened with the UK design. When I retired there was no hard evidence that wire rope was any less safe for vehicles hitting it than TCB but the cheesecutter bit does trigger emotive reactions.

Best system by far is the US one of having very wide central margins. Impractical in the UK but the concrete system (http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I64_VA_HRBT_WB.jpg) would be second best and reasonably good for bikers. Would involve replacing barrier on all 2200 miles of motorway and lord knows how much dual carriageway. Cost has to be into billions though I cant any longer recall the cost per mile.

Wouldnt push too hard on the issue - it would be cheaper and more practical for the govt to ban bikes than to replace all barrier.

[Samray]

The gap under the bottom rail is the biggest danger to bikers.