Graham, Tom and Ian

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Trixi mirrors for Kingsway lights

by Lib Dem team on 21 December, 2013

Trixi mirrorCycle Safety Mirrors (also called Trixi mirrors) have been installed at the Kingsway/Gatley Road junction, and are being put in at 50 junctions across Greater Manchester – funding by the Department for Transport.

The mirrors help drivers of large vehicles like lorries or buses see cycles alongside them.  Those sorts of vehicles have a very large blind spot and one of the most common  ways for cyclists to be killed or seriously injured is being trapped to the left of a large vehicle turning left at a junction.

   10 Comments

10 Responses

  1. Roy says:

    I hold a hgv licence and can confirm that these mirrors will help hgv and other large vehicle drivers but cyclists also need to take responsibility for their own safety. Cyclists should hold back and not cycle up the inside of a stationary or slow moving vehicle, if they show restraint and common sense when cycling alot of accidents will be avoided. Cyclists its not always the drivers fault you to have responsibility.

  2. Bruce says:

    Roy

    As a cyclist I agree with you wholeheartedly. At junctions, I always ensure that the car adjacent to me can see me before he sets off so I always position myself behind one car/van and slightly in front of the one behind.

  3. Alex Masidlover says:

    As a motorist and cyclist I agree with Roy that cyclists need to be aware of the dangers and avoid putting themselves in risky positions – particularly on the left of motor vehicles or in front of HGVs at junctions.

    I only found out recently that many HGVs can’t even see what is directly in the 1-2 metres in front of them due to the height of the cab – as a number of cyclists and pedestrians have discovered to their families costs.

    It is unfortunate that the council paint cycle lanes in a way as to encourage cyclists to behave in very risky ways (down the left leading up to junctions).

    Unfortunately the courts in the UK tend to back Roy’s position that it is the vulnerable road user’s fault for getting in the way of the motorist. Personally, I disagree and think that anyone taking a tonne or more of metal and driving it around where vulnerable road users might be should be held to a very high standard of culpability.

  4. Hasan Matin says:

    1. Good idea, but would work better if cyclist [a small minority] stop undertaking on the left side.

    2. Can we have some mirrors on the blind-spot at the Daylesford Rd / School Hill junction – although the safer solution of replacing the hedging with a fence needs to be considered.

    3. What the update on the Kingsway right turn issue.

    4. I notice that they have removed the “dogs leg” lane setup on the Kingsway southbound / M60 slip-road junction – [no warning sign informing change ].
    You may recall I warned at time of construction of the junction that this was a bad design – you informed that the Highways Dept. advised that the design has considered all safety issues, but going back to the old layout now means the old problem has returned !! – long queues on the inside lane / cars cutting from the outside lane just before the Gatley lights – does anyone in the Highways Dept. actually live in this area or even drive a car ? – They have left the cat’s-eye’s of the of the “dog’s leg” set-up, dangerous at night, I think the need to be removed ASAP.

  5. Iain Roberts says:

    Agree with comments on cycling on the left side of a large vehicle – Trixi mirrors are there to avoid cyclists dying, not as an alternative to good cycling. Most lorries and buses now have a sticker warning cyclists not to go down the left hand side.

    Hasan:
    – DfT rules on the use of blind spot mirrors are very strict and we certainly wouldn’t get one on Daylesford, I’m afraid.
    – Update on the Kingsway right turn issue in the New Year
    – I’m not aware of the change you mention re: southbound traffic so I’ll take a look.

  6. Trevor McLean says:

    It would also help if all cyclists wore high visibality jackets.

  7. jfgb says:

    It would also help if cyclists responsibly! By far the majority of cyclists do not display front or rear lights at night rendering them almost invisible – particularly in the face of oncoming vehicle headlights.

    Also an increasing number of cyclists are riding straight through red lights at road junctions and pedestrian crossings. I think they should be apprehended and put through a compulsory cycle training course.

  8. Jennifer says:

    Re jfgb’s comments. Hear hear! The number of cyclists who are invisible in the dark and rain is enormous. Why is NOT an offence to ride without lights at night? Why do cyclists think it is acceptable to ride through red lights?

  9. Chris Leuty says:

    It’s an encouraging initiative and many commenters raise valid points about cyclists taking responsibility for their own safety. However, it cannot be denied that the vast majority of the the thousands of deaths and injuries on Britain’s roads are caused by drivers. And worst of all, it’s accepted as routine: a natural part of the life on our roads.

    As both a driver and a cyclist I frequently see motorists break the law. On the A34 on a typical day, you will, for example, see drivers (1) exceed the 40mph speed limit – often by quite some margin – heading towards Parrs Wood; (2) speed up to go through amber or red lights, e.g. coming off the M60 slip road; or (3) perform illegal U turns, either at the lights to turn back towards Manchester or on Gatley road; indeed, just last week whilst moving off in my car to turn left out of Gatley, not one but two cars illegally U turned in front of me

    Any cyclist who deliberately flouts the law and puts themselves into a dangerous situation is asking for trouble. But what we all have to acknowledge is that the most damage, injury and death will be caused by bad driving habits that are, unfortunately, accepted as the norm. They affect all road users: pedestrians, cyclists and, yes, drivers too.

    On the related subject of the lane realignment on the A34, I have previously suggested to Iain Roberts that as a cyclist I didn’t like the idea of being forced off roads that I am legally allowed to use. Well, that’s pretty much what the revised line markings have done as I no longer feel safe cycling between Gatley and Parrs Wood. It’s a road where last-second lane changes are commonplace at speeds in excess of 40mph and to make matters worse, the alternative safe cycling route hasn’t yet been implemented. Any news on this?

  10. Iain Roberts says:

    Hi Chris,

    On the route cycling to Parrs Wood:
    – there’s no change for cyclists who follow the advice in Cyclecraft of cycling along the left and stopping to cross slip-roads at 90 degrees. Cycling down the middle of busy lanes will always be more dangerous.

    – for cyclists who prefer a safer route, the alternative route to Parrs Wood via Manchester Road is in place and has been since the summer, when the path from Brook Road to Mill Lane was upgraded for cyclists, allowing a safe cycling route from Gatley Road along The Crescent, Hall Street, Brook Road, Mill Lane and onto Manchester Road.

    – for cyclists who want to travel along the line of Kingsway more safely, the dual use pavement/cycle path from South Path Road up onto Kingsway is now completed, with work to upgrade the pavement north of the M60 scheduled for January 2014.

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