U turns Kills Bikers

By triumphdave at 13:20 on 26/05/10

Re-post

Having come across an accident this morning where on the road out of Portishead a motorist had done a U turn right into the path of a motorcycle who was performing a legal overtaking manoeuvre I would like to ask all car drivers to please remember to look over their right shoulder before turning right or moving out into another lane. Motorcyclists call this glance the LIfe Saver and we are taught to do it from the first time we sit astride a bike. Please please do not just depend upon your mirrors. In the High Way code it says:

•use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out.

I was talking to a traffic policeman at he scene and he said that there have been several accidents and one death last year, all down to cars doing U turns into the path of a an oncoming motorcycle.

You may will disagree with bikers going past you as you queue up in your car but do you really want to kill one?

By triumphdave at 13:20 on 26/05/10
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Its about time the width of the Portbury Hundreds was reduced, this would stop this type of manoeuvring by those too impatient to sit in the line of traffic, or too lazy to look over their shoulders to check for other vehicles travelling in the same direction before attempting to turn around to take a less congested route - and if you thinks its bad now, just wait until Naish hill is closed next month !
A dedicated raised area could then be built for pedestrians cyclists and horses, making it safer for them, safer for the motorcycles as this would cut down on these U-turns and also for the slower moving vehicles at the off peak times by reducing reckless overtaking, and no difference whatsoever to the other 99.99% of vehicles that use this stretch of road.

By numberVl at 15:49 on 26/05/10
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In my experience people do U turns no matter what the width of the road is!

You could argue that if the road was dual carrage way in and out then there would be less congestion?

By triumphdave at 16:42 on 26/05/10
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