MP supports petition calling for time trialling to be banned on A50

Have to admit that in the A38 example I'd prefer one of the carriageways to be given over to motor vehicles, the other to bikes. As it is, I find it fairly safe but it's unlikely to convince anyone to take up cycling, which a bike-only carriageway might do.

A little request to road.cc - in these stories, could you cite the party the MP belongs to? Might help people when deciding who to vote for at the next election...

MPs also bring it on themselves.

What is "it" anyway?

The courts found the HGV driver guilty of driving below the required standard. That, in a nutshell, is the problem, not the presence of cyclists on NSL DC's but this woman, being so deeply conditioned by our motor-centric culture, can't see that. And neither can her Tory-boy MP.

Nobber drivers are the problem. And nobber MP's. And nobber petition starters.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/@51.958917,-2.156817,3a,75y,357.16h,72.85t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1smMtiCwnTzzCwTl8AbRrHGQ!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x48710315cc0d5163:0x45c5d14f33be793d

once upon a time this was a dual carriage way, now it is single and has a nice wide cycle path...

Maybe this is the way forward for all dual carriageways?

Bit of a pity it starts and stops in the middle of nowhere really! I guess you can't have everything!

Let's start a petition to ban Lorries from the A50, we could do it seriously say for weekends (like in France) or as a mickey take and go for completely.

It would be hilarious to get more signatures...

!“You can get onto the A50 and before you know it there is a cyclist right in front of you.”!

numpty basically admits to not being aware of their suroundings...

What a complete piece of garbage! She says the aim is to educate people, but I think she is in fact the one that needs to be educated.

Along this logic, cyclists shouldn't be allowed to cycle in London, as people have been hit by HGV's and killed there. Road races shouldn't happen. In fact cyclists shouldn't be allowed to ride on roads.

Cyclists don't swerve around in the lane when tired, cyclists swerve to avoid the pothole which could lead to a crash or other dangers, just as a car or lorry would to do avoid breaking the vehicle.

Finally, I much prefer dual carriageway time trials, as I actually find them safer. When you're travelling at 30mph on a single carriage road, car's struggle to overtake, get frustrated and carry out dangerous overtakes. With DC's there is always another lane, to which I find a lot safer.

If she want's to see dangerous cycling, watch a road race. As much I enjoy racing them, there is some genuinely terrifying riding from some riders.

This country is useless really. Just reactive and not forward thinking.

For example, on Sundays there is usually less traffic on many A roads. Why not restrict drivers to the right hand lane where it's possible on busy cycle routes to encourage cycling.

I like to leave as early as possible when I go out cycling to avoid traffic. Many a time you still have idiots sticking to the left lane, speeding in their cars coming unnecessarily close.

Cycling on A roads isn't any more dangerous than any other road, quite often the opposite.

Drivers have a responsibility not to drive over other road users, let's not side with people who are victim blaming, even if they are doing it unconsciously.

The best way to solve the problem is two fold.
1. ban HGV from the roads during daylight hours.
2. to stop Stupid comments from any MP, remove the need to be stupid, and speak before you think from the list of qualities needed to be an MP!

You can't say all A roads are bad, they usually have the advantage of being wide and with clear visibility for long distances.
There are faster A roads I prefer not to cycle on simply because of the speed difference, it only takes a moment of inattention from a driver and you've had it. This part of the A50 would be one of those I avoided.

TT on cycle paths.

I see one or two cyclists on the A1 in Newcastle every morning driving to work. They must have a death wish

TTing on a busy A road is asking to be removed from the gene pool unfortunately but then banning cyclists from A roads is a little to extreme. The roads are busy, heavy and are meant to be driven at speeds up to 70mph, specially the main 'arterial ones' that supplement the motorway to larger towns and cities.

Like Beaufort, I avoid them like the plague as I accidentally ended up on one once and it wasn't a pleasant 10 minute experience. Wind drag from on a normal bike from a passing truck would be enough to pull you into the middle of the road so heavens knows what it would be like on a TT bike.

It is a shame it has to come to this as we should be able to share the roads but common sense has to prevail. Is someone going to try a TT on the M4/M25 next?

Can we start a petition to turn the A50 into a cycle path?!

Personally I avoid A roads when riding. Just not worth the risk.

One cyclist on A50 struck from behind by texting truck driver

http://www.uttoxeter-news.co.uk/News/Dead-cyclists-father-in-bid-to-ban-...

Another truck driver received a suspended sentence for death by careless driving for mowing down and killing a cyclist from behind

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17695954

A quote from the (presumably) naive and completely misguided woman who has put the petition together

“Two years ago I witnessed a cyclist get struck by a HGV. As a witness, the police kept me informed and the cyclist died leaving behind his wife and children.
“The driver was given a driving ban losing his livelihood"

Seems much more concerned that the truck driver lost his job to me.