Safe Speed Forums

I believe that even the Gatsos allow some margin, 10% + 2mph is what I've been told. So if the limit is 40 and you hit 45, then you're still legal.
Maintaining a speed within this margin (and remember you're allowed to go below 40 as well) is really quite easy, with practice.

Since we're discussing life and death, I don't think it's even remotely fair to call it a 'pissing contest'.

I'm sorry, but how can you possibly know you're riding safely for the conditions if you don't know precisely how fast you're going?

It might be 'quite easy', but in saying that you are agreeing that it takes 'some driver resource'. Since we know for sure that crashes happen when drivers 'run out of resources', even something 'quite easy' will sometimes be the last straw which causes a crash. You can't get 'something for nothing'.

But unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether I'm going at 12 or 20 the chances of me causing serious damage to someone are negligable.

Between Barnet and the M25 there's a NSL road with a narrow footpath alongside, leading to a pub and a few houses. Walking to the pub is extremely unpleasant, not because people drive along it at 70 but because they drive at 90, and they'll still be doing about 70 as they come into Barnet itself. I've never seen any cyclists on the road at all and I'd not ride there myself. There have been fatalities on the road so it actually qualifies for a camera but Barnet Council seem to be opposed to cameras even more than you are. IMO it needs two; one in the 70 section and one in the 30 section.

rubbish. absolute complete and utter rubbish. Get someone to ride into you at 20mph and see how you and the rider come off. If one of you hits or lands the wrong way you could very easily end up dead.
it also sidesteps the question of how you know that you're riding safely.

A cyclist going flat out does not have the same capacity to injure or kill that a car does, and so cyclists are much less regulated than motorists.
Whether I'm going at 12 or 20 the chances of me causing serious damage to someone are negligable. That's also why motorists have to be insured but cyclists don't.

Some years there are no bike/bike or bike/ped fatalities. Some years there are 2 or 3. It's not enough to make it worth introducing new legislation, or mandatory insurance.

I don't know the road, so can't really comment specifically, however:

- we need to know what's really causing the crashes before we can decide how to address them.

- Have you really found a dual carriageway with the footpath directly at the edge of the road without some sort of separation?

It's not a dual carriageway.

One of the main arguments here is that motorists who speed have better powers of observation and judgement than those who don't. If I don't accept this argument then I'm not going to accept any conclusions that follow from it. I do drive, and I know that I can watch my speed and the road, and even check my rear view mirror from time to time.

A cyclist going flat out does not have the same capacity to injure or kill that a car does, and so cyclists are much less regulated than motorists.
Whether I'm going at 12 or 20 the chances of me causing serious damage to someone are negligable. That's also why motorists have to be insured but cyclists don't.

you're still ignoring the question - HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE RIDING SAFELY IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE TRAVELLING?

then the limit is 60 not 70...

oooh, dare I bring up the sore subject of risk posed from WVM vs Cyclist?

Because any speed that I can achieve on a bike is safe in comparison with most other traffic.

rubbish. absolute complete and utter rubbish. Get someone to ride into you at 20mph and see how you and the rider come off. If one of you hits or lands the wrong way you could very easily end up dead.
it also sidesteps the question of how you know that you're riding safely.

Because any speed that I can achieve on a bike is safe in comparison with most other traffic.

I might just as well suggest that you walk out in front of a van doing 45 instead of 30 to test whether he's safe at this speed.
But I won't. Look after yourself.