NelAndre Posted February 8, 2016 Posted February 8, 2016 In the UK, it's illegal to cycle on M class roads. There are no N roads, M in the UK is equlivalent of M/N of SA in my opinion. But from my own personal sensibilities of seeing drivers in SA, I would never ride on a road where the official speed limit is 100 or higher as it is a recipe for disaster as those poor chaps endured yesterday In this, case I would not recommend anyone, regardless of experience, to ever ride on an M road even if it were legal.In this country I will not ride on any tar if I can help it.
BikeLuddite Posted February 8, 2016 Posted February 8, 2016 In this country I will not ride on any tar if I can help it. It's the one reason that ever since I heard I was going to become a father, that when my alarm goes for my supposed 5am bike ride - I turn the alarm off and go back to bed as my fear of something happening on my 25-30km morning ride along the Woodmead - midrand corridor is so overpowering :(
eccc whippet Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 something to think about... if this incident had happened because the driver of the vehicle was driving within the speed limit and it was an accident were he had somehow lost control of the vehicle be it a blow out etc etc and we happened to be on the road...then we would have to deal with it as an accident...**** happens. the fact that the person was 4 times over the legal limit...drinking and driving...way over the speed limit...racing with another vehicle...in the emergency lane...killing 2 cyclists..just changes everything...it makes it a serious crime. i think people have lost sight of what is actually the problem here...not the fact that a couple cyclist were on the road...but the fact that they were hit at such a speed by a drunken driver racing with another car...and that these people are driving like this everyday day without any law enforcement to prevent it...preventing a cyclist from riding on the M4 is also not gona solve what i believe is a huge problem...google accident on the M4. in fact it is so bad that there were 3 incident reported within a short space of time...the fact that a drunken driver drove into a police car on scene and another almost took out the medics on scene should surely make you think...maybe the cyclist are not really the problem... after the incident...i spent a couple of hours aimlessly riding up and down the promenade on my own trying to understand what had just happened...reliving the the experience over and over...the sound of the impact...the person shouting go go go dont stop...trying to keep my line and pedalling as fast i could in fear that i might bump somebody and cause a pile up which could result in more people being taken out...not know how many of us had already been taken out..or if we were also gona be hit... just seeing the pieces flying past us from the impact...once the noise had settled...i turned and looked back and realised what had just happened...it was an horrific an experience...sitting with Jared telling him it was gona be ok...the medic was shaking his head telling otherwise...something i will have to live with for the rest of my life and everytime i get on the bike...no matter what road i ride on...reckless drunken drivers are on all our roads. at 7 am that morning they were getting into vehicles and leaving the beachfront still with drink in hand... i see them leaving pubs in our area with drinks in hand staggering to get into vehicles as i leave home with my family in the car...to go enjoy an early morning activity.
Friedpiggy Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 avoid Fairway drive by going up Mackeurtan avenue, and then you can head up to M12[NMR Ave] and all the way down to Suncoast. this also then helps you avoid the hypermarket route and the blue lagoon bridge which is not safe at all especially if you are alone.Route I have been using recently is to go from La Lucia Mall, up Davalen road into Newport, then into Ashley drive up to the M112 then along that to just over the river then down to the beachfront and the glassy areas.
dirtypot Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 Isetech, I really to recommend that you get some counseling to help you through what you're going through. I am obviously in no way condoning the actions of the driver as being acceptable, however at the same time, if the bikes weren't on the freeway there would not have been this accident.Such a variance of speed between cars and bicycles is always going to be a problem. The fact that "everybody cycles along that stretch" is not an acceptable excuse. No roads are safe to cycle on, but some can be seen as being worse than others. Anywhere with a 100km/h speed zone is going to be worse. How do you cross slip roads and feeder lanes? It's just asking for trouble. Irrespective of how wide the yellow line is. I feel saddened by pointless loss of life, especially on freeways. I've lost a friend on a freeway due to people running across it, so I have a very firm viewpoint on people being there when they're not allowed to be.
eccc whippet Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 If you not allowed to cycle on the M4 why do they have this sign on it.
Dazshell Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 If you not allowed to cycle on the M4 why do they have this sign on it.Where? Going to a meeting with RTI and City and Metro Cops tomorrow.
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 If you not allowed to cycle on the M4 why do they have this sign on it.cos that's a section of the m4 that isn't a freeway. That's why it's irresponsible to make blanket statements like the one that RTI rep made.
Capricorn Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 The N1 out of Cape Town is not a free way until after the marine drive off ramp. Not really the point, if you apply the 1m passing rule you should never hit a cyclist...so google maps is wrong then. shows that section to be a freeway, the whole N1 in fact starting at the waterfront entrance edit: google's not wrong: the directional sign at the waterfront entrance direction N1 is for a freeway:
eccc whippet Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 These picture were taken today...the onramp to the M 4 at blue lagoon...no sign indicating you are going onto a highway... On ramp to M 4 just after the blue lagoon bridge...no sign indicating you are going onto a highway On ramp after virginia...a sign indicating you are going onto a highway. If you look at the bottom left of the sign you will see a sign indication...not a freeway and there are many these between blue lagoon and virginia hidden in amongst the bush and trees but not 1 sign indication that the section between blue lagoon and virginia is a highway
SwissVan Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 what does that sign mean... Triangle + Bicycle within triangle = Warning Bicycles ahead
eccc whippet Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 cos that's a section of the m4 that isn't a freeway. That's why it's irresponsible to make blanket statements like the one that RTI rep made.According to google maps it is a highway all the way to westbrooke...but then who knows...the road marking are so bad and hidden in the overgrown trees and bush
SwissVan Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 These picture were taken today...the onramp to the M 4 at blue lagoon...no sign indicating you are going onto a highway... On ramp to M 4 just after the blue lagoon bridge...no sign indicating you are going onto a highway On ramp after virginia...a sign indicating you are going onto a highway. If you look at the bottom left of the sign you will see a sign indication...not a freeway and there are many these between blue lagoon and virginia hidden in amongst the bush and trees but not 1 sign indication that the section between blue lagoon and virginia is a highway Sounds like a real goat show
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 On ramp after virginia...a sign indicating you are going onto a highway. If you look at the bottom left of the sign you will see a sign indication...not a freeway and there are many these between blue lagoon and virginia hidden in amongst the bush and trees but not 1 sign indication that the section between blue lagoon and virginia is a highwayThis one here is to indicate that the road you are going on to ie the offramp - is no longer a freeway. It's on the side of the offramp itself, not next to the highway / freeway.
eccc whippet Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 Lucky there is a bicycle lane next to the M4 I used the stick on the left to see how deep the hole...the stick is over a metre long When the tar collapses...your whole bicycle fit in the hole Just becareful people dont go too close with your car will fall in the hole...it is just after the hyper by the sea durban north
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