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A11 near Roudham (Google Maps)National Highways warns of "significant dangers" in racing time trials on major roads following A11 death
National Highways, the body responsible for England's motorways and some A-roads, has warned there are "significant dangers" to holding cycling time trials on major roads.
The comment comes just over a week since Cheryl Tye was hit and killed by a van driver as the rider competed in CC Breckland's 50-mile East District Championship on the A11 in Norfolk.
Emergency services, including an air ambulance, were called to the scene at around 9.40am on Sunday 26 June, but the 52-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
On the same road in 2010, a rider was airlifted to hospital with a suspected broken vertebrae following a collision 175 miles into a 12-hour event, while last year a time trial participant was seriously injured after being hit from behind by a van driver between Snetterton and Shropham.
In response to the most recent incident, a National Highways spokesperson told the Eastern Daily Press there are "significant dangers".
"For a number of years, we have warned the groups about the significant dangers in running time trials on major A-roads. But from a legal perspective there is nothing we can do to stop them," the spokesperson said.
Norfolk Police added that the CC Breckland event had complied with requirements, including: 28 days notice, description of the course, number of competitors and names of officials.
National Highways said it will continue to issue advice to ensure guidelines surrounding insurance, race marshals and signage are followed, and twice yearly meetings with cycling groups, the police and the road network body will continue in the area.
"We are working with our partners and event organisers as the safety of all our road users remains a priority," Chief Inspector Jonathan Chapman said.
"A beautiful spirit"
Cheryl's husband Chris was also taking part in last Sunday's time trial and said his wife "touched everyone she came across in a positive way and will be sorely missed."
"She was my soulmate, a beautiful spirit and I loved the time I had with her," he said.
Former mayor of Hadleigh, Frank Minns, added: "Her death is a terrible tragedy, and the only comfort I can find in it is that it happened while she was doing the thing she loved best, competing."
Earlier in June, GB triathlete Rebecca Comins was killed while taking part in a time trial on the A40 near Raglan in Monmouthshire.
Police arrested a 47-year-old man from the Abergavenny area on suspicion of causing death by careless driving who was subsequently released under investigation.
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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28 comments
Will be interesting to see how this plays out now that Highways England has publicly stated that there are now "significant dangers" to holding these events on major roads. I assume that by making that statement,they have the data to show that the incident rate has now increased dramatically from what it was previously.
I wonder what this means at a local club level in terms of insurance and what mitigation a club might have to now demonstrate if they wish to continue running these events on major roads.
So people won't hit me if I'm riding my road bike but will if I'm on my TT? Personally feel safer on the TT.
If the law allows for time trialling on A roads then it is down to other road users to drive in a safe and considerate manner and comply with the law.
Victim blaming seems very popular by some new accounts on here at the moment, maybe they should contact their MP's and get them to lobby for a change in the law rather than blaming the dead people for being stuck by motor vehicles.
Blaming vulnerable road users is an old trick and I thought we had moved on in these days of enlightenment - obviously not but, there will always be arse-holes as long as there are people unfotunately.
After a three incidents in TT events last year, including being hit by a vehicle in one of them, I decided that this was the cue for me to stop. It's easy to say that TT's should be safe, but they are frequently not.
Despite the rational part of me finding retiring to be an easy call to make, the emotional, competitive and nostalgic parts of me found this to be an incredibly difficult and sad descision to take. I started racing TT's in 1982 and at many points over the last five decades TT's & TT Training was the very rhythm of my life.
Races being timed to take place when the traffic volumes are high / very high are clearly inappropriate (National 25 last year), as are races being run when the visibility is down to about 200-250m due to surface water and traffic spray with the Organiser abdicating responsibility and letting the event run as normal (Levens 2019), when the conditions weren't normal, safe or acceptable.
I happened to be driving on the A66 recently when there was a triathlon taking place on it. It was chaos compared to a TT as the riders were often bunched up into groups of 4's, 5's & 6's and were often spread up to 3 wide across the width of the single carriageway sections in a bid to not take pace (before anyone starts I'm not anti triathlete by any means, I'm married to one). The road was busy with vehicular traffic. It was a disgraceful advert for cycling and triathlon. My point being that the average motorist will not discriminate between differing disciplines. We are all just folks in lycra and pointy hats to 99% of drivers.
Traffic volumes and vehicle speeds are not going to come down. Drivers will not start paying attention to Cycling Event signage (some of which appears to stay in-situ between events). Motorists will not suddenly engage with our passion and call out "Chapeau" as they pass nice and wide. Many riders will continue to adopt less safe riding positions in the pursuit of aero gains. Back lights or not, they will continue to be virtually invisible when standing water and high traffic volumes cause dense spray.
Yet something needs to change to prevent more and more TT event tragedies from occurring.
Perhaps it's time for the CTT to step up, see things for what they are, and call time on open road TT's?
On the above point. It was a triathlon when the competitors flew passed the horse with one of them clipping it a few years ago. Didn't stop all the headlines about cyclists.
Aye, we all get lumped with the same preconceptions.
some issues can come down to course selection, and for a triathlon there are running and swimming legs to account for. I had cause to be driving past a triathlon a few years ago, the big leg seemed to be of a lollypop ype design, with a ride out, loop, then back in on the same road. So there was a stretch of about 6 miles of rolling rural single carriageway with riders spaced liberally along its length and due to my timing/staggered starts/speeds of riders etc. they were on both sides of the road, offering little if not zero opportunities to pass, so I as a patient driver was sitting behind slower riders while being passed by less patient riders and holding up other quicker riders. Thankfully (and incredibly) I didn't also come accross impatient drivers at the time I was there.
Had this been on a dual carriageway then the issues would not have existed as I would hae passed in lane 2 without issue. (There are no dual carriageways near where this event was but my point, what ever it is, still stands)
There are a few strange usages of the public roads that I would question.
TT's are one and local club motor rallies are another. Both are attempting to use public roads for sporting events whilst the possibility of mixing with public traffic exists.
Both arguably are occuring in ways that the roads (and their users) arent fit for purpose for.
As a cyclist I feel more at risk on urban and extra-urban dual carriageways and avoid them like the plague.
Rallies require closed roads, something fairly recently allowed on mainland UK (apart from the Jim Clark in the Borders).....
TT's take place on open roads, for the most part.
Nope - local club rally's run on open roads - albeit late at night/early morning.
In their defence I only know about them coz one of my mates did it once. Then motorway services for a stupid o'clock brekkie. It was the fact I saw one of my other mates who had attended fall asleep at the wheel on the M4 at 5am that made me question the whole thing....
Google "12 car rally"
http://southseamotorclub.co.uk/?page_id=79
Note the "average speed" defense. I can assure you that peak speeds are much much higher.
Yep, some car rallies are not on closed roads at all. I once did a cycling event in Wales, with organised camping the night before on the local rugby club field. At 1am I was rudely awakened by the sound of screeching tyres and popping exhaust. Nothing unusual I thought, just the local deliquents. But a minute later it happened again, then again, then again. I got out of my tent to have a look and over the road, at the junction to a single track country lane, it was all lit up with marshals in a gazebo, a start line and countdown timer! With a queue of souped up Corsas et al. waiting for their turn.
Saw this which I thought might interest you. Amazed they clocked - always loads of vans on the A12 speeding and seemingly getting away with it.
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/crime/driver-blamed-amazon-training-for-spee...
Well that's spectacular:
So I make that 39 points on her licence, but a six month ban under "totting up"? I, perhaps naively, assumed that one got a ban for 12 points, another for the next 12, and so on.
Not 12 months for a ban but 6 months minimum. So she might have got two lots. However she will have the 39 points on her license for 4 years now. So is that an instant ban for any extra offences or does she have to add another 12 before then.
Trotting is a 6 month ban and it resets your points back to zero.
the ban isn't imposed by courts but by the dvla and so I don't believe it can be varied by the courts - it's administrative not criminal.
the totting happens at the time of the hearing, so yes all 39 points are gone and it's one 6 month ban.
So excess points are - in terms of penalty - sort of treated more leniently than parking tickets? I think in some places they have amnesties for those also let but I think it's normally the more you get the more you pay?
Presumably this is to do with "we can't give DVLA powers to impose penalties above a certain level"? (Despite this being an "administrative" thing because DVLA?)
Nope, if that were the case everyone with 12 points or more would have been banned. Totting bans are (or are not) imposed by the court - https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/20227216.reverend-gary-collins-n...
Wow. This is a prime example of how broken roads policing is. This should have been a promptly delivered FPN for speeding with 3 points and a fine. That would have (hopefully) resulted in an immediate change in behaviour, safer roads, and a chance for this driver to learn without affecting their job.
But due to the massive feedback loop, by the time they've realised they're doing wrong, they've committed many more offences.
To get a ban for an offence that, whilst illegal, is committed with impunity by the vast majority of vans and pickup trucks I see on the roads, is a bit unfair. Especially when drivers who commit far greater, and in some cases intentional, transgressions that directly affect someone else are given 'words of advice'.
"National Highways, the body responsible for England's motorways and some A-roads, has warned there are "significant dangers" to holding cycling time trials on major roads."
No. Time trials are not particularly dangerous, no more than riding any bicycle on an A road. The significant danger comes from the drivers and the failure of National Highways to make their roads safe for all users, which must be the main part of their duties.
I sometimes have to ride on the A66 to access certain roads from my house. Riding on it solo or with another rider has never been an issue.
However, racing TT's on the same sections of the A66 is much more dangerous and has resulted in me personally experiencing two significant incidents and multiple smaller incidents in just 2 TT events.
The volume of riders going in both directions (out and back course) and the road positioning and speed of many riders were preventing vehicular traffic from being able to overtake. When trucks were stuck behind riders, faster riders were overtaking the traffic on the inside and the outside of the vehicles. The TT brought vehicular traffic to a very slow speed on all of the single lane sections.
So the scenario described above wouldn't have occurred if there wasn't a TT in progress. I was severely road raged in one incident. This had nothing to do with me or the way I was riding. The driver just blew a fuse due to something that had happened previously on the road and took it out on the next rider he passed. In the other incident I was side swiped and hit deliberately and knocked onto the grass verge. The passenger was gesticulating and swearing and the driver smirking as they did so. Again, nothing to do with me. I was just the next schmuk they passed.
So, I'd argue that, whilst the drivers in both incidents were clearly causing the danger, the spark that lit their fuses was the fact there was a TT in progress. If it weren't the two clowns that engaged with me, I fairly convinced that there would be another few dozen taking their places.
We can blame the lack of Policing and National Highways all we want for not creating a safe environment for us to race in but realistically modern road conditions are not a safe environment for us to indulge our passion for TT's on.
Our road network is woefully inadequate for the volume of traffic on much of it or, conversely, as a society our dependence on powered vehicles to take us places is at odds with the ability to travel in a stress free environment. Take your pick but neither are going to change any time soon.
I wish it weren't so but .......
Any chance you could sum that up in a sentence so that I could be bothered to read it? Prolix is seldom useful in making a point.
It's worth taking the time to read.
It seems to me that it's not TTs that are the problem, it's drivers on dual carriageways.
I try to avoid A roads, where possible, but would like to paraphrase the HA...
'For a number of years, we have failed to warn drivers about the significant dangers they pose on major A-roads. But from a legal perspective there is everything we can do to stop them'
Unfortunately I think National Highways have a point.
Timetrialling should be a very safe sport - single cyclists riding around a Rural Course. However, due to the amount of traffic on the roads, and increased speeds of both the cyclists and motorists it is difficult to find a safe TT course. Extreme aero positions don't encuorage forward visibility, and lots of TTers take risks at junctions making them unpopular with other road users.
A more modern problem is caused by a fast rider weaving and crossing the white line trying to overtake a queue of traffic which is stuck behind a slow rider.
Maybe a return to 6am starts on a Sunday morning is the solution.
It's hard to make a positive argument for the sport.
If there was a national referendum "Should Cycle Racing be Allowed on the National Highways?" I'm certain there would be a resounding "No". (TTing IS racing despite what some people may say).
That's time trialling sorted then.
It's only a matter of time before we all have to wear helmets and Hi-Viz
"Unfortunately I think National Highways have a point."
Of course, those damn cyclists shouldn't be getting in the way on the roads.
The "Extreme aero positions" don't make any difference if you're hit from behind or a side road while most longer distance TTs are on Sunday mornings. 6am and 7am starts are not uncommon.
"A more modern problem is caused by a fast rider weaving and crossing the white line trying to overtake a queue of traffic"
This is not 'a modern problem' or even typical of TTers, just an irresponsible individual. We can't legislate for those, whether they are cycling or driving.
"It's hard to make a positive argument for the sport."
I'm sure it is when you want it banned. Translation: "Stay off the roads, you self-indulgent idiots. They are for CARS, not you!"
"It's only a matter of time before we all have to wear helmets and Hi-Viz"
Helmets, front and rear lights are already compulsory in TTs. Race numbers are printed on hi-vis materials.
Sorry - No time to reply to you now.
I have to go out to marshall a local TT
Thanks for the full broadside rant. If we ignore these issues things will only get worse. Our differences may be due to the fact that we observe Time Trials from different viewpoints and in different CTT regions. I will reply to your comments point by point.
"Unfortunately I think National Highways have a point."
Of course, those damn cyclists shouldn't be getting in the way on the roads.
Those are your words not mine. I started time trialling in the 1960s and the last thing I want to see is it’s demise.
The "Extreme aero positions" don't make any difference if you're hit from behind or a side road while most longer distance TTs are on Sunday mornings. 6am and 7am starts are not uncommon.
I said extreme aero positions hinder forward view. They also minimise the rider’s size which is not helpful. Both safety issues.
In my region the majority of TTs take place on Saturday afternoon. Some TT courses are not useable on Sunday mornings because of car boot markets.
"A more modern problem is caused by a fast rider weaving and crossing the white line trying to overtake a queue of traffic"
This is not 'a modern problem' or even typical of TTers, just an irresponsible individual. We can't legislate for those, whether they are cycling or driving.
This is a relatively new problem. When I started cycling a 25 could be won with a 58’ and the slowest rider would do maybe a 1-12. Nowadays the winner may do a 51’ and the slowest may be a 1-30. Riders are (Rightly) using primary or secondary road positions. Primary discourages vehicles from overtaking, Secondary often means that a vehicle has to slow down to make a considered overtake, Busier roads mean more cars coming in the opposite direction. Hence traffic does build up behind slower riders. It’s a race! Is the rider doing 30mph going to wait patiently for the queue to get past the obstacle? This happens.
"It's hard to make a positive argument for the sport."
I'm sure it is when you want it banned. Translation: "Stay off the roads, you self-indulgent idiots. They are for CARS, not you!"
Again your words not mine. As I said I am pro Time Trialling. Can you make a positive argument for Time Trialling which shows benefits for (or will convince) other Road Users?
"It's only a matter of time before we all have to wear helmets and Hi-Viz"
Helmets, front and rear lights are already compulsory in TTs. Race numbers are printed on hi-vis materials.
I am aware that TT riders do to maximise their visibility when racing. This comment referred to what may be the future for all cyclists using the roads. If this issue were to come up in Parliament it would be a no brainer for our current selection of MPs.