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RideLondon: Essex urged to focus on road safety ahead of revamped sportive

Predicted increase in Essex cycling could be a positive legacy for county as it prepares to host the UK's biggest sportive, but cyclists say safety work needed...

Essex highways authorities and police have been urged to tackle road safety as part of RideLondon’s legacy, following news the mass sportive and pro cycling events will visit the county’s roads next year. 

The UK’s biggest sportive, RideLondon will for the first time partner with Essex County Council, hosting the 100 mile sportive on Sunday 29 May 2022, and two days of a new three day UCI women's WorldTour race. While the events themselves will take place on closed roads, they are expected to attract leisure riders before and after the events, who will have to share some of the most dangerous roads in the country with drivers. 

Essex has among the highest number of road crashes in the country, with one of the smallest national decreases in collisions last year, when lockdowns cut road traffic dramatically. Local cyclists say attitudes and driving standards have worsened since the pandemic and Cycling UK has urged police to promote Highway Code changes, when they come into effect next year, including around minimum safe overtaking distances.

Nick Boyle, Chelmer Cycling Club Chairman, said he is looking forward to the Ride London event, and hopes to participate next year. However, he adds: “The biggest problem facing Essex is similar to other counties, whereby driver impatience, aggressiveness, lack of understanding around cyclists has gotten worse since lockdown finished. 

“The roads are more congested now as people avoid public transport as much as possible, but driving standards have equally suffered. Generally most club rides where we ride in a compact 2x2 formation will always get more than one angry driver tooting their horn or swearing.”

Essex roads have the second highest number of collisions of any UK county, with 3,903 road casualties in 2020 - which the local road safety partnership attributes to high traffic levels. Across Essex Police force last year four cyclists were killed, 93 seriously injured and 227 slightly injured.

Despite lockdowns in 2020 dramatically reducing road traffic, Essex collisions decreased by just 14.3% compared with 2019. This was the fourth lowest decrease of 42 UK police forces - and partly attributed to a significant increase in law-breaking drivers speeding on quieter roads. Neighbouring Suffolk saw a 34% drop in road casualties last year by comparison, and Hertfordshire 31%. 

Cycling UK says police need to promote new Highway Code guidance being introduced next year, including 1.5m minimum passing distances when overtaking cyclists, and a ‘hierarchy of responsibility’ in which those in charge of faster, larger vehicles have greater responsibility for keeping others safe. 

Keir Gallagher, Cycling UK’s campaigns manager said: “With more people likely to take to Essex roads in preparation for RideLondon, it will be important for Essex Police to communicate and enforce these changes. The introduction of the new hierarchy of responsibility means there will need to be a step change in attitudes on how we all use our roads, with a focus on looking out for the most vulnerable.”

“Cycling UK would also encourage the council to think about the legacy of RideLondon. With all eyes on Glasgow and COP26 at the moment and the urgent need to cut transport emissions, cycling presents a simple solution to our car dependence for short local journeys. We’d hope the council will use the inspiration of RideLondon to build more joined up networks of safe cycling routes and use the bicycle to fight climate change.”

Paulina Mozal, Chelmer CC General Secretary, said: “Essex has some beautiful routes and country lanes”, with “lots of cyclist friendly cafe stops dotted around”.

“There has definitely been an increase of cyclists in the area over the past few months, both male and female. I think the recent Women's Tour, which had a few stages going through the local roads has inspired and contributed to that as well.”

However, she adds potholes and driver attitudes remain a problem. “Sadly many drivers still don't understand that it is legal for cyclists to ride two abreast on wider roads, same goes for cycle paths which we are not actually obliged to use as per The Highway Code.”

Essex police, like many UK forces, accepts third party camera footage submitted by the public. Cycling UK’s local group says in July cyclists made 103 reports to the Essex Police Extra Eyes third party reporting team, of which 96 were for close passes. Of these reports 58 (60%) resulted in no further action while 37 (38%) resulted in a notice of intended prosecution being issued. In two cases (2%) an advice letter was issued.

By contrast, according to Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox, the UK police lead on road collision investigation, “about two thirds” of video submissions nationally “end up in some sort of enforcement action”. 

Cycling UK says there appears to be no clear standard among Essex police what constitutes a close pass, adding it hopes new clearer guidance in the Highway Code will help. 

Safer Essex Roads Partnership, which didn’t respond to request for comment, runs various events in which it surrounds towns with high collision rates, to target law-breaking drivers. 

RideLondon organisers pointed out the event itself is on closed roads and it is for Essex council, and local police, to tackle road safety. Essex Police did not respond to requests to comment. 

Entries for RideLondon open on Wednesday 10 November. The first 10,000 places will be available on a first-come, first served basis. Entry is £89. 

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14 comments

Avatar
Chris Hayes | 2 years ago
0 likes

Does anyone know whether this will start and finish at the Olympic Park?  If it finishes on The Mall it would be strange to close The Embankment and the approach roads all day for the first arrivals at midday-ish.  

And if it doesn't finish on The Mall it won't be much of a Ride London...more of a Ride Essex that costs GBP 50 more and has a suboptimal starting point. 

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Awavey replied to Chris Hayes | 2 years ago
0 likes

My assumption was both a) it's dead easy to route out from Stratford to Essex via Brentwood etc & the A12 gives you a route back in right to dock lands and I think theyll pick up some of the classic Marathon routing as a mini tour of London from there to get to the Mall and b) this 3 day womens race with its 100k prize needs as much iconic London backdrop tourist scenery it can muster to help pay for it, so a finish on the Mall is practically a given, which means the sportive has to finish in the same place and not be stuck in the building site which still is the Olympic park.

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stonojnr | 2 years ago
1 like

Well, last time I rode in Essex, this style of overtaking was a fairly atypical occurrence, and isn't generally something I experience on my local roads.So, not so much a mixed experience, as just glad to make it home in one piece.

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Surreyrider | 2 years ago
2 likes

Roads aren't dangerous. Drivers are. You should know this Road CC.

 

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Bentrider | 2 years ago
1 like

"...riders...will have to share the roads with some of the most dangerous drivers in the country."

FTFY!

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Pyro Tim | 2 years ago
1 like

Velo Cycle Bob should ride in Bournemouth, it's common to be called a c**t by people driving and riding motorbikes coming in the opposite direction.

So common, in our office we jokingly use the term Cyclist when we mean C**t

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Secret_squirrel replied to Pyro Tim | 2 years ago
3 likes

Indeedy - he's not trying hard enough to rile the Drivists.  I recently got called a c*nt whilst crossing the Berks and Oxfordshire border thus getting abuse in 2 counties at the same time.  I had the last laugh though - he was stuck in a jam at the time.

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Chris Hayes | 2 years ago
1 like

There's a bit of uninteresting urban sprawl leaving London for Essex, but you're quickly into Epping Forest and heading out beyond the M25 its rural with good quality roads.  

I guess the route will head out towards Epping, Chipping Ongar up towards Sawbridgeworth and then over towards Great Dunmow and back. 

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wycombewheeler replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
5 likes
Nigel Garage wrote:

Essex is a large county - a bit of a stupid question asking people about their experiences, when it will be very specific to where you're riding.

Suffice to say the general rule is: The further from London you are, the nicer your experience will be.

Hopefully the route won't come anywhere near where I ride in Essex - don't want to see any more large groups of inconsiderate cyclists than I already see in the area.

areas of essex close to London inhabited by commuting gangsters

areas of essex near suffolk inhabited by retired gangsters

hope this helps

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Rendel Harris replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
8 likes
Nigel Garage wrote:

Suffice to say the general rule is: The further from London you are, the nicer your experience will be.

You need to check your autocorrect, it's substituted "London" for "Nigel".

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EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
1 like

It's been years since I rode a club ride in Essex and not had abuse for riding 2 abreast, with half the cases being on wide, empty roads with tons of space to overtake on the other side.

And one of those tweets made me laugh - yes I've had abuse from drivers in the opposite carriageway for no reason  too...there are a fair few inbreds in the county though tbf, a lot of ok drivers too.

Potholes are pretty bad in places though...

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
2 likes

there are a fair few inbreds in the county though tbf,

Yep, looking at the responses of one of them right above yours......

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wycombewheeler replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
2 likes

"riding 2 abreast, w... on wide, empty roads with tons of space to overtake"

Doesn't sound particulary rude or inconsiderate to me, perhaps the residents of Essex have lower levels of driving competance and need more space to overtake.

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Hirsute | 2 years ago
0 likes

The local cycle group guy I spoke to at an eco festival said they had been see the submissions team and concluded they weren't much interested in cyclists.

They gave them a montage of 9 similar close passes and asked them to pick out the only one they had done something about. Sums it up really.

I rarely do submissions now.

NSL road - note the postion of the range rover coming the other way.

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