The

Bikers’ Guide to

Essential rider informationDERBYSHIRE ROAD SAFETY PARTNERSHIP Contents

Get ready for Derbyshire roads 1-3

Smash hits – your guide to Derbyshire’s biker hotspots A5012 Via Gellia – Cromford to Ivonbrook Quarry 4-5 A621 – Baslow to Owler Bar 6-7 A57 Snake Pass – outskirts of to Nether North Grain 8-9 Get ready for Derbyshire roads B5035 – outskirts of Ashbourne to Wirksworth 10-11 A515 – Ashbourne to Alsop-en-le-Dale 12-13 Derbyshire is a bikers’ paradise. Winding roads and A6 Matlock Bath – High Peak junction to Artist’s Corner epic scenery make for an exhilarating ride. So far, so 14-15 good – until you take into account all the hazards that A54 and A537 – to Cat and Fiddle 16-17 are out there. A5004 Long Hill – Buxton to Fernilee 18-19 You need to be at the top of your game every Become a King of the Road with BikePlus! 20-22 time you pull down your visor and hit the starter button. The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire is published by the Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership, which exists to reduce deaths and injuries on the county’s

roads through education, road improvements and policing. For more information DERBYSHIRE telephone 01629 585072 or email [email protected] Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust

The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire  Protect yourself and your Become a master of the manoeuvre You need to be at the top of your game when negotiating bends, freedom to ride overtaking and travelling across junctions. Get your kit on Take a ‘lifesaver’ glance over your shoulder before making a move. You You need to be sporting the right gear before you get on your need to know where other motorists are and what they are doing. bike. Your jacket, trousers and boots should be able to protect you from Always remember that the best way to negotiate a bend is ‘slow in’ and the weather and from getting hurt if you come off. ‘smooth out’. Make sure you can be seen by using dipped headlights at all times and When overtaking, stay well back from the driver in front to get a better choosing gear that is fluorescent during the day and reflective at night. view of the road ahead. Only go for it if the road is clear and you are Be in the right place at the right time confident that you can get past without losing control. The middle of your lane is generally a good place to be when cruising – but do be guided by traffic conditions. Choose a position Smash hits – your guide to that maximises your view of the road and the amount of time that other road users can see you. Derbyshire’s biker hotspots When turning, take up your road position in good time so motorists can We keep a close eye on crash figures and we’ve discovered see what you’re trying to do. eight stretches of road in the Derbyshire countryside where Read the road bikers are regularly coming to grief. It’s not down to dark and stormy nights Become an expert at reading the road and spotting biker So why is this happening? – that’s for sure. Most of these crashes happened on fine, dry days. hazards. Manhole covers, worn and shiny tarmac, painted surfaces, loose chippings, mud, leaves, road kill and diesel spills are all things you What did these crashes have in common? Well, many of them need to avoid if you can. happened on bends and the most frequent contributing factors were Always scan as far ahead as you can. Look for clues in the distance that loss of control, high speeds and bikes overtaking other vehicles. will tell you what the road is about to do. Signs, telegraph poles, lamp The maps that follow pinpoint the 2002-2007* posts and hedges can help you read the direction of the road. biker crash sites along these routes > Ride at a speed that will allow you to slow down and stop within the When riding, look out for the crash warning signs along each route. distance you can see is clear. The right speed will depend on conditions. Keep a close eye on the speedometer when it’s wet, foggy or icy. *September 2002 - August 2007

 The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire   The

To Bikers’ A5012 Via Gellia Buxton A5012

Guide to Derbyshire Area covered: Cromford to Ivonbrook Quarry Ivonbrook Distance: 1 five miles Signs for Quarry Middlehill To Farm Longcliffe 1 Key Holly Bush Crash Hotspot Pub 2 To Number of incidents 1 White Furniture Winster Stanicliffe maker stone Stone A5012 cottage Sign for Ible Crash figures Crashes involving bikes: 20 Bikers killed or injured: 21 Stone Stream wall and follows fencing Crash report To road How many of these crashes Hopton 2 1 happened: 1 Lay-by on bends? 75% To 1 at night? 0% Middleton Stone built 1 1 house in bad weather? 5% 3 Verdict The most common factors 1 linked to motorbike crashes on this route are: • loss of control by biker A5012 • excessive speed used by Large lay-by To biker Bonsall

The Via Gellia mill

Did you know? Bikers’ 2 2 More than half of the people Ball Eye killed or seriously injured

Guide to Derbyshire 1 Quarry To Old on this stretch of road were garage bikers. Wirksworth To Cromford A6 Matlock Bath N To Belper   The

Bikers’ To A621 To

Guide to Derbyshire Area covered: To Chesterfield Baslow to Owler Bar Hathersage 1 1 Distance: A6054 Roundabout sign Owler Bar Four and a half miles 1 Chevrons Road dips 1 1 Chevrons Crash figures 1 Crashes involving bikes: 20 Chevrons Bikers killed or injured: 19 Lay by 2 Sign for bends 1 and 40mph Crash report How many of these crashes A621 Entrance happened: Lay by to farm 1 on bends? 57% Lay by

at night? 5% Lay by in bad weather? 5% Verdict The most common factors Steady 1 linked to motorbike crashes incline on this route are: Open • loss of control by biker moorland A621 • overtaking by biker Key Sign for Derbyshire Crash Hotspot Dales Sign for N.E. 1 Number of Incidents To Derbyshire To Curbar 1 Barlow 1 Sign for 4 bends 1 To Bus stop Rocks Cutthorpe & Chesterfield 1 Woodland The A621

Bikers’ Steady incline Houses

Farm

1 Open fields Guide to Derbyshire buildings Did you know? A619 To N A619 Chesterfield No bikers involved in these To crashes were riding bikes Bakewell Baslow under 600cc.  

The To

Bikers’ and Stockport A57 Snake Pass Glossop

To Guide to Derbyshire Area covered: Chapel-en- Farm access lane Outskirts of Glossop to 1 Nether North Grain le-Frith Long hill Distance: Stone Four miles building 1 Crash 1 1 barrier Chevrons 1 Crash figures Crash Crashes involving barrier 1 bikes: 20 Boulders Bikers killed or 1 lining road injured: 21 Crash barrier Crash report 1 Long hill How many of these Crash A57 crashes happened: barrier Snake Pass descent sign 1 on bends? 75% Crash at night? 5% barrier Danger of in bad weather? 10% loose rocks Verdict Crash The most common barrier factors linked to motorbike crashes on this route are: • loss of control by biker Chevrons 1 • excessive speed used Lay by crossing point by biker 1

A57 Did you know? Most bikers killed or Reduce injured on this route speed sign were in their forties.

The 2 2

Bikers’ Steep incline with long drops Key 1 Crash barrier 1 Crash Hotspot

Guide to Derbyshire 1 2 Chevrons 1 Number of Incidents Reduce To speed sign Sheffield A57 Woodland N  1 0

The To

Bikers’ Middleton B5035 N 1

Area covered: Guide to Derbyshire To Outskirts of Ashbourne Cromford 1 to Wirksworth Rising Sun pub 2 Distance: Bridge over road 4 Eight and a half miles Entrance to Middleton Top 1 To Brassington 1 Did you know? Sign for To stone works Wirksworth Most riders killed or injured Sign for on this route were riding Hopton 1 bikes over 600cc. To Hopton B5035 Godfreyhole Pedestrian Cyclists To To Carsington warning warning sign sign Kirk Breach Ireton Farm Car park entrance To Brassington 1

Carsington 1 Knockerdown Water pub To Bradbourne 1 Sign for To Hulland Carsington Key Water To Hognaston Crash Hotspot B5035 1 Number of Incidents Circular navigation array

1 Church Red Lion pub Hill and bends Crash figures 2 Kniveton Crashes involving bikes: 19 Bikers killed or injured: 20 Steep hill & sharp bends Crash report How many of these crashes happened: The B5035

Bikers’ red on bends? 80% post box at night? 0% The Ketch pub

Guide to Derbyshire Red brick 1 in bad weather? 5% house 1 open Verdict ground The most common factors linked to motorbike crashes on this route are: Ashbourne • loss of control by biker • lack of judgement of biker To Derby 11 12

The

To Buxton Bikers’ A515 Lay by 1

Car park Guide to Derbyshire Area covered: Road undulates sign Ashbourne to Alsop-en-le-Dale with sharp 1 bends 1 Distance: To Alsop- Five and a half miles 2 en-le-Dale Newton To Milldale & House Crash figures Alstonefield Crashes involving bikes: 17 Red brick Bikers killed or injured: 23 1 house

Crash report A515 How many of these crashes happened:

on bends? 60% at night? 5% 1 in bad weather? 0% Unsigned road 2 to Tissington Verdict To Thorpe The most common factors & Dovedale linked to motorbike crashes on this route are: 1 To • loss of control by biker Tissington Key • excessive speed used by Bluebell pub Crash Hotspot biker A515 Metal bridge over road Long hill 1 Number of Incidents 1

Coach & Church Horses pub Bentley Fenny Brook Hotel Woodland 2 Bentley

The To Longcliffe

Bikers’ and Via Gellia To Thorpe Road 1 & Dovedale dips 1 Peak Park stone sign

Guide to Derbyshire 1 Entrance to N 1 Sandybrook Park Did you know? A515 The largest proportion of bikes Fuel station involved in crashes on this route To Ashbourne were over 900cc. 13 14

The

Bikers’ A6 Matlock Bath To Matlock Area covered: 1 1 1

Guide to Derbyshire High Peak junction to Artist’s Corner Artist’s Corner A6 car park Old Distance: garage Three and a half miles Metal bridge and lay by Pedestrian Key 1 crossing 1 1 Large tree & 1 30mph sign Crash Hotspot The Pavilion Car park & car park Number of Temple Hotel 1 entrance & 1 incidents obelisk Midland Hotel 2 Matlock Bath Cromford A6 Masson Mill & car park Crash figures To Crossroad Crashes involving bikes: 19 2 traffic lights Bikers killed or injured: 23 Wirksworth 1 1 To Lea and Crash report 2 Holloway How many of these crashes happened:

at junctions? 50% at night? 0% in bad weather? 0% Verdict The most common factors Fuel linked to motorbike crashes station 1 on this route are:

The Garden Centre • biker’s failure to judge 1 entrance another vehicle’s speed

Bikers’ • loss of control by biker • careless behaviour by biker A6

Guide to Derbyshire

Pisani entrance Did you know? Telephone 1 box Most bikes involved in N crashes on this route were over 600cc.

15 To Belper 16

The To A537

Bikers’ A54 A537 Cat & Fiddle Macclesfield Cat & Fiddle Area covered: pub

Guide to Derbyshire Buxton to Cat & Fiddle Pub Distance: A537 Two miles 1 To Buxton Cheshire To A54 1 Congleton County 1 Derbyshire boudary To Derbyshire Key bridge

Crash Hotspot

Number of 1 incidents Crash figures A54 Crashes involving bikes: 17 Bikers killed or injured: 21 2 1 Crash report How many of these crashes 1 happened: 1 on bends? 95% 1 at night? 0% 1 1 in bad weather? 5% Verdict The most common factors 1 2 linked to motorbike crashes Crash on this route are: barrier The • loss of control by biker • excessive speed used by

Bikers’ 1 biker 2

N Guide to Derbyshire Did you know? Ninety per cent of all A54 people killed or injured on this route were bikers. Buxton 17 18

The To

Bikers’ 1 1 A5004 Long Hill 1 Shady

Oak Area covered: Guide to Derbyshire pub Buxton to Fernilee Distance: Five miles

1 Crash figures Crashes involving bikes: 17 Bikers killed or injured: 19 A5004 Crash report Fernilee How many of these crashes happened: 2 Village on bends? 80% at night? 5% Viewing Point in bad weather? 0% Verdict The most common factors linked to A5004 motorbike crashes on this route are: • loss of control by biker • lack of judgement by biker Fernilee 1 Reservoir

Trees 1

1

Did you know? 2

The Sixty per cent of the crashes on this route To 1

Bikers’ involved a single bike and Errwood 1 Reservoir 1 no other vehicles. 3 Midshires

Guide to Derbyshire Way

N Key Crash Hotspot A5004

1 Number of incidents

19 Buxton BikePlus application form Please do not send payment with this application Name: Address: Become a King of the Road with BikePlus! Post Code: BikePlus is a one day course that allows qualified riders to further Telephone number: develop their skills. Date of birth: The normal cost of the training is £180 – but bikers living in Derbyshire Driving licence number: can enrol for as little as £50 thanks to a discount* scheme managed by the county council. If you live outside the county you could still be eligible Date that you passed your bike test: for a £90 discount meaning you could pay just £90. Make and model of your bike: Instructors approved by the Driving Standards Agency teach bikers to spot hazards and tackle challenges such as cornering and overtaking with greater confidence. How often do you ride? For more details Call Derbyshire on 08456 058 058 Do you ride in Derbyshire? *All discounts are subject to availability of funding and may not always be available. Continued overleaf DETACH HERE 20 The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire The Bikers’ Guide to Derbyshire 21 What situations – if any – have caused you difficulty while riding?

Signed

Date

Please complete and return this application in an envelope to: The Road Safety Team, Derbyshire County Council, County Hall, Matlock DE4 3AG. DETACH HERE

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