Snudger:
In reply to Carryfast, I agree; such roads really are too dangerous for cyclists and they are banned from at least one part of the A3 (which eventually turns into a motorway of course, though not much different) after all. Not sure what you mean about pedestrians. I don’t believe anyone, certainly with any sense, walks down the A3, in the road! If you think that a cyclist should just jump onto the verge like a pedestrian might to avoid a collision, that’s not going to happen as they probably wouldn’t see a vehicle coming from behind; they shouldn’t prevent safe and rapid overtaking on a DC anyway, given enough forward observation.As for getting out and away from e.g. a broken-down vehicle on the (non-existent for dual carriageways) hard shoulder then that it is simply increasing the safety margin, exactly the same as taking the primary would be by ensuring enough space is taken to complete the manoeuvre by the overtaking vehicle having to move into another lane which (one would hope) would prevent a dangerously close overtake - would you not agree there is unlikely to be enough room for an HGV to safely overtake, at speed, a cyclist, whilst remaining in the same lane? I know you think, like many, they shouldn’t be there, but hey ho, perhaps they’re just another hazard to be dealt with. Taking the primary in that situation is at the increased risk of simply getting run over though! P.S. no need to bring cyclepaths into this conversation.
Firstly the idea of getting out of a broken down vehicle on the hard shoulder let alone in a live lane is all about the fact that it is stationary with vehicles approaching with up to a 70 mph + speed differential.In which case if any of those approaching vehicles are in the wrong place at the wrong time the result is inevitable and the idea is at least to make sure that no one is sitting in the stopped vehicle if/when it happens.IE it is the speed differential that matters.
As for the A3 it does have a hard shoulder in many places where it isn’t classed as a motorway.Therefore is possible and not unknown for pedestrians to be walking along it using same at least,let alone cyclists using the ‘primary position’ in lane 1.As I said all still under the advice in the case of a broken down vehicle to get out and stand well away from it on the verge/behind the barriers.When to all intents and purposes all 3 issues present exactly the same hazards/danger of being hit one way or another by fast running traffic.Just as in the case of a motorway.As I said bearing in mind that there are more suitable alternatives,the only possible explanation being suicidal troublemakers,who are going out looking to create ‘issues’ on the major trunk roads.Which the law should at least try to stop by putting motorway type cyclist and pedestrian bans on such roads. 
