Updates to the Highway Code!

[AliK]

Like them or not, annoying you or not, cyclists are someone’s father, mother, daughter, son, grandma, grandpa, loved one!

the DfT has updated the Highway Code to clarify who has priority and equally how cyclists should behave on the road ...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2021/07/29/new-highway-code-to-rule-that-motorists-should-cede-priority-to-pedestrians-and-cyclists/



As both a road race cyclist of 34 years and driver of 32 years, I feel both groups need to exercise more patience and courtesy towards other road users of the public roads.

Let’s try to not turn this into a cyclists v drivers discussion but rather about the actual code (if possible).

Personally I’m find it interesting that horses are below cyclists - the brakes and steering on my bikes have worked flawlessly 100% of the time!! The same CANNOT be said of horses I’ve ridden or passed!

 

[MCBladeRun]

Well, that's how it should be on 30 or 20mph roads.

When you're driving on a national speed limit dual carriageway and there's a cyclist riding along it with a perfectly good cycle path they could use, that's when I get upset.

I think this is going to get more difficult now that these electric scooters are on the road also.

 

[Mr Tenno]

Makes sense - inner city driving is going to be even more of a challenge though when there are so many pedestrians, you might never be able to make the turn at some times of the day.

 

[AliK]

Makes sense - inner city driving is going to be even more of a challenge though when there are so many pedestrians, you might never be able to make the turn at some times of the day.

Not in London but we regularly have that issue when the local school with 2000 pupils throws out and they are all crossing the pedestrian crossing like a very long snake!

Well, that's how it should be on 30 or 20mph roads.

When you're driving on a national speed limit dual carriageway and there's a cyclist riding along it with a perfectly good cycle path they could use, that's when I get upset.

I think this is going to get more difficult now that these electric scooters are on the road also.

I’ve been guilty of this often as the cycle paths are often in a terrible state and dangerous when you are pedalling away at 20+ mph. At least on a dual carriageway there is space to safely pass and often, if you value your life as a cyclist, you can ride the white line or the left of it leaving enough space for people to pass.

And electric scooters are a very strange one to me! Illegal to use anywhere useful but legal to own! Surely they are akin to electric bicycles? Whoever thought that’s a great idea? There has to be some real guidance for them.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

I have an ebike but it's pedal assist only so very little different to ride except it has great hydraulic disc brakes. I'm currently in Peebles meeting member Andrew Muir and watching my lad on a downhill enduro race this weekend.


Agree both motorists and cyclists are inconsistent re road manners and respect to each other.

I don't think there is a place for horses on roads today. I live in a village and horses are by far the most dangerous. Cyclists on your side of the road are usually seen ahead even if they have just gone around a blind bend. They travel about 15-20 mph. Horses being about 5 mph can be a surprise. Coming the other way they can be startled unlike cyclists who expect a car.

 

[toopy]

Most cyclists on the whole seem to be sensible road users, it's the 'jump the red lights and/or run straight through pedestrian crossings lot' that really p*ss me off.

Want respect.... obey the damn rules!

And don't get me started on riding two a breast talking and casually pedalling their merry way along roads barely wide enough for the flow of traffic as it is

But yes a highways code update is a good thing, the trouble is for every one to be reading from the same page, it needs to be all over advertising boards and advertised on TV...... a lot!

 

[Bazzateer]

It's the adults riding bikes and scooters on footpaths that bug me. See them every day on my 30 min walk to the station.

 

[Mr Tenno]

And don't get me started on riding two a breast talking and casually pedalling their merry way along roads barely wide enough for the flow of traffic as it is

From what I understand, that's usually a defensive tactic to prevent cars from squeezing through when it's not really safe to.

 

[MCBladeRun]

Electric scooters are a very strange one to me! Illegal to use anywhere useful but legal to own! Surely they are akin to electric bicycles? Whoever thought that’s a great idea? There has to be some real guidance for them.

We've got legal ones on trial here in Bristol, so they are only for use on the road and you've got to have a valid driver's licence to unlock one for a ride.

Problem being that those illegal ones have been known to go up to 70mph.

 

[MCBladeRun]

Most cyclists on the whole seem to be sensible road users, it's the 'jump the red lights and/or run straight through pedestrian crossings lot' that really p*ss me off.

I've watched a cyclist go through a green light, but by the time they've got to the actual junction, the priority has changed and they're now just crossing the junction with cars waiting for them to pass. It's because traffic lights are designed for cars etc - with no cyclists in mind when they were designed.

 

[jonbills]

Does the new highway code say anything about those b@£&# car drivers that catch up with the car in front and don't overtake and don't leave a gap either ?

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Cyclists don’t realise the skill abs balls this takes

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....wlch-rhondda-biker-wheelie-court-20463251.amp

 

[SeanDezart]

Just need more cycle lanes !

 

[toopy]

From what I understand, that's usually a defensive tactic to prevent cars from squeezing through when it's not really safe to.

Ive heard that, but in my opinion it just makes it more dangerous, as people get pissed off even more and take silly risks trying to get round them anyway!

 

[Rob Gaskin]

On main roads cycling 2 abreast frustrates car drivers because they want to squeeze passed with oncoming traffic! 2 abreast on country lanes is wrong imo.

 

[jonbills]

I think we should introduce special car lanes, on the nearside of roads, where only cars are allowed. Bikes and pedestrians would use the remainder of the carriageway. Then when car drivers park in the car lane, they will be only inconveniencing their own tribe and things will be resolved much more amicably.

 

[AliK]

2 abreast on country lanes is wrong imo.

I agree with you Rob - I’m often nudging others in the cycling club to think about the dangers they put themselves in when they do that. Often it hadn’t even occurred to them (oh God! I’ve become THAT dad!!). The Surrey Hills area where I’ve been riding all my life used to be great when I was in the minority. But with the explosion of cycling popularity since the Olympics, it’s become like a stage of Le Tour with thousands of cyclists /MAMILs going through each weekend. This is frustrating for the locals (including me) following long snakes of cyclists travelling too fast to pull over and give way but way below the speed a car can safely go down the lanes.

Also with the massive increase in car traffic and car sound proofing / numbness, people drive way too fast around narrow country roads with blind corners and entrances.

Equally - we’ve all done it - how often have we overtaken a slower car or slow cyclist only to have them catch up or pass us at the next junction / traffic light queue!? Sometimes we just have to have a word with ourselves (in the moment) and realise we’re actually not losing any / much time by being patient and safe.

Another factor that doesn’t help is the fact that cars have grown so much wider making it harder to pass.

I can’t help feeling updating the Highway Code alone isn’t going to achieve much except for court cases after the fact.

The government really does need a public education / road safety campaign. The speed awareness course I was sent on for doing 81 on the M40, was great for reeducating the masses (don’t even start me on some of the attendees)! Call me a dictator, but I strongly feel that as a condition of having a license renewed every 10 years, it should be mandatory to attend such a course to refresh and to keep up with changes in the rules (for example, I hadn’t realised that lorries are allowed to do 65MPH, but the last time I read the Highway Code properly was 1989 when I passed my test)! Go on, be honest, when was the last time you refreshed yourself on the Highway Code?

Rant over!

 

[tyroguru]

Well, that's how it should be on 30 or 20mph roads.

When you're driving on a national speed limit dual carriageway and there's a cyclist riding along it with a perfectly good cycle path they could use, that's when I get upset.

AliK: on the new rules - I like anything that prioritises the groups that need more explicit protection in society and the new rules are an improvement on the old ones (though there is still room to improve those).

MCBladeRun - I understand why you'd be bothered if you don't ride bikes as it's not obvious at all why riders would do this but generally cycle paths in the UK are a complete farce. They are often extremely poorly maintained with holes everywhere and very poor surfaces with a lot of loose gravel: this is extremely dangerous to a bike. They also are also usually not factored in as part of the main design of the road and frequently just end in the middle of nowhere!

I rode with clubs for years in the Surrey Hills and as with all things in life you get people who are just assholes who don't think about others who are sharing a common infrastructure. In clubs these people are quickly identified and people don't ride with them for long. Another benefit of riding with local clubs is that you all know great routes which are good to ride and generally more out of the way. For example, a Saturday club ride would be around 60-80 miles and you could generally do this with large stretches of road which are not highly occupied - just takes a bit of planning.

As with most areas of life we all just need to show a bit of patience and empathy at times but I totally get that people have bad days. Please remember that cyclists and motorcyclists are completely exposed and therefore can feel extremely threatened by certain situations (i.e., someone passing very closely).

 

[toopy]

AliK: on the new rules - I like anything that prioritises the groups that need more explicit protection in society and the new rules are an improvement on the old ones (though there is still room to improve those).

MCBladeRun - I understand why you'd be bothered if you don't ride bikes as it's not obvious at all why riders would do this but generally cycle paths in the UK are a complete farce. They are often extremely poorly maintained with holes everywhere and very poor surfaces with a lot of loose gravel: this is extremely dangerous to a bike. They also are also usually not factored in as part of the main design of the road and frequently just end in the middle of nowhere!

I rode with clubs for years in the Surrey Hills and as with all things in life you get people who are just assholes who don't think about others who are sharing a common infrastructure. In clubs these people are quickly identified and people don't ride with them for long. Another benefit of riding with local clubs is that you all know great routes which are good to ride and generally more out of the way. For example, a Saturday club ride would be around 60-80 miles and you could generally do this with large stretches of road which are not highly occupied - just takes a bit of planning.

As with most areas of life we all just need to show a bit of patience and empathy at times but I totally get that people have bad days. Please remember that cyclists and motorcyclists are completely exposed and therefore can feel extremely threatened by certain situations (i.e., someone passing very closely).

Just to add, a lot of cycle lanes, atleast round my way, can be freely parked on which kind of defeats the whole point, forcing the cyclist to move out into the flow of traffic..... go figure!! I fully support cycle lanes on suitable roads but as mentioned above, they are often ill thought out and then not maintained sufficiently.
It's the same with road junctions and roundabouts, they rarely actually survey the local community before installing or changing things, and i doubt the people making the final decision ever actually use them.