Cyclist and highway code

[spongebob59]

Fine with this if they are all insured and pay a road tax ?

Highway Code changes giving cyclists priority over motorists could create "confusion and dangerous situations" as just a third of motorists are aware of it, the AA has warned.
The overhaul, which is coming into force on January 29 subject to parliamentary approval, signifies that motorists will have to give way to cyclists and pedestrians at junctions.
It will produce a new hierarchy of responsibility based on the vulnerability of road-users, with motorists claiming greater responsibility for reducing the danger posed to pedestrians and cyclists.
Cyclists will also have to take action to reduce the danger posed to pedestrians.
Under the old code, pedestrians only had right of way at a junction if they were already on the road.
But under the reconditioned code, drivers and cyclists will have to give way if a pedestrian is waiting to cross a road they are turning into.
Cars indicating to turn left or right will also have to cave in to cyclists coming from behind and going straight on, only turning once they have passed.

 

[theoneandonly]

Half the drivers on the road don't know the highway code anyway. Will make no difference.

 

[Rooter]

Fine with this if they are all insured and pay a road tax ?

I get the winky, but people actually believe this!!

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Fine with this if they are all insured and pay a road tax ?

Highway Code changes giving cyclists priority over motorists could create "confusion and dangerous situations" as just a third of motorists are aware of it, the AA has warned.
The overhaul, which is coming into force on January 29 subject to parliamentary approval, signifies that motorists will have to give way to cyclists and pedestrians at junctions.
It will produce a new hierarchy of responsibility based on the vulnerability of road-users, with motorists claiming greater responsibility for reducing the danger posed to pedestrians and cyclists.
Cyclists will also have to take action to reduce the danger posed to pedestrians.
Under the old code, pedestrians only had right of way at a junction if they were already on the road.
But under the reconditioned code, drivers and cyclists will have to give way if a pedestrian is waiting to cross a road they are turning into.
Cars indicating to turn left or right will also have to cave in to cyclists coming from behind and going straight on, only turning once they have passed.

The third paragraph as it stands is a bare statement which has frightening implications. ( according to that, cyclist can emerge into main road into,path of car and car at fault?)
However,if you have clarified it in the last one, then that's more specific, nonetheless a recipe for rear end shunts to increase greatly.
The way some (newish?) motorists treat cyclists, they defer to them as if they were Royalty or something. Absolutely frightened to death.
I can see it now - motorist wanting to turn left , looks in mirror, sees cyclist 200 yds behind , so instead of completing the left turn, said motorist stops in main road awaiting cyclist. Cars behind? So what!
Jeez!

 

[RichA]

Just read the full proposed changes. It's legislating the the kind of things that careful, thoughtful drivers do already. Having said that, I ditched the bike in favour of walking to the station earlier this year due to the number of drivers that can't be trusted to give way to a bike that's got priority on a junction or roundabout under the existing legislation.
I'm a walker, driver and cyclist in no particular order and don't consider any to be king of the road. Mostly it's just common sense and empathy for other humans.

 

[Imurg]

Just read the full proposed changes. It's legislating the the kind of things that careful, thoughtful drivers do already. Having said that, I ditched the bike in favour of walking to the station earlier this year due to the number of drivers that can't be trusted to give way to a bike that's got priority on a junction or roundabout under the existing legislation.
I'm a walker, driver and cyclist in no particular order and don't consider any to be king of the road. Mostly it's just common sense and empathy for other humans.

Exactly this...apart from having to give way to a,pedestrian waiting to cross at a junction it's what we should be doing anyway..
If a cyclist is in front of you and you're turning left shortly then...don't overtake him.....

 

[spongebob59]

I get the winky, but people actually believe this!!

So at some stage when escooters are made legal and users are made to have some form of insurance are you so sure they won't roll this out to all road users ?

 

[AmandaJR]

I still haven't recovered from yesterday when one of the riders I was instructing was waiting to turn right from a major to minor road. He was in the perfect position waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic, right arm out proud and straight. I saw a car approach from behind and made sure the driver saw me and him, she slowed down and then suddenly full gas...I thought she was going to plough straight into him and just managed to jump our screaming "wait"...he nearly fell off as it put him in a panic but managed to then make his turn. She continued on her way looking slightly sheepish - not sure if she was drunk or what but it was terrifying!

I'll be interested if there are new instructing/teaching practices that come from the changes if they go through. One of the four core principles we teach is that of priority on the road "who goes first" based upon the current highway code.

 

[pendodave]

Half the drivers on the road don't know the highway code anyway. Will make no difference.

Half is pretty generous.
I cycle and drive. It can be pretty hairy on a bike. My cycling only restarted after a 20 year break when the first lockdown came along. Even though I considered myself a pretty considerate driver (don't we all) my cycling experience has made me a much better driver when cyclists, horse riders etc are about. Spending a couple of years on a bike before being allowed to drive a car would change an awful lot of attitudes imho!.

 

[Rooter]

So at some stage when escooters are made legal and users are made to have some form of insurance are you so sure they won't roll this out to all road users ?

E-scooters, IF they are ever legalized, maybe yes they should have insurance. Cyclists? No, it will not become mandatory. Although you will find a lot of more serious cyclists will have insurance already.

And road tax is not a thing. Its vehicle excise duty, and is based on emissions. So is irrelevant to E-scooters, E-bikes and bicycles.

 

[spongebob59]

E-scooters, IF they are ever legalized, maybe yes they should have insurance. Cyclists? No, it will not become mandatory. Although you will find a lot of more serious cyclists will have insurance already.

And road tax is not a thing. Its vehicle excise duty, and is based on emissions. So is irrelevant to E-scooters, E-bikes and bicycles.

Nothing stopping the government changing the rules ?

 

[CliveW]

I can see the sale of dashcams increasing!

 

[Rooter]

Nothing stopping the government changing the rules ?

Of course not, but for normal non e-bikes, I cant see it happening.

Anyone who thinks cyclists are a pain in the arse should spend a day in their saddle and see how scary it can be. A minority of car drivers really do not respect or consider the lives of the cyclist. I am lucky where I live, 99% of drivers are good and considerate. I couldn't cycle in London, would do my head in! (Wouldnt drive in the city either!!)

 

[patricks148]

thousands of cyclists are seriously injured and in some case's killed on Britain's roads ever year by cars and lorries... how many cyclists kill motorists???
I think this should be the major concern, rather than motorisys thinking they are being hard done by.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

thousands of cyclists are killed on Britain's roads ever year by cars and lorries... how many cyclists kill motorists???
I think this should be the major concern, rather than motorisys thinking they are being hard done by.

But likewise when I drive, I don't deliberately put myself in danger. All to often you see cyclists/ebike riders doing just that.

 

[jim8flog]

Half the drivers on the road don't know the highway code anyway. Will make no difference.

When both of my children took their driving test more than a decade a go the requirement to read and know the Highway code was no longer part of the driving test.

At least once a week on one of our local roads I see a driver on the wrong side of the road coming round the corner because they clearly do not what the markings in the road mean.

 

[backwoodsman]

thousands of cyclists are killed on Britain's roads ever year by cars and lorries... how many cyclists kill motorists???
I think this should be the major concern, rather than motorisys thinking they are being hard done by.

I take your general point, but are you sure about those numbers??

 

[Deleted member 15344]

thousands of cyclists are killed on Britain's roads ever year by cars and lorries... how many cyclists kill motorists???
I think this should be the major concern, rather than motorisys thinking they are being hard done by.

How many accidents that are caused by someone on a cycle where a motorist is killed ?

 

[subseaeng]

thousands of cyclists are killed on Britain's roads ever year by cars and lorries... how many cyclists kill motorists???
I think this should be the major concern, rather than motorisys thinking they are being hard done by.

thousands??? From what I can find out the number killed on UK roads in 2020 was 140 which, I agree, is 140 too many and was an increase of about 30-40 per year on recent years. Certainly not thousands!

 

[drdel]

I can see more accidents in the short term