Highway code changes

[matthewslack]

The above is what it means and there are accompanying illustrations showing a car passing a bicycle with 1.5 metres space between them.

I know that is what is intended, but it is not stated explicitly which leaves room for interpretation. Why is there no arrow labelled '1.5m' on that image to take away the doubt?

Even that caption fails, as many drivers do not give a wide berth to cars either.

 

[flecc]

Why is there no arrow labelled '1.5m' on that image to take away the doubt?

Some do:

 

[StuartsProjects]

Some do:

Surly if the 'clearance' should be 1.5m, that should be from the right most point (in the picture) of the bike\rider, not the center line or wheels ?

 

[flecc]

Surly if the 'clearance' should be 1.5m, that should be from the right most point (in the picture) of the bike\rider, not the center line or wheels ?

Agreed, but once again showing how interpretations differ, in this case the police. They've even chosen a narrow drop handlebar bike.

My straight handlebar bike with handlebar end mirror on the right was a full metre wide, so plus 0.75 metres from the kerb and 1.5 metres passing room on the right of the mirror adds up to well over the width of many single lane roads.

So overtaking in that correct way on the other side of the road would scare the life out a cyclist coming from the other direction !
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[Nealh]

I got sick of vehicles overtaking at night with millimeters to spare, but fitting these really does work (so far, so good). But what I really want are hubs with motorised extending tyre shredding blades...


View attachment 45598

You need 007's Living Daylights wheel lasers as on the AMV8 and not the old 007 DB5 wheel shredders.

 

[richtea99]

You need 007's Living Daylights wheel lasers.

Or Boudicca 1.5m celtic sword wheels. Guaranteed to repel all (space) invaders, and look pretty damn cool.

 

[StuartsProjects]

But what I really want are hubs with motorised extending tyre shredding blades...

Have you seem them for sale anywhere ?

 

[guerney]

Drivers might allow us more room, if we had worrying looking wheels like these?

Meet the Icycycle, a Bike With Saws for Tires That Looks Like a Death Trap on Ice

Yes, you read that right. And it actually works.

www.popularmechanics.com

the Q replaces wheels on bike with massive circular saw blades to ride on ice

www.designboom.com

 

[AndyBike]

^^ Thats not what you want to 'Floss the crack' with

I got J hooked by a cop car once. Overtook, then immediately turned left.
Only really had about 1/2 dozen or so of those incidents, Also known as the JESUS CHRIST !!!, death grip on the brake levers school of cycle riding.
Thankfully and since the mid 90's I've used disc brakes of the high power type, but they're certainly put to use when you get cut up like that.

 

[flecc]

I got J hooked by a cop car once. Overtook, then immediately turned left.
Only really had about 1/2 dozen or so of those incidents, Also known as the JESUS CHRIST !!!, death grip on the brake levers school of cycle riding.

I use to suffer those a lot, but since always using a bar end mirror, no more. I've since found it easy to detect when they are going to do that. Seeing the fast approach in the mirror but slower as they appear alongside gives the clue what they are about to do.
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[I893469365902345609348566]

Most light bezels unscrew so one should be able to place a Blue disc with in the bezel so it retains it.

You're right, now that the Police blue heat resistant acetate sheet has arrived, uncrewing the housing to install it, is a legally hazardous hi-viz option... Idiots in vans get away with it. Could they really charge me with impersonating a copper, if it was a very bright steady blue front light?

 

[guerney]

‘I felt powerless – so I started filming’: CyclingMikey on his one-man battle with dangerous drivers

Mike van Erp has reported more than 1,000 motorists to the police – including Chris Eubank and Guy Ritchie. He explains how his father being killed by a drunk driver inspires his actions

www.theguardian.com

 

[passionate off roader]

Instead of getting motorists to stop for pedestrians crossing the road at corners, why not install a pedestrian crossing with lights there?

Spoiler

it's not much more stupid than the new law

 

[soundwave]

every uk road should have a speed limit set at 250mph

 

[DBye]

Following this with interest and wondered how this impacts pedestrians/cyclists at roundabouts. On part of my commute I need to navigate junct 31 of the M1, and I use the pavement here: https://goo.gl/maps/QZbH5bxQw5zSF7uk7 It is not a pleasant crossing as cars often do not indicate and can leap from one lane to the other when leaving the roundabout to join the M1. I find it hard to believe they should stop and give way to a pedestrian standing on the raised paving waiting to cross there! Have I understood that is right and expected under the new code?

 

[richtea99]

Try it and see. If you're still alive, let us know how it went.*





*Disclaimer: this is a joke

 

[guerney]

Following this with interest and wondered how this impacts pedestrians/cyclists at roundabouts. On part of my commute I need to navigate junct 31 of the M1, and I use the pavement here: https://goo.gl/maps/QZbH5bxQw5zSF7uk7 It is not a pleasant crossing as cars often do not indicate and can leap from one lane to the other when leaving the roundabout to join the M1. I find it hard to believe they should stop and give way to a pedestrian standing on the raised paving waiting to cross there! Have I understood that is right and expected under the new code?

I do my utmost to avoid potentially nasty trouble spots like that! Even if it means taking a longer route.

 

[richtea99]

Roundabout exits are slightly different to normal junctions as the exits don't have broken white lines, only the roundabout's entrances have them, so maybe they count as an intrinsic part of the roundabout and not a junction as such. However, that subtlety is not going to be at the forefront of the person crossing.

Other junctions also have the same problem of a rear-end shunt (I'm assuming the first vehicle bothers to give way), but on exiting a roundabout vehicles expect to accelerate out of it, not give way, so it's probably the worst case.

 

[flecc]

I find it hard to believe they should stop and give way to a pedestrian standing on the raised paving waiting to cross there! Have I understood that is right and expected under the new code?

Yes you have got it right, driver should give way to pedestrians on the kerb and obviously wanting to cross. But as ever with the highway code advice which is just that, only when it is safe to do so.

It's a typical British bodge. They are imitating the Netherlands where motorists commonly do have to give way by law and the roads are marked accordingly and often with light signals too.

We get the cheap version, our authorities doing nothing other than putting all the onus on road users to mimic without any safety measures.
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[richtea99]

Re: the Netherlands - rather than the Dutch Reach technique you're going to need Dutch courage for that junction.