Highway code changes

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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This from The Mirror today... a lot to take in, but seems a good summary:

Highway Code changes for cyclists - important new rules for those on bikes (msn.com)
A good summary of the changes, but little will change. Many cyclists will know the new rules but drivers won't since almost none of them will read the new highway code.

Perhaps the driver as well as the vehicle should be included in the annual MOT to see if they are up to date and roadworthy as well.
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Nealh

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Near me there are some cyclist boxes at traffic light controlled junctions, often a car will be parked with in this zone so any cyclist cannot enter it or safely exit said junction as his/her way is blocked. They are there to give cyclists priority without being intimidated. This is a traffic offence and is dealt with by a fine and 3 points on a licence, issue is rarely do we have any enforcement of this rule/law due to lack of policing.
Maye it is time we got our cameras out to upload these traffic offences online to the local police website so they cna be dealt with.
 
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Nealh

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The AA found less the 30% of respondents questioned new of the updates to come.
 
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AndyBike

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The hate filled tabloid readership are now dragging out the case of the cyclist (Charlie Alliston)who knocked down and killed a pedestrian(Kim Briggs). As if 1 every 5 years or so is some sort of indication of how dangerous cyclists are. Completely ignoring of course the 5 motorized vehicles kill every single day.

Although a tragedy,as every untimely death is, the prosecution of the offender was completely over the top, especially knowing as we do how many cyclists are killed and the driver gets off with a ban and a fine.

The prosecution in that case listed the cyclists riding as wanton and furious. It was judged he was riding at between 10-18mph
Speed limit on that road was 30mph, and he's probably doing half that and the law classes this as wanton and furious.
It is odd that the law has given Ebikes the maximum speed of 15.5 mph, which fits into the middle of the wanton and furious claim. So according to the prosecution, I or anyone, using an Ebike, riding at the government set limit of 15.5mph is riding in a wanton and furious manner.
 

Nealh

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One would think the Daily Hate cyclist's paper ake the Daily Fail may be one such paper. They have a track record for demonising cyclists with their hatred.
 
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flecc

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The hate filled tabloid readership are now dragging out the case of the cyclist (Charlie Alliston)who knocked down and killed a pedestrian(Kim Briggs). As if 1 every 5 years or so is some sort of indication of how dangerous cyclists are. Completely ignoring of course the 5 motorized vehicles kill every single day.

Although a tragedy,as every untimely death is, the prosecution of the offender was completely over the top, especially knowing as we do how many cyclists are killed and the driver gets off with a ban and a fine.

The prosecution in that case listed the cyclists riding as wanton and furious. It was judged he was riding at between 10-18mph
Speed limit on that road was 30mph, and he's probably doing half that and the law classes this as wanton and furious.
It is odd that the law has given Ebikes the maximum speed of 15.5 mph, which fits into the middle of the wanton and furious claim. So according to the prosecution, I or anyone, using an Ebike, riding at the government set limit of 15.5mph is riding in a wanton and furious manner.
Yes the tabloid readership might be hate filled and biased, but we have to be careful not to be the same.

In the Alliston case the only reason that the charge mentioned "wanton and furious" was that the law on cycling has never been brought up to date so a historic charge was used. Be careful what you wish for, modernised charges might well be tougher since cyclists on the whole are very far from being angels.

As the judge stated, the prime reason for Alliston's conviction and imprisonment was that instead of slowing and if necessary stopping, he shouted a warning to the woman expecting her to get out of the way. She misunderstood and stepped the wrong way and was hit and killed. His shouted warning was completely contrary to law which makes all vehicle operators responsible for avoiding collision, aural warnings like horns and bells as a warning of approach are only a courtesy and have no force in law.

Again as the judge said, Alliston's total failure to express any remorse compounded his offence.
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AndyBike

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As the judge stated, the prime reason for Alliston's conviction and imprisonment was that instead of slowing and if necessary stopping, he shouted a warning to the woman expecting her to get out of the way.
So something like a car horn equivalent.
Had he a bell instead I think the prosecution would have went through the exact same way.
 

flecc

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So something like a car horn equivalent.
Had he a bell instead I think the prosecution would have went through the exact same way.
No, not a car horn equivalent.

The point I and indeed the judge made is that NO sound warning is a legal excuse in a collision. Shouts, bells and horns are no excuse.

The responsibility on all vehicle operators is to stop in time to avoid a collision. Alliston made no attempt to slow or stop and fully deserved his punishment.
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Nealh

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Alliston wasn't even on an ebike, he simply didn't have a front brake on his fixie meaning the bike even though a pedal only bike was still illegal. That didn't go unnoticed and added to the lack of not being able to stop or brake in time.
 

flecc

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Alliston wasn't even on an ebike, he simply didn't have a front brake on his fixie meaning the bike even though a pedal only bike was still illegal. That didn't go unnoticed and added to the lack of not being able to stop or brake in time.
He didn't have a rear brake either. In law a bicycle must have two sufficient acting independent brakes, a fixie rear wheel doesn't begin to qualify as a brake so he had no brakes.

Alliston's attitude to the law and human life was appalling, so to say his prosecution was completely over the top is very wrong. We cannot allow people to kill through their own gross irresponsibility and then blame the victim for their death for not leaping out of the way quickly enough.

This post of mine in 2020 is relevant.
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Philip Copley

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Yeah, I've got to say, until a bit of time has passed, I wouldn't be wanting to try to turn right on a roundabout in the left hand lane whilst signalling I'm doing so expecting cars going straight ahead to be "courteous" and wait for me to enter/exit "their" lane. I've got to say though, pedestrians do the craziest things, luckily a lot of my riding is in the countryside, but when cycling in urban areas, I cycle slower as I was going down a local hill at the speed limit of 30mph and some lady walked out in front of me, I didn't have time to brake to come to a stop but swerved to duck behind her, she saw me at the last second and jumped back, if she'd kept going I'd have more leeway but had to swerve back out again at her jumping back towards the kerb. I had lights on and a high-vis biking jacket, this would probably if it had turned into an accident had the fault layed at my door, but there's no accounting for what people do when they're not concentrating whilst crossing roads... Going at speed isn't always the advantage you might think, give yourself more time to get places, my mate knocked over a child whilst cycling to work in London, no serious damage done, but couldn't cope with the guilt and hasn't commuted on a bike since.
 
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Gubbins

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Yes, that is the new advice, but as ever our law is confusing. Under existing law if a driver is exiting a side road into a major road when a pedestrian has already started to cross the major road, the driver must give way by law. Of course few drivers have ever done so.

And I can see a problem here in some parts of London and possibly elsewhere, where prostitutes ply their trade standing on the edge of the pavement at corners but with no intention of crossing. I can see them thinking they have a client when a driver following the rules stops for them to cross. Could be embarrassing.
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I was interested by a report in a national newspaper of library louts deliberately using the Centre of the lane thereby restricting traffic flow..
But,
The accompanying photo showed a normal cyclist, no licra in sight.
 
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flecc

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I was interested by a report in a national newspaper of library louts deliberately using the Centre of the lane thereby restricting traffic flow..
But,
The accompanying photo showed a normal cyclist, no licra in sight.
Their journalists knowledge of cycling is such that I doubt they even knew what lycra is.

And they often seem unaware that cyclists should nearly always be in the centre of traffic lanes since the lanes have always been too narrow for a motor vehicle to pass a bicycle when both are within a lane, without it being driven dangerously.

Just as when passing another motor vehicle, the next lane is the one for their overtaking, whatever side of the road that's on.
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richtea99

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The responsibility on all vehicle operators is to stop in time to avoid a collision. Alliston made no attempt to slow or stop and fully deserved his punishment.
Spot on. Rule 126, first line:
Stopping distances. Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear.

Horns (and bells and shouting) are for letting other road users know you're there, not 'Get out of the way' or 'I'm very short-tempered and more important than you'.
 
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move or be destroyed :p
The bits where you're (is it you?) cycling on the pavement past the terraced properties surely risks collision with someone unexpectedly and hastily exiting one, especially when coming round a bend?

Plus somebody could very easily have stepped out from the far side of the bus shelter. The side window was opaque.

Not something I'd try.

Incidentally, is that Gloucester? Looks a bit like it from what I recall - three day work course in 1999.
 
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DiggyGun

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The bits where you're (is it you?) cycling on the pavement past the terraced properties surely risks collision with someone unexpectedly and hastily exiting one, especially when coming round a bend?

Plus somebody could very easily have stepped out from the far side of the bus shelter. The side window was opaque.

Not something I'd try.

Incidentally, is that Gloucester? Looks a bit like it from what I recall - three day work course in 1999.
The pavement doesn’t appear to be a cycle lane, illegal incident No. 1. Turning right down the turn left lane against the flow of oncoming traffic, illegal incident No. 2. Need I go on…
 

soundwave

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i always have a energy drink b4 i set out :p

45568
 

I893469365902345609348566

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Is a very bright flashing blue light on the front of the bike illegal, for a non-cop?
 
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