Revised Highway Code

[Whippy]

Oh dear.....

[Fika]

INTERNET FIGHT!

It'd be rare to be a victim of such scams though the internet would make you believe at every corner you turn some barbarian has an ambush crew ready to take down you down. Dash cam will do wonders.

I'm a little happy with the updates although our local tabloids were quick to plaster headlines of cyclists having "more rights" than motorists. Honestly a lot of us ARE motorists, but many drivers simply do not understand that they ought to keep distance from a 2 wheeler.

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by Fika

INTERNET FIGHT!

It'd be rare to be a victim of such scams though the internet would make you believe at every corner you turn some barbarian has an ambush crew ready to take down you down. Dash cam will do wonders.

I'm a little happy with the updates although our local tabloids were quick to plaster headlines of cyclists having "more rights" than motorists. Honestly a lot of us ARE motorists, but many drivers simply do not understand that they ought to keep distance from a 2 wheeler.

Huh.





mumble mumble your mum

[john.wigley]

Originally Posted by Fika

INTERNET FIGHT!

It'd be rare to be a victim of such scams though the internet would make you believe at every corner you turn some barbarian has an ambush crew ready to take down you down. Dash cam will do wonders.

I'm a little happy with the updates although our local tabloids were quick to plaster headlines of cyclists having "more rights" than motorists. Honestly a lot of us ARE motorists, but many drivers simply do not understand that they ought to keep distance from a 2 wheeler.

You make a good point, 'Fika', but how much space? One of the things that prompted me to start this thread was having seen a cyclist, who sadly died, struck by a trailer drawn by an overtaking tractor. It was a sobering experience and I make a point of giving riders as much room as I possibly can. I sense that in waiting for an opportunity to pass safely, I may also annoy following drivers. On the other hand, only the other day, I was following two cyclists who, when it was safe to do so, clearly indicated to me that they were ready to be overtaken (a sign, incidentally, that has long since disappeared from any copy of the Highway Code). It can be a difficult call, especially when other road users may view the situation differently to you.

Regards, John.

[volvocat]

Originally Posted by Familyman 90

I cycle more miles a year than I drive, and have 2 motorbikes. My daughter has 2 horses. So I know about about vulnerable road users.

Driving sensibly and being cautious around more vulnerable road users isnt being self righteous - its simply practical, because its kept me with a clean licence for 40 years, a clean conscience, and out of prison.

Instead of being needlessly rude you could perhaps simply explain what it so difficult about any of this?

Oh, for goodness sake - I'm not referring to you personally, Familyman!
Why would you think that? I'd just agreed with you...
Since you seem so sensitive, let me re-phrase - it was a general comment directed at those who ARE self-righteous and egostistical behind the wheel / on the bike etc.
"Inconsiderate and impatient road users should put their self-righteous ego in their back pockets..." Better?!
Good example of how the written word can be mis-interpreted - no offense indended - honestly...

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by volvocat

...
Good example of how the written word can be mis-interpreted - no offense intended - honestly...

It happens on the road too, there's an ad running on the radio at the moment with the scenario of a van driver pulling alongside a car and pointing, the car driver takes it as an insult and road rage ensues, but the van driver was actually trying to point out a flat tyre on the car, easily done.

[TeamG]

The consultancy I work for developed the updates and I was part of the internal consultation on the draft, hence I have seen it in detail.

Very few rules are changed, except for making wording clearer when it was potentially ambiguous.

New rules have been added to deal with changes in motoring technology (EVs, smart motorways, autonomous vehicles and driver aids). All of these are sensible, not contentious or problematic, just new rules where no previous rule existed.

The additional words around cyclists and pedestrians help to clarify existing rules and may I say educate the poorly educated. (Those that say “cyclists don’t belong on the roads because they don’t pay ‘road tax’ for example”.)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by volvocat

how often so we see cyclists blasting through junctions on a red light, or diving across oncoming lanes, cutting corners across pavements - showing no regard for motorists, or even other cyclists & pedestrians?

One of those "minority" has just been jailed for life in London for "Causing death by reckless cycling" i think were the words used.
Various clips of video footage from a number of angles (CCTV, dashcams) showed this character running a red light when the pedestrians green light was visible (even on the B&W footage) on the crossing for the elderly (73 i believe they said) gentleman to cross the crossing.
The victim was taken to hospital and died a few days later from his injuries.

The scumbag - err "sorry" (NOT!), cyclist didn't even stop, givng the whole experience an air of premeditation. Whether my feelings that it was premeditated are right or wrong is irrelevant, the guy has been sentenced to life imprisonment and rightly so. For the record, he was identified by the various footage of him and witnesses who recognised him.

If you undertake a journey on the road in a vehicle you also take the responsibility that is implicit in using a vehicle on the road whether it's a bicycle, moped, Smartcar, Rolls Royce, HGV, PCV or whatever.

Originally Posted by DaveNP

It happens on the road too, there's an ad running on the radio at the moment with the scenario of a van driver pulling alongside a car and pointing, the car driver takes it as an insult and road rage ensues, but the van driver was actually trying to point out a flat tyre on the car, easily done.

Just for clarification, you say this ad is on the radio? The way you've described it sounds almost as if you saw the ad (very vivid description if you only heard it) or is it one of these newer sorts of descriptive ads?

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Just for clarification, you say this ad is on the radio? The way you've described it sounds almost as if you saw the ad (very vivid description if you only heard it) or is it one of these newer sorts of descriptive ads?

Just a radio ad but cleverly done to describe the situation and get across the point of a misunderstanding, it has been said that the pictures on the radio and in books are better because you create them yourself. Maybe more vivid to me because I was in a similar incident years ago, I was following a truck and noticed something odd about the trailer tyre, when we stopped at a junction I could see a large bulge in the sidewall, it took some distance to be able to get past and get the driver to pull over and when he got out of the cab he was quite angry, only when I had ushered him round to te defective tyre did his manner change completely, turned out he'd had a s##t day and some idiot in a car was the last straw. Once he'd calmed down he decided he'd just park up for the night, get some sleep, and sort it out in the morning.

[Laird Scooby]

Thanks for clarifying that, sounds like what i'd describe as one of the newer descriptive ads.

Your encounter with the grumpy trucker shows how important it is to keep an open mind even after a bad day - if he'd not stopped he could easily have had a blow out soon after!