New Highway Code Changes Come Into Effect Saturday 29th January

Fat_Dragon

Fat_Dragon

Well-known member
The department for transport are introducing new rules to the Highway Code to protect cyclists and pedestrians this coming Saturday.

Pedestrians Get Priority at Junctions and Zebra Crossings

From now on if drivers are turning into a junction and a pedestrian is waiting to cross the road, it’s the vehicle that has to give way. Previously, this would only happen if a pedestrian was already crossing the road.

Some people have suggested that this could cause collisions as cars wait to exit busy roads.

The same now applies for pedestrians waiting at zebra crossings, as well as pedestrians and cyclists waiting at parallel crossings.

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Cyclists May Now Ride in The Middle of The Road

Cyclists may now drive in the middle of a lane, in order to make themselves as visible as possible.

However, they are to move to the left of the lane if it is safe and the following applies:
  • Cyclists are on a quiet road or street and a faster vehicle approaches
  • Cyclists are in slower-moving traffic that then speeds up, in order to allow for faster vehicles overtaking
  • Cyclists are in an area of a junction where it would be unsafe for drivers to overtake you
Cyclists are advised to keep at least half a metre away from the kerb, and drivers must leave at least 1.5 metres of space at speeds up to 30mph. Driving faster than that? You need to give even more room.

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Dutch Reach Method

The Dutch Reach method is the practice of opening a car door with the hand furthest away from said door. For example, use your left hand to open a door on your right-hand side. This forces you to turn your head and look backwards, which might help you spot an oncoming cyclist or motorcyclist and prevent a nasty accident.

There are plenty more tweaks being made to the Highway Code beyond the ones mentioned here but these are the main changes.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/highway-code-2022-changes-coming-26034142
 
* Sits back and awaits the same arguments from the same people *

Note, you dont pay road tax, roads were around long before cars, and most cyclists are drivers too and many have insurance, using bike lanes is not mandatory and yes some cyclists jump red lights in the same way some drivers use their phone at the wheel.
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
* Sits back and awaits the same arguments from the same people *

Note, you dont pay road tax, roads were around long before cars, and most cyclists are drivers too and many have insurance, using bike lanes is not mandatory and yes some cyclists jump red lights in the same way some drivers use their phone at the wheel.
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Last one is a false defence. Due to volume. I even pulled up a cyclist for jumping red lights yesterday and he refused to acknowledge he was in the wrong. It's frightening how cyclists justify breaking this law over and over
 
SmallTown said:
Last one is a false defence. Due to volume. I even pulled up a cyclist for jumping red lights yesterday and he refused to acknowledge he was in the wrong. It's frightening how cyclists justify breaking this law over and over
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You reckon more cyclists break the law than drivers - right....
 
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It'll be chaos. How many people will get run over at the junction if they step out?
I saw a disabled cyclist interviewed saying it's great news and riding in the middle of the road will make cyclists more visible. He was sat on his bike in the street.... dressed all in dark grey.
For me the answer lies more in creating many many many more cycle lanes.
That said the 'serious' cyclists don't use them anyway.
 
I drove on the M62 for two hours on Monday afternoon and I saw at least 15 car/van drivers using their mobile phones. A few of them veering out of their lanes as they were doing so. I also saw many cars jumping red lights when in the City where I visited.

Just from my own experiences, motor vehicle drivers are FAR worse than cyclists for breaking rules.
 
Way_Out_West said:
Are you sure you don't just see the same cyclist every day? :)
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I wish.

it really boils my blood. I imagine it's a London thing but it's genuinely staggering how many cyclists jump red lights. My cycle to work is only 15 minutes long and yet I'll see between 4-10 people skipping red lights in that journey. The classic, and the one that really winds me up, is on the chiswick high road where there are specific cyclists red lights. The amount of cyclists I see waiting at these red lights when cars are crossing in front of them, to then set off when pedestrians are crossing is shocking. Especially as the message that gives across "I'll stop at a red light to save myself, but don't care about the safety of pedestrians" It goes to reinforce a very bad stereotype that cyclists are selfish and self centred
 
Brian Marwood said:
I drove on the M62 for two hours on Monday afternoon and I saw at least 15 car/van drivers using their mobile phones. A few of them veering out of their lanes as they were doing so. I also saw many cars jumping red lights when in the City where I visited.

Just from my own experiences, motor vehicle drivers are FAR worse than cyclists for breaking rules.
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Of course they are. And of course the consequences are much much worse.
 
I have no problem with the rule change as I ride a bike as well as drive. However, I do think we will see more accidents and road rage.

The biggest issue is people standing on corners and cars subsequently holding up traffic behind. Genuine pedestrians will be rightly nervous and wait for vehicles to stop, they will also be nervous about oncoming cars potentially approaching that may or may not want to turn right. It will be a nightmare in areas en route to schools. I can see new games for kids developing too, deliberately holding up traffic for fun.

How will blind people cope with these changes at junctions? Not sure how they cope now in truth but i can see accidents and road rage increasing in the short term till everyone gets used to it.
 
zzzzz said:
It'll be chaos. How many people will get run over at the junction if they step out?
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Thing that worries me is you need both sides of traffic to stop and give way at the junction before you can cross safely and if one doesn't and your stood at the side waiting then the car that has stopped and sees that you are not crossing over will just get irate and start driving again.

I think it would be even worse at junctions with traffic lights. Think i will stick to using traffic lights at junctions where they are available.
 
zzzzz said:
Of course they are. And of course the consequences are much much worse.
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“Of course” is the issue I have with this post. You can defend the cyclists all you wish but you really can’t put “of course” as I see exactly the opposite behaviour every single day. As a cyclists myself it frustrates and infuriate me how this law breaking, and the brazen, Boris Johnson esque way the cyclists justify breaking the law is really not a good look. And I’m getting tarred with that brush, despite following the rules
 
In my humble opinion I see more cyclists break the law than the car drivers, for the simple reason I can go to the shop in my car tonight and I will see at least a dozen kids on bikes with no lights or riding on the pavement, which I assume is against the law.

Now if it is just adult cyclists using busy roads and disobeying things such as red lights or other traffic based laws I would say I see more motorists.

I do believe the giving way to pedestrians crossing the road who haven’t started to cross has the potential to do more harm than good.
 
zzzzz said:
It'll be chaos. How many people will get run over at the junction if they step out?
I saw a disabled cyclist interviewed saying it's great news and riding in the middle of the road will make cyclists more visible. He was sat on his bike in the street.... dressed all in dark grey.
For me the answer lies more in creating many many many more cycle lanes.
That said the 'serious' cyclists don't use them anyway.
Click to expand...

Nothing much will change at all.

Pedestrians won't start walking out at junctions because they won't want to get squashed. Remember the Green Cross Code?

Cyclists already take the prominent road position when approaching traffic islands etc - if some didn't before I doubt they will start doing it now.

Cyclists already cycle 2 abreast (it's safer)

Car drivers can see black cars so they should be able to see a cyclist dressed in grey.

The various news shows covering this are just trying to be sensationalist to get a reaction / clicks / views. In reality nothing will really change on the roads. What will be a big change is when drivers kill or injure pedestrians / cyclists their punishments will be more severe.
 
Of course they do. And I'd say it's more like 99%.
Can't speak for London (and I suspect it's a minority anyway) but I very very rarely see cyclists breaking the law.
The rule change is to protect cyclists from vehicle drivers not the other wat round.
 
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