Changes to the Highway Code.

[Kenneve]

Just wonder what your opinion would be on a situation that occurred this afternoon.
I was on a single track winding country road (40mph limit, single carriageway) when I came across several cars in front travelling at about 10-12mph.
This was because they were held up a convoy of  cyclists, maybe 15-20 of them, riding mostly 2 abreast, forming a continuous  line, maybe 40mtrs long.
Obviously there was no opportunity to pass without going onto the wrong side of the road, which was not safe given the winding nature of the road.
This situation continued for around 1.6km before I turned left off the road, by which time there several additional cars behind me. God knows when the traffic eventually got past
I believe they were fully aware of the traffic build up behind them, but could not have cared less
What chance has the motorist got with attitudes like that?

[embee]

...
And I'm in favour of making it explicit that pedestrians already crossing a side road junction have right of way (in addition to the new H2 requirements). ....

That was the case but now it says that a pedestrian WAITING to cross a side road has priority and a vehicle turning in must stop to allow the pedestrian to cross. This in essence means that a pedestrian does not actually need to wait, they can just walk across. They have priority if either waiting or crossing, so just crack on.

I think that's a potential recipe for disaster, either people turning in will not be aware of the rule and will not stop and potentially get done for it (assuming it has law status) or the vehicle will suddenly stop part way into the turn and a following vehicle might collide with them, or you get a stand-off where the pedestrian not understanding the rule just stands there looking blank at the stationary vehicle part way into the turn.

.... and the business of giving 1.0m or 1.5m or 2.0m clearance to cyclists is way too complex for real world use. Give decent clearance, yes, but trying to decide whether it needs to be 1.5m or 2.0m depending on whether the cyclist is on a slow of faster road and is moving between the centre of the lane and 0.5m from the verge etc , all way too complex .......
I suspect for a large goods vehicle on a narrow road it wouldn't actually be possible to achieve some of these figures at all.
I bet there are a lot of people who couldn't accurately judge 1.5m anyway, even if they knew what it was.

Time will tell.

[Kremmen]

I think 'time will tell' is the key here.

It's far too early to see any reports of incidents.

Edit:

Seems not, this lot refused to let cars past for 8 miles whilst looking back and laughing :

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10454809/Cyclists-middle-road-drivers-POWERLESS-stop-new-Highway-Code.html

[ColinS]

I think that's a potential recipe for disaster, either people turning in will not be aware of the rule and will not stop and potentially get done for it (assuming it has law status) or the vehicle will suddenly stop part way into the turn and a following vehicle might collide with them, or you get a stand-off where the pedestrian not understanding the rule just stands there looking blank at the stationary vehicle part way into the turn.

One thing that people have failed to pick up on is, that due to the new hierarchy, cyclists must also give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the road.  In my opinion, a cyclist is more likely to get back ended by a car than another car is, with much worse consequences.  Although I do think that all road users will 'cherry pick' the rules that apply to them and I can't see cyclists taking any notice of this particular one.

[Neil Ives]

I think 'time will tell' is the key here.

It's far too early to see any reports of incidents.

Edit:

Seems not, this lot refused to let cars past for 8 miles whilst looking back and laughing :

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10454809/Cyclists-middle-road-drivers-POWERLESS-stop-new-Highway-Code.html

Oh, The Daily Mail eh? Must be true then. 

[RichardA]

That'a good mention re busy roads.

There are a few weekends in the summer where there is some sort of a cycle rally along the A22 somewhere south of the East Grinstead area. I forget the exact stretch but it has a lot of single carriageway.

Every year there was a significant tailback of traffic as heavy goods and coaches got stuck behind cyclists 3 abreast with no regard for what was behind.

I seemed to always drive down to Eastbourne on one of the rally days.

Sounds like Forest Row to Wych Cross. An alternative route to is to leave the M25 at the M23 junction. leave the the M23 at Crawley and go via Turners Hill and Sharpthorne and join the A22 at Wych Cross. Wych Cross to Nutley has some overtaking spots and there are some wide single carriageways sections near Uckfield, but otherwise there is no dual carriageway until Hailsham.

For overtaking spots the A21 is worse - there is nothing south of the dual carriageway ending at Kipping's Cross, other than the short dual carriagway at Lamberhurst. There used to be a two lane dual carriageway at Flimwell but that was made single lane dual carriageway after some bad accidents.

[Kremmen]

The SatNav always reckoned M25 > M23 > then along the coast but I just preferred the more scenic and relaxing A22.

I need to find some way of knowing these events before I go although this year it'll maybe be Sep.

[Lord Voltermore]

Whenever I drive a motor vehicle I consider if I am  holding up traffic behind me  and  will do all I can to let them overtake as soon as reasonably possible.  It has never occurred to me to be any less considerate to others  when I'm riding a bicycle.      Is there some sort of righteous entitlement hysteria involved, especially when riding in a group  ,  or is it simply the UK has a lot of innately selfish pigs?

[Neil Ives]

... or is it simply the UK has a lot of innately selfish pigs?

Probably not a majority but enough to make other road users curse. 

[nowster]

I believe they were fully aware of the traffic build up behind them, but could not have cared less
What chance has the motorist got with attitudes like that?

Just like a tractor driver (or someone doing 40mph on a narrow NSL road), they should pull in from time to time to let waiting traffic past.

[culzean]

cyclists more likely do

I believe they were fully aware of the traffic build up behind them, but could not have cared less
What chance has the motorist got with attitudes like that?

Just like a tractor driver (or someone doing 40mph on a narrow NSL road), they should pull in from time to time to let waiting traffic past.

Most cyclists probably doing <20mph,  but  up a hill, a fair bit less.  The lycra clad ones are the entitled ones,  I used to work with a couple of blokes who had all the garish lycra and mega expensive carbon bikes, the only way I can describe them is 'militant'..

[Kremmen]

I agree that the majority of cyclists will continue to realise their vulnerability and will continue as normal.

I used to cycle 5 miles to work in the 80's and some car drivers were silly. As I cycled up the inside at a traffic light queue some would deliberately pull as close to the kerb to block you. Didn't work because that left a bigger gap on their drivers side. They were clearly peeved when a smile at them when passing this new big gap was realised.

[Neil Ives]

I used to cycle 5 miles to work in the 80's and some car drivers were silly. As I cycled up the inside at a traffic light queue some would deliberately pull as close to the kerb to block you. Didn't work because that left a bigger gap on their drivers side. They were clearly peeved when a smile at them when passing this new big gap was realised.

I had exactly the same experience many times.

One day, while cycling to work, in a queue of traffic a lorry almost squeezed me to death. A bit further on he was stopped and there was room for me to come up the inside of  him. I reached up and banged my fist on his passenger door as hard as I could. I then rapidly cycled off. He was hanging out of his window swearing and shaking his fist at me! I then regretted doing it because every morning I was worried that he might be on the road at the same time and do me in! After that I made sure I was wearing different clothes.

[Kremmen]

I had similar but in west London, Uxbridge Road, their were plenty of bus lanes to escape

[hemming]

If anyone wants a reasonable explanation of the changes Hubnut on Youtube gives an unbiased view.