Changes to the Highway Code

[miasmum]

https://www.carwow.co.uk/news/5790/high ... s-for-2022

The main one that concerns me is that when you are indicating to turn left and you see, as you turn the corner, a pedestrian waiting to cross, you now slam your brakes on and let them go. I presume we just hope that those behind us have read our minds?

Also where do the scooters fit in this hierarchy scheme?

[Workingman]

The Highway Code is advisory and informative: it is not the law.

TBH it does not look much different from the ones from previous years, it's all pretty sensible. If I turn in to a street and someone is crossing of course I will give way. When I overtake a cyclist or horse rider of course I will wait till it is safe to give them a wide berth.

Those damned electric scooters are another matter. They come under the law, the various Road Traffic Acts, and that is how they should be dealt with. Helmets, driving tests, number plates, compulsory insurance, annual 'vehicle' test and VED is the way I would go. Failure to comply with any gets ten years hard labour and fed on gruel.

[miasmum]

If they are crossing already then yes of course you wouldn't mow them down but now if they are standing waiting to cross you are supposed to stop and allow them to cross. That is complete madness in my opinion

Cyclists are now advised to ride in middle of the road including two abreast

[TheOstrich]

If they are crossing already then yes of course you wouldn't mow them down but now if they are standing waiting to cross you are supposed to stop and allow them to cross. That is complete madness in my opinion

What concerns me here is the word "waiting". How many pedestrians will now consider they have carte blanche to walk up to the kerb and step straight into the road? Are we motorists now supposed to watch every person approaching a crossing? Are we meant to be psychic? For goodness sake, if you want to aid pedestrians, paint more zebra crossings!

Cyclists are now advised to ride in middle of the road including two abreast

That is completely ridiculous and I've just had Road Rage merely by reading it!

[cromwell]

The changes just seem nuts to me.
There seems to be a campaign to make driving a car an unpleasant an experience as possible.
Plus anybody who rides an electric scooter on the roads around here is taking their lives in their hands. Those tiny wheels hitting a pothole will mean the e-scooter rider is thrown off into the traffic. They are death traps.

[Suff]

Just seen the changes. I wonder if the people writing the rules actually know anything about the laws.

Cycle in the middle of the road. OK, I do that.

Give them 5 feet when overtaking at up to 30mph and more when going faster.

Now I have an issue. Two way road width standard is 18 feet. Cycling in the middle is 4.5 feet in. To give 5 feet your left wheel needs to be 6 inches into the other lane. Modern cars are over 6 foot wide. So at speed, you are near the gutter on the other side of the road.

Someone isn't checking figures.

[TheOstrich]

The main one that concerns me is that when you are indicating to turn left and you see, as you turn the corner, a pedestrian waiting to cross, you now slam your brakes on and let them go. I presume we just hope that those behind us have read our minds?

See Ossie's footie blog. I had checked that I didn't have anyone up my backside before stopping; there was a SUV but he was some way back.
I wouldn't relish driving in any urban area at the moment. I think there may be a case for sticking to 20mph to give yourself reaction time, because there's a lot now to take into consideration at any given moment .....

The new Highway Code laws are ludicrous, and I hope the pendulum swings back to something more sensible in due course.

I've think I've seen it said that the 2-Abreast cyclists are supposed to return to single-file if the speed of the traffic generally exceeds 10 mph to allow cars to overtake? Can anyone confirm?

[Workingman]

As someone who cycled a lot in the 60s and 70s riding two abreast was to be encouraged, even for large groups, but there were rules.

When riding two abreast riders should always go back to single file on narrow roads - speed had nothing to do with it. Large groups should not ride two abreast like an articulated lorry they should split into groups of four and ride 2 by 2 and there should be gaps between these smaller groups so that two or three cars could pull in between them.

Peloton type groups were unheard of back then.

[TheOstrich]

Re the Highway Code, I am not sure it applies to turning right, it only mentions turning left and giving way to pedestrians.
Anyone else know?

As far as I can tell, there is no distinction as to whether the car driver is turning off left or turning off right.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the- ... nuary-2022

Rule H2 - Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists
At a junction you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning.

It also beggars another question - do you still follow the rules and allow pedestrians to cross in front of you when you're turning off a roundabout?

The whole thing is a shambles.

[miasmum]

Yes you are right it is either way, I think I saw a diagram of a left turn which is why I thought that was the ruling.

I do quite like the comment 'only pedestrians and those in mobility scooters may use the pavement' Lets hope they enforce that with cyclists and flipping scooters