E-Petition: 3 Feet 2 Pass

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al_yrpal
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Re: E-Petition: 3 Feet 2 Pass

Post by al_yrpal »

DOT Response 1 001.gif


DOT 3 002.gif




DOT letter I received in response to my suggestion....

As far as I am concerned the laws prohibiting Burglary and Murder are difficult to enforce. I think this is a cop out on the part of the DOT and with policy advisors like this what hope is there? I think a passing rule is absolutely fundamental and would remove lots of agro from the roads

Al
Last edited by al_yrpal on 14 Nov 2012, 3:38pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
reohn2
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Re: E-Petition: 3 Feet 2 Pass

Post by reohn2 »

Sounds good in letter form :? though I haven't seen any of it I s'pose it's a start.
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al_yrpal
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Re: E-Petition: 3 Feet 2 Pass

Post by al_yrpal »

Please note second page (had difficulty uploading it....
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
bretonbikes
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Re: Give cyclists 3 feet

Post by bretonbikes »

mikebcycling wrote:I'll be happy to be told that there has been a previous thread on this issue. Before visiting France and Germany in September, I was reading up on French traffic laws and noted that "When overtaking a bicycle, drivers must leave a distance of at least 1 metre in built-up areas and 1.5 metres outside built-up areas between their vehicle and the bicycle". We had a number of bike runs in the Somme and Champagne areas and felt considerably safer than we do in the UK, with motorists waiting until it was safe to overtake and giving a wide berth when they did. I discussed the issue with my local CTC councillor and was told that it had been discussed on Council but that they would not pursue similar legislation here as they felt it was unenforceable. It's also worth noting that, as at end-September, 21 States in the USA had legislation requiring a minimum of 3 feet between bicycles and passing vehicles, with more States in the pipeline. The reality is that enforcement might only be possible post-accident but it removes any dubiety about a safe margin. If you're 3 feet/1 metre away, you can't clip a cyclist with a wing mirror! Few motorists seem aware of the provisions of rules 163 and 212 of the Highway Code and, in any event, these do not have the same force as RTA legislation. In my view, we need a combination of this legislation plus education on the subject.
Grateful for views on this issue and the best way forward.


The snag is that once you get used to the 'personal space' offered in France you find cycling in the UK terrifying:-) More important is that in France there appears to be a presumption that if you hit a cyclist in a car when overtaking then it is your fault - the argument being that if you were 1.5 m away then any wobbles or otherwise by the cyclist would not be the cause of the collision. That is how the 'unenforceable' issue is circumnavigated, your only defense being that the cyclist made some large and unexpected move and for that you need witnesses. A friend of mine went to prison for exactly this.
38 years of cycletouring, 33 years of running cycling holidays, 8 years of running a campsite for cyclists - there's a pattern here...
reohn2
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Re: E-Petition: 3 Feet 2 Pass

Post by reohn2 »

al_yrpal wrote:As far as I am concerned the laws prohibiting Burglary and Murder are difficult to enforce. I think this is a cop out on the part of the DOT and with policy advisors like this what hope is there? I think a passing rule is absolutely fundamental and would remove lots of agro from the roads

Al

Agreed! and their lack of sphericals to implement such a law goes hand in hand to do anything that's to make cyclists less vunerable to motorvehicle driver's whims and prejudice.
And all at a time when cycling is having it's greatest resurgence in modern times,not to mention it's health benefits,carbon reduction and alround goodness for the UK public,a goodness being thrarted by overcrowded roads that the bicycle helps reduce by it's presence on those roads.
Yet we have successive governments that simply don't give a damn!!! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
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Ron
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Re: Give cyclists 3 feet

Post by Ron »

bretonbikes wrote:The snag is that once you get used to the 'personal space' offered in France you find cycling in the UK terrifying:-) More important is that in France there appears to be a presumption that if you hit a cyclist in a car when overtaking then it is your fault .

IME France is no better, and worse than some countries in mainland Europe. (old Eastern bloc countries excepted).
Sadly the UK languishes near the bottom of any Euro cycle-friendly league table.
reohn2
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Re: Give cyclists 3 feet

Post by reohn2 »

Ron wrote:......IME France is no better, and worse than some countries in mainland Europe. (old Eastern bloc countries excepted).

Earlier this year we were in France for five weeks,Pre Alps,Aine Gorge,Ardenne,South Burgundy.
In that time we had one close overtake,here I'm doing well if I/we get only one per ride.
It's the same story when we've been to,Italy,Portugal or Mallorca.
People tend to have more respect for other road users in these countries.
Could the strict liability laws have anything to do with it?

Sadly the UK languishes near the bottom of any Euro cycle-friendly league table.

Why am I not surprised? :?
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
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mattsccm
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Re: E-Petition: 3 Feet 2 Pass

Post by mattsccm »

Any one passing 3 feet from me gets all the volume and abuse I can muster. Twice that will do thank you.
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