Feedback : 2 year old law junctions

hemo
Posts: 1438
Joined: 16 Nov 2017, 5:40pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by hemo »

A light controlled crossing not far from me only changes to stop traffic when it detects a time lapse between approaching traffic, other wise one can stand waiting for many minutes if the traffic is constant from both directions.
cpedw
Posts: 60
Joined: 16 Jan 2007, 11:35am

New Highway Code - I'm confused

Post by cpedw »

The latest Cycleclips (21/1/22) has an item "Highway Code Changes" suggesting the new code starts next week but there's a link which talks about proposals, review and suchlike as if there's a continuing debate. What's going on?

Derek
Nigel
Posts: 463
Joined: 25 Feb 2007, 6:29pm

Re: New Highway Code - I'm confused

Post by Nigel »

The "link" is to old material. Any debate or consultation was last year and earlier.

New Highway Code is published, officially comes into effect next week.

- Nigel
cpedw
Posts: 60
Joined: 16 Jan 2007, 11:35am

Re: New Highway Code - I'm confused

Post by cpedw »

Thanks for the confirmation.

Is there a succinct summary somewhere of the changes?

Derek
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: New Highway Code - I'm confused

Post by Jdsk »

cpedw wrote: 22 Jan 2022, 12:20pm Is there a succinct summary somewhere of the changes?
New text with highlighted changes linked from:
viewtopic.php?p=1656873#p1656873

Jonathan
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by Jdsk »

One week to the new version. Unless something surprising happens.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... y-code.pdf

Jonathan
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by Jdsk »

"Are club rides under threat from Highway Code changes?":
viewtopic.php?p=1667711#p1667711

Based on:
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/are- ... de-changes

I don't think so.

Jonathan
Tangled Metal
Posts: 9505
Joined: 13 Feb 2015, 8:32pm

Highway code change reporting!

Post by Tangled Metal »

So! How about those JC changes. They're all about giving in to the cyclists, right? Cyclists get to own the road even when we give them their own cycle route! Motorists are the victims! I mean how are we supposed over take giving them enough room to feel safe on British roads? 1.5m is way too much, so long as we don't knock them off is enough. Riding two abreast blocking your road! Which idiot thought that one up? Must be a cyclist!

OK! Seriously for a minute. Have I completely misconstrued the media response on the HC changes? Are they all reporting accurately or sensationally and anti cyclist?
DaveReading
Posts: 746
Joined: 24 Feb 2019, 5:37pm

Re: Highway code change reporting!

Post by DaveReading »

I'd be content if they simply reported accurately, for a start, rather than nonsense like the widely-circulated "New Highway Code rule will fine drivers £1,000 for opening door with wrong hand".

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/high ... 78093.html
Jdsk
Posts: 24640
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Highway code change reporting!

Post by Jdsk »

Do you include what's appeared in this forum as part of the media response... ?

: - )

Jonathan
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Highway code change reporting!

Post by mjr »

Tangled Metal wrote: 24 Jan 2022, 7:22am Are they all reporting accurately or sensationally and anti cyclist?
Mostly sensationally and wildly inaccurate.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
oldtimer99
Posts: 105
Joined: 19 Mar 2013, 8:26pm

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by oldtimer99 »

I like the new bit that tells me that lorries and cars on main roads will give way to pedestrians who wish to cross.
I'm about to give it a go on the A64 just outside my local.

I may be gone for some time ........
Grandad
Posts: 1451
Joined: 22 Nov 2007, 12:22am
Location: Kent

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by Grandad »

Interesting phone in on Radio 5 this morning 9..00 to 10.00 No real rants and lots of common sense from all categories of users
mattheus
Posts: 5044
Joined: 29 Dec 2008, 12:57pm
Location: Western Europe

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by mattheus »

Someone on twitter posted a Daily Mail page with ~10thousand comments.
As they put it: excellent. Free publicity for the new rules, that's 10,000 Mail readers who probably didn't know about them before :-)
User avatar
mjr
Posts: 20308
Joined: 20 Jun 2011, 7:06pm
Location: Norfolk or Somerset, mostly
Contact:

Re: Highway Code revisions: Consultation complete and Government response published

Post by mjr »

mjr wrote: 1 Dec 2021, 5:21pm
ChrisButch wrote: 1 Dec 2021, 4:56pm Changes put to Parliament today. I'm not sure whether there have been any more changes, but the full text is at assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/gover ... y-code.pdf. 'Expected to go through unopposed'.
Correct link is https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... y-code.pdf

Thank you for spotting it and letting everyone know.
Here's a summary of all the changes, so you can spot where newspapers are talking rubbish, usually because the reporter didn't know the existing code so claimed motorists had priority when they never did and were being dangerous bullies. You may also like to note that cyclists have more new rules for them than motorists do!

· Introduction: the paragraph including "promote safety on the road" is replaced by one stating who the most vulnerable road users are and saying "it is important that all road users are aware of The Highway Code and are considerate towards each other".

· New section on "Hierarchy of Road Users" with new rules H1, H2 and H3. H1 sets out that motorists bear greatest responsibility to take care and reduce danger, but cyclists and riders have responsibility to reduce danger to walkers. H2 repeats and clarifies various other rules about intermodal interactions including that "pedestrians may use any part of the road" in general. H3 repeats and clarifies rules about motorists interacting with vulnerable road users.

· Rules for pedestrians: a new instruction to avoid unnecessary distractions is added to Rule 1. Rule 5 explicitly covers parades too. Rule 8 clarifies that "other traffic should give way" at junctions and you should "cross at a place where drivers can see you". Rule 11 extended to tell walkers to "take care not to obstruct or endanger" cyclists or horse riders on shared routes. Rule 19 updated to say other traffic "should give way to pedestrians waiting" at zebras and that a zebra with a central island is two crossings.

· Rules about animals: Rule 52 has a section added to suggest riders take the Ride Safe Award.

· Rules about cyclists:
⋄ Rules 59 on clothing, 61 and 62 on cycleways are slightly reworded and mostly weakened with words like "can" and "evidence suggests".
⋄ A new rule 63 instructs cyclists to "take care when passing pedestrians and horse riders" by slowing down, ringing a bell or calling out when necessary, and being prepared to stop.
⋄ Rule 66 partly reworded to be more general about "actions that could reduce your control" and to explicitly state "you can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children".
⋄ Rule 67 partly reworded to be clearer to ride clear of kerbs and doors, plus a warning is added against only passing to the left of large vehicles "with caution" when they are stationary or slow-moving.
⋄ Rule 71 updated to reflect that you only MUST stop at the final stop line of traffic light junctions (not the first stop line if there's a bike box) and cycle-only crossings (not Toucans, by implication).
⋄ New rule 72 gives instruction on road positioning, pretty much exactly as in Bikeability as far as I can tell. This includes the "Ride in the centre of your lane, to make yourself as clearly visible as possible, [...] on quiet roads [...] in slower-moving traffic [...] at the approach to junctions or road narrowings" which has excited so many reporters.
⋄ New rule 73 gives instruction on junctions, including "proceed as if you were driving a motor vehicle" where there's no cyclist facilities. It also includes the "you may prefer to dismount and wheel your bike" which has upset some equalities campaigners.
⋄ Rule 74 on Turning is a combination and reword of old rules, plus "you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross". The blame-shifting crap about "be aware that drivers may not see you" seems to have been deleted in the rewording.
⋄ New rule 75 explains two-stage turns aka "hook turns" where you turn right by turning left to some extent and then making a U-turn.
⋄ New rule 76 clarifies that cyclists going straight ahead have priority over turning traffic, but does include a new "the driver ahead may not be able to see you" blame-shift!
⋄ Rule 77 now refers to "busy roads" instead of "dual carriageways" and sadly again suggests "dismount and push your cycle across" as a first option.
⋄ Rule 78 about roundabouts gets a minor rewording and added blame-shifting "remembering that drivers may not easily see you".
⋄ Rule 79 about roundabouts has text added to say that cyclists can ride them in whatever lane, but should signal right when not leaving the roundabout.
⋄ Rule 82 has words added to make it clear cyclists should give way to pedestrians on crossings as well as everywhere else.

· General rules for all:
⋄ Rule 125 has words added to say excessive speed increases the chances and severity of collisions, as well as intimidating and deterring active travel. It also adds children and others to the list of vulnerable road users.
⋄ Rule 140 ("Cycle lanes") is extended to make it clear it also covers cycle tracks and that motorists should give way when crossing them, even to overtaking cyclists. There's also a clear statement that "cyclists are not obliged to use cycle lanes".
⋄ Rule 144 has words added to emphasise that dangerous driving and speeding are not necessarily intentional.
⋄ Rule 151 has a new instruction to "allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross in front of you" in slow-moving traffic.

· Using the road:
⋄ Rule 160 has "you should give way to cyclists when changing direction or lane" added.
⋄ Rule 163 has words added to say cyclists overtaking "should proceed with caution as the driver may not be able to see you" and to specify what is meant by "as much room as you would when overtaking a car": >1.5m at <30mph for cyclists and more at higher speeds, >2m at <10mph for horses, >2m and "low speed" for walkers, more for everyone in bad weather and at night, and "wait behind [...] and not overtake if it unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances". Note that this applies to cyclists as well as motorists: no more squeezing past other cyclists and walkers on combined cycleway/footways.
⋄ Rule 167 adds "on the approach to [crossings]", "where a vehicle ahead is slowing to stop for a pedestrian" and "following a horse [...] approaching a roundabout or junction [where] you intend to turn left" as places not to overtake.
⋄ Rule 170 reworded from "watch out for" to "give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning" and has "remain behind cyclists, horse riders, horse drawn vehicles and
motorcyclists at junctions even if they are waiting to turn" added.
⋄ Rule 178 about advanced stop lines has some rewordings for clarification and adds that "drivers of large vehicles should stop sufficiently far behind the first while line so they can see the whole area".
⋄ Rule 183 adds "cycle track" to the list of lanes to give way to and clarifies it includes when they're overtaking you.
⋄ Rule 186 adds paragraphs about "You should give priority to cyclists on the roundabout [...] and do not attempt to overtake them within their lane", and to clarify that cyclists and horses may turn right from the left lane. That bit about the left lane is removed from rule 187.
⋄ Rule 192 is clarified to say crossings should be kept completely clear and it explains why, plus also says you should not enter a pedestrian crossing or advanced stop line if you are unable to clear them, which I think makes them similar to yellow-boxes.
⋄ Rule 195 finally adds parallel cycle crossings to the rule about zebras.
⋄ Rule 199 adds an instruction similar to Rule 192 not to enter a crossing that you cannot completely clear.

· Road users requiring extra care:
⋄ Rule 204 is clarified and adds words including "those who can cause the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility".
⋄ Rue 206 adds crossing a "cycle lane", "going through road works or when passing roadside rescue", "approaching zebra and parallel crossings" and "approaching pedestrians who have started to cross" to the list of places you should drive carefully and slowly, and changes "pedestrians who are already crossing" to "crossing or waiting to cross".
⋄ Rule 211 adds motorcyclists/cyclists "waiting along side you" as vehicles "difficult to see" and adds a direct instruction not to turn at junctions if it would cause a cyclist going straight ahead to stop or swerve.
⋄ Rule 212 is reworded to match rule 163.
⋄ Rule 213 has a section added to explain cyclists and horse riders "may sometimes ride in the centre of the lane [...] It can be safer [...] Allow them to do so", plus some rewording to include horse riders.
⋄ Rule 215 is reworded to match rule 163, plus a section is added about ponies in the New Forest, Exmoor and Dartmoor.
⋄ Rule 239 adds the so-called Dutch reach to the parking/disembarking rule, as well as an instruction to avoid trip hazard charging cables.

· Annex 1: You and your bicycle, has minor rewordings and is updated to mention Bikeability.
· Annex 6: Vehicle maintenance, safety and security, is updated to including checking audible warning systems and mention the daily walkaround checks recommended by DVSA and FORS.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
Post Reply