Planned revisions to Highway Code will highlight danger of close passes and encourage ‘Dutch Reach’ to prevent cyclists from being doored

Coming home on the M3 last night around 8pm (so proper dark) there was a broken down vehicle in the Smart Motorway section. Had been there for a while because the occupants were out of the car and some way up the grass bank. Absolutely no warning from the matrix signs. Only a matter of time before someone is killed because we thought it was a good idea to remove hard shoulders rather than control traffic volumes.

A bit further on the outside two lanes were closed due to an accident with warning signs lit for about 3 miles and yet cockwombles were still barrelling down the outside of two lanes of stationary traffic to sneak in the queue up by the cones. That finally got stopped by an artic straddling the outside two lanes...

You only have to look at how well people handle ASL boxes to see that no one bothers paying attention to new rules.

90+% of all drivers currently on the road will never read the new Highway code - without re-tests, chnages in the code are meaninless...

“Cycling and walking are increasingly being understood as crucial parts of an integrated approach to issues of health, obesity, air quality and town and city planning." .... Said Mr Norman.

Not in Portsmouth!

Also, is it going to be compulsory to read the new code by current road users? I think not and I cannot imagine the country flocking to their local bookstore to get the revised copy. It is not going to be like a new Harry Potter release or Katie Price book signing event (???). 

I think the only current road users who are likely to read it are the vulnerable road users (me included) and not those who are the real danger.

Compulsary retraining and retesting would also sift out those simply not physically or mentally not able to pass a level of competence. The problem is that the government are more bothered about training dirvers to park up on the wrong side of the road and using distractive electronic devices in motors before actually trying to stop the rot that set in decades ago.

Next they will scrap the penalty for using a phone/media device (as above, it's pretty much of no use in any case) and also not be bothered about alcohol and simoply introduce how to use your phone and be able to drive with 10 pints/2 bottles of wine inside your system. Might as well for all the fucks they give with respect to safety/safe operation of a killing machine.

CUK should spend mine and others money taking the government to court because they are complicit in tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of serious injuries every decade and won't, (not can't) do squat except talk, and even the talk is mostly bullshit waffle that has zero impact on saving lives and creating a better, safer societyfor everyone, not just people on bikes.

As per, CUK are slapping themselves on the back, sorry but you're wasting our money on this crap, a bit like when they gave the green light for the Bedford turbo roundabout. Oh wait, those grey mats will keep us safe though ...

Never mind that it’s already a criminal offence to open a car door dangerously.

We don’t need more rules, we need more enforcement. This is all just so much wankery.

"Transport minister Jesse Norman has confirmed today that the government plans to revise the Highway Code to highlight the danger of motorists overtaking cyclists too closely, and to  encourage the ‘Dutch Reach’ technique to prevent cyclists being ‘doored’."

As others have pointed out, Mr Norman isn't considered to be one of the most competent ministers in a government where the rest of them are hardly going to win a gold medal for competence.  Then there is the complete lack of any force to his words, no complusion, no new laws, just "highlight" and "encourage"; has he been consulting Chris Hoy?  So absolutely nothing really, other than empty words.

This is just a sop to cover the criticism of the killer cyclists inquiry.

Jesse Norman is an incompetent weasel. 

Bit of 'window dressing'; pop all the other 'hard questions' ref protecting vulnerable road users in the 'all too difficult/kick the can down the road' pile and head to lunch.

I was just wondering what sort of speed was being indicated in the front cover picture, it's apparently a montage of car and motorcycle cockpit, but assuming it's a speedo representation from either, it looks to me somewhere north of 60mph which on the approach to a blind right hand bend on a hill with chevron markings, coming up behind a slower road user and with traffic coming the opposite direction and hazard warning lines on the road (maybe should be solids in any event) would seem to me a tad ambitious.

Nothing but a sweetener for a compulsory helmet and insurance law

So we get to look forward the next time a car close passes us to be able to tell them but look the highway code highlights this is dangerous...consider me totally unimpressed by this so called 'victory'. 'Highlights' and 'encourages' sheesh, unless backed up with real consequences for motorists in terms of fines,points and more importantly police enforcement,it won't be worth the revised paper it's written on.

And this is the sweetener of the compliment sandwich what joys no doubt await us ahead in terms of the government's desire to be seen to be be fair and equal to the motorists lobby against cyclists

Key points I've taken from the Grauniad article on this:

Quote:

Measures to protect cyclists are to be introduced in the Highway Code, including a new recommendation on how to get out of a vehicle without “dooring” a passing rider.

Or, as we like to call it, "looking".

Quote:

Highways England has announced a £3m contract with Sustrans to improve the National Cycle Network.

£3m! So, like, about a mile of motorway. Hey, big spender!

So, it's only taken decades to realise that the HC needs improving. How long is it going to be before it actually is revised?

Common sense is not common and people are inconsiderate and selfish. Hence we codify good behaviour. The problem is there is basically no reason to comply with the rules when the risk of being caught misbehaving is so vanishingly small.