Revised Highway Code to boost cycle safety
Campaigners pressure government to drop ban on group riding, reports James Shrubsall
This month, nearly 18 months after the initial proposals were met with a mixture of concern and excitement by the cycling community, the updated Highway Code will come into force.
The new rules, which become official on 29 January, include a raft of measures designed to make the roads safer for cyclists and other vulnerable users, as well as more wideranging restrictions – on mobile phone use in cars, for example
– that should also boost safety.
When the Department for Transport launched the initial consultation in August 2020, bike riders were pleased to see a “hierarchy of road users” and new suggestions around the safe overtaking of cyclists.
However, changes to the now notorious rule 66 – which proposed that cyclists riding two-abreast should have to single out whenever a motorist wishes to pass them – were criticised as ambiguous, with the potential to spark conflict between cyclists and drivers. The consultation saw a robust response from the cycling community, highlighting the potential flaws in the wording, including from Cycling Weekly – which campaigned and garnered support from MPS who urged the DFT to listen to cyclists’ concerns. Thankfully it did listen, and concerns were reflected in a new, less ambiguous wording.
Here are four key changes to the Highway Code that cyclists can look forward to in a fortnight’s time:
Hierarchy of road users
This is a concept that acknowledges that road users with the potential to cause the most harm in an accident have the “greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger to others”. This applies most strongly to car and lorry drivers, but cyclists and horse riders are, in turn, urged to look out for pedestrians.
Riding two abreast
The new wording for this (rule 66) emphasises that riding two abreast is often safer, and reduces the onus on cyclists to single out. “You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders. Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so,” it says.
Overtaking riders
From the end of January, drivers should give cyclists at least 1.5m of room when overtaking at up to 30mph (rule 163), and more at higher speeds. Drivers should take extra care in
“The changes represent a step forward for cyclists”
bad weather and wait behind and not overtake if they don’t believe they can meet these clearances, says the new Code.
The Dutch Reach
The new Code (rule 239) doesn’t use the popular colloquialism, but describes it to a T: “Where you are able to do so, you should open the door using your hand on the opposite side to the door you are opening,” it says. “You are then more likely to avoid causing injury to cyclists or motorcyclists passing you on the road, or to people on the pavement.”
While many road users will not have seen a copy of the Highway Code in years, the changes do at least emphasise the safety and rights of vulnerable road users, and represent a step forward for cyclists. Buy a copy for all your petrolhead friends!