Highway Code Review for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders

[GTR1400MAN]

https://despatch.blog.gov.uk/2022/01/26/changes-to-the-highway-code/

Thanks.

It's interesting that there's a nod towards how much more dangerous this can be for motorcyclists dealing with situations while turning.

[angus]

Another ADI offers advice:
https://youtu.be/X4-PoCp8GPE

He's a sensible chap, partly because he has/had a VX220.

This is interesting. He's a local instructor who I often see and his examples were all on roads I'm very familiar with.

With local knowledge I'd be very wary of his examples at 5.42 and 5.59. This is an area with large numbers of university students, many of whom are foreign. When the new rules came in, it seemed they were told about drivers having to give way and started just walking across, forcing drivers to give way

[Another Bill]

I had an encounter relevant to this, just the other day.

I was planning to turn left into a side road, a supermarket car park, in fading light. A gentleman was walking along the pavement, same direction as me, clearly planning to continue, and would clearly get to the corner before I would. There was nobody close behind me and it was a 20mph limit so I slowed to make it clear I was giving way. The pedestrian glanced over his shoulder and could clearly see I was letting him cross the junction, gave me a small wave of thanks and continued his journey.

All well and good. Trouble was, just as I slowed, an oncoming car started signalling right, who also wanted to turn into same side road. The driver noted that I’d slowed and assumed it was for his benefit. He too gave me a wave of thanks and swung across too, right into conflict with pedestrian.

Fortunately the pedestrian was on the ball and stepped back out of way of the crossing vehicle, all resolved with an exchange of smiles, albeit raised eyebrows. But could have ended badly, regardless of who’s “fault” it was.

Mind you, I’d probably have done exactly the same thing even before the new HC rules.

[Ohlins]

The revised Highway Code and road user hierarchy are going well, then

Has anything changed in reality?

[GTR1400MAN]

The revised Highway Code and road user hierarchy are going well, then

Has anything changed in reality?

I do see more vehicles letting peds cross.

I do see more peds expecting to be let across

I do see vehicles leting people cross in the wrong places.

I do let peds cross, as I always did if it was safe/sensible to do so. I still see peds reluctant to take this courtesy and cross. They either wave you through, or feel compelled to rush/run across.

[sussex2]

´All well and good. Trouble was, just as I slowed, an oncoming car started signalling right, who also wanted to turn into same side road. The driver noted that I’d slowed and assumed it was for his benefit. He too gave me a wave of thanks and swung across too, right into conflict with pedestrian´.

That is the problem as in the UK it has not been the custom to give way to pedestrians. The poor souls were expected to wait and doff their caps if somebody did give way to them.
I live and drive, mostly in Spain (Catalunya) and the priorities which now exist in the UK have been on the books here, for decades and as in many other countries.
You rarely see people giving way unnecessarily and with pedestrians crossing the whole idea is nobody stops, if possible. The vehicle slows the people walk, don´t wait.
I have to tell UK visitors not to scurry across the road as nobody would understand what they are doing, think it dangerous.
The changes will take time, are long overdue and IMO welcome.
Perhps more advertising and greater common knowledge may helpl

[jont-]

Perhps more advertising and greater common knowledge may helpl

Ah, just like "common" sense

General HC knowledge is so woeful in the UK that I can't imagine how TPTB thought changing it would make any difference at all.

[sussex2]

Perhps more advertising and greater common knowledge may helpl

Ah, just like "common" sense

General HC knowledge is so woeful in the UK that I can't imagine how TPTB thought changing it would make any difference at all.

In Spain if over 40 when renewing your licence you must have:
An eye test
Basic health test
Reaction test
I don´t say it is the answer to everything but I do drive widely in Northern Spain and France.
The general standard of driving is not bad, not bad at all and of course far from perfect.
As a pedestrian or cyclist I feel more safe, quite a lot more. I don´t say complacent.

The situation may be helped by the excellent, and constantly evolving, road network.
Outside of a city it is rare to be held up at all and even if there is a collision then things get cleared up, quickly.
It is a federal country with different states so I can really only talk about the northern part.

[martine]

...yes I agree at least a regular eyesight check in the UK would be a good idea.

But lets not forget the UK road safety record (fatalities drivers, passengers, cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians per 100,000 population) is 3rd or 4th in the world - better than Spain, France, Germany.

[crr003]

An update:

https://youtu.be/ahDPuCInKJU

At 4:50 "The confusion is obvious" ... yes, because YOU are wrong!

Another update (with a motorcycle bias this time):

https://youtu.be/vXusi54W9W4

4:22. "Well it does!"