Updates to the Highway Code have been announced today, which - when implemented - will mean that pedestrians and cyclists have more rights on the road than motorists.
Learning the Rules of the Road is part and parcel of learning to drive a car or ride a motorbike, although many people haven't refreshed their knowledge of the Highway Code in quite a while....
The updated version, which is due out this Autumn, will tweak 33 existing rules and introduce two new ones, and may include the "Dutch Reach" technique for opening doors (For those of you unfamiliar with it, you use the hand furthest from the car door to open it, as it automatically makes you turn. This helps you spot cyclists and pedestrians, reducing the risk of hitting them with your car door)
During the past eighteen months of the Covid-19 Pandemic, there has been a sharp increase on walking and cycling. The Department of Transport seek to capitalise on this with a £338 million package to boost walking and cycling over journeys taken by car or motorcycle. It also includes funding for new cycle lanes, improvements to existing cycleways, and initiatives to encourage people to walk instead.
Whilst this will be a boost to the environment, it looks to put pedestrians and cyclists firmly above all motorists on roads all over the UK, and will look like this:
Pedestrians
Cyclists
Horse Riders
Motorcycles
Cars and Taxis
Vans and Minbuses
LGV's and HGV's
Last year, the insurance company Admiral ran a poll to garner people's views on the hierarchy of road users: and asked "Should pedestrians and cyclists be at the top of hierarchy of all road users?
Source: https://www.admiral.com/magazine/guides/multicover/do-you-know-the-rules-of-the-road
As you can see, many people already believed that all road users need to see cyclists as equals, however, these proposed changes put cyclists and pedestrians at the very top, and motorists at the very bottom.
What are your thoughts?
A "road" is for cars and motorcycles. There is this unbelievable thing that exists, I don't know if the folks in the UK know about it yet. It might not have reached it yet! It's remarkable, really. The sidewalk is quite the remarkable thing to see. It's this entire section of land dedicated specifically for those things with two legs that walk upright, or four legs, hell maybe even 1 or 3 legs depending on your situation. It's really fun to spend time on!
Lol what the hell are we coming to? A road is where a vehicle belongs. Bike's can share the breakdown lanes of the roads but I don't think they should be given free reign to ride wherever and certainly not be given more rights than what the road was designed for.
Hallelujah @cmplxty! You've nailed it!
Mind you, you wouldn't believe the hornet's nest this issue has kicked up over here...absolutely crazy.
Annabelle.
Sounds like more steps towards removing automobiles from the roads.
I think you've called it, @j85063 - there does seem to be a push to get the roads automotive free, with the car as the enemy. Absurd, isn't it?
I once had to cancel a hospital appointment due to my car being off the road, and at first they were so angry, advising me that I wouldn't be given another appointment. She only calmed down when I told her whene I live and how long it would take me to get there using public transport (just under 6 hours) and gave me a new appointment.
I wouldn't be able to get out and about without a car - simples.
Annabelle.
por la seguridad de los peatones y ciclistas me parece una muy buena medida lo de abrir la puerta con la mano mas lejana...
Es una buena técnica
Annabelle.
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