Petition "To introduce a permanent, minimum passing distance

[mustang1]

Yeah but they are stupid enough not to.

So what will the petition do that's different to what drivers are supposed to do anyway?

 

[summerdays]

So what will the petition do that's different to what drivers are supposed to do anyway?

The existing guidelines are open to interpretation at least this would be clearer.

 

[Hacienda71]

I have signed it. If it clarifies things and helps to raise awareness for some motorists, then it can only be beneficial.

 

[summerdays]

Well at least one of my FB friends has shared it already.... so I'm hoping that means they signed it too! (She's a cyclist so I expect she doesn't need to be told how much space to give).

 

[Lonestar]

So what will the petition do that's different to what drivers are supposed to do anyway?

Use up paper?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Not only enforcement, and let's be frank, enforcement of speeding, parking, any other antisocial behaviour on the roads and antipathy towards more vulnerable road users is on a sliding scale of hardly a deterrent down to just not done at all.

To play the defence lawyer for a moment:
But say you do get an official interest, 1) How do you prove beyond reasonable doubt that the vehicle was too close without verified measurement of the closest point, it is A's word against B's.

2) How does the cyclist prove that their line was consistently, unwaveringly straight and they didn't accidentally wobble or veer towards the vehicle, making the pass illegal even though the driver didn't change course and was legal when they started the manouvre, even the HC warns drivers the roads are not perfect and bikes etc may make unexpected course changes to accommodate this problem. Bikes are also inherently less stable and more prone to a good gust of wind or the turbulent air a bigger faster vehicle creates.
3) Yes bikes are advsed (not legally obliged) to primary and secondary position etc and HC say ride at least 1m from the kerb (measurement again) but my client is adamant that the cyclist was deliberately riding too far into the carriageway and seeking to cause an obstruction or impede other traffic by their actions.

As a deterrent it'll be not even ignored, it'll simply not impinge on peoples consciousness, police will give it less credence than ASLs, and as a provable prosecution with a legitimate chance of conviction & VFM & in the public interest, the CPS won't even take the time to laugh at it.

It is a nice and laudable and morally correct idea but untenable in practice in the realities we have right now.

A law that would prove a far more effective deterrent to close passes would be one absolving cyclists from any legal liability or financial penalty for damage caused to motor vehicle if they fixed a diamond tipped glass scribe on a 4 foot long pole sticking out of the right hand side of their bike.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

It will do the same as specific prohibitions on using a phone whilst driving, something that didn't need a law but it didn't hurt.

That is far more provable by even my unreliable witnesses and electronic records of calls texts.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Photo credit to @jay clock

 

[classic33]

Photo credit to @jay clock
View attachment 126931

And the Irish version, now on some County Council vehicles

 

[Dayvo]

And the Irish version, now on some County Council vehicles

View attachment 126938

To be sure, to be sure!

 

[classic33]

To be sure, to be sure!

One for each rear door of the smaller vehicles.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

You miss the point, I introduced that as as example of something not requiring specific legislation.

Fair do's, apologies for misinterpreting. but even on that metric, with the level of distraction wilfully entered into by the driver, I (may well get flamed to pieces) am far more concerned by a prick deliberately and knowingly on their phone when I'm on my bike than I am by some knob that gets closer than I would like, mostly out of naivety and them never referring to the HC since the night before passing their driving test.

I know many report suffering them and I don't for a moment doubt it, but I can't honestly say I've ever been the victim of a deliberate punishment pass.

Not trying to start an argument or be perverse, just my feelings on the two wrongs & accepting I'm experienced enough to cope with a stupid close pass better than many infrequent riders are, but also know that if someone is more into their call or text than my whereabouts on the road then I'm in big trouble however experienced I may be.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

We don't have to start with the worst wrong in the world and work from there.

No we shouldn't, there's room to fix all in theory & it's not right we should be having a conversation about the potential of picking and choosing, but in the real world of today and the difficulties of any meaningful enforcement in cycling's favour, I'd rather efforts concentrated onto those where there may be engagement and interest in pursuing from the police and prosecution authorities.

I just don't think close passing will merit that buy in needed to make legislation work.

 

[ACS]

Signed

 

[classic33]

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/128190

it has been passed in other parts of the world.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-01/new-nsw-laws-for-drivers-and-cyclists/7208934

3,800 "signed it" since this thread started.