Safe Pass, a good idea - ?
- Thread starter simongt
- Start date
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jarlrmai
Veteran
So that's an interesting graphic, I understand it's not meant to be realistic however as a reference point it's pretty bad.
If we say the bike wheel is 700 mm in diameter and draw a line from the bumper on the car upwards (ignoring the lack of the the wing mirror on the car which the main hazard for a cyclist) then calculate the distance from handlebar to bumper (in photoshop measurement tool)
The gap shown in the image is 783mm or .78m or around just over half the the 1.5 meters add in a wing mirror and it's less.
however the scales are off for a lot of the image so it looks odd anyway, I think people don't really know what 1.5 meters is.
If we say the bike wheel is 700 mm in diameter and draw a line from the bumper on the car upwards (ignoring the lack of the the wing mirror on the car which the main hazard for a cyclist) then calculate the distance from handlebar to bumper (in photoshop measurement tool)
The gap shown in the image is 783mm or .78m or around just over half the the 1.5 meters add in a wing mirror and it's less.
however the scales are off for a lot of the image so it looks odd anyway, I think people don't really know what 1.5 meters is.
classic33
Leg End Member
The measurement isn't from the centre of the bike in the graphic. It's from the nearest part to the passing vehicle.
Five foot passing distance, but Ireland moved over to metric measurments, for road signs some years ago now
steveindenmark
Legendary Member
As good as it may sound. It would be very difficult to police unless a police officer saw it happening. Because of the optics on web cams it is difficult to judge a distance that would stand up in court, I would imagine.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Just take the same camera to the same spot with a measuring stick, if pushed.
I suspect a bigger problem would be proving that the passing distance alongside was not greater than that captured on cameras facing front and/or rear, but then again, pulling out too late or cutting in front too soon are arguably careless driving too.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Far from the worst but a fairly clear cut up on a marked merging of lanes to get past a crossing island. Good to see it being policed.
HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
And this is why the plan to fix a minimum passing distance in legislation has been dropped.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ire...ivers-overtaking-cyclists-abandoned-1.3745451
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
They aren't obliged to catch every offender. Between this and the very widespread red light jumping motorists which could also fill their time, I'd rather they caught these. Or motorists driving along pavements and cycle tracks but hopefully the same unmarked police bicycles can get those too.
It's like shooting fish in a barrel now so why wouldn't the police like some easy wins and to catch some of the riskier illegal motorists before they hurt anyone? The main risk is motorist backlash but almost every motorist professes that they're not the problem and would like to see the incompetent and dangerous ones caught... I guess maybe we'll see if that's true or if the motoring lobby groups dare to start bleating about how unfair it is to be stopped for "minor" offences like cutting up the police!
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
For that to happen there would have to be Police Officers out there in the first place, I can go days without seeing a Police car
jefmcg
Guru
I question the premise here: you are saying that drivers' actions are being modified by a law that doesn't exist, would be difficult to enforce and hard to realise you have breached?One of the apparent drawbacks I've recently noticed with the Safe Pass campaign that's being rolled out in various parts of the country; allow a minimum of 1.5 metres when passing a cyclist, that there are now some drivers so worried that even when they could pass perfectly safely, albeit in less that the 1.5 metres, they tend to hang back, thus sitting behind you for some distance.
Personally, I find this somewhat irritating having a car so close when they could pass perfectly well.
You just can't win eh - ? !
Speed limits and red traffic light laws are different from safe passing rules in 3 ways:
- They exist
- They are easy to enforce
- You know you have breached them.
I think these drivers are holding back because they believe it is not safe to pass. I'm sorry you find that annoying, but I am grateful. I have followed "you" at least once in my car. It was a narrow winding ascent on B road in Surrey, through trees. I was following a cyclist who kept looking over shoulder at me nervously. But at no time could I see far enough ahead to be sure there wasn't an oncoming vehicle which would leave me choosing between a head on collision and swinging back to the left and knocking down the rider. I choose to remain behind him, leaving him annoyed but both of us alive. (As it turned out, no car approached during this time, but I try to avoid risky actions even if they probably won't kill anyone)
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
They're up and down my road many times a day, lighting the blinds up blue as we're the main road to the south of the borough. Rarely traffic police except when they use our service road to pull vehicles over for checks. Motorist behaviour is still terrible. I think some enjoy being rewarded with flashing red/yellow light show signs for breaking the speed limit through a staggered crossroads and over the blind bridge brow. Bring back speed cameras!
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