I simply don't see the point of trying to enforce totally unenforcable practices like mandating cars need to pass cyclists in the opposite lane, its just no going to happen.
It's not "totally unenforceable", though: the worst close passes are now being enforced using laws banning careless driving by many police forces, under projects like Operation Close Pass and Operation Snap.
If I tried to report what you guys would judge to be a 'near pass' - less than 1 meter, every day I would be filling in a dozen reports - I have better things to do with my time.
You don't have to report them all, you know? You could start with the worst, if and when you have time. It takes less time than you've probably spent on here
For me the only solution is the removal humans from the driving seat, if you tell an automated car never to pass a cyclist untill the opposite lane is clear it will do it every time.
Maybe. Firstly, we need to get the enforcement expectations so that human drivers are being punished for close passes. Then we need to make the automated cars behave well. If we are letting human drivers get away with skimming cyclists, the automated car makers will insist on being allowed to do the same, even if they implement slightly better.
Where you cycle sounds lovely though
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It's not perfect - some of the cycleways contain design farts and one council keeps trying to turn some of them into car lanes again - but hopefully I'm less likely to be killed by a passing impatient driver than some places I've lived and cycled.
It only got this way because previous generations of cyclists didn't stand for the sort of shoot road conditions that you describe, though. I'm just one of the latest trying to nudge things forwards.