Official changes to the Highway Code

Quoted message said:

Tony Raven said:

It seems it's just 2 rules, not the forty that the CTC claimed, that
have been changed but the new wording has been officially announced:http://preview.tinyurl.com/yvh8er
--

Herewith the important bits in quotes:

"The Department for Transport is proposing further changes to the
cycling elements of the revised Highway Code laid before Parliament on
28 March 2007.

The changes put forward are in order to clarify advice in the Code on
the use of cycle facilities and cycle lanes. They take account of
further representations from and discussions with, the cycling
organisation CTC. "

So it was just the CTC who got things changed...

"The proposal is to amend draft rules 61 and 63 of the Highway Code so
that they would read as follows:

* 61 Cycle Facilities. Use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle
boxes and toucan crossings unless at the time it is unsafe to do so.
Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your
experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer. "

I still don't get what "at the time" adds... I am supposed to check
out the route each time to make sure it's still rubbish?
However, this rule now seems harmless to me.

" * 63 Cycle Lanes. These are marked by a white line (which may be
broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). When using a cycle lane,
keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check
before pulling out that it is safe to do so and signal your intention
clearly to other road users. Use of these facilities is not compulsory
and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your
journey safer. "

Still don't like this one. If it's practicable to cycle it at 5 mph
but not at my normal 20 mph, do I have to slow down by 15 mph to avoid
forcing any driver to slow down by 10 mph?

Can't see a problem with it, it is not telling you to use a lane when
practical, it is telling you to stay within the lane if practical *when
using a lane*.

Quoted message said:

Rob

Bob Downie said:

Quoted message said:

* 61 Cycle Facilities. Use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle
boxes and toucan crossings unless at the time it is unsafe to do so.
Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your
experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer. "

I still don't get what "at the time" adds... I am supposed to check
out the route each time to make sure it's still rubbish?
However, this rule now seems harmless to me.

I suspect the "at the time" clause is an attempt to deal with the
problem I and many others raised: the use of an ASL when doing so would
involve going down the N/S of a truck. Clearly trying to get to the ASL
would be unsafe at that time.

Don't say I agree with this but that's what I think it's for.

Peter
--
www.amey.org.uk

In article <1hz386j.a2r519ta9gdzN%
[email hidden]>, Ekul Namsob
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Rob Morley said:

In article <1hz2zsn.3bb2u817gfzk3N%
[email hidden]>, Ekul Namsob
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Adrian Boliston <[email hidden]> wrote:

> "Ekul Namsob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
> news:[email hidden]...
>
> > Not really. The fact that the road was at the time unsafe does not mean
> > that the cycle facility would have been safe.
>
> Even if you have an accident it does not iply that the road is "unsafe".

It implies that the road was, at the time, unsafe.

Which has no bearing on whether the alternative cycle facility was safe
at the time - there's no requirement to assess degree of danger and go
with the lesser, simply to assess whether the cycle facility is unsafe.

I think I've already said that.

You expect me to read the whole thread? :-)

Quoted message said:

would be unsafe at that time.

It may be possible for someone who is familiar with all of a
particular cycle lane in question to assess it's usefulness, but in
general, when in an area one does not know well, one can get into a
right pickle trying to follow a signed route, so I think the new
wording does give one the necessary choice.

TerryJ