1.5 metres ?

[jarlrmai]

the 75 cm is misleading it could be seen as 75cm at most however I see some forces have removed this from the posters, which is good of them. In my area however the cops ignoring the whole thing and are posting helpful things on Facebook using a very recent incident in which a cyclist was knocked off by a driver in a van to remind us all that we should be wearing helmets and then ignoring the literal death threats towards cyclists that were posted as comments by members of the public.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Here’s the picture from the section in the online Highway Code regarding overtaking a cyclist giving ‘plenty of room’

 

[dantheman]

I don't wear a helmet usually, but I obviously would if it was law, likely the motorists that insist we should would just be closer as we would be "protected" by the helmet, just like those anti collision devices in the back of cars, you know "baby on board"

What I don't like is the ones that say we should wear Hi-viz and it should be in law no headphones.... So cars should be fluorescent and car radios should be illegal by the same standards..

 

[jarlrmai]

[QUOTE 5343750, member: 9609"]my impression is the police are happy to use the 1.5m threshold as a safe distance,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37384899

so I reckon if you can show someone was within that distance then the police will be on your side - and that's half the battle won.

It would be good to have 1.5m as a definative law but I doubt that will happen any time soon,[/QUOTE]

You can't show that though can you? Or at least it will be arguable, that's the problem with a set distance, you can have a camera but the distance is arguable I mean there are guys out there with measures on camera overlays the police don't give a shoot, you get the "wrong" officer and by wrong I mean 99.9% percent of them and it's over.

Are we going to expect cyclists to carry calibrated laser measures to prove cars were close?

Look the law does not specify a distance, this would be a good thing if the police were aware of how dangerous a close pass was you wouldn't have to prove it was within a distance and thus dangerous, they could just look at the evidence and take action.

Adding a distance just gives them another reason to ignore it as you'll never be able to prove it was 1.5 and not 1.51 meters video or not.

You want an example?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJacIdZJdho

 

[dantheman]

Thing is, law wouldn't change it happening.. Last week crossing the road with my kids (12, 4 and 2) a range rover decided to cross when we were 1 foot out of the way (illegal even when lights are green until pets are completely across both lanes) and the signal was still red and "beeping g"

 

[classic33]

If I can touch the vehicle its closer than three foot. Often happens, and I pulled a driving instructor up for passing closer than that.

It's at the learning stage it needs to be taught, not later on. Leaving less than that should count against you in the examination. Theory and practical.

 

[jarlrmai]

1.5m law - wait till you get a video the cops somehow agree that it is 1.5m or less, somehow the CPS actually prosecute, somehow they manage to do it all with the time constraints without somehow losing the paper work and it magically ends up in court, I'm sure a lawyer will love pointing out there is no actual evidence that it was less than 1.5 meters, they'd need to bring in some sort of thing that meant the driver would have to prove it was over 1.5 meters.

 

[classic33]

Going to throw slow moving traffic into the argument. Could drivers expect the same distance be given to them? Thus removing filtering by cyclists in slow or stationary traffic.

It'd make a mess off most painted "cycle lanes", if we'd to give them the same amount of room when passing/overtaking.

 

[screenman]

Thing is, law wouldn't change it happening.. Last week crossing the road with my kids (12, 4 and 2) a range rover decided to cross when we were 1 foot out of the way (illegal even when lights are green until pets are completely across both lanes) and the signal was still red and "beeping g"

A driver not a Range Rover.

 

[screenman]

Thing is, law wouldn't change it happening.. Last week crossing the road with my kids (12, 4 and 2) a range rover decided to cross when we were 1 foot out of the way (illegal even when lights are green until pets are completely across both lanes) and the signal was still red and "beeping g"

A driver not a Range Rover.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Going to throw slow moving traffic into the argument. Could drivers expect the same distance be given to them? Thus removing filtering by cyclists in slow or stationary traffic.

It'd make a mess off most painted "cycle lanes", if we'd to give them the same amount of room when passing/overtaking.

No. It's not even remotely close to being the same thing

 

[welsh dragon]

I don't really care what the official or unofficial distance is as long as drivers give me enough space without scaring the bejeesus out of me.

And there is nothing wrong with feet and inches. Each to his or her own.

 

[BrumJim]

I was weaned on miles. Despite that, it feels medieval.

(dodged a bullet, my year was the first that didn't learn miles. My teachers knew fark all about the metric system, so I learnt about hecta/hecti/centa/centi etc. Metric is way more complex than SI.

Erm, SI is metric isn’t it?

 

[nickyboy]

I've no idea what distance most cars pass me. All I know is what feels "too close" to me. That's obviously subjective and everyone will be different

What I do know I that it is a tiny minority that pass, to me, "too close".

I've never added them up but I'd be unlucky if it's more than one or two on a decent length ride when I probably am passed by hundreds of cars

 

[Alan O]

I've no idea what distance most cars pass me. All I know is what feels "too close" to me. That's obviously subjective and everyone will be different

What I do know I that it is a tiny minority that pass, to me, "too close".

I've never added them up but I'd be unlucky if it's more than one or two on a decent length ride when I probably am passed by hundreds of cars

Same here. I don't know if it's a regional thing, but I get very few passes that cause me any concern.