Petition "To introduce a permanent, minimum passing distance

[Roadrider48]

If nothing else, it might raise awareness.

Yes, you are quite right as @User previously mentioned.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

This is on my local clubs facebook page and on my facebook page. I've signed the petition but like others I've got my doubts as to how it will be enforced.

 

[classic33]

Heres hoping it gets somewhere. Though If police cant/wont enforce mobile use while driving then I doubt this law will actually mean anything until an accident has happened in which case video footage would be required.

Check the stayinaliveat1.5 link above. If you're on there, you'll see what one person managed. With backing from County Councils, County Mayo being the first to get behind him.

 

[steveindenmark]

Passing this type of legislation is totally pointless unless an effective way of enforcing it can be found.

Personally, I would like to sign a petition which gives drivers using mobile phones in cars the same sentence as drink drivers. In Denmark, more traffic accidents are caused by phone users than drink drivers.

 

[summerdays]

Signed and shared.... If nothing else maybe my friends will think about how close they pass a cyclist.

 

[Lpoolck]

Signed.

 

[Ajax Bay]

To me it looks like a minimum passing distance is not really enforceable. Unless you have a copper behind every bike or have the ability to photograph the incident with exact measurements?

I agree 'enforcement' would be very difficult, but there are lots of perfectly reasonable laws that are not enforced as such. However the law does influence a large proportion of the population. As technologies roll out, I can foresee vehicles with sensors feeding data into a black box which record proximity (as well as phone use btw) which may be used post hoc (with apologies to this 1984 vision). And this would encourage good behaviour. Such data need a metric/threshold and "plenty of room" doesn't provide that.

 

[Roadrider48]

I agree 'enforcement' would be very difficult, but there are lots of perfectly reasonable laws that are not enforced as such. However the law does influence a large proportion of the population. As technologies roll out, I can foresee vehicles with sensors feeding data into a black box which record proximity (as well as phone use btw) which may be used post hoc (with apologies to this 1984 vision). And this would encourage good behaviour. Such data need a metric/threshold and "plenty of room" doesn't provide that.

Yup, good point!

 

[summerdays]

It may also help in court cases where the jury currently seem to accept close passes as acceptable.

 

[Roadrider48]

It may also help in court cases where the jury currently seem to accept close passes as acceptable.

It would help, if it can be proven that the driver was too close.

 

[psmiffy]

I would suggest in the first instance that if a car hits a cyclist when passing it was too close - in the second instance it should be at the least careless driving

 

[summerdays]

I would suggest in the first instance that if a car hits a cyclist when passing it was too close - in the second instance it should be at the least careless driving

I agree but in the minds of some that was just an unfortunate accident and don't connect it with the fact the car was too close in the first place.... It's about being able to plant in their minds that they shouldn't have been that close in the first place. It won't happen overnight, but if it brings a change in the long term it will be brilliant.

Every week I'm passed by cars to close to the point when I mutter rude comments, lots of less seasoned cyclists have that close encounter and give up.

 

[Mo1959]

Agree that it would be hard to enforce, but as others have said, if drivers at least know there is a law in place, if it even makes a percentage make more of an effort to pass widely and safely it would be a start. Signed anyway. Got to start somewhere.

 

[Lonestar]

I thought drivers have to pass from a safe distance anyway?

Yeah but they are stupid enough not to.

 

[Origamist]

I'd rather efforts were made to define more clearly the offences of careless and dangerous driving which are opaque and open to (mis)interpretation, than add a law that is clear, but will hardly ever be enforced. That said, I can see how a minimum passing law would help to clarify for a jury/magistrate what constitutes a poor pass if they were faced with a careless or dangerous driving case.