A very long time ago I wrote to my MP concerning the safety of cyclists, and I have just received a reply from a Mike Penning who apparently is the minister responsible for road safety (my letter got to the very top). He assures me that rule 163 of the highway code is entirely adequate and the soon to be introduced fixed penalty notice for careless driving will make the enforcement of this law more efficient.
Now I am no legal brain but I sort of think rule 163 is utterly meaningless, and as such I can't really see how anyone could ever have been fined for not leaving a cyclist enough room, after all you only have to leave as much space as you would give a car and since that space is not quantified then 6mm is more than enough. But may be I am wrong, may be motorists are often prosecuted for falling foul of 163, I am sure someone on this group will know of at least one case.
Dangerous Driving?
Spookily enough, I had the closest pass ever in my two years on the bike yesterday. Three lanes of traffic stopped at a set of lights. I was in the left-most lane at the front. The lights go green, and the two lanes nearest me are all heading straight ahead. The second vehicle to pass was a yellow AA Transit-style van, just a bit close to my right. As I very quickly learned, it was towing a car on a two-wheeled dolly trailer that was about a foot or a bit wider than the van, on both sides. The inner wheel of the trailer knocked my right foot off my SPD pedal. I wasn't clipped in so the knock missed the bike by an inch or so. If I was clipped in, or on flat pedals, I would have been off.
I have the reg. of the AA van, the reg. of the Black Mercedes being towed on the dolly trailer, and the location and time of this slight scare. Is there any point in reporting this to anybody? My guess is that I should, for the greater safety of other people on bikes, but I frankly CBA.
Is that an irresponsible and selfish attitude to take? I am genuinely interested in your opinions. Thanks.
Spookily enough, I had the closest pass ever in my two years on the bike yesterday. Three lanes of traffic stopped at a set of lights. I was in the left-most lane at the front. The lights go green, and the two lanes nearest me are all heading straight ahead. The second vehicle to pass was a yellow AA Transit-style van, just a bit close to my right. As I very quickly learned, it was towing a car on a two-wheeled dolly trailer that was about a foot or a bit wider than the van, on both sides. The inner wheel of the trailer knocked my right foot off my SPD pedal. I wasn't clipped in so the knock missed the bike by an inch or so. If I was clipped in, or on flat pedals, I would have been off.
I have the reg. of the AA van, the reg. of the Black Mercedes being towed on the dolly trailer, and the location and time of this slight scare. Is there any point in reporting this to anybody? My guess is that I should, for the greater safety of other people on bikes, but I frankly CBA.
Is that an irresponsible and selfish attitude to take? I am genuinely interested in your opinions. Thanks.
I wouldn't bother reporting it. Nothing will happen. It was a close shave but dwelling on it and trying to take action will not get you anywhere. Just forget about it and move on. Save yourself the stress.
I think that is poor advice.
Dangerous Driving?