To Overtake or Not
- Thread starter Chislenko
- Start date
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I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
As with many questions of this type, the answer is 'it depends'.
Generally I would say we should avoid excessively exceeding the new 20mph limit or overtaking other road users that are traveling at or close to the 20 limit.
The limit is predominantly for safety, partly for environmental reasons and partly about quality of life for the people living in these areas. I don't care if you argue that your 100kg of combined body/bike mass is statistically far less likely to kill or maim any pedestrian you collide with! If you end up in a tangled heap on the floor with an elderly person who wasn't expecting a fast moving cyclist to fly past a slower car, or a child that (predictably?) suddenly runs into the road, then there is still a good chance one, or both, of you will require hospitalisation and it will be your fault.
Exercise some restraint and don't take risks. I don't think we can say, yes you should overtake or no you should wait. Every location, situation and circumstances are different and every case must be treated individually. There is no answer, but I would suggest your default position should be to not overtake except in exceptional cases.
Generally I would say we should avoid excessively exceeding the new 20mph limit or overtaking other road users that are traveling at or close to the 20 limit.
The limit is predominantly for safety, partly for environmental reasons and partly about quality of life for the people living in these areas. I don't care if you argue that your 100kg of combined body/bike mass is statistically far less likely to kill or maim any pedestrian you collide with! If you end up in a tangled heap on the floor with an elderly person who wasn't expecting a fast moving cyclist to fly past a slower car, or a child that (predictably?) suddenly runs into the road, then there is still a good chance one, or both, of you will require hospitalisation and it will be your fault.
Exercise some restraint and don't take risks. I don't think we can say, yes you should overtake or no you should wait. Every location, situation and circumstances are different and every case must be treated individually. There is no answer, but I would suggest your default position should be to not overtake except in exceptional cases.
the_mikey
Legendary Member
- Location
- South Gloucestershire
I have a steep descent near me that starts as a 40mph limit and drops to 30mph, I daren't overtake anyone because it's pointless, once at the bottom of the hill they'll all be overtaking me again anyway, why add extra problems?
Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
There is one particular section of road I ride sometimes, which is a 30 limit that then turns into a 40, and I have more than once passed the 40 sign already doing around 40. But that particular road is a wide one with good visibility, and that speed is normally perfectly safe.
It is rarely as busy as in this streetview image
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.515...4sYQ3k3LEDgYqTAg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Slick
Guru
I don't think its wrong to feel that way, I think it just makes sense.
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
First question you'd need to ask yourself, does a 20mph limit apply to motorists, motorcyclists....or road users?
As a cyclist on the road, you're a road user. That may be central to whether you're culpable if anything goes wrong.
Also, I suspect if something did go wrong and you swiped a ped, or a kid, caused injury or worse to anyone...you'd be highly highly susceptible to the consequences.
Personally, I broke the law, jumped red lights if I thought it safe and no one was around...but equally, i fully accept the consequences if I got caught or worse, caused injury or damage. Its really quite simple, the law is there for a reason, break it and risk the consequences.
As a cyclist on the road, you're a road user. That may be central to whether you're culpable if anything goes wrong.
Also, I suspect if something did go wrong and you swiped a ped, or a kid, caused injury or worse to anyone...you'd be highly highly susceptible to the consequences.
Personally, I broke the law, jumped red lights if I thought it safe and no one was around...but equally, i fully accept the consequences if I got caught or worse, caused injury or damage. Its really quite simple, the law is there for a reason, break it and risk the consequences.
Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
It applies to motor vehicles. That is the law.
Well yes, there are laws relating to cycling dangerously, or cycling carelessly or inconsiderately, which are very similar to those for motor vehicles.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/part/I/crossheading/cycling-offences-and-cycle-racing
It is, but the law on speeding only applies to motor vehicles.
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Law regardless, obviously cyclists shouldn't overtake above a 20mph speed limit as it would be a twattish way to behave.
MontyVeda
a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
- Location
- Lancaster... the little city.
would it be twattish to overtake traffic going at 10 or 15 mph?
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
20mph limits are to allow everyone safe and equitable use of public space.
Cyclists ignoring them is a twattish thing to do. Does it really need to be spelled out why?
Time Waster
Veteran
Our village went 20mph but mostly cars go slower due to conditions surrounding parking, visibility peaks / dips affecting visibility and pedestrians need to zigzag across the road due to pavements ending on their side to start on the other only to change back again very quickly.
Most cars if not all go slower than 20mph because the consequences of hitting a pedestrian which is high. The pedestrians have to cross by stepping out between parked vehicles and visibility for them and for drivers seeing them is poor to say the least. It's the conditions and circumstances than dictate motorists speeds there.
Having said that we've had passing abuse from a MAMIL cycling through above the speed limit we estimated at the time as we stepped out to get visibility of traffic. We did not see the fast cyclist as he was coming over a rise, close to the parked vehicles, head down going for a time we thought. Our village gets a lot of cyclists and we do see these idiots riding in an unsafe manner. Not their problem, everyone else's!
I say than no matter what your first responsibility is your safety, second is that of others, third is obeying the laws or regulations that apply to you and way down the list is your right to enjoy speed of your choice or ability.
How this applies to the OPs situation I don't know not having ridden there. Safety was the reason vehicles were restricted. The safety reasons apply to you as a cyclist then overtaking is a big no from me. I don't hold with the lower weight causing less harm. It still causes harm.
I got hit by a close passing cyclist once as a pedestrian. Just a clip of a handlebar and shoulder, it hurt. The cyclist felt it too as there's a decent mass behind me being 196cm tall and average weight for a moderately fit person my height. If I had been a child it would have been more serious.
Most cars if not all go slower than 20mph because the consequences of hitting a pedestrian which is high. The pedestrians have to cross by stepping out between parked vehicles and visibility for them and for drivers seeing them is poor to say the least. It's the conditions and circumstances than dictate motorists speeds there.
Having said that we've had passing abuse from a MAMIL cycling through above the speed limit we estimated at the time as we stepped out to get visibility of traffic. We did not see the fast cyclist as he was coming over a rise, close to the parked vehicles, head down going for a time we thought. Our village gets a lot of cyclists and we do see these idiots riding in an unsafe manner. Not their problem, everyone else's!
I say than no matter what your first responsibility is your safety, second is that of others, third is obeying the laws or regulations that apply to you and way down the list is your right to enjoy speed of your choice or ability.
How this applies to the OPs situation I don't know not having ridden there. Safety was the reason vehicles were restricted. The safety reasons apply to you as a cyclist then overtaking is a big no from me. I don't hold with the lower weight causing less harm. It still causes harm.
I got hit by a close passing cyclist once as a pedestrian. Just a clip of a handlebar and shoulder, it hurt. The cyclist felt it too as there's a decent mass behind me being 196cm tall and average weight for a moderately fit person my height. If I had been a child it would have been more serious.
There's one in Yorkshire I rode a few times when living there, and last time on my LEJOG, where the speed limit drops from NSL to 30. The NSL is a somewhat twisty forested section, that then opens out into a straight fast descent. Then the 30 sign rushes at you.
Umm, shall we say, "oops"?
I did once overtake a car down there.
wiggydiggy
Guru
My average speed is right in the middle of 10 - 15mph so I'd probably follow them. I've overtaken slower, but thats normally been very slow moving queuing traffic.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
Certainly do NOT do what I did as a kid on the hill down Beryl Road
And start to overtake and slow down so you can read his speedometer,,
And start to overtake and slow down so you can read his speedometer,,
Mr Celine
Discordian
- Location
- Waxing my moustache
Go for it if you can do so safely.
When the limits reduced round here they initially changed every 30 to a 20. Some have now reverted to 30, including one long downhill on a wide road with no property frontages on which it's easy to maintain 30+ mph.
So yes, I did overtake several motor vehicles while their limit was 20.
No one died or got upset.
Is there a speed at which filtering becomes overtaking?
When the limits reduced round here they initially changed every 30 to a 20. Some have now reverted to 30, including one long downhill on a wide road with no property frontages on which it's easy to maintain 30+ mph.
So yes, I did overtake several motor vehicles while their limit was 20.
No one died or got upset.
Is there a speed at which filtering becomes overtaking?
