Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.

See
https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/

especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.

--
- Frank Krygowski

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>
> See
> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>
> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.
>

It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!

Roger Merriman

On Fri, 4 Nov 2022 00:24:18 -0000 (UTC), Roger Merriman
<roger@sarlet.com> wrote:

>Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>>
>> See
>> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>>
>> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.
>>
>
>It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
>attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!
>
>Roger Merriman

To be honest, I have lived in a number of countries outside the U.S.,
for the past 50 years, but in none of these countries have there been
any special laws for bicycles, they are, under the law, just another
user of the public roads and highways. And yet bicycle deaths have
never been a major factor in highway deaths.

In Thailand, where I currently live, bicycle and heavy truck deaths
are neck in neck for the lowers percent of highway deaths.

Perhaps the difference is in the treatment of highway "accidents".

Here if you hit another vehicle, a bicycle for instance, the police
will investigate and unless there is proof, usually by the testimony
of independent witnesses, that the bicycle is at fault the larger
vehicle, the auto, will be deemed to be at fault and will be liable.
If the cyclist is killed then the driver of the auto will probably be
charged with causing a death, the maximum penalty for which is 10
years in prison. If the cyclist is injured or the bike damaged then
the driver of the auto is responsible for all costs, medical
treatment, replacement or repair of the bicycle, and so on.

And, all motor vehicles must have, as a minimum, liability insurance.
In fact to get the sticker showing that you have paid the annual road
tax you must show proof of insurance for the new year.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 11/3/2022 8:24 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:
> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>>
>> See
>> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>>
>> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.
>>
>
> It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
> attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!

I didn't think it was a major change, but it was nice to see the good
advice is now official. Points #1 and #2 match our state's laws very well.

--
- Frank Krygowski

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> On 11/3/2022 8:24 PM, Roger Merriman wrote:
>> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>>>
>>> See
>>> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>>>
>>> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.
>>>
>>
>> It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
>> attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!
>
> I didn't think it was a major change, but it was nice to see the good
> advice is now official. Points #1 and #2 match our state's laws very well.
>
It was there before the change has been rather over stated!

Roger Merriman

Am 04.11.2022 um 02:07 schrieb John B.:
> On Fri, 4 Nov 2022 00:24:18 -0000 (UTC), Roger Merriman
> <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
>
>> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>>>
>>> See
>>> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>>>
>>> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.
>>
>> It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
>> attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!

For me as a non-Brit, I found the concept of the Highway code as a
mixture of legal requirements and recommendations quite confusing.

> To be honest, I have lived in a number of countries outside the U.S.,
> for the past 50 years, but in none of these countries have there been
> any special laws for bicycles, they are, under the law, just another
> user of the public roads and highways.

Bicycle-specific legal rules seem to have been invented in the 1930's in
Germany 'Cyclists must use dedicated cycle facilities when available'
and have spread across most of Europe.

In Europe, enabling cars to go fast on the road it appeared necessary to
get slower road users away from the road. In the US, there seem to have
been far fewer slow road users, so they introduced Jaywalking laws to
speed up cars in town (we don't have those in Europe).

Rolf

On 11/4/2022 6:14 AM, Rolf Mantel wrote:
> Am 04.11.2022 um 02:07 schrieb John B.:
>> On Fri, 4 Nov 2022 00:24:18 -0000 (UTC), Roger Merriman
>> <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>>>>
>>>> See
>>>> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>>>>
>>>> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway
>>>> down.
>>>
>>> It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
>>> attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!
>
> For me as a non-Brit, I found the concept of the Highway code as a
> mixture of legal requirements and recommendations quite confusing.
>
>> To be honest, I have lived in a number of countries outside the U.S.,
>> for the past 50 years, but in none of these countries have there been
>> any special laws for bicycles, they are, under the law, just another
>> user of the public roads and highways.
>
> Bicycle-specific legal rules seem to have been invented in the 1930's in
> Germany 'Cyclists must use dedicated cycle facilities when available'
> and have spread across most of Europe.
>
> In Europe, enabling cars to go fast on the road it appeared necessary to
> get slower road users away from the road.  In the US, there seem to have
> been far fewer slow road users, so they introduced Jaywalking laws to
> speed up cars in town (we don't have those in Europe).

Right. Carlton Reid's book _The Roads Were Not Built for Cars_
thoroughly explained the origin of Jaywalking laws.

There's news on that front:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/style/los-angeles-jaywalking-law.html

I remember when we were in Zurich, Switzerland. Friends were giving us a
little walking tour of the city as we took them to dinner. They pointed
out that recently, a "strict liability" law had taken effect. They said
it transformed the experience of walking and cycling.

And I'm as insistent of my pedestrian rights as of my cycling rights.
That includes in parking lots, where right of way rules may be unclear.
I feel the person sitting in the warm seat listening to his favorite
radio station should defer to pedestrians making their way through
perhaps unpleasant weather - or even pleasant weather. They should also
pass with great care.

Our street and a couple adjacent ones have no sidewalks. A few years
ago, my wife and I were walking down the street in winter. A school
transport van came around a bend passing far too closely to me. I phoned
our village police and described the incident and van. They promised to
have a word with the driver. The same van passed us days later, much,
much more carefully.

--
- Frank Krygowski

Rolf Mantel <news@hartig-mantel.de> wrote:
> Am 04.11.2022 um 02:07 schrieb John B.:
>> On Fri, 4 Nov 2022 00:24:18 -0000 (UTC), Roger Merriman
>> <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>> Britain's Highway Code recently got some revisions.
>>>>
>>>> See
>>>> https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/cyclist-pedestrian-safety-awareness-for-drivers/
>>>>
>>>> especially "Drivers and Cyclists" and "The new rules" about halfway down.
>>>
>>> It’s rather overstated really, very little legal has changed, it’s
>>> attempting a culture change which is quite a ask!
>
> For me as a non-Brit, I found the concept of the Highway code as a
> mixture of legal requirements and recommendations quite confusing.

If you look at the code it’s self, stuff which is law is in bold, and
“Must” anything else is purely advise.
>
>> To be honest, I have lived in a number of countries outside the U.S.,
>> for the past 50 years, but in none of these countries have there been
>> any special laws for bicycles, they are, under the law, just another
>> user of the public roads and highways.
>
> Bicycle-specific legal rules seem to have been invented in the 1930's in
> Germany 'Cyclists must use dedicated cycle facilities when available'
> and have spread across most of Europe.
>
> In Europe, enabling cars to go fast on the road it appeared necessary to
> get slower road users away from the road. In the US, there seem to have
> been far fewer slow road users, so they introduced Jaywalking laws to
> speed up cars in town (we don't have those in Europe).
>
> Rolf
>

Roger Merriman