Proposed Revision to Highway Code - Cyclists Rights Petition

[Dennis]

This has been taken from an email passed round the Edinburgh Road Club mailing system. It is extremely important to us, as road cyclists.

 

 

*A planned revision of the highway code seriously infringes cyclists right

to use roads (details below)*

**

 

Our right to ride on the road is in jeopardy and we should all take action as below.

 

 

The revised Highway Code says cyclists should "use cycle facilities where

possible". If this Code is approved, cyclists will effectively lose the

right to ride on the road where there are alternative routes or adjacent

facilities.

 

 

The implications of this are too bad to contemplate. First we will suffer

more abuse and intimidating driving, second, if a cyclist is involved in an

accident and tries to claim damages, the insurance companies are likely to

argue that the rider contributed to the accident by not using a cycle

facility.

 

 

The Highway Code has been laid before parliament. It will automatically be

approved unless it is referred to a House of Commons Committee which cannot

amend it and can only recommend the whole document be rejected.

 

 

It will take an unprecedented amount of adverse publicity to persuade the

government to reject the Highway Code in its entirety.

 

 

The CTC HQ Campaign team are working hard to find some way of achieving this and will obviously require national support.Meanwhile HQ says it will do no

harm to support the petition which is at

 

 

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/

 

 

It is interesting to note that 35 MP's objected to the original revised

wording. Unfortunately, the replacement wording is no better.

 

 

Only 11,000 objections were received to the previous wording. There are over

50, 000 in the CTC alone who should now be objecting.

 

 

If this Highway Code is approved by government cyclists will effectively

lose the right to ride on the road where there are alternative routes or

adjacent facilities.

 

 

Please register your name on the petition and persuade others to do the

same.

 

 

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/

 

Dennis

[Darryl Gunson]

Done it. Thanks for the link Denis.

[johna]

Done also

[Guest fatblokeonbike]

Done.

 

Cyclists should take on board that this wording will affect not just leisure popping-down-to-the-shops cycling, but will include ALL on-road cycling activities.

[robert sharp]

It says cyclists should use the facilities where possible and nothing else there are only a few routes in Scotland that are not on the road . Dennis the labour party are looking for a chief whip scare mongering top priority.

[Dennis]

Bob, It is generally recognised by the UK cycling fraternity that this legislation would cause serious problems for road cyclists. 'Alternative or adjacent routes' could be a path a mile, or just two yards away, from the road.

 

Never mind the Labour Party - Carrington Ostrich Farm is looking for more ostriches to stick heads in holes.

 

Dennis

[robert sharp]

Dennis you know where your next run is to don't scare the ostriches.

 

There are many things that have come to legislation on the road traffic act that have never been acted on IE parking your vehicle in the wrong direction into on coming traffic reversing from a driveway onto a road the list go's on look at the bigger picture why do the government promote the use of bikes to work ,why do they currently have tax relief on bikes through the boost system just to take it all away in some cases the use of cycle paths through some built up areas is far quicker and safer to get you into and out of busy roads to routes with far less traffic on them is it that bad ( is that not what we do as a club) .

 

Do you think for a moment that Scotland can sustain the loss of tourism revenue by stopping cyclists using the road network have you ever been up north in the summer cyclists every where and the government money that Sustrans get for building the cycle network through Britain that are mostly on roads . AND TO END THIS SOAP BOX .

 

I've got a few pastime that have been stopped, changed people lost there jobs etc people have marched about this endless petitions about I've never put my name to any of them if this is what the voters are moaning at the Mp's about for votes they will do anything after Thursdays loss .

 

All the pastimes I've lost have all been attributed to labour . T

 

The old saying if its not broken don't fix it.

 

Here endeth the lesson

[Darryl Gunson]

Hi Guys

 

It may well be that Robert is correct and that this new legislation will not really affect riders in any obvious way and that many riders will continue to do just as they have always done. However, woe betide anyone who is involved in a serious accident on their bike whilst riding on the road with a cycle track somewhere in the vicinity, because the motorist's defence will surely claim that you are guilty of negligence that contributed to your accident.

 

The upshot of this will undoubtedly be reduced compensation and less severe penalties for motorist who injure or kill cyclists on the road.

 

It makes sense, at least to me, for all cyclists to register their disapproval of such a change by signing the petition that Denis has kindly provided the link to.

 

cheers

 

Darryl

[P McDonald]

Done

 

PMcD