Dave47 wrote:

The one that concerns me is the multi lane roundabouts!
hope I'm wrong but I can see some nasty accidents waiting to happen
as a lot have not been upgraded with lineage or signage, at least not
in my neck of the wood.
.

well,
Rule 186 reads: "You [drivers] should give priority to cyclists on the roundabout. They will be travelling more slowly than motorised traffic.

"Give them plenty of room and do not attempt to overtake them within their lane. Allow them to move across your path as they travel around the roundabout.

"Cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles may stay in the left-hand lane when they intend to continue across or around the roundabout and should signal right to show you they are not leaving the roundabout.

"Drivers should take extra care when entering a roundabout to ensure that they do not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles in the left-hand lane, who are continuing around the roundabout." DAVE.

The Roundabouts are the bit of the Dutch Experience that I do remember.

During the late 1960s I lived (and motored) for 3 years in Germany, on the Dutch border.

The large Dutch Urban Roundabouts were a nightmare, as outbound of the main circle, they had concentric lanes for cyclists and then pedestrians. These crossed the roadway as you approached and left the roundabout, they also were not controlled and had the right of way.

The main worry were mopeds which Zoomed across the road at about 25mph.

Also, to get a local licence, I had to take a German Written Test on their rules.
In those days, it seemed, to us, that they had a rule for everything. The test included plans of different road layouts with lots of road users, cyclists, and pedestrians, to which you had to write numbers against to indicate priority.

In the case of a traffic incident, the police would turn up and fine just about everyone in sight, including those who may have given way when they should have taken priority.

One thing that did impress me was the 'Main Road' Traffic Police, they drove open topped Porsches, and in event of autoban hold ups, one of police would stand up and wave the traffic down as the other backed the Porsche up the edge of the road at lightning speed. They were an imposing sight in their long black leather coats and small round crash helmets.

(At least I am trained for the complexities of multiple lists of priorities) FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

@Dave47, thank you. I was curious if it affected routine driving at a roundabout, seems it’s only the interaction with cyclists etc

The is very little new stuff in the HWC changes - most is what a sensible, courteous driver would do anyway.
Riding two abreast and taking the primary position is not new and hasn't changed - just rewritten.
Of course the DM and other reactionary media have made out its all about penalising drivers when actually its about reducing death and injury.
Of course there are to$$ers in the cycling, walking and driving camps. But unfortunately the drivers cause the majority of the death and injury. Jules

I'm already reading/hearing of different interpretations
on the changes majority from people I would hope know better,
as they are higher priority than a car.  DAVE.

jules wrote:

..........But unfortunately the drivers cause the majority of the death and injury.

Sure, pedestrians and cyclists come off badly when hit by a car, especially above 25mph.

But the vast majority of road deaths and serious injures occur to car occupants.



It is very rare for a cyclist to get killed without a vehicle being involved but the same cannot be said of cars where fatal crashes occur without other vehicles/pedestrians being involved - eg too fast around a bend and hitting a wall/tree. Jules

I accept the figures, problem is they see the statistics from one point of view.
you might say how many accidents per journey, or how many accidents per mile, at which point cars would look safer than other forms of transport.

Just a hunch, if the figures were available I bet that motorcycles would come out poorly when the question was asked about the number of deaths that didn't involve another vehicle. Or number of deaths per journey compared to cyclists - there being many more cyclists, with most journeys being completed safely. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

I fail to understand why people take one look at a statistic, and say yes, look at the numbers, of course more car drivers are killed in RTC's. Probably because they are a higher percentage of all road users? Statistics as we well know, can and are made to say anything the person or organisation wants them to.
I have a licence to drive virtually any vehicle on the roads. I have driven many different emergency vehicles and attended many fatal RTC's over the years.
Would I drive anything other than a substantial four wheeled vehicle on public roads? No. Would I let my children ( if I had any)? No. Do I ride my thoroughbred horses on the roads?. No. I sold my last road motorcycle back in 2005 and no longer road ride. We all have choices to make.
The latest advice on passing cyclists at 1.5 m, would mean most of Britain's roads would grind to a halt if it was to be adhered to. The people who wrote the rule know this. It's simply a tool to use in blame culture. Some older, and shorter people will be unable to open the car door with their left hand, it will be a physically impossibility. Perhaps if we follow this train of thought to its logical conclusion, those people affected should surrender their licences?
Where will it all end ........?
Just my 2'ps worth.......

As I`m a bit of a shortie myself instead of handing my keys back perhaps I could just make sure that I either look over my shoulder before opening the door or have a good long look in the mirror beforehand as I might be opening the door on a fast approaching 40 ton artic and not a cyclist and it would make sense to me that I`m not the one coming off worst in any close encounter!

Last edited by dondiddy on 27th Jan 2022 8:25 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Because that would involve common sense, something the powers that be think we do not have lol

What happened to all those expensive cycle lanes? Does that mean cars now use them as cycles are weaving all over the road to stop traffic? Extinction rebellion will have a field day glueing bikes to the road. The Lunies now run the Asylum! What about all those bloody great horses we get in the Countryside piloted by fourteen year old girls, will they have licence to kill?

Don't even mention the insurance that most 14 year olds don't have for their horses ...... or come to that, most other road users that don't have an engine .......as well as some that do !

Is the same points system in place? One point for stationary pedestrians and cyclists, two points if they’re moving.

I’ll get me coat