While much of the initial speculation and commentary on the Highway Code has inevitably died down for now, what hasn’t changed yet are the experiences of the many hundreds of thousands of people who choose to cycle on our roads each week. This week, our Policy Manager Nick Chamberlin tackles the issue of close passing.

Passing when driving

Our 2019 State of Cycling report found that 87% of British Cycling members are close passed at least once a week, and though these dangerous incidents are not reflected in Government accident statistics, we know that they are a huge deterrent to more people riding.

At the time of publication, our Policy Adviser Chris Boardman said that close passing is “ostensibly a casual disregard for human life” – something which can be absolutely terrifying when you’re on the receiving end and something which leads to many people stopping cycling altogether.

Therefore, there was a great deal of attention paid to the revised wording of Rule 163 regarding overtaking in the Highway Code consultation, and we were pleased to see that the new wording incorporated a simple but very powerful new statement:

• Leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.

It is now crystal clear to all road users what is required of them, and most importantly there is now no ambiguity for learner drivers. Of all the recent changes to the Highway Code, this is the change that we expect and hope will deliver a quick and noticeable improvement once it is communicated through the Government’s awareness campaign over the course of 2022.

Most courteous drivers want to do the right thing, and this clear unambiguous guidance now provides the clarity we have been seeking. We have urged the officials at the Department for Transport to consider how they explain the passing distance to people, given that 1.5 metres doesn’t mean a lot to many people – whereas a statement such as ‘the width of a large car conveys something far more visual.

As I have discussed over recent weeks this guidance will not deter actively aggressive and dangerous people from making unsafe close passes. It will however support the police and the courts to enforce the law, especially where camera footage of a close pass is available.

Despite the progress made in this area, we were disappointed that our suggestion for a simple addition (in brackets) to the following statement was not taken forwards:

• give way to oncoming vehicles (including cyclists and horse riders) before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road.

We believe that this is a missed opportunity, and we will continue to press for its future inclusion.

Passing others when cycling

There are a two further revised statements that it is important to flag, especially for clubs and groups who enjoy cycling at higher speeds on rural roads.

• Pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space.
• Allow at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road (for example, where there is no pavement).

There is nothing here that will surprise most considerate people who cycle, as it is what we do already. However, it really is vitally important that we all show other road users, especially the equestrian community, that we understand and acknowledge their needs in the same way that we ask people driving to do for ourselves.

Despite the very real aggression and danger posed by a minority of people who drive, cycling remains a safe and fun activity for most of us. We desperately need behaviours to change on our roads and I remain confident that they will change for the better over time.

Please do keep in touch over the coming months and let us know of your experiences out on the roads as the Government begins its much-anticipated awareness campaign. As always, you can contact me at choosecycling@britishcycling.org.uk.