New road code – cyclists in the middle of the road, motorists at the bottom of the pecking order

It’s seldom good news from Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit Britain, but cyclists and pedestrians alike now have cause for celebration. An update to the British Road Traffic Act strengthens the position of the weaker participants and turns the previous hierarchy upside down.

The British are far bolder than Berlin.

The changes are clearly inspired by the goal of “zero fatalities”. Scandinavian cities are demonstrating how this can be done. To do this, the weaker, accident-prone road users must be consistently protected, and that is only possible if the post-war thinking of “free travel for the faster and stronger” is overcome. It’s a “concept that puts at the top of the hierarchy those road users who are most vulnerable in the event of a collision,” according to the code.

Living space instead of traffic space

“Those responsible for vehicles that can cause the most damage in the event of a collision have the greatest responsibility to be careful and reduce the danger they pose to others.” This means that drivers in particular have to rethink. When getting out, the “Dutch handle” is required to look over the shoulder, cyclists may only be overtaken at a distance of 1.5 meters.

“It shouldn’t take courage to cross the street or drive to school with kids, but sometimes it feels like it,” said Transportation Superintendent Chris Boardman. “These changes to the Highway Code show our responsibility to one another and reinforce what good road users are already doing. However, this refresher offers more than just guidance, it makes our towns and villages nicer places to live.”

bear responsibility

In detail, the responsibility shifts. The faster and more dangerously you travel, the more responsibility you bear. Cyclists are also being warned to keep their distance from horses and pedestrians and to slow down, but the core of the changes hit motorists.

Cyclists are encouraged to ride in the middle of the lane rather than on the side of the road in many situations, especially when approaching intersections and narrow roads. The idea behind this is to prevent cyclists from being overlooked, pushed to the edge or run over when turning. The necessary consequence of the innovation will be that motor vehicles will in many cases have to drive behind cyclists. And that at an unusual speed of around 20 km/h.

Overtaking will be difficult

Overtaking in oncoming traffic is practically impossible. Cyclists are expressly granted the right to ride side by side. They should even do it if they are traveling in larger groups or if there are children or less experienced drivers in the group.

Another innovation does not make life easier for motorists: cyclists are allowed to overtake cars in traffic jams and slow-moving traffic on the left and right. In the UK, unlike in Germany, there was never an explicit obligation to use a cycle path. The new code explicitly states that cyclists are “not required” to use bike lanes and paths. And that it is at their discretion to use it if it makes the “journey safer and easier”.

The situation at the intersection clarifies the current legal situation: cyclists who want to go straight ahead have priority over turning traffic – the traffic signs indicate something different. What is new is that pedestrians also have priority over turning traffic – i.e. also over turning cyclists.

Code is based on case law

Bitter arguments erupted over the weekend when the new code was introduced. Many drivers were not even aware of the details of the innovations, while others probably did not want to accept the new position at the end of the chopping ladder. At the same time, cycling activists happily presented their new rights. In fact, the new provisions of the code are not as revolutionary as they first appear. Above all, the government is not going it alone. Most of the changes and clarifications take on the case law of recent years and pour these individual cases into binding rules.