Obeying the highway code

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the
highway code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and better
for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other cyclists
agree on this one?

Brian.

"brianrob1961" wrote in message
...
We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the highway
code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and better for
motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other cyclists agree
on this one?

Brian.

No, as a cyclist I disagree. The Highway code is there to be followed, not
ignored. It has been written by road safety experts for the benefit of all
road users.

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:23:57 +0100, brianrob1961 wrote:

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the
highway code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and
better for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any
other cyclists agree on this one?

Well, the majority of the highway code is of course optional in a
strict sense - it being guidance rather than law. There probably are
circumstances when it is better to take an action that doesn't match
that guidance, but they are pretty few.

With respect to the bits that are law, there are certainly parts where
it would be safer for the cyclist and better for motorists if the
cyclist broke the law. However, cyclists and motorists are not the
only people with an interest. Pedestrians, for example, may be
seriously disadvantaged by cyclists on the pavement, even in the
(rare) cases where it's safer for the cyclist to be there.

In my view, cyclists should obey the law, and self-serving arguments
that it's safer for them to break it cut no ice. Cyclists breaking
the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent, as should all
other road-users breaking the law.

If you don't like it, get it changed.

regards, Ian SMith
--
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|o o|
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"brianrob1961" wrote

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the highway
code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and better for
motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other cyclists agree
on this one?

For drivers, the Highway Code is the default safe situation. That is, it is
not necessarily unsafe to break it but it is not necessary to break it to be
safe.

For a person on a bike, that does not apply; safety can be
enhanced by being selective. There is, of course, a difference between doing
something that helps and doing something daft.

On 05/09/2013 21:47, John Benn wrote:
"brianrob1961" wrote in message
...
We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the highway
code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and better for
motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other cyclists agree
on this one?

Brian.

No, as a cyclist I disagree. The Highway code is there to be followed, not
ignored. It has been written by road safety experts for the benefit of all
road users.


I think he means that sometimes situations occur, which the highway code
doesn't allow for and common sense prevails.

On Thursday, 5 September 2013 21:23:57 UTC+1, brianrob1961 wrote:
We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the

highway code.



I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and better

for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other cyclists

agree on this one?



"I was in fear of losing my life", "I was in fear of serious injury", "I was in fear of being injured". "I am not contractually obliged as I am neither a state employee nor have I agreed explicitly to such regulations of service". "I have not been and I am not a cyclist".

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:23:57 +0100
brianrob1961 wrote:

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the
highway code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and
better for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other
cyclists agree on this one?

Large parts of the Highway Code are advisory rather than statements of
legal requirements, so you can't really "break" them. The basic laws
like not riding on footways where not permitted, against one-way traffic
or through red lights, having lights and reflectors at night, and
working brakes, are pretty important both for safety and not winding up
other road users who do stick to the rules. So basically no, I don't
agree with your law-breaking, and I think that in doing so you harm the
public perception of cyclists as responsible road users.

On Thu, 5 Sep 2013 23:33:25 +0100, Rob Morley
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:23:57 +0100
brianrob1961 wrote:

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the
highway code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and
better for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other
cyclists agree on this one?

Large parts of the Highway Code are advisory rather than statements of
legal requirements, so you can't really "break" them. The basic laws
like not riding on footways where not permitted, against one-way traffic
or through red lights, having lights and reflectors at night, and
working brakes, are pretty important both for safety and not winding up
other road users who do stick to the rules. So basically no, I don't
agree with your law-breaking, and I think that in doing so you harm the
public perception of cyclists as responsible road users.

How many other road users stick to the rules?

As far as I can tell, criminality by motorists is endemic throughout
the British Isles.

How many motorists do you know that rigorously keep within the speed
limits - always? And breaking the speed limit is just one example of
criminality among motor vehicle drivers.

"Bertie Wooster" wrote in message
...

On Thu, 5 Sep 2013 23:33:25 +0100, Rob Morley
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:23:57 +0100
brianrob1961 wrote:

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the
highway code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and
better for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other
cyclists agree on this one?

Large parts of the Highway Code are advisory rather than statements of
legal requirements, so you can't really "break" them. The basic laws
like not riding on footways where not permitted, against one-way traffic
or through red lights, having lights and reflectors at night, and
working brakes, are pretty important both for safety and not winding up
other road users who do stick to the rules. So basically no, I don't
agree with your law-breaking, and I think that in doing so you harm the
public perception of cyclists as responsible road users.

How many other road users stick to the rules?

As far as I can tell, criminality by motorists is endemic throughout
the British Isles.

How many motorists do you know that rigorously keep within the speed
limits - always? And breaking the speed limit is just one example of
criminality among motor vehicle drivers.

This is a cycling newsgroup. Please stay on topic.

On 06/09/2013 07:49, Bertie Wooster wrote:
On Thu, 5 Sep 2013 23:33:25 +0100, Rob Morley
wrote:

On Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:23:57 +0100
brianrob1961 wrote:

We all know that motorists are obsessed with cyclists obeying the
highway code.

I contend that there are occasions when it is safer for me (and
better for motorists) for me to break the highway code. Do any other
cyclists agree on this one?

Large parts of the Highway Code are advisory rather than statements of
legal requirements, so you can't really "break" them. The basic laws
like not riding on footways where not permitted, against one-way traffic
or through red lights, having lights and reflectors at night, and
working brakes, are pretty important both for safety and not winding up
other road users who do stick to the rules. So basically no, I don't
agree with your law-breaking, and I think that in doing so you harm the
public perception of cyclists as responsible road users.

How many other road users stick to the rules?

As far as I can tell, criminality by motorists is endemic throughout
the British Isles.

How many motorists do you know that rigorously keep within the speed
limits - always? And breaking the speed limit is just one example of
criminality among motor vehicle drivers.


Well, yes, that is largely my point. There are certainly places where I
am safer (with care) taking action that contravenes the highway code.