To remind drivers to give space

[BelleMarionette]

According the the highway code , drivers should allow at least 1.5m, or 5 ft, when overtaking a cyclist. Cyclists are also not obliged to cycle in the gutter by the road: in fact cycle skills teaches a more central position for visibility and safety.

I am cycling to and from work as it's the right thing to do environmentally. Public transport is pretty limited unfortunately. Around half of drivers pass too close, often within a foot and at speed. I have noticed that it is often German car drivers.. I also had a driver intimidate be by coming up close behind me and sounding the horn because I wasn't in the gutter. In this occasion it was approaching a junction with no safe space to overtake.

I have also had a car reverse into me when I was still in a queue of traffic. It sounds simple, but drivers need to look in their rear view mirror when reversing.

To anticipate common moans people have about cyclists: I have third party insurance, I have done cycle skills training, and have a driving license so am aware of the rules of the road, and I stop at red lights.

You're onto a losing battle with this one, cyclists are the spawn of the devil on mumsnet

I wonder how long you are being held up by slow cyclists. Most likely if you time it, it will be a matter of seconds. I also think it is preferable to be late for work than to risk ending someone's life. Do you also jump red lights to save a few seconds or is it just cyclists who are expendable? If you don't have time for your commute then something else needs to change. Get a job closer to where you live or move house.

And ... cyclists are supposed to filter on the inside in slow/stationary traffic.

They are not 'undertaking' and you do not have the right to obstruct them and risk their lives because they are passing you.

Whether I follow this or not on my bike (or car) depends very much on your interpretation of "if necessary" and "where safe."

I will pull over and slow down or stop my bike, where I think it is necessary and safe. Eg. Long single track road, car came up behind me, not wide enough or too many blind corners to pass safely, I'll cycle in the centre until I find a passing place. Or 30mph city road, reasonable flow of traffic, cars behind me, I'll slow down and ride in each bus stop to let a few cars pass. I won't stop and let 50 cars pass, because it's not necessary. Soon enough, there will be a junction and they will have to stop and I'll catch them up.

Do I think the drivers behind me always agree with my judgement of necessary and safe? Certainly not. But that doesn't entitle them to cycle close enough to make me fear for my life.

You don't just get to break a law for your own convenience! If you can't get to work legally in the time allocated for your journey in your current arrangements, then you need to change your current arrangements.

There are a lot of shit drivers about, and there are some idiot cyclists out there as well. Sometimes it is not possible to give 5ft gap but I will slow down when I pass.

But I do get the frustration when you give room to a cyclist then they 'filter' by crawling in between cars with barely a couple of inches either side. The box for bikes at the front of traffic lights is the worst thing out there for cyclists' safety. Be a part of the traffic and wait in line where everyone can see you and drivers don't need eyes at the back of their heads to see which gap you have squeezed yourself into.

But there are a lot of idiots in cars who give no thought to the safety of cyclists (or walkers).

Yes I am a cyclist and car driver.

Even a couple of minutes delay makes me late. I am a teacher - I can't be late, for safeguarding reasons.

I would've thought that potentially killing someone on the road would also be a heck of a safeguarding issue.

Agree that cyclists should let traffic past if they are waiting more than a minute or so. In practice it's rare to wait that long - time it. However the fact remains that if rude and inconsiderate cyclists don't pull over, that still does not give anyone the right to pass too close and endanger them. Next time you are stuck behind a cyclist I suggest timing 60 seconds and if you still haven't had chance to safely pass, sound your horn. That should give them the hint without risking anyone's safety

I doubt many of the drivers who come right up to you are hanging out on MN. Some, maybe, but on average we aren’t the target audience.

Also, “AIBU to remind you to…” (put the clocks back, drive properly, blow your nose, etc) threads always have the potential to irritate. This one isn’t bothering me much but it can be a very grating format.

I live in rural community and full 'peletons' of lycra clad cyclists riding two or three abreast make overtaking safely impossible. I definitely feel that they enjoy keeping cars behind them for as long as possible (and if not they do nothing to help the flow of traffic). Frankly, it's very annoying for locals being constantly stuck behind them. Sorry if you don't like that, but that's how a lot of people feel (I understand not everyone), and just as you would like courtesy shown to you on the road (completely rightly), cyclists could also extend some courtesy to other road users.

Cyclists are also supposed to be aware of vehicles turning left in front of them.

I'm a German car driver. I have a BMW X5 and i regular pass cyclists. I would like to say that I give cyclists as much room as I would a car, when overtaking.

Aslong as they use the cycle lanes when available!!!! I do think purely peddle bikes are a danger to the users so many electric bikes available now that do 28mph so don't invited over taking. I'm sorry but kids should be on the pavement on a bike until 18.

I cycle in London. There is never a queue of cars behind me. Cars won't generally wait even 5 seconds to overtake. Traffic is extremely slow moving, due to congestion, so drivers aren't saving any time by their rediculous overtakes. I often see them overtake just to be stopped in a red light or standstill traffic meters away, or even to park right in front of me in the cycle lane.

In fact, cycling is quicker than driving for me route to work, due to congestion. This is not because I am undertaking, but because I can take routes that cars can't (completely legitimately, for example in low traffic neighborhood).

For the poster who can't wait at all to overtake and would sooner close pass a cyclist, have you thought about cycling to work? It would often be quicker if you live in an urban area. (And you can get bikes that accomodate your child/ren too)

Can we also remind cyclists to use cycle lanes when they are available. I live near a twisty country lane that has a shared footpath/cycle path. Instead of using the designated path cyclists remain on the road meaning there are huge tail backs at rush hour as it impossible to see far enough head to safely overtake.

I absolutely do believe in giving cyclists room, however there are most definitely cyclists who deliberately cycle in such a way as to prevent any safe overtaking.
I regularly travel on a country road that is frequented by cycle clubs who cycle two and three abreast so take up a whole lane so keep cars stuck behind for several miles.

Ridiculous. The word is ridiculous.

Dynamix

The MAMIL are a whole different thing to a single cyclist on the road.

TBH, I would like to see more cyclists ride further out in to the center of the lane.

I feel your pain! It gives me the rage and is a real inconvenience for locals.

Indeed

Actually, the legal limited speed for an e bike is 15 miles per hour.

www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules#:~:text=must%20have%20a%20maximum%20power,travelling%20more%20than%2015.5mph

I go on the road on my way to work instead of the shared footpath/cycle path as I can travel at a steady speed without having to weave around pedestrians and small children on bikes.
on the road, I also have priority when reaching each side road - if I were on the path, I’d have to give way at each side road.

And the rules on cycle positioning (maybe people should stop getting them from The Daily Mail and actually read the Highway Code):

Rule 72
Road positioning. When riding on the roads, there are two basic road positions you should adopt, depending on the situation.

1. Ride in the centre of your lane, to make yourself as clearly visible as possible, in the following situations

on quiet roads or streets – if a faster vehicle comes up behind you, move to the left to enable them to overtake, if you can do so safely
in slower-moving traffic - when the traffic around you starts to flow more freely, move over to the left if you can do so safely so that faster vehicles behind you can overtake
at the approach to junctions or road narrowings where it would be unsafe for drivers to overtake you

@2greenroses literally nowhere did I say ride in the gutter. I am saying if you're cycling in the middle of the lane or next to the white line and no one can pass you, pull over. As stated in the Highway Code this is the correct thing to do.

You do realise not everyone can cycle to work, right OP? I live too far from work for it to be practical.

Part 2 of rule 72, as it didn't paste above:

2. When riding on busy roads, with vehicles moving faster than you, allow them to overtake where it is safe to do so whilst keeping at least 0.5 metres away, and further where it is safer, from the kerb edge. Remember that traffic on most dual carriageways moves quickly. Take extra care crossing slip roads.