traffic rules… cyclist vs car

hawkinspeter wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

I like to apply a simple rule to determine who has priority – the person performing a maneouvre should give way to the person travelling in their lane.

I only wish all drivers used the same logical and considerate approach as you and I. Do not proceed to pass an obsracle if it means coming into the lane I’m approaching in. So simple yet so hard for some people to accept.

Overtaking and passing are

Overtaking and passing are two different things.  Overtaking a moving vehicle and crossing a solid line is illegal.  Passing a parked car and crossing a solid white line could well be regarded as necessary; therefore legal, otherwise all cars would be unable to get past obstructions.  
In this particular case the cyclist appears to have priority regardless of whether the lines are broken or solid.

I also wish the term
I also wish the term ‘mandatory’ was changed to something that didn’t suggest such a lane’s use was mandatory by the mode of transport it’s designated for because it sounds, to poorly educated motorists, that it means that mode of transport [I]must[/I] use it rather than that other road users (i.e. car drivers etc) [I]mustn’t[/I].

But that’s a different discussion.

Just to be pedantic for

Just to be pedantic for mandatory cycle lanes I think it’s similar for “Mandatory contraflow pedal cycle lanes” as for “Mandatory with-flow pedal cycle lanes”.  I don’t think I’ve seen this but I believe they can have “hours of operation” (if this is signed).  In general vehicles “must not be driven or parked in this lane during its times of operation” BUT there are some dodges here (not that many drives seem to worry…) – see the Cycling UK post linked from the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain’s entry on these.

As I see it, there are no
As I see it, there are no absolutely specific rules here, though I stand to be corrected.

However, if there is a solid white line separating the cycle lane from the opposite carriageway, the motorist should not be crossing it. By definition, the cyclist should have priority. If it’s a broken line, I would say the following Highway Code sections apply (edited out irrelevant lines for brevity):

162
Before overtaking you should make sure
the road is sufficiently clear ahead

163
Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should
[B]give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road[/B]

165
You MUST NOT overtake
if you would have to enter an area designed to divide traffic, if it is surrounded by a solid white line

167
[B]DO NOT overtake where you might come into conflict with other road users. For example
when you would force another road user to swerve or slow down[/B]

In short, a responsible and considerate driver would wait till the cycle lane is clear before attempting an overtake, especially due to the lines I put in bold.