Chris Boardman films cycle safety video instructing drivers how to pass safely

A suggestion that could apply to many roads, urban and country. Mark out a cycle lane with a broken white line, at least 1m wide, regardless of road width. Clarify the law, that all traffic may use this lane at any time but vehicles passing cyclists must pass clear outside this line with a penalty equal to crossing a double white line for non compliance.

A suggestion that could apply to many roads, urban and country. Mark out a cycle lane with a broken white line, at least 1m wide, regardless of road width. Clarify the law, that all traffic may use this lane at any time but vehicles passing cyclists must pass clear outside this line with a penalty equal to crossing a double white line for non compliance.

Link to the video:
SPACE on Vimeo

Blaine, the driving instructor, said he could see what was ahead at this point.

(Note, it was a private road circuit so nobody was breaking any laws or putting anybody in danger.)

I could well be wrong here, and please correct me if so, but during this 'safe overtaking' example (at 1:52), the overtaking manoeuvre takes place on the brow of a hill ...... hardly safe!

One day there'll be a kickstarter featuring a paint spray can, a proximity sensor and a mount for the end of the handlebar. Our worries will be over!

Chris Boardman for Prime Minister!

Seriously though, he doesn't have to do this stuff you know, but he's one of the few people who IS doing something! He sends out such a logical message that is difficult to argue against.

This video won't change things overnight, but it is a step in the right direction.

For those moaning about it, what are YOU doing?

The video is done and ready to publish – just waiting for the final OK from the funders, British Cycling and the Bicycle Association. I'm hoping to release it on Monday.

There will be a companion video to "Space" and that's "Side by side". This is about how it's not illegal to ride two abreast. Both films were shot at the same time, with Chris Boardman and master driving instructor Blaine Walsh.

"Side by side" will be released in a week or so.

Chris- again yours is the voice of sanity and common sense. Here in Denmark today, everyone's out on their bikes ,going to the bakery early morning , taking the, kids for a gentle social ride , or just plodding around. for the pleasure of riding a bike.....the key. ...good safe bike paths ...which have over the past 20years encouraged everyone to do just that .

Time for all you political cyclists , Boardman nit picking critics to work together with someone level headed like Chris to push for the UK infrastructure to be be fixed ..just back from Germany ..incredible to see devts in industrial heartland cities like Bochum .. People again just ride bikes cos its convenient and makes sense . ...no need for helmet.

I'm a Londoner living in Copenhagen ,so constantly see what needs doing ( and can be done with political commitment)..why oh why can t UK wake up.......?

Chris has never snubbed me and in fact not so long ago he was at a meeting in Westminster when a bicycle protest ride came past. He grabbed a hire bike and joined in. Top guy, really! He's just what we need.

He talks a lot of sense.

Awful overtaking is probably my biggest single reason for being cheesed-off with drivers (except as a pedestrian, when it would be illegal pavement parking!).

Why do so many motorists have such an uncontrollable compulsion to get in front immediately, no matter whether its sensible or not? They do it even in the face of obvious oncoming cars (leading to loud horn-blasting and dangerous cutting-in). It happens very frequently.

What's wrong with waiting 10 seconds till either the oncoming traffic is clear or the door-zone/choke-point is past so I can make room again? I just don't get this behaviour.

I like Boardman's message on this.

Boardman is a star in every sense but he can't do it by himself. Anyone slagging him off needs to do one quite frankly, do these same people slag off cancer research groups because they've not solved cancer yet?! Support him, after all we have few that speak boldly for us.

For me it's all about legislation change. The DFT are useless, they pander to the motorist and their death toll at all and any cost whilst issuing patronising and murderous ignorance to those paying the cost for this lack of action with their lives.

I see it as a human rights issue and we should collectively challenge government in this way.

You have a moral right at the very least to use a lawful means of transportation on a public right of way without unreasonable risk of being killed or maimed or just plain intimidated by others imposing themselves in a reckless (& wholly preventable after all) manner against you.

We are protected in all manner of ways from sexual and various other discrimination in our lives with many agencies ensuring our wellbeing (councils/food standards/healthcare etc etc) but when the road is concerned we can be killed in unbelievably arbitrary ways and government continues to do nothing.

Why? We should challenge this in a human rights court. Why does DFT refuse to act? I'd like answers.

The subject of having to make an independent safety film is an interesting one. I think the Dept of Information was cut about 5 years ago? No more 'Charlie says' or Rolf Harris in the swimming pool with kids...

Gawd but we need the D of I back. I would welcome Clarkson: lecturing folk on what indicators are for - especially on motorways, Tailgating, Using the phone when driving, Leaving your trolley in a parking space at Tescos because you're too f**king idle to put it back.

Since the 1980's there has been a steady drop in both road manners and safety because people, like children, need to know the rules and need to be reminded of them. Just like the banks, if you do not constantly remind some people what is right from wrong and not to take the p*ss they will just take the p*ss.

Sorry. Didn't get my ride in this morning. I'm going away to lie down now..

With close to 800 people in the House of Lords it's a shame one of them isn't Uncle Chris. He could rally keen cyclists like Lord Sugar into helping enforce cycling rights. Can't see him in ermine though.

If only other lords with Olympic gold medals were realists and talking sense this week...

I totally agree with Chris.
It's perceived unsafe to go cycling without wearing a helmet and car drivers think people riding a bike without a helmet are breaking the law.
Also, this website has reports on slack sentences for killers way too often. It needs to stop.

I don't think anyone can argue with anything CB says here.

We do have to undertake these campaigns for any hope of change. It seems that, if looking at these forums, we are quite divided as a cycling community? I don't know if that is really true but it looks like it sometimes. I agree with Chris, we have a law in the Highway code, we are just asking it to be implemented - really simple principle. Maybe if more of our PCSOs were on bikes - it might become the norm? Also, hopefully as electric bikes get much, much cheaper more 'normal' people might like to try cycling and see how bloomin dangerous it is out there.

vbvb wrote:

mikroos wrote:

I don't think riding closer to the middle of the road.. is wrong in any way.

Sure, sure, but the only people happy to assert space against angry young male drivers are angry young male cyclists. On my commute drivers are highly confrontational to anyone cycling a safe distance from parked cars.

Oh, so in your opinion it's better to let them overtake the way *they* find it appropriate even when you know they won't give you enough space? That's interesting.

Actually it's all about letting the drivers pass whenever there's space or at least they slow down behind you, so that they will overtake you at a lower speed. That makes a huge difference. When the driver overtakes you at a lower speed, you fully expect it and it happens under your control, it's much safer even if the passing distance is theoretically illegal. Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

I know riding further from the kerb makes some drivers aggressive. But still IMHO it's much better than actively letting drivers pass you in an unsafe way. At least I personally have never had any serious incident related to overtaking since I started riding closer to the middle of the lane (only when necessary and immediately going back whenever overtaking was possible!) a few years ago. And I live in Poland, where road safety statistics are even worse than in Britain.

don simon wrote:

So that means it's oncoming traffic that causes delays and is the root of motorists' anger and not cyclists.
Who'd've thunk it?

These are your words, not mine. Cyclists do slow the traffic down, but that doesn't mean they should give up their right to be overtaken in a legal (or at least safe) way. I don't know how about you, but I won't sacrifice my health and life for the sake of road's capacity.

I think Chris Boardman is a wonderful spokesman for cycling in the real world, but I can't help but be cynical about the effectiveness of this campaign. No one's going to watch it and think, oh wow, I never knew I was passing cyclists so closely!

So what's my solution? I'm afraid I don't really have one. Segregated lanes everywhere? Tougher sentencing for those convicted of unsafe driving? Cars to be manufactured so that they don't feel uncomfortably slow when driven at a relatively slow pace.

Quote:

When it's easy to give plenty of room, over 50% of drivers do. When it's not easy, for example because of oncoming traffic, less than 50% wait until it's safe to overtake.

So that means it's oncoming traffic that causes delays and is the root of motorists' anger and not cyclists.
Who'd've thunk it?

Thankfully we have Chris Boardman who always makes a sensible, balanced and compelling argument. And while some people might think this may have been done a different/better way. If it wasn't for Chris Boardman, it might be be getting done at all. Where are the government in providing their explicit support, not just in word, in support of this. Seems to me they jump on the cycling bandwagon when they need votes, and then let the cycling agenda slide back into the weeds not to see the light of day for another four years.

Insurance, Helmets, so-called Road Tax etc etc are all a distraction from the real issues the Boardman promotes so well.

Good on him! Lets hope this gets the airtime it deserves.

Boardman is quite right, but there's a slight nuance to the way people in cars overtake. When it's easy to give plenty of room, over 50% of drivers do. When it's not easy, for example because of oncoming traffic, less than 50% wait until it's safe to overtake.

I have asked Mr Goodwill, the minister with responsibility for cycling, to do something about publicising and enforcing rule 163. I suggested signs similar to the French ones, and a round of interviews from him to raise the profile of the current rules. (The gist of it is here http://hedgehogcycling.co.uk/cyclist-passing-distance-signs.html). He wasn't the slightest bit interested. As far as the DfT is concerned, it's enough that rule 163 exists, and it doesn't matter if it's routinely disregarded in practice.

But Boardman is brilliant - he keeps making his point, and in the end it will get through.