[HoarseMann]

Generally, I hold Ashley Neal’s driving advice in high regard. But he’s been a bit wide of the mark (in my view) with his recent series of videos about the highway code changes.

In his latest video, he berates a couple of cyclists for riding two abreast on a country road with two lanes. My opinion is there is plenty of room to give a 1.5m clearance without the cyclists needing to single out. It looks like a standard 6m wide carriageway.

I even looked up the width of an oncoming Smart ForFour (1.0L Passion 2015 model apparently), which is 1.875m (excluding wing/DOOR mirrors). Overlaying this distance on a screen grab of the video seems to confirm there is plenty of space (see below).

I also don’t agree with his use of the horn. Imagine if every car that passed you ‘warned you of their presence’ with a ‘friendly’ toot. In my view, the only reason to warn someone of your presence is when you think they might need to take some evasive action or look like they might cross your path.

Is he right or wrong? Would you single out here? Do you mind the horn?

Topic

[Awavey]

I had a friend who saw me out

I had a friend who saw me out on my bike and tooted on the horn whilst waving manically at me, I think she was quite taken back by the reaction and choice of language she got lobbed back in her direction as a result as I hadnt recognised it was her at all, it was just another motorist having a go at me I thought.

then the other day I let a car pass me on a single track road, who then lent on the horn, after they passed me, why ? were they thanking me ? complaining Id held them up ? theres no such thing as a friendly toot IMO.

though of course ironically theyve tried to fit one to the Ineos Grenadier.

[IanMSpencer]

I have never really worked

I have never really worked out what rhythm works best to acknowledge a mate without getting the finger!

We had one a while back where I think in retrospect the driver was trying to let us know we had split at a junction (which we knew, because we pay attemtion)  which just got me shouting “What!” as I didn’t have a clue why they were sounding their horn at a short line of cyclists in single file with plenty of visibility to pass.

[IanMSpencer]

I think that where cyclists

I think that where cyclists are relaxed about oncoming traffic and there is a white line, then they are not going to be too demanding of passing width as long as the car makes good use of the other lane.

If I were being super critical, the riders do give the air of being a bit switched off to what is going on around them, appearing engrossed in conversation looking at each other rather than being attentive, and when I originally glimpsed the video preview, my reaction was they were riding on a fairly major road as if they were on a country lane. I think as a driver, I would be a bit more nervous passing them and I think their body language not acknowledging awareness of the car perhaps gave AN reason to sound a warning. In a similar situation, I would have spotted the car in my mirror, mentioned the “car up” to my mate and then be considering how tidily we needed to ride – a simple closing of the gap between riders soon gives an acknowledgement of awareness, a clear indication that I am happy to be passed two abreast – if the road was narrower I would consider dropping back, and if the traffic tends to be swift I would consider dropping back too.

[Rendel Harris]

HC 112 is quite clear on horn

HC 112 is quite clear on horn use: “Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively.” There is no “need” to warn the cyclists of the car’s presence; as in the recent NMOTD on the roundabout, the only reason for sounding the horn is to say “get out of the way I want to come through” and it is therefore aggressive, ergo breaks the Highway Code.

I do think there would be a place for a secondary noise to say I’m here, please can I come through when it’s safe; the buses in Paris have a delightful mellow chiming bell they sound when coming up behind cyclists in shared lanes, it removes all the aggression, perceived or real, one gets from a horn blast, and works really well.

[Mungecrundle]

Like you I usually rate
Like you I usually rate Ashley as being very level headed. Had he been taking his test on this occassion a harsh examiner may have penalised him for failing to make reasonable progress and for inappropriate use of horn. He missed the clear overtake at 51 seconds and after that, 2 abreast or single file would have made no difference as his view was limited until he did have a clear overtake some 40 seconds later.

[andystow]

The only obviously friendly

The only obviously friendly use of a horn I’ve experienced is when a friend has seen me out on my bike. If they’re going the opposite direction, I can usually see who it is, especially if their window is down. If they’re passing me, a couple of short toots after they’ve done so is much less alarming than while they’re still behind me. If they honk while still behind me, my middle finger may already be up before I realize who it is.

[MiserableBastard]

NFI who this guy is, buy

NFI who this guy is, buy nobody travelling with an empty armchair to their left and a sofa behind them has any right at all to comment on the amount of road space taken up by any other road user.

Also, what’s this ‘friendly’ toot nonsense? We have ears, cars have engine & tyre etc noise. Even in headphones (Koss PortaPro FTW) I can damn well hear them.

[HoarseMann]

(image screenshot copyright

(image screenshot copyright Ashley Neal, use under critical review exemption)…

[Author]

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