Tom Amos started a petition on NR10’s web site, and called it 3feet2pass. I signed the petition, as did a disappointing 2 600 others.
What is important here is not the numbers, but rather the response.
The Government’s response starts off by stating they will do nothing about the situation. It then continues with little gems like this:
“Rules 163, 211 – 213 of The Highway Code advises drivers to give cyclists at least as much room as a car when overtaking and to give them plenty of room and pay attention to any sudden change they may have to make.“
I’ve highlighted the key word here, which is ADVISES.
Dictionary.com defines it as follows:
1. to give counsel to; offer an opinion or suggestion as worth following.
2. to recommend as desirable, wise, prudent, etc.
3. to give (a person, group, etc.) information or notice (often fol. by of)
The government then continues to say “failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted“.
Here’s a translation: In a document rarely read by drivers, we suggest drivers give cyclists as much room as they would a car when overtaking, but if they won’t follow this advice we won’t do anything about it at all.
This is presented as a done deal, with nothing we can do about it.
Now during my commute this morning, a Fiesta driver insisted on overtaking me right where the road narrows due to a pedestrian island having been built. This driver then turned left, causing me to have to swerve sharply while braking hard. I only just avoided crashing into the Fiesta.
In line with the government’s ADVICE, the police car that was driving behind me DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
Still, there is something we can do about it. We can ask our MP’s for their support, and if we don’t get their support, well, they don’t deserve our support during the next election.
Unfortunately, in my case I have to ask for support from Linda Gilroy and Alison Seabeck and despite being male I probably have a better chance of falling pregnant than receive ANY support of either of them.