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Essex motorbike cop consults Highway Code (YouTube still, user Paul Clayton).JPGVideo: Essex motorbike cop tells cyclists they mustn't ride two abreast - even after he consults Highway Code, which says they can
A cyclist has posted a video to YouTube showing an argument he and his riding partner had with an Essex Police motorbike officer who pulled them over and insisted they were breaking the law by not riding in single file.
The footage was uploaded to the video-sharing site yesterday by Paul Clayton, who was told by the officer at one point, "You are causing other road users to drive carelessly."
Essex Police Biker Argues the law with Cyclists by StanCardinalBCLion
Even after consulting a copy of the Highway Code, with it taking him several minutes to find the relevant section, the officer insists that the cyclists are endangering themselves and other road users by riding side by side, and takes down their details.
Rule 66 of the Highway Code says that cyclists "should never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends."
Side by Side from carltonreid on Vimeo.
In August 2015, British Cycling policy advisor Chris Boardman teamed up with driving instructor Blaine Walsh for this video produced by cycling journalist and author Carlton Reid which explains that cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast.
> Video: Chris Boardman explains why cyclists can - and do - ride two abreast
Boardman said: "According to rule 66 in the Highway Code cyclists are advised to never ride more than two abreast. So, three’s out but riding side by side is fine.”
“Think of it like this,” he continued. “In your car, you have the driver’s seat and the passenger seat, that makes a car suitable for two people to travel next to each other. Cyclists riding next to each other are doing the same thing, maybe chatting just like you would do in a car.”
As we reported at the weekend, Derbyshire Police recently published road safety advice regarding cyclists and aimed at both people on bikes and, primarily, drivers of motor vehicles.
> Derbyshire Police launch website explaining how to drive around cyclists
On the subject of cyclists riding two abreast, the force said: "It may come as a surprise to most drivers but cyclists have as much right as drivers to take up the entire lane.
"You will often see cyclists riding side-by-side, and you, as a driver, may think they’re being selfish by doing so.
"But the fact is the cyclist is actually reducing the risk of having an accident; it’s the safest way for them to cycle, particularly if there’s a blind bend, a narrowing of the road, a high risk junction, pinch point or traffic lights ahead."
NB This story was amended at 2.50pm on 15 May 2017 to reflect that the video on YouTube has been made private.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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79 comments
Now if the officer had really cared about their safety shouldn't he have pulled them over in a safer spot, as was said earlier.
And shouldn't he have also been behind them when pulled over, giving them all the safety of his flashing blue lights, and general policeyness (I know Bez has showed a shot of a rear ended patrol car that shows even this sometimes doesn't help) . I've been watching a bit of police interceptors recently, Ch5 seem to have it on a loop on their other channels, a bit like Dave did with QI or Top Gear, and when a car pulls someone over they never go in front, not as a single car anyhow, and I don't think a TPAC would have been justified in this instance.
Now that the police are accepting video evidence for close passses for prosecution of motorists, I would forward this video to the police as a complaint and demand action is taken; making it clear it would be escalated to IPCC if need be. I would also copy to the All Party Parliamentary Group for cycling.
This institutional failure, change cyclist, for race, religion...it is unacceptable and this sort of evidence should be used to kick the police up the arse.
video is here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5md0et_essex-police-biker-argues-the-l...
Sadly, the video is no longer available for viewing, but I have to say that in my opinion cycling two-abreast is not safer, but poses an increased risk to the cyclist farthest out and also to vehicles approaching from either direction but particularly from behind.
The only time cycling two-abreast is safer is on group rides as it makes it easier for vehcles to overtake, but the bunches also need to be spread out to accomodate this.
In my view the policeman was correct in recognising that the situation posed a hazard even though whether or not it was legal comes down to how you interpret the word 'busy' in the highway code "should ... ride in single file on narrow or busy roads..".
In my view a busy road would be any road where there are other vehicles present, so move to single file when a vehicle approaches from behind, then move back out after it has passed. This seems like a good practice to me and is how I ride. Ride two-abreast and its only a matter of time before it results in an accident, or you meet a road-rage nutter who decides to run you off the road.
You must spend your entire journey looking backwards.
I always feel safer in a bunch 2 abreast, cars slow down and wait for space instead of taking premature risks for an early overtake.
Actually, I use a mirror ... they are available to fit any type of bicycle and I wouldn't cycle without one as I wobble when I look backwards. It also allows me to take evasive action if I think an approaching vehicle hasn't noticed me ... I've only had to do so once, but I also witnessed another cyclist almost being moed down by a dozzy driver that wasn't paying attention (I was driving behind that vehicle at the time). The only reason the cylist survived was because he was cycling close to the edge of the road and there was just enough room for the car to pass while staying in the lane. He got a fright he'll never forget. This was on a straight road in broad daylight and the cyclist was clearly visible ... the driver was simply not paying attention. Mirrors are the best upgrade I've ever made.
...and they come in handy for checking that you've got plenty of forehead showing underneath the brim of your helmet, your stabilisers haven't fallen off and your ten foot high flag is still attached.
</joking>
It's quite possible the driver overtook so closely precisely BECAUSE the cyclist was stuck to the edge of the road. Personally I do it on the 50mph stretch of my commute because I'd rather stay sa far out of the way as possible and rarely get a close pass, but it definitely encourages drivers to overtake within the lane.
That is indeed a possibility, but I was watching and it looked more to me like the driver didn't notice the cyclist ... I say this because the driver didn't slow down or change position at all and only missed the cyclist by a couple of feet at most and there was no oncoming traffic so the other lane was clear (it was a Sunday afternoon). Here's where it happened...
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.8105807,-2.9842586,3a,75y,324.42h,94.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shvDWc_uZBn-pHj3DsC_4TA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Sometimes drivers can go into autopilot and loose focus, particulary if they are tired ... they are not expecting to see cyclists so only react to other vehicles ... much like when cars pull out from junctions when a cyclist is passing as their brain failed to register that there was a bike approaching. I don't really know the answer, but I always use a mirror to keep an eye out for drivers that may not be paying attention so that I can take action if they fail to notice me.
sounds like any bog standard overtake most motorists give cyclists, a miss is as good as mile in their view, why would they move over if they think they can get past you without doing anything, youve got to remember on most dual carriageways/motorways cars are overtaking cars,coaches,trucks at speeds of at least 70mph with mere inches between them, sometimes its just the width of the lane marking seperating them, the idea that as a car you should give a cyclist more room than a comparable overtake of a car becomes a complete anathema to them, because they dont understand that simply not hitting you isnt enough because they dont have experience of what that feels like
When I'm on a narrow lane, I'll ride well out into the road. That way cars MUST slow down before they get to me, so I control the pass. That's taking the lane.
The police officer is an idiot, he couldn't have chosen a more inapropriate place to pull them over. Even when he managed to find Rule 66 of the highway code, I still dont think he fully grasped the concept that there needs to be at least 3 cyclists to ride more that 2 abreast.
A motorcyclist giving safety advise lol.
its only a matter of time before he rides that thing into a tree or a wall or a building.
Maybe it was this guy from last week
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3522561/police-motorcyclist-royal-car-thro...
Regardless of the coppers lack of knowledge his main view was their safety, cars will be going 70 on a 60, this isn't safe for cycling two a breast on a single lane road, single file with a good rear LED would be better, appreciate the law allows otherwise, just my opinion.
Looks like another typical road with poor cycling design.
When drivers are presented with a clear lane with one or two cyclists in single file will rarely scrub off speed if they think they can get by without moving over to the other lane. When confronted with no option(2 abreast) but to slow down and assess when they have to move into the other carriageway either partially or fully. The driver has to come out of autopilot mode and think
Just watched the whole thing. Ha, ha, good on the cyclists. The guy obviously has a chip on his shoulder about cyclists and just ended up making himself look like an officious prat.
Are we living in ignorance?
Video - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5md0et_essex-police-biker-argues-the-l...
Category : Comedy & Entertainment
I used to get letters to from the public about cyclists in my club when we cycled two abreast or didn't use a shared use cyclepath when riding. I used to write to each of them giving the guidance from the highway code and the relevant information on minimum standards required for cycle paths from the Department of Transport.
As this video demonstrates, it's a sad reflection of our times that all road users are not aware of the Highway Code. Shame.
I'm not sure that the motorcyclist in this short video was left with any clearer idea of the guidance in the Highway Code, but they seemed to share contact details so maybe if the two cyclists contacted the local police they might be able to reach out to the motorcyclist in question and send a local "bobbie" round to show him the relevant sections and explain the meaning. It's quite clear. I'd hate for the road user to be unclear about the law.
I suspect the car driver who stopped behind may have understood the matter as he kept well away from the melee.
I'm so glad to see that our tax money goes to good use. I can only imagine what an idyllic place Essex must be where the only thing that the traffic police can find to do is to chastise cyclists for daring to cycle side by side. Here in Bristol, we have drivers jumping red lights at pretty much every intersection when the lights go from amber to red. We've also got plenty of speeders, but that might be something to do with our 20mph limit around the centre.
I wish I lived somewhere that was had such law-abiding citizens that the police don't even know their way around the Highway Code.
You mustn't wear that pretty frock, you're causing other chaps to go all rapey.
never correct what is happening is drivers are choosing to drive dangerously because they lack patience
The look on the traffic officer's face when he opens that highway code and finds out he is wrong!
Lol. Holding up trafic and a queue behind them. Just watch the 1st 20 sec of the video and that will somewhat prove that copper just started making things up when he proved himself wrong.
Competancy training awaits hopefully. We need the laws enforced not prejudice.
What a chopper!
To paraphrase the Simpsons -
Ned Flanders "hey, you aren't allowed to ride two abreast"
Homer Simpson " we aren't riding to a breast, we are riding to a lake"
It's rather sad that when there are so few traffic offiers around these days, you get some who don't even understand the law. If I was the cyclists I'd be every bit as pissed off at them and credit to them for not getting really angry about a traffic stop they endured for not breaking the law. I hope they complain directly to the senior officer involved and ask for an apology and also further explanation of the law to the officer involved.
I this ever happens to me, I'll simply ask "am I being detained?", when the officer answers no, I'll just pedal off.
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