New Rules For Motorists Using Roundabouts Are Coming In On 29th January

I wonder if guide dogs will now have to be trained in a different way to accommodate these new rules?
Or, will already trained guide dogs have to be retrained?

1 Like

Guide dogs must get so confused with new road layouts, e scooters etc.

Just been reading my local facebook page and a cyclist complained about a dog on an extended lead entering into the cycle path bit of the pavement down the seafront. This was my favourite post, somebody said what’s your address I want to send you a pressie

image

2 Likes

No.
The Guide Dogs Association have confirmed they won’t.
Guide dogs are trained to recognise Moving Traffic and Stationary Traffic and that will not change.

Have say I hate those extended leads they are so dangerous on footpaths.

1 Like

I could think of a better present in a little bag handmade by my dog… :smiley:

1 Like

Another aspect of these new rules is something that I have experienced personally over the past few days.
Marge and I have approached a side street to cross to the next pavement, but have politely paused at the edge of the pavement, only to find motorists stopping and waving us to cross (to which we naturally wave our thanks).

What I mean to say that it should be a matter simply of good manners: no attempting to demand motorists stop by beginning to step out without warning, for example. I’d like to see all pedestrians and all motorists show a bit of common courtesy to each other.

As for cyclists… well, I suppose I can dream!

That they are. I’ve had one dog run around me so many times the owner had to cut me free after I went A over T while her little dog went frantic.

JBR that’s ok as long as they haven’t got them stupid tinted windows. There’s been loads of times when I’ve been crossing the road and the car is stopped or slowing down, but can’t tell whether/he she has seen me as can’t see inside the car to see what they’re doing i.e. are they waving for me to go or just adjusting their seat belt, texting, changing their radio station or something similar.

:clap:

Who the hell do these entitled cyclists think they are?
Do they really think that they are above the law, that they can go straight through red traffic lights whereas everyone else waits for them to change?
Don’t they realise the danger to themselves - and much more importantly, to other road users?
Of course, they are fully aware that they are unidentifiable so what’s to stop them?
Good for the police.

Yesterday, without thinking, l committed a heinous crime… l overtook a cyclist. She was cycling very near to the kerb.
After passing her and looking in my rear view mirror, l noticed, she had moved to the centre of the road. l also noticed the car that had been behind me was crawling at a snail’s pace behind the cyclist.

Realising my terrible ‘crime’, l felt the most enormous guilt and wondered if she might have had a camera attached to her helmet to show to the police!
These new fines might even become a bigger money-spinner than speeding fines!!

Overtaking a cyclist is no crime, especially if you leave a space as you do it.

I reckon she realised her mistake in keeping to the left and allowing a motorist to so easily overtake, when the new rules state quite clearly that cyclists should keep to the middle of the lane in an attempt to prevent motorists overtaking, something about keeping us in a low gear so as to churn out more greenhouse gases.

With regard to cyclists being unidentifiable (as no number plates), I think we motorists just follow James Bond’s lead and have a rotating numberplate fitted.

1 Like

of course motorists can get their own back by being right up behind them and keep their hands blowing the car horn, anyway that is what I would do.
In actual fact they are breaking the law by causing a moving obstruction, bet they never thought of that

2 Likes

I don’t know if I have already mentioned on this thread but I found out something I didn’t know about cycling and the law the other day. Apparently speed limits do not apply to cycles because they are not obliged to have a speedometer. They can in theory go as fast as they like. Some maybe felt the same applied to traffic lights! That they are only obligatory for motor vehicles.

2 Likes

I have taken to just driving very slowly behind a cyclist who is to the left as usually there is not the required space to overtake and not sure what else to do really. I’m sure cyclists are now wishing things stayed as they were. Pedestrians are equally confused by the new law as some think they can just walk out to the middle of a road. I beeped at a jogger yesterday, He seemed to think it was ok to jog in the middle of a road right in my path.

1 Like

Annie, It’s funny you should say that. Yesterday, l was behind a male cyclist and he had a child cycling in front of him.
They were well on the left hand side near the kerb. I didn’t know what to do, it would have been easy to pass them but l decided to stay behind them, driving at a snail’s pace.
Realising l was behind them, their legs started to pedal furiously, ten to the dozen!
A little further up the road was a farm entrance so the man indicated right and the two of them rode towards there and carried on their journey by waking on the footpath pushing their bicycles.
I felt quite guilty, thinking they had only turned off to accommodate me.
I bibbed my horn and waved at him. I hope they realised l was thanking them and not putting my fist up at them!!

1 Like

So relieved it’s not just me that feels this way Art. Responsible cyclists are probably cursing these highway code changes!

2 Likes

Good idea. Keep close behind them, but not too close. Just enough to intimidate them.
After all, if they should wobble and fall over they’d be right under your wheels.
An incentive for them to keep well to the left and allow you to overtake.

These idiotic changes to the rules have done nothing but set cyclists and motorists against each other and made us enemies. I have never felt that way before. It was always live and let live.

1 Like

Thought I’d post this on here in case any drivers didn’t know about it: