How much space should you leave beside you while passing a cyclist?

Leave a safe distance of not less than three (3) feet between the vehicle and the bicyclist and maintain such clearance until safely past the bicycle. Leave a safe distance when passing the bicycle, and maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.

How much space should you leave beside you when passing a cyclist?

Drivers passing cyclists must leave one metre of space where the speed limit is 60 kilometres per hour or less, and one and a half metres when the speed limit is above 60 kilometres per hour.

How much space should you allow a cyclist?

Motorists should leave at least 1.5m of space between their vehicle and the cyclist when overtaking at speeds less than 30mph. This should be greater in poor weather or when the car is travelling at speed.

How do you drive past cyclists?

Why should you give a cyclist as much room as a car?

If there's not enough space to pass safely, travel behind the cyclist until space to pass is available. The Highway Code specifically warns that cyclists may have to pull out suddenly because of hazards like drain covers, or oil and ice patches. It advises to give plenty of room and be alert to changes of direction.

Leave space when passing someone cycling

How large is the gap you must have between yourself and a cyclist when overtaking them on the road?

The rule requires all drivers to leave at least 1 metre between the motor vehicle and a bicycle rider when passing a bicycle rider on a road with a speed limit of 60km/h and below. Drivers must leave at least 1.5m when they pass a bicycle rider on a road with a speed limit above 60km/h.

Should cars give way to cyclists?

Cyclists will also now have priority when cars are turning at a junction. This rule means that cars indicating to turn left or right will have to give way to cyclists coming from behind and going straight on.

Are cyclists allowed to ride 2 abreast?

Under the Highway Code, riding two abreast is allowed but the guidance often leads to confusion as motorists believe cyclists should single out when drivers wish to overtake.

What does rule 66 say about cyclists in the Highway Code?

Rule 66: Be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups. You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders.

Why do cyclists ride two abreast?

The main reason that cyclists ride side by side is for safety. First off, a group of cyclists riding two abreast will be easier to see for drivers, making it less likely that they will be hit from behind, but the main reason is to make sure that drivers give them enough room when overtaking.

Are cyclists allowed to ride next to each other?

It's perfectly legal for cyclists to ride two abreast on the road, so when you are off on a spin with your friends, feel free to cycle side by side. However, the highway code states that you can't ride more than two abreast, and you can't do it when on narrow roads or when cycling around bends.

What is the new cyclist law?

The new text in the rulebook now says that you can ride two abreast, particularly in large groups or accompanying a child or someone less experienced. In slow moving traffic, cyclists and pedestrians may pass the traffic and drivers should allow this.

What are the new rules for cyclists?

The new update says cyclists should cycle in the middle of the lane on quiet roads, in slow-moving traffic, or when approaching junctions or road narrowings. The code also says cyclists should maintain a distance of 0.5m from the kerb edge when cycling on busy roads or with traffic that is moving faster than them.

Who has right of way pedestrians or cyclists?

All drivers and cyclists have been warned about a new Highway Code rule. Currently, road users should only give way to pedestrians who have started to cross the road into which they are turning. However under new rules, people who are crossing on side roads and junctions have the right of way to do so.

What is the minimum passing distance?

When a motor vehicle overtakes and passes a bicycle, three feet or greater is considered a safe passing distance. Pass with a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three (3) feet until the motor vehicle is safely past the overtaken bicycle.

Can I cross double white lines to pass a cyclist?

Double white lines where the nearest line is solid

There is one exception however; you may cross the line to pass a stationary vehicle, or overtake a pedal cycle, horse or road maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at 10 mph (16 km/h) or less.

What following distance should you leave when you're behind a truck?

As a general rule, when following a vehicle, you should travel three seconds behind the vehicle in front to provide enough time to avoid a crash. An easy way to estimate this is to count how long it takes you to pass the same object as the vehicle in front of you. This should be at least three seconds.

Should you signal when overtaking a cyclist?

Regardless of what type of road you're travelling on, you should always indicate when overtaking another moving vehicle or changing lanes. Special consideration should be given, however, when overtaking cyclists, with the width of the road playing an important role.

Can cyclists use middle of the road?

Riding in the middle of the road lane. This one can unfortunately really frustrate some motorists, but it is perfectly legal and often the safest option for cyclists to take.

Do cyclists have to give way at roundabouts?

Under the updated rule, drivers are now told to give priority to cyclists on roundabouts and not cut across their path. Rule 186 states: "Give them plenty of room and do not attempt to overtake them within their lane. Allow them to move across your path as they travel around the roundabout.

Do cyclists have to stop at red lights?

A red traffic light applies to all road users. Cyclists must not cross the stop line if the traffic lights are red.

Do cyclists have to keep left?

Despite what some people would have you believe – spoiler alert: not everything written on social media is true – there's no rule that says cyclists should always be on the left-hand side of the lane (we'll talk about the related subject of riding two abreast in a separate feature, by the way).

Do cyclists have to wear a helmet?

The Highway Code suggests that cyclists should wear a helmet. You will also find that most organised cycle events, including cycle club rides, will insist on you wearing a helmet. Most cycle facilities such as bike parks will also insist on a helmet. Wearing a helmet is a controversial issue for some cyclists.

How do cyclists talk to each other?

They need a wired headset which needs to be disconnected or reconnected when getting on or off your bike or when taking your helmet off. The headsets only use a single ear speaker. There is no communication with a smartphones for phone calls or listening to music.

Can cyclists cycle 2 abreast UK?

Cyclists are allowed to cycle two abreast!

This means cycles are perfectly legal to cycle side by side on most roads in the UK. Obviously some common sense needs to be used to work out if and when cyclists need to single out to let cars overtake but on the majority of UK roads cycling 2 abreast is allowed.