LETTER: Highway Code gives answers

Mr Hazard (letters July 24) claims he is confused as to what to do when following a cyclist travelling at 12mph on a section of road with double white lines, the crossing of which he states is ‘strictly illegal’.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Aug 2014, 07:00 BST
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Does he not know his Highway Code? Rule 129 is very straight forward and I quote it here in full:

‘Double white lines where the line nearest you is solid. This means you MUST NOT cross or straddle it unless it is safe and you need to enter adjoining premises or a side road.

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‘You may cross the line if necessary, provided the road is clear, 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. Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 26’

Seems cut and dried to me. Our driver simply has to exercise some patience and wait. And if they do so they will be almost unique in the district in doing so, such is the ‘must get past, regardless’ mentality of so many local drivers.

Should a driver’s patience with this impertinent, traffic delaying, cyclist wear thin, as no doubt will happen when the voices calling ‘must get past, MUST get past, MUST GET PAST’ grow loud, and given I’ve been overtaken on double white lines on the A281 whilst cycling at over 30mph in recent weeks these voices must be at their loudest at this time of year, our driver could again aim for near uniqueness in another, alternate way, by applying part of rule 163:

‘You should give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car.’

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About three feet/one metre should see the driver right. The locally preferred option for double-white line overtakes is, of course, to overtake the hapless cyclist, regardless of their speed, giving them as little room as possible, a foot or less is judged fine by most, and doing so preferably whilst approaching a blind bend, or better still, after having completely misjudged the speed of the oncoming traffic forcing it to brake!

All saving valuable seconds on the driver’s journey towards the next, inevitable, encounter with the ‘must get past’ voices on our crowded roads.

GREG COLLINS

Hurst Road, Horsham