Intimidatory driving to become breach of traffic law?
Stuart Kightley
Table of Contents
A new driving offence of ‘intimidatory driving’ is being considered by the government to crack down on close passes by drivers. ‘Car dooring’ and punishment for stopping in cycle stop boxes at traffic lights could also result in points and a fine.
New regulations
The Department for Transport is publishing a ‘call for evidence’ on making cycling safer on UK roads. This call for evidence will also look at penalising cyclists for dangerous cycling as we reported last week.
Under the proposed driving regulations, car, van and lorry drivers could face points and a fine for passing cyclists too closely. According to driving.co.uk, “Passing distances have already been introduced in many countries, with gaps of at least one metre on local roads, rising to one and a half metres on faster routes. The Highway Code instructs motorists to give cyclists “plenty of room”, as they would when passing another vehicle, but no minimum distance has been set.”
In addition, vehicle owners who open their door into the road without looking and knocking a cyclist off their bike could be fined too. ‘Car dooring’ has been shown to be a major factor in the injury statistics. Drivers who stop their vehicles in ‘cycle stop boxes’ at traffic lights will also be punished.
According to the same driving.co.uk article, Jesse Norman, the transport minister with responsibility for cycling, said: “We need to become a nation of cyclists and this government wants to make cycling the natural choice of transport for people of all ages and backgrounds.”
Slap on the wrists
Currently there isn’t much the police can do in many instances short of pulling the driver over and making them feel extremely uncomfortable! The West Midlands Police are proud of the fact that they were the first police force in the UK to crack down on close passes. However their website says, “Drivers will be offered a road-side educational input on safe overtaking,” though repeat offenders and those going far too closely may well be taken to court. The problem is that a judge will have to decide on how close is too close.
One in four rides has a very scary incident
Research published in 2017 that looked at the regularity of close passes on UK roads suggested, “in the UK, near misses seem to be ‘everyday’ occurrences, with the vast majority of our sample experiencing at least one on their diary day. One in four experienced an incident that they rated as being ‘very scary’.” Nearly every day a cyclist will have a close pass, while one day in four you will have a scarily close encounter.
The research looked at 1600 day long cycling diaries from cyclists around the UK. That is a large enough number that it is considered a standard figure that all cycling campaigns refer to in their literature. Celebrities such as Jeremy Vine have set up YouTube channels to show just how hairy riding can be with aggressive or thoughtless car, lorry and van drivers routinely getting too close.
Isn’t high time the law knew how close is too close? In doing so, drivers will have to be more mindful. Those with helmet-cams will also be able to get prosecutions. From a cycling safety point of view, it’s a step in the right direction!
Share this article
Contact
Related InsightsVIEW ALL
28.2.2023Do you have to wear a bike helmet?
Should bike helmets be mandatory in the UK? Recently, Dan Walker was involved in a nasty collision with a motorist...
Read more
5.5.2022Top 10 Major Highway Code Changes for Cyclists
New Highway Code rules for cyclists At the end of January 2022, the Highway Code was updated to make British roads...
Read more
20.1.2022Cycling accident advice
Now more than ever before, people are embracing the pleasures and benefits of cycling in and around London. Unsurprisingly, the...
Read more
16.9.2021The law around E-bikes and E-scooters explained
Why are electric bikes legal but not scooters? E-bikes and e-scooters are the new rides on the block. To many,...
Read more
31.12.2020Bike Boxes – what are the rules?
Cycle boxes at traffic lights I read a post recently on a London cycling forum in relation to some confusion...
Read more
2.11.2020Highway Code changes just the start in protecting...
The 2020 changes to the Highway Code do not go far enough to change driver behaviour and protect cyclists and pedestrians,...
Read more
9.6.2020The importance of parks for cycling
I ventured outside the comfort of my home this past weekend for the first time in 11 weeks. As I walked...
Read more
11.5.2020Helmet Cameras: Personal Safety and the Law
Helmet cameras have become one of the must-have items for cyclists, especially those commuting to and from work. They offer...
Read more
11.5.2020Bike Cam Prosecutions
Have you ever been cut up by a van turning left? Or been riding along only to find the tarmac...
Read more
7.5.2020Around the World In One Day for NHS...
On Thursday 30th April 2020 I took part in a 240 mile cycle, raising money for the NHS. This ride was to...
Read more
7.5.2020Boom time for bikes – London Mayor’s new...
Yesterday Sadiq Khan unveiled his ‘London Streetspace’ programme designed to transform London’s streets to accommodate a possible ten-fold increase...
Read more- 5.5.2020
Highway code refresher for cyclists
As we start week 7 of lockdown, there is one thing that is more noticeable on the roads…cyclists. Whether you...
Read more 
3.12.2019Cycling accidents involving potholes
If a cyclist is injured as a result of a pothole or defect on the road they were travelling on...
Read more
26.11.2019Do I need insurance for cycling?
There is no legal requirement for cyclists to hold insurance cover in order to cycle in the UK. That includes...
Read more
13.8.2019Death of cyclist in road traffic accident opens...
After the death of a cyclist outside the Olympic park, Stuart Kightley, personal injury solicitor at Osbornes re-visits the question...
Read more
21.6.2019E-Bikes – are they the future for commuting?
The Government released some clarification last week in relation to the upper limit of the cycle to work scheme. Many...
Read more- 18.5.2019
Local hubbub over Highbury corner
Highbury Corner in Islington is one of the busiest interchanges in the whole of the UK (never mind just London)...
Read more 
12.5.2019Cycling Health Benefits – A ride a day keeps...
In my 20s I had a massive breakdown and was given an incurable diagnosis with a scary name. I went...
Read more- 11.5.2019
New Research Proves That Cycling Officially Makes You...
New research published by the YMCA shows that those with an active lifestyle are up to 32% happier than people who...
Read more - 11.5.2019
Cycle Accident: The Near Miss Project
One major problem of cycling in the UK is other intolerant road users. This is a large reason for my...
Read more - 11.5.2019
Can a ‘bike backie’ get you in trouble?
London’s controversial mayor Boris Johnson has been caught by The Sun newspaper giving his lawyer wife Marina Wheeler a...
Read more 
11.5.2019Ealing cyclists up in arms over latest death
After 51-year-old Met Police officer, Claudia Manera was killed in a bike accident at the junction of The Broadway and...
Read more
25.3.2019The risks and rewards of cycling in London
Stuart Kightley of Osbornes solicitors asks the question: is cycling in London good for your health? I acted for a...
Read more
14.2.2019Cyclists, Roundabouts and the Highway Code
The Highway Code is more than just a guide to how to pass your driving test. It is intended to...
Read more