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THINK! road safety’s third day of Cycle To School Week started with the following advice for parents cycling with their kids…
#CycleToSchoolWeek Day 3 🚲
Cycling 2 abreast (side by side) with children/inexperienced riders can help keep them safer on the roads.
Remember to be aware of people driving and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when safe to do so. pic.twitter.com/7sMTScVqG6
— THINK! Road Safety (@THINKgovuk) October 5, 2022
Followed by a full pile-in over the second paragraph, which many suggested was inappropriate and unsafe advice…
— Lockdown Cyclist (@LockdownCyclist) October 5, 2022
If I’m riding two abreast to protect a child from traffic, why would I move to single file every time a car appears? Drivers can wait until it’s safe. Or just wait.
— Katy (@TheBlueUlysses) October 5, 2022
If I’m riding two abreast to protect a child from traffic, why would I move to single file every time a car appears? Drivers can wait until it’s safe. Or just wait.
— Katy (@TheBlueUlysses) October 5, 2022
Please focus on the real problempic.twitter.com/A4weE6zMfI
— cycle guy- strays off topic (@thecycleguy3) October 5, 2022
So where did this advice come from? THINK!? Nope, this heavily-criticised advice came directly from… well… the Highway Code…
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. Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so.Â
This revelation made it a smidge more understandable (to some) why THINK! had used that wording, but others pointed out protecting children cycling on the road should probably come slightly higher on the ol’ priorities hierarchy than abiding perfectly to the code.
Is the key point “if you feel safe to do so” and/or do parts of the Highway Code still need updating?
This is not a great piece of comms because, whilst the second sentence is straight from the Highway Code, when I’m riding on the road with children/inexperienced riders, I pretty much always judge it to be safest to be a little further out than they are. https://t.co/W8MNC9fTjK
— Jon Owen (@anotherJon) October 5, 2022
No. You go in the next lane to overtake even a single cyclist. Singling out doesn’t help overtaking. It only encourages dangerous squeezing past cyclists. pic.twitter.com/oLwtjdBy8t
— CyclingMikey (@MikeyCycling) October 5, 2022
These Think! tweets aren’t terribly real-life useful but they’re compliant with current Highway Code (which remains duff in many respects and needs further revisions.)
— Carlton Reid (@carltonreid) October 5, 2022
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