The following petition for “Introduction of a permanent, minimum passing distance when overtaking cyclists” has been raised on the UK Governments Petition site – should you wish to put your name to it. The details are as follows:
“Cycling in the UK has become a truly popular sport and way of commuting, but we still vulnerable.In 2014 21,287 cyclist were injured in reported road accidents in the UK, 113 were killed and 3,401 were seriously injured.The Highway Code, Rule 212 states giving “plenty of room” when passing cyclists.
The lack of a clear specification may result in a personal decision what a “plenty of room” means in terms of distance. Therefore, introducing a minimum legal passing distance when overtaking cyclists will considerably reduce the number of cyclist casualties, aiding in a safe cycling practice. Suggestion of 3.28 ft (1 m) when overtaking cyclists on roads with speed limits up to and including 30mph. On roads with higher speed limits, the minimum passing distance should be 4.9 ft (1.5 m).“