Viral
Girl Almost Hit By Car While Cycling Provokes Campaigners To Demand “New Highway Code Rules”
Will the new rules truly change anything?
In a video making rounds on Twitter, a young cyclist was seen riding without a helmet as a huge Range Rover passed her and headed off into the distance. The driver behind the range rover has since been blasted for veering towards the opposite lane, especially as they almost hit the young girl.
Cyclist campaigners have insisted new highway code rules are needed after a video showed a Range Rover nearly knocked over a young girl.
Critics have also insisted that “this is why the New Highway Code rules are urgently needed. One of the campaigners for better cycling accessibility, identified as Danny, took to social media and wrote: “To all those people moaning about the new Highway Code rules and they don’t think they should give cyclists (or horse riders) space when overtaking, this is why.”
It shows the girl cycling without a helmet along the side of a road as a black Range Rover closely overtakes her.
Why would anyone be this much of a shit to an adult, let alone a little girl?! Why is getting in front worth that?
— Rory Meakin (@rorymeakin) February 2, 2022
(Video: @lucullus) pic.twitter.com/5avckGgfLD
Danny’s post instantly drew many comments and has been liked over 200 times. One who appeared to agree with Danny said: “If you are cycling, you have certainly experienced this. It scares me to bits – I can’t imagine how frightful it must have been for this child and their adult.” Another said: “RR drivers overtake oncoming traffic, forcing the van to stop virtually. Absolutely awful driving deserving of a formal police warning.”
“To all those people moaning about the new Highway Code rules and they don’t think they should give cyclists (or horse riders) space when overtaking, this is why,” a cyclist campaigner known as Danny insisted.
However, many were quick to call out the girls’ parents for allowing her to cycle on the road without a helmet.
Some people claimed the young girl should have been wearing a helmet while out on the roads and that the changes to the rules probably wouldn’t have prevented the scenario from playing out. One wrote: “To be perfectly fair, the behavior of the Range Rover is not going to be changed by the updates to the Highway Code. Anyone who overtakes cyclists into oncoming traffic is deranged and will ignore the new rules anyway.”
A few pointed out that the changes to the rules probably wouldn’t have prevented the scenario from playing out.
Under the revised rules, cyclists are encouraged to take up a central position on the road when they can. It also states that drives must keep a 1.5metre distance when overtaking cyclists. However, Rule 72 in The Highway Code states: “Ride in the center of your lane, to make yourself as clearly visible as possible, in the following situations.”
Under the revised rules, cyclists are encouraged to take up a central position on the road when they can.
“On quiet roads or streets – if you can do so safely. In slower-moving traffic – when the traffic around you starts to flow more freely, move over to the left if you can do so safely so that faster vehicles behind you can overtake. At the approach to junctions or road narrowing where it would be unsafe for drivers to overtake you.”
The Incident Has Since Been Met With Mixed Reactions. Here’s Proof:
#1
I mean, I think if people want to wear a helmet, that’s fine. If they don’t want to wear a helmet, also fine. The fact that some people’s first response to this was about helmets instead of the driving bothers me. Reminded me of this @tomflood1 tweet https://t.co/0Zun8otGfu
— Deryck Wallace (@thecooker) February 3, 2022
#2
Should report to social services for allowing their child on a road like this with no helmet.
Yes range rover driver muppet.
But parent of this child worse. If this was me, I’d be mortified and crawling into a hole to cry. Terrible negligent parenting.#parenting #cyclists— Kelly (@redgintea) February 3, 2022
#3
What is a little girl doing on a main rd on her bike and no helmet – who’s filming her? If it’s the parent they need prosecuting. It’s a safeguarding issue !!
— carol coyne (@carolcoyne2) February 4, 2022
#4
The reason some people get so upset by the lack of a helmet is fundamentally the same as what explains why drivers driver nearer to cyclists when they’re wearing one. It makes the driver feel better about taking risks
— Rory Meakin (@rorymeakin) February 3, 2022
#5
Her riding on the road = legal.
Her riding without a helmet = legal.
Range Rover driving like a dick = illegal.
Does that help answer your question?— Dai Williams (@DaiHoss) February 2, 2022
#6
DRIVERS should drive safely! That goes without saying. Doesn’t mean a young girl’s skull shouldn’t be protected with a helmet. They’re not perfect but MUCH better than nothing. Pedestrians are protected by segregated infrastructure and laws which prohibit driving on the pavement.
— Rich Kershaw (@richk13) February 2, 2022
#7
There are loads of cycle lanes and protected tracks but cyclists ignore them, with the excuse “real cyclists don’t use the cycle lane” then when they get knocked off the bike by riding dangerously all of a sudden they are the victim boo hoo 😭 call the ambulance-chasing lawyers
— Keir Gregory 🇬🇧 (@GregoryKeir) February 3, 2022
#8
Honest to God if someone did that to my daughter they better pray I don’t catch up with them. It’s a sad reflection of our driving culture that this sort of thing is normalised – a 3 ton tank driven within inches of a child. Fcuking disgraceful.
— London Biker (@UFO_London) February 2, 2022
