Love them or loathe them, cyclists have just as much right to use the UK’s road networks as car or lorry drivers. There might be certain roads that they’re not allowed on, but if you take a drive down some country lanes or through a busy city centre, you’re guaranteed to bump into at least one two-wheeled pedaller – although, we hope not literally. That’s why we’ve developed this post explaining how to overtake a cyclist that’s ahead of you on the road whilst driving your car.
Perhaps your car has been damaged after an unfortunate collision with a bicycle, or maybe you’re ready to do your bit for the environment and switch petrol for pedals? Whatever your reason for needing to get rid of your car, Scrap Car Comparison is on hand to find you the top prices for it, all offered by licensed Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) in your local area. Our ATF network covers 99% of the UK, so we’ll be able to help sell your car no matter where you might be. We even offer free delivery as standard! Give our sales team a call on 03333 44 99 50 or enter your details into our scrap value calculator and find out how much your car is worth today.
Can You Overtake Cyclists In Your Car?
Yes, you are legally allowed to overtake cyclists when you are driving your car, but there are plenty of rules in place to ensure that this manoeuvre doesn’t place either driver or rider in an unnecessarily risky situation.
These laws have changed fairly recently, so you probably weren’t taught the updated iterations on your driving lessons. As such, we will go into them in more detail below.
What Are The UK Laws Around Overtaking Cyclists?
In recent years, there have been updates to The Highway Code regarding cyclists and overtaking them safely. The new law now states that, when overtaking a cyclist, you must give them at least 1.5 metres of space when travelling at 30 mph and even more room when passing at higher speeds, such as on country lanes.
Generally, The Highway Code also covers overtaking, with most if not all of the rules still applying to the act of passing cyclists:
- Make sure the road ahead is clear and that you have space to pass into.
- Perform the overtaking manoeuvre legally.
- Check your mirrors and indicate your intentions before overtaking.
- Don’t overtake when road markings prohibit it.
Alongside these changes, the ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ was altered. This list ranks road users based on their vulnerability in the event of an incident. The updated list is as follows:
Most at risk
- Pedestrians
- Cyclists
- Horse Riders
- Motorcyclists
- Cars/Taxis
- Vans/Minibuses
- Buses/HGVs
Why Do Cyclists Ride Two Abreast & Is It Legal?
Of all the things that cyclists do that frustrates car drivers, this is without a doubt the worst of all… but it’s actually completely legal! In fact, it’s recommended because it’s safer for them. Ironically, it’s deemed safer because it stops drivers from overtaking them dangerously.
Riding two abreast is completely legal as long as each cyclist is no more than 1.5 metres apart from one another. This action is not recommended on narrow streets, and it’s not legal to ride three or more abreast, although it is fine for other cyclists to overtake a slower pairing.
If you’re a car or van driver who’s sick of cyclists cluttering up the road or you’d like to take the plunge and start cycling yourself, then sell your car with Scrap Car Comparison today! We’ll find you the best price for your vehicle in around 30 seconds using just your postcode and registration, and we even offer free collection to all of our customers at no extra cost!. Give us a call on 03333 44 99 50 or use our scrap value calculator now and find out how much your scrap or salvage vehicle is worth!
