Overtaking Cycling Riding on Pavement

[imquitethick]

Hi all,
On the way to work this morning I overtook a cyclist who was passing a pedestrian whilst riding on the pavement.
My question is does the overtaking distance of cyclist still apply even if they’re riding on the pavement (no cycle lane)?

[ChocolateFrog]

Username checks out.

[Mandat]

imquitethick said:

Hi all,
On the way to work this morning I overtook a cyclist who was passing a pedestrian whilst riding on the pavement.
My question is does the overtaking distance of cyclist still apply even if they’re riding on the pavement (no cycle lane)?

It only applies if you are driving on the pavement as well.

[Pica-Pica]

ChocolateFrog said:

Username checks out.

1.5 metre thick?

[Haltamer]

A bit extra for when they fumble off the kerb narrowly missing the pedestrian, as they're not the most confident if they're already on the pavement

[nismo48]

EmailAddress said:

It depends whether it was Jeremy Vine or not.

Excellent!!

[ingenieur]

Depends on if you take these weird socialist bed wetter rules seriously or not. Who is getting out of their car to measure 1.5m between themselves and a cyclist. Who is watching to see if the distance was right. If you are a cyclist yourself is it still 1.5m or can you pass closer? If you measure everything in feet and inches what does 1.5m convert to?

[911hope]

ingenieur said:

Depends on if you take these weird socialist bed wetter rules seriously or not. Who is getting out of their car to measure 1.5m between themselves and a cyclist. Who is watching to see if the distance was right. If you are a cyclist yourself is it still 1.5m or can you pass closer? If you measure everything in feet and inches what does 1.5m convert to?

It is quite easy to estimate 1.5m, if you have a brain.

Why not call it 2m..so the width of a car.

Is that easy enough?

[Peter3442]

Where you can, it's better these days to give 1.5m space to anything not fixed to the ground.

[jmcc500]

I assume a cyclist on the pavement is likely to be less confident and less competent than one on the road, and the pavement is (paradoxically) more likely to have obstacles/issues that might cause them to lose control and/or crash. I therefore time my pass (by slowing if required) such that I can move across to the right to give them at least the same 1.5m clearance as I would a cyclist on the road, and I would be ready to react to them swerving/falling towards my path.

I apply the same thinking and approach to children walking on the pavement.

I don't find any of this has an impact on my journey times - I nearly always end up at the back of the same queue as I would have been in had I not applied this approach.

[Ron240]

jmcc500 said:

I assume a cyclist on the pavement is likely to be less confident and less competent than one on the road, and the pavement is (paradoxically) more likely to have obstacles/issues that might cause them to lose control and/or crash. I therefore time my pass (by slowing if required) such that I can move across to the right to give them at least the same 1.5m clearance as I would a cyclist on the road, and I would be ready to react to them swerving/falling towards my path.

I apply the same thinking and approach to children walking on the pavement.

I don't find any of this has an impact on my journey times - I nearly always end up at the back of the same queue as I would have been in had I not applied this approach.

You mean like pedestrians who unlike the cyclist are entitled to be there.

Assuming your reply is genuine then you are an admirable driver, but busy pedestrian pavements must cause you a lot of stress while driving.

[911hope]

imquitethick said:

Hi all,
On the way to work this morning I overtook a cyclist who was passing a pedestrian whilst riding on the pavement.
My question is does the overtaking distance of cyclist still apply even if they’re riding on the pavement (no cycle lane)?

Are you in any way concerned with the safety of the cyclist, or just what you can get away with?

[Mave]

911hope said:

Are you in any way concerned with the safety of the cyclist, or just what you can get away with?

That was the question in my mind as well

[TUS373]

If it was Cycling Mikey....then we would have to film him and report to the Metropolitan Police.

[Robertb]

Ron240 said:

jmcc500 said:

I assume a cyclist on the pavement is likely to be less confident and less competent than one on the road, and the pavement is (paradoxically) more likely to have obstacles/issues that might cause them to lose control and/or crash. I therefore time my pass (by slowing if required) such that I can move across to the right to give them at least the same 1.5m clearance as I would a cyclist on the road, and I would be ready to react to them swerving/falling towards my path.

I apply the same thinking and approach to children walking on the pavement.

I don't find any of this has an impact on my journey times - I nearly always end up at the back of the same queue as I would have been in had I not applied this approach.

You mean like pedestrians who unlike the cyclist are entitled to be there.

Assuming your reply is genuine then you are an admirable driver, but busy pedestrian pavements must cause you a lot of stress while driving.

I shall be forever grateful to the driver who was similarly cautious when passing my toddler daughter on her bicycle, which she was riding on the pavement in front of me as I walked. To my horror (and my blood still runs cold thinking about it 17 yrs later!), she lost control and fell onto the road as a car approached. The driver was going slowly and was able to avoid her without issue.

[Konrod]

This isn't as daft a question as it sounds. I'm always aware of where pedestrians are when I'm driving, be that is the rural area where I live and people have to walk on the road on occasion, and also in towns where there are pavements. 99% of the time there's no problem, but you can usually spot either people not paying attention, or larking around either of which may suddenly come onto the road. The width of the pavement/how busy it is is also a factor.

Several years ago driving though my village in my TVR I potted some teenage lads on the pavement riding towards me and messing around - I had just moved to the towards the white lines to give some space (cars coming the other way limited my "escape" options) when one of the lads wanted to show he could ride hands free (he couldn't), rode straight off the kerb and into the front of my car. Fortunately I'd been paying attention and my car was almost stationary by the time he hit me so he didn't go over the handlebars. He did however crack the bodywork and break the headlight.

We had words, went back to his parents and they ended up paying for the repairs (their home insurance covered it apparently).

The point is, spotting likely hazards even if on the pavement is still good practice in my view - that bit of space helped, as was being ready to hit the anchors.

And as a cyclist, I don't measure the 1.5m, but I am grateful to everyone that leaves me some space - I have to say that around here almost everyone is courteous, including the cyclists.

[nismo48]

Mandat said:

imquitethick said:

Hi all,
On the way to work this morning I overtook a cyclist who was passing a pedestrian whilst riding on the pavement.
My question is does the overtaking distance of cyclist still apply even if they’re riding on the pavement (no cycle lane)?

It only applies if you are driving on the pavement as well.

hmmmm