When is a road user not a road user?

After being filmed knocking a cyclist off his bike when opening his car door, Mr Grayling, Secretary of State for Transport, got into even more hot water, by saying: “Where you have cycle lanes, cyclists are the users of cycle lanes and the road users are the users of the road. It’s very simple”. By differentiating users of cycle lanes from other ‘road users’ he demonstrated that his grasp of the legal definitions of roads and road users is shaky to say the least.

The Highway Code and the Road Traffic Act of 1995 sets out clearly that Road Users include anyone who uses the roads including drivers of all types of vehicle, pedestrians, motorcyclists, horse riders and cyclists. Over its 160 pages the Highway Code uses the term Road User 74 times. It is very clear that road user refers to all of us.

The 1995 Road Traffic Act is also clear that ‘road’ refers to all parts of a public road, including footpaths, pavements, bus lanes and cycle lanes – even though there can be different rules for using these different parts of the road. Furthermore, the Highway Code identifies vulnerable road users as pedestrians, particularly children, older or disabled people, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders.

We need this clarity because our roads (in the broadest sense) are congested and at times contested spaces. Pedestrians, cyclists, car drivers and buses often have to negotiate the same physical space, and it is important that the law protects all of us. We need to understand that we are all road users – and our main responsibility is to protect the most vulnerable.

People listening to Mr Grayling could mistakenly believe he had conjured up a whole new category, ‘users of the cycle lanes’ which is different to ‘road users’. We have no idea what their rights are, or what rules govern their use of the road space. Take Oxford for example, what would happen to these ‘users of the cycle lane’ when the cycle lane ends and they are jettisoned onto the road. This sort of muddled message does nothing to promote cooperation on our roads.

I hope the Secretary of State for Transport takes Chris Boardman up on his offer of a cycle commute into central London. Then he would experience travelling as a vulnerable road user, using some dedicated cycling infrastructure, but also having to cycle alongside cars, buses and lorries in other places. He would experience that split second of fear that a driver might not stop to let you go first at a junction, or could pull out in front of you. Over seven million people use their bikes in the UK, and the number would be much higher if there was proper cycling infrastructure. To commit to increasing cycling we need leaders who acknowledge and respect the rights of all road users and understand what it means to use our roads in different ways. Come on Mr. Grayling, admit your mistakes, read the Highway Code and get On Yer Bike!