Revisions to the Highway Code

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:36 pm on 28 November 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 1:36, 28 November 2018

I think Julie Morgan raises a really important point. Although I consider myself something of a competent cyclist, one of the things that I worry about most when I'm cycling in an urban environment, or indeed when I'm running where there are no pavements, is the possibility that somebody will open a car door, particularly when I'm cycling. And this is something of a constant concern. Now, if I'm feeling that as a competent cyclist, I imagine that the concern is even more intense for a beginner. And, so, I have to say I'm very impressed by the number of responses to the consultation that is taking place. I believe that there are more than 14,000 responses to the consultation, which followed the call for evidence from the Department for Transport, and what is called the 'Dutch reach', I think, has been raised by a significant number of people. I'd be keen to see the Dutch reach approach adopted within the highway code, but I'm also keen to look at other areas to improve cyclists' safety on the roads, including, for example, Operation Snap that has been exercised by police forces in Wales. They were the first to pioneer a new approach to processing dashcam recordings of dangerous driving, which includes dangerous passing, and what it enables them to do, through management on an all-Wales basis, is to advise drivers when they are not driving safely and also to penalise them when they are proven to be driving unsafely or when they are not paying due attention, or due regard, to cyclists on the roads. 

So, I think the Dutch reach is another component, and another, if you like, weapon in our armoury in improving road safety, particularly for cyclists. And, given that we are soon to invest record sums in active travel, I think an intervention through the highway code of this form would complement our financial and investment interventions.