Amongst a raft of changes and clarifications going to be introduced at the end of January, there is important guidance being added to rule 163 – specifically how vehicles should treat other road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists motorcylcists and horses. This is particularly important in our rual countryside, where there are frequently no pavements for walkers, and a variety of slower road users using country lanes. The new guidance for the final point of rule 163 is proposed to look like this (new additions in BOLD)

• give motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215). As a guide:
  − leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds
  − pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres space
  − allow at least 2 metres space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road (e.g. where there is no pavement)
  − take extra care and give more space when overtaking motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders, horse drawn vehicles and pedestrians in bad weather (including high winds) and at night
  − you should wait behind the motorcyclist, cyclist, horse rider, horse drawn vehicle or pedestrian and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances