Yahoo News Mind the gap! Drivers could face fines for driving too close to cyclists
Motorists could be fined for driving too close to cyclists under a safety review being considered by the Department of Transport.
The idea is designed to make bikes a safer choice for short journeys.
The plan is being considered by ministers and one of its aims is to reduce the number of cyclists and pedestrians injured.
If it comes into force, it is likely to include mandatory passing distances for motorists overtaking cyclists to stop them getting too close.
Britain will not be the first country to do this if so.
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Ireland has also spoken about introducing such a law.
Passing distances have already been introduced in many countries, with gaps of at least one metre on local roads, rising to one-and-a-half metres on faster routes.
Currently, the Highway Code instructs motorists to give cyclists ‘plenty of room, but no minimum distance has been set.
Some 100 cyclists are killed every year on Britain’s roads. Another 3,000 are seriously injured.
Another rule being considered is tackling the danger caused by drivers opening car doors into the path of cyclists.
Such measures have also been introduced in other countries including Holland, where drivers are taught to open a door onto a road using the hand furthest away, forcing them to look over their shoulder for passing cyclists.
