The new issue of the Highway Code prioritises cyclists in most situations and pedestrians at junctions. UKIP does not believe such measures will improve road safety and it will not improve traffic flow including that of buses on which some pedestrians depend for their transport.

Motorists pay heavily through vehicle excise duty, petrol duty, MOT, and vehicle maintenance for the use of the roads. The car is registered to them and there is a visible number plate so it can be monitored, and the motorist contacted if they disobey the rules of the road including speeding.

Cyclists and pedestrians are pretty much anonymous and except if they are also motorists, they do not pay the costs of maintaining the roads. Both pedestrians and cyclists regularly ignore the highway code and cyclists are renowned for undertaking and overtaking very close to vehicles and ignoring junctions and traffic lights and generally causing motorists to take action to avoid hitting them or knocking them down.

Now at junctions pedestrians and cyclists have the right of way before motorists, so there could be a steady stream of pedestrians just keep walking across a road junction halting traffic wishing to turn into or out of a side road, causing cars to back up and unnecessary annoyance to the motorists. Guaranteed gridlock!

A car overtaking a bicycle now must give 1.5 metres minimum clearance; cyclists are also encouraged to ride in the centre of the lane 'on quiet roads' without a clear definition of ‘quiet’; this means that wherever a cyclist is in the lane there may be insufficient clearance while cars are traveling in the opposite lane. Cyclists can and will clog up the lane and define its speed to as little as 4 mph. Guaranteed gridlock!

Cyclists represent 2% of road uses. So instead of a tiny minority group being allowed to change the rules of the road in their favour it would have been more reasonable for a group of 50 motorists and 1 cyclist to have worked on the new highway code.

It is ludicrous for laws and rules for society to be dominated by tiny minority groups.

The new highway code is not fit for purpose and the Department of Transport should be ashamed of its continued war on the motorist.

Antony Nailer,

UKIP Policy Team, Transport advisor.